Chimay Bleue (Blue)

Brewed by Chimay
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Baileux, Belgium

Pours dark murky brown / crimson with a frothy tan head. The aroma has caramel malt, soda shop malt, figs, dates, light earthiness, dough and light spice that reminds me of cinnamon. Medium frothy body with very soft carbonation. The taste starts with earthy caramel malt, lots of biscuit, dark fruits and some sourness. The finish is spicy and somewhat astringent. A good beer, but not up to some of the other Trappist brews.

bottle sample at Darklord Day - Pours a hazy dark brown with a nice head. There’s a fairly assertive aroma of dark fruit and yeast. The flavor is mostly of malts and dark fruits, finely balanced in a full bodied ale with a little alcohol apparent, but not in an unpleasant way. The finish is quite nice with some mild hops and it lingers on the palate for a bit. Excellent.

Dark brown, with very little head. Pleasant fruit aroma with a bitter/chocolate taste and malt. Definitely a stocker in my fridge!

Mildly sweet aroma but not alarmingly sweet like many strong ales. Beatiful swirling hypnotizing pour in a darker brown liquid. Decent fizz on the palate. Alky shows thru on the tongue at times. I guess I am a little crestfallen considering the percentile of this brew. Chimay white was much more enjoyable than this, but what should I expect for a strong ale. Strong ales are not one of my favorites. I just thought that it would be a little more refined than the typical american wanna bee belgie strong ale. Not what I expected. Reminds me of the letdown when, in eager anticipation from the raters on this site, that I tasted my first highly rated imperial stout. Finish is not long lingering but it is a little alky bitter.

Sampled from a rather attractive 11.2 oz brown bottle this brew pours a murky dark brown color that turns to red when held to the light. There is a large light tan head. The aroma is sour, tart and fruity with notes of cherry, berry and caramel. The flavor is strongly sweet and sugary with sour malts, ripe black cherries, berries, notable caramel and faint hints of must and nutmeg. The finish was long, fruity and tart. Fairly thick body. Excellent.

330ml bottle, cellared since 7/16/02. Aroma of rum-soaked spice cake, raisin, estery yeast, and dark bread. Dark, opaque brownish red in color with ample carbonation and head. Profoundly sweet and fruity, with a variety of dessert and baking spices, raisin and lightly warming alcohol. Aftertaste is long, spicy, having a scant amount of hop flavor and continuing maltiness. Really really good. My first ever true Belgian Ale experience years ago.

Small bottle from Press Club in Portland, OR--Poured a dark brown-aubergine body with a one finger white fluffy head that quickly dissipated. Malty, spicy nose. Rich, nutty, molasses, toffee, saccharine notes. This is one of the all time greats!

Bottle from BevMo. Pours a murky dark red-brown color with a huge off-white head. aroma is sweet spices, notably cinnamon and cloves, raisin, light aromatic hops and alcohol. flavor has many roasted notes, yeast, wheat, chocolate, alcohol and the same subdued spiciness as in the aroma. medium alcoholic body with mild, lively carbonation and a gentle bitter aftertaste.