Chimay Bleue (Blue) / Grande Réserve

Brewed by Chimay
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Baileux, Belgium

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

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I refuse to even get into detail on this one...absolutely AWESOME...just find it, and buy it...Seriously dont even read any more ratings...Just get your keys...go blow the $9...and enjoy.

Bottle from Oddbins. Very effervescent. Pours deep ruby/brown with off-white head that rapidly diminished. Winey aroma, malt only hinted at, and a touch of rich, dried fruit. Smoky, spicy taste, with lots of plummy/raisin fruit - in fact it tastes like its aroma - and a very dry finish. Relatively light for a 9% beer. Words of mine can’t do justice to this masterpiece.

Presentation: It was poured from a stubby brown 11.2oz bottle into a signature Chimay chalice that came with the gift set. Appearance: The body has a beautiful deep dark brown colored body with dark ruby highlights and a slightly hazy body. The head builds up tall and thick with an abundance of small tiny, tight packed bubbles. It has a creamy off white color and good retention as it slowly settles down to a light thin covering. Lacing is very slick and minimal. Smell: The aroma has an intoxicating mix of sweet malt, earthy yeast and dark fruity esters. Taste/Mouth feel: Ageing only adds more complexity and character and each sip will reveal different flavor notes. To start there is a nice lightly roasted, almost smoky malt with different layers of dark fruits that is revealed as it warms. Plums, figs, dates, dark and golden raisins are some fruits I noted and all is surrounded buy the presence of a pleasant warming port like alcohol. Its palate is full and well rounded with a smooth feel and mellow carbonation. Notes: For me this is about as close to perfect as a beer could be. It is an absolute pleasure for all the senses.

Come on, you know it is the best if you have to close your eyes as you sip it. Forget Champagne, I’m serving this at my wedding.

The best beer I’ve ever had. Just the right balance of malt and fruit and not overly strong. Let it warm up a little and it tastes even better.

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

I have never tasted a Belgian that even compares to this beer. I’m not sure why they listed this as "Chimay Bleue" instead of the real name "Chimay Grande Reserve".

I love the way this beer looks in the glass. Medium in color with a nice head. Once you turn the glass upward the smells start to come, nice floral scent with some yeast. Next is the taste, wow possibly the best beer I have ever had.Taste like the scent only more so.

Tasted this delicious beer two week ago. 1.5 litre magnum bottle. 2008 Vintage, got it in mid 2009, so I could resist to taste it for more than a half year. I’d highly recommend this beer, it was heavenly! As I opened the bottle I immediatly noticed the rich nose: it was like whisky... The taste and aroma were extremely different from the usual 33cl bottle: richer, better... My personal favorite!

Absolutely, perfect! At first taste, a strong and sweet ale hits the palate, but after some contemplation, you seem to get lost in this beer! There is so much going on, yet the simplicity of the all natural trappist techniques used to brew this keeps it drinkable. Truly the best beer I’ve ever had.