Chimay Bleue (Blue) / Grande Réserve

Brewed by Chimay
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Baileux, Belgium

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

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This beer has always had a touch of a metallicness to me and this past time was no different... Very complex, very fruity, very yeasty, big bold flavor, changing ever so slightlly as it warms... There is a reason this is the most well known belgian strong ale in the US... Metal taste...

330 mL Bottle. The label is marked with a "serve before end of 2014" best-before date. Murky deep copper-ruby body with a pale beige foamy head that settles to a clingy ring. Aroma of roses and cherry candy as well as malts and roasted malts; there are nuances of wine and wild berries. Flavor! Wow! This is a chart buster but here I have to give it the limit of 10. Okay, I’ll transfer the bonus points where I can. Wild berries accompany the malts in the mild but delightful sweetness. There is a wine-like expression in the aftertaste, a cherry cough drop linger, and then a nice clean finish. This beer has tied on my scoreboard with its own sibling, Chimay Triple / Blanche

Pours cloudy brown with a large beige head. Aroma is caramel, raisin, nuts, some alcohol and light hop. Flavour is sweet caramel, raisin, plum, nuts and alcohol.

The blue one is the best belgian beer I ever tasted. Some friends in Liege teach to me how to enjoy this graet beer in "La Voudree", togheter with good meat. Aroma is really special, and we can talk about this beer like about a good red wine

A 2008. The big one for Christmas dinner. A perfect match to the turkey and veg, lovely. Also a perfect beer to share at the dinner table. Fruit, apples, spice, bread, loads going on, some tannic hop dryness. Open one of these for people who like wine but not beer. Change some minds.

My favorite Chimay. Wonderful balanced tastes. A Belgian that is not too yeasty and smells fresh. Flowers, fresh ingredients and a balanced character make this my favorite Belgian.

Amost always the best beer you can find when you find it. Its mocha and berry character are so beautiful and its musty yeast strain is one of a kind.

UPDATED: APR 7, 2012 2010 and 1999 at gnoffs place (2011-03-08) thx deft for bring gnoffs 99 2010: ar: plums, bread, yeasty, amaretto, ap: mahogny body, brige wee head f: thin, plums, glue, almonds, water 3,3 1999: ar: bananas, almonds, banana bread, wee alcholic ap: mahogney body, wee beige head f: almonds, plums, round and luxurios flavor 1999 to 2010 tasting 2010-10-02 at deft, Göteborg 2010 wee bottle thx Marsiblursi: AR: alcholic, dark bread, brown sugar AP: mahogny, wee of white head, F: beardy, sugar, rasin cake, alcohol Yolk: N/A 2,7 p This one is not ready for consumption, store for two more years or more! 2008 big bottle thx Gnoff: AR: vinos,rasin cak, cork according to Marsiblursi AP: reddish mahogny, wee beige head f: scotch toffee, alcholic Yolk: same as the rest of the beer, perhaps some fruity sweetness 3,5 p 2007 wee bottle thx thomat: buttery fudge (margarin) alcholic AP: clody, oily F: butter toffee, light alholic, raisin, plums3,7 p 2006 wee bottle from Etre Gourmet: as the 2007 but more sweeter 3,7 p 2003 wee bottle from Etre Gourmet: AR: maderia, F: maderia, still carbonation, ohhh this was super best so far 4,3 p 2001 big bottle thx Gnoff: AR: vionos, alcholic, AP: dark ruby red, wee diminshing white head F: alholic, vionos, rich carbonation, dry finish, great bitterness, Yolk: more of the butter scotch 3,8 p 1999 wee bottle thx Gnoff: AR: sprity vinos, AP: ruby red, wee head, F: sprity, vinos, butters scotch Yolk: the essens of above but much much better mmm 4,5p 2008-10-23, one of many before AP: dark brown body, thick white head AR: belgian yeast, fruits F: malt, fruits, fudge

Poured a dark, cloudy caramel/molasses color with a thin beige head. The head disappeard to just a film rather quickly. The aroma was of toffee, raisins, dried fruits and some alcohol. There was good carbonation on the initial taste. The texture was lightly creamy/silky. Initially the flavor was slightly tart with maybe the flavor of cherries and then mellowed into more of a sweet flavor of the roasted malts with flavors of raisins and toffee. The finish was rather mellow and mild on the palate.

UPDATED: JUL 11, 2011 Bottle. Poured a rich medium to dark brown with a small off-white foamy head that was fully diminishing and had fair lacing. The aroma was of roasted malts, a mild flowery hops and a light scent of a sweet yeast with notes of dried fruit. It tasted slightly bitter-sweet in the beginning with a hint of raisons and finished moderately sweet and malty and had a slight alcohol tinge at the end with the flavor only lasting a short time. Mouthfeel was medium in body and very creamy yet oily in texture. Overall a fantastic/outstanding brew with one hell of a kick. One of my favorites, but don’t drink too many!!!!!!