Chimay Bleue (Blue)

Brewed by Chimay
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Baileux, Belgium

Name: Chimay Grand Reserve
Date: 02/04/1996
Mode: Bottle
Source: new orleans, LA

clear dark amber ale with lots of carbonation and a reasonable head, sweet aroma with a touch of floral hops, complex ale with well balanced hops and malts, dry aftertaste

Aroma: 6/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 5/10; Palate: 5/10; Overall: 10/20
Rating: 2.8/5.0
Score: *4
-------- /> Name: Bleue (Blue)
Date: 11/28/2002
Mode: Bottle
Source: Stones River, Murfreesboro

Dark brown, big creamy tan head, sweet malt aroma, rich malt flavor, touch of chocolate, hint of spicyness,
-------- /> Name: Bleue (Blue)
Date: 09/01/2005
Source: aa tasting
Vintage: 2003 vintage

lots of carbonation to tickle your tongue, good dark malt flavor, just not enough ripe fruit complexity, warmth brings more ripe fruit,

Aroma: 5/10; Appearance: 8/10; Flavor: 6/10; Palate: 5/10; Overall: 13/20
Rating: 3.1/5.0
Score: **+/4
-------- /> The score was calculated based upon the notes and an old scoring system.

When I first had this beer, it was one of the first strong Belgians for me. It blew me away. Over the years, I’ve felt that while it is a complex, tasty beverage, it has been eclipsed. Whether it is me or the beer is debatable - and indeed the topic of the perceived decline of Chimay beers over the past decade is one of the most heated in the world of beer geeks. Well, I finally decided to sit down and give this a proper re-rate. I’ve got a small bottle of 2004 from my local liquor store.

The colour is kind of unusual in that there is a big disparity between the colour - under the light it’s a golden brown but in the glass it’s dark chestnut. The head is very light mocha. The aroma is plummy, slightly bubblegummy with notes of honey, pears, sweet dark malts and a little bit of yeast. Nice. It has a sweet palate with pear, orange, and sultana notes. A strong alcohol presence cuts through dusty yeastiness. Flavour notes are well-fused, save for the obtrusive alcohol.

2008-02-03, vintage 2000, 7 years old, Grande Reserve corked 75cl bottle, 6-5-7-3-14=35
It pours a beautyful dark mahogany color with red shades, and a creamy head. It smells too much the cork, with some caramel too, and a touch of cellar. Medium body (maybe less than the fresh one), with a good dark caramel flavor. The bitterness is almost gone. At the end the alcohol nicely warms the tongue. In the end there is some complexity, wood flavors and traces of oxidization. More an experience than a great beer.

2003-01-16, vintage 2001, 1 year old, 9-5-8-4-17=43
Dark amber color, generous head, reducing to a thin creamy collar.
Interesting aroma: malt, light liquorice, whisky; 1 extra point for the harmony, more than for the specific characteristics.
Good body structure and perfect balance of malt and hop; pretty dry taste (considering the alcohol content and style); smooth, warming, some alcohol sensation; some caramel and liquorice. Improves while warming and oxydizing.
Bitter sweet final, harmonious but not particularly strong nor aromatic.
I used to love this, but possibly it has changed in the last years; I would prefer other Trappistes…

Dark brown beer with medium head. Malty aroma with hints of plums and chocolate. Same goes for the sweet and complex flavor. Nice warming alkohol in the end. Develops in glas.

Fruit & caramel malt aroma. The flavor includes both of those, but also an alcohol presence. There’s more in the taste, but I’m not sure how to identify it. The mouthfeel is champagne-like, all light and bubbly. Cloudy, dark brown body, with a nice head of foam. I like this beer quite a bit, but I can’t say I love it.

33cl bottle. Reddish brown beer with thin beige head. Yeasty malt nose. Good choc malt in mouth with acidic dry hop finish. Good length with choc flavours. Thought the White was the best of the 3 Chimays. Re-rate. Well not really. I had a 1990 33cl bottle in The Kulminator 24/2/06. Musty, sherry aroma. Sour in middle and on end. Sherry, raisiny and a bit thin in the mouth. Very musty and a bit disappointing. Sourness was a bit of a surprise. Some toffee but the mustiness overrides the subtle flavours. Glad I had it.

Bottled
Dark brown raisin color. Brown creamy head. Aroma is parfume, yeast and apple. Mouthfeel is champagne-like: carbonated. Tasting raisins and prunes. Aftertaste is alcoholic bitter.

I still remember the first time I tasted the Chimay bleu, I really and utterly hated it. It was long before I started my journey into the world of beers, though. The second time was in the beginning of my rating career, actually it must have been one of the 5 or 10 first, so it must have been in May 2004, and I still didn’t like it, but then again, I really didn’t like the Belgian beers back then. So in July 05 I felt ready to give it another try, and I’m glad I did. It is dark brown with a lot of chunky sediment and the head is beige and nice. The aroma has notes of dark, ripe fruits and a bit of alcohol. The flavour is complex: warming alcohol, plum, raisin, port wine, caramel sweetness and a hint of licorice - and it mingles well into a higher and well balanced unity. I have a few bottles in my cellar, put away for maturing. Yet another good example that out taste develops in our journey in to the world of beers...