Chimay Triple / Blanche (White)

Brewed by Chimay
Style: Abbey Tripel
Baileux, Belgium

Sampled from a 750ml brown bottle this beer pours a cloudy ocher-gold color with a huge yellow-white head. The aroma is dryish, musty and had light fruity and floral hop present. The flavor is bitter, bready, yeasty and has a sharp floral hop presence. the finish is long, sour, bready and a bit chewy with a floral and fruity hop bitterness that lingers. Fairly full bodied.

I had this at the Sharp Edge Creek House in Pittsburgh, thanks to mtoast. Pour is a golden yellow, like any other ubiquitous American pale yellow beer. For the aroma, I think I detect a hint of fruity sweetness in the brew but it is not like the sickening sweetness of so many other trippels I’ve tasted, very mild and laid back. Other than that it is the smell of your typical yeasty beer. I am surprised at the aroma and the look, I guess I was expecting something really different. It masquerades as a typical beer before you taste it. This has a nice white head that stays and keeps going, it does not fade. The first taste impression is very interesting; never had anything like this before. It has a unique personality of a well behaved gentleman. You can barely taste the alky, this is so much better than any other trippel I have had. Perhaps Grimbergen Blonde is close to this but this Chimay is just plain likeable. The alky is so well hidden, other less refined trippels are in your face. This is miles above Southern Tier Trippel, Golden Monkey and Weyer’s Merry Monks. There is a little hoppy bitterness in there but I almost refuse to call it bitterness, it is so well controlled that the positive hoppy flavors remain while the bitterness seems to be extracted some how. I think I am now getting the feel of what makes good beer good. The flavor also has a bit of unexpected staleness or mustiness to it but it is not in a negative manner, if that is possible. It only contributes to the complexities of this brew. Finish is not offensive in the least bit. It lacks the nasty alky linger that is so common with all those big beer styles. This is a very refined trippel. Now I know what a good trippel should be like; pleasant, enjoyable and repeatable. All those other trippels now seem harsh compared to this. I’m moving on, not looking back!

From thee Horsebrass Pub-Poured a deep and glowing grainy yellow. Vinous, bready with a candy bar/medicinal/yeasty . Lively and evidently bold alcoholic head. Smooth enough to burn you. Boozy vapors in the finish.

Hoppy,fruity,quite strong.

Pours a hazy golden yellow with a large white head. Nose is malty and yeasty. Some hops, but mostly yeast and some fruit in the flavor.

33 cl bottle - Pours a slightly hazy amber color with a large off white head. Thick lacing. Aroma and flavor is esters and yeast. Medium body. Smooth mouthfeel. A good beer.

A peachy orange pour with a surprising mild off white head. A pungent corriander smell that really isn’t as pronounced as I would have expected. A spicy flavor with hints of clove(I know it isn’t clove but that is what its like to me) It has a hint of bitter on the finish. Good carbonation and solid mouthfeel. Crisp clean beer that is solid all round.

Bottled in 7/01 sampled on 8/2/02: brilliantly opaque orange..Gigantice head of big bold bubbles..Bubbles endlessly shot up from the bottom of the glass...spicy, slight citrus, and a tad eggy in aroma...mellow wheaty notes surround a pretty firm spiciness and a blizzard of orange & lemon zest..
I like this better than the blue...haven't had the red yet...yet..Nevermind..had the red tonight..The white is the best chimay IMO...Re-Rate 8/30/03 Draught: Everything it was before and more..with super twang grapefruit playdough..Re-Rate 11/23/02: beauty damn beauty..yeasty almost medicinal horsehay nostril cleaner..bananas..citrus and yeast..mellow & smooth..Rock da disqotek!