Style: Dark Belgian ale
Brewery: Chimay
Origin: Belgium
Size: 33cl
Alcohol: 9%
Price: 38kr
Systembolaget: 1651 (2023 edition)
Chimay is a brewery founded in 1862 at Scourmont Abbey, a Trappist monastery in Belgium, and is one of the thirteen breweries worldwide that produce Trappist beer. Chimay blue is considered to be their flagship beer and is one of the most recognizable Trappist beers available today. Chimay Blue will always have a very big place in my heart, as it was one of the first beers I can remember that got me into Trappist beers a long, long time ago. I had been holding these bottles for 5 years, so I thought now would be the perfect time to open them after five years of maturation, and I’m so happy I got to try this as it was amazing.
This was deep amber to brown, pouring with a tan head that was thick and layered the glass for a long time after. The aroma was simply delicious, with syrup, raisins, caramel, alcohol, yeast, chocolate, toasted dark bread and a touch of metal all working in unison with each other. This plethora of aromas transitioned perfectly into the taste, with toffee, chocolate, dried fruits and candy sugar all present along with a slight warmth in the chest from the alcohol when swallowed. The body as thick and coated the palate, leaving it feeling oily and sticky at the same time. The aftertaste lingered for a fair time, with the sweetness slowly petering out to leave the palate satisfied.
So I’m pretty biased for this beer, and regularly is incorporated into any of my “Top 10 beers of all time” lists. Simply put, this is a world-class beer that got even better as it matured for five years. A delicious beer, and one that every beer fan should try at least once in their life