Chimay Blue - Bieres de Chimay, Scourmont

When I bought this Chimay sampler a few months ago I didn't really plan ahead as far how I was going to drink these three bottles. I ended inadvertently drinking them in the most american way possible, which would be Red, White and finally Blue... I started off with the Red because it is the Chimay I see most widely distributed. I drank the White next because it was the end of summer and I was wanting something a bit "lighter" ...like I said, I didn't do much research ahead of time. That left me with a bottle of Chimay Blue which I was a hesitant to open up, at least until I was ready for a nearly double digit ABV beer. I recently went to the grand opening of a new liquor store in town and they had all of their beers sorted in order by rating, from highest to lowest. I couldn't help but notice that Chimay's Blue garnered a 100 point score, ranking right up there (at least according to this liquor store) with Nøgne Ø #100 and Old Rasputin. Since I recently drank an Old Rasputin, I figured the time was right to finally crack open the Chimay Blue that's been waiting so patiently for me.

I'm glad I saved the Chimay Blue for last. After half a goblet I'm convinced that I've (inadvertently) saved the best for last. I do wish I would have drank the Blue a little closer to the other beers so they were still fresh on my mind/palate, but this beer is definitely a warmer so it suits the fall temperature very nicely. This beer, while not a real Winter Warmer, is 9% ABV and darker than what you'd normally drink in the summer and fall. Chimay's Blue isn't terribly dark in color, in fact it has a beautiful hazy caramel body. The aroma you get after pouring the beer into your glass is similar to a sour cider or Champagne. This came as a bit of a surprise to me, and I couldn't wait to taste this beer.

Chimay's Blue has an interesting, and unique flavor. My very first impressions of this beer was of a caramel flavored Champagne. The dark sugars and bubbles combined with the sour citrus in the Blue caught my palate off guard. This isn't combination of flavors isn't as strange as it sounds and as you drink your way through the bottle you'll realize that you are in quite familiar territory. The levels of carbonation and sweet/sour isn't something I've had before. I've had plenty of Belgian beers, sour beer, cider-like beers; but nothing exactly like the Chimay Blue. This is a great beer that has a complex and very enjoyable flavor profile that is incredibly easy to drink considering it's 9% alcohol content.

If you are new to Belgian style beers you may not be able to appreciate the combination of flavors as much as you'd like. I'd suggest starting off with some less complex beers to train your palate first. Get an idea of what to expect from a Strong Ale, what to expect from a sour Tripel or a sweet Quadrupel... then go pick up a Chimay Blue and enjoy the ride.