Borran's Beer Review: 3 Year Old Chimay Grande Réserve (Blue)

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It's time for another review! Today, I'm reviewing a Chimay Blue which I've stored in my cellar for 3 years. I'm curious about the difference between a fresh and an aged one. I've heard they change in many ways when storing them. The beer is a Belgian Strong Dark Ale from the brewery Bières de Chimay.

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Description of the beer:

"The Chimay Blue Cap, baptized "Grande Reserve" in 750 ml bottles is a dark Trappist beer with a powerful aroma, the complex flavor of which improves across the years. It was first brewed as a Christmas beer by the monks of Scourmont Abbey in 1956."

"This authentic Belgian beer, whose tinge of fresh yeast is associated with a light rosy flowery touch, is particularly pleasant. Its aroma, perceived as one enjoys it, only accents the delightful sensations revealed by the odor, all revealing a light but agreeable caramelized note."

"It is ideally served at cellar temperature (10 to 12°C)."

Source

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History & Facts:

- Chimay Brewery (Brasserie de Chimay) is a brewery at Scourmont Abbey, a Trappist monastery in Chimay, Hainaut, Belgium, one of the eleven breweries worldwide that produce Trappist beer.

- The brewery was founded in 1862.

- It was the first brewery to use the Trappist Ale designation on its labels.

- The beer is sold only for financial support of the monastery and good causes.

- The water for the beers is drawn from a well located inside the monastery walls.

- The beer is then refermented in the bottle for three weeks before being shipped around the world.

- The monastery also makes four varieties of cheese.

Source

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Here's a list of their most well known beers:

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Chimay Grande Réserve (Blue)

Chimay Cinq Cents (White)

Chimay Première (Red)

Chimay Dorée (Gold)

Source

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Appearance: dark brown color with a small white head.

Smell: raisin, dark fruit, some alcohol and yeast.

Mouthfeel: medium body, soft carbonation.

Taste: raisin, dark fruit, caramel, spices, yeast, alcohol, some chocolate notes.

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The 3 year old Chimay blue has lower carbonation than a fresh one. It has more aroma and more complex flavors. It is also sweeter and has less hop flavor.

Conclusion: I guess most people prefer aged Chimay, but I myself actually like fresh Chimay more. I've never been a fan of sweet beers, and the aged one has a sweeter taste IMO.

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Verdict - My rating: 3.5 out of 5.

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Chimay Grande Réserve (Blue):

Brewery	Bières de Chimay
Country	Baileux, Wallonie Belgium
Style	Belgian Strong Dark Ale
Alcohol	9 %
IBU	35
Score	3.5/5

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Camera: Nikon Coolpix P900/Nikkor 83X Wide Optical Zoom 4.3-357mm f/2.8-6.5.

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Please drink responsibly!

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I hope you enjoyed my post! Thanks for stopping by!