Chimay Blue Review

“Abbey Road”

Country: Belgium 

Brand: Chimay Blue 2014 (Grande Reserve)

Brewery: Scourmont Abbey (SA Bieres de Chimay, Baileux)  
Package: Bottle (33 cl) 

Type: Belgian Dark Strong Ale (Trappist)

Age: NAS

ABV: 9 %

Ingredients: Water, Malted Barley, Hop Extract, Yeast, Wheat Starch, Sugar and Malt Extract.
Antioxidant: Not Indicated
Stabiliser: Not Indicated
Gift from my friend Alexandre. Thanks a lot!

Colour: Dark Brown

Foam: Nice Off-White Foam that dissolves too quickly. Only a Creamy but Thin layer remains in the glass while drinking your Chimay Blue. Hardly any laces remain in the glass once you have finished it.

Nose: Sweet and Malty with Toffee, Whole Grain Bread, Yeast, Demerara Sugar, Treacle, Nutella, Black Currant Marmalade, Apples and Christmas Spices.

Palate: Relatively Rich, Bitter-Sweet, Yeasty and slightly Sour. I find Caramel, Toffee, Butterscotch, Treacle, Malt, light Hops, Toasted Grain, light Vanilla, Dry Earth, Dried Herbs, Raisins, ripe Bananas, Pepper, Nutmeg and Cloves. The Alcohol is nicely integrated. The Carbonation is adequate, perhaps a tad too high for this type of Ale.

Finish: Quite Long and Bitter-Sweet with Malt, Yeast, Black Currants, Espresso, Dried Fruits, Dry Earth and Butterscotch Chocolate. A light Metal Off-Note right at the end.

Rating: *******1/2  (Seven and a Half out of Ten)

The Scourmont Abbey

General Remarks: The Chimay Brewery was founded in 1862 and is located in the Scourmont Abbey and is one of the 11 Breweries in the world that produce Trappist Beer. The Beer is sold to support the monastery as well as selected charities and community development in the region. The Water for the beer is drawn from a well inside the monastery. The bottling plant is located outside the monastery and the beer is re-fermented in the bottles for around three weeks. Half the production is exported all over the world. Chimay produces three main beers, the Red with a Sweet Fruity Aroma at 7%, the slightly Bitter Blue at 9% and the hopped Triple at 8%. For their own consumption, the monks brew the Golden expression, a lighter and paler Ale bottled at 4.8%. Since 1876, the Abbey also produces Cheese. The Chimay Blue was initially brewed as a special Christmas beer, hence it carries a vintage on the label. I'm tasting the 2014 today. The Chimay Blue is not pasteurised and is said to improve its flavours over the years but I'm not patient enough in this respect. And it's really quite expensive here in Brazil at around 9 US Dollars for a 33 CL Bottle (May 2015) so I won't be stocking this Ale to see what happens in the future!

The four Chimay Beers with Blue in the Glass

Drinking Experience: Good.   

Conclusion: Chimay Blue is clearly a Beer made for sipping on a cold and rainy winter evening with a good book for companion. The ABV is a bit too high to consider having more than one or two in a session although the Alcohol is nicely integrated. This is my first Chimay and I must say I had expected a bit more. The Foam dissolves too quickly and the Delivery is slightly more watery than I had come to expect. I also find it a bit too Yeasty and I could live without the light Metal Off-Note in the Finish. Despite these little flaws however, the Chimay Blue is still a nice Ale and I look forward to try the other expressions from the Scourmont Abbey as well.

Jan van den Ende                                                                      June 1, 2015

Vedett Extra White Review

"It’s Summertime and the Living is Easy”

Country: Belgium 

Brand: Vedett Extra White

Bottler: Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat, Puurs
Package: Bottle (33 cl) 

Type: Belgian Wheatbeer (Witbier)

Age: NAS

ABV: 4.8 %

Antioxidant: Not Indicated
Stabiliser: Not Indicated

Colour: Pale Straw. In the glass, the Vedett is Cloudy as it is unfiltered.

Foam: Thin White Foam that dissolves rather quickly. A very thin layer of foam lasts until you have finished the glass. Only Thin Laces remain afterwards.

Nose: Medium-Sweet and slightly Herbal. The main Aroma is Citrus Fruit with Orange, Tangerine and Lemon. Clear Barley and Wheat notes are accompanied by light Yeast and light Hops. I also find Tutti-Frutti Bubble Gum, Plums, Cloves and a distant hint of Fresh Coriander. No Off-Notes whatsoever.

Palate: Light, Dry and slightly Bitter with Wheat Crackers, light Hops, Malt, light Yeast, Dried Herbs, Tangerine, Lemon, White Pepper, Cloves, Cinnamon and Nutmeg. It's a bit more Watery than I would have expected. The Coriander note is more clear on the Palate. The Carbonation is Medium. It's very drinkable and highly refreshing.  

Finish: Very Short, Dry and slightly Bitter with Citrus Peel, Tutti-Frutti Bubble Gum and a hint of Banana Ice Cream.

Rating: *******  (Seven out of Ten)

The Devil's Brewery!

General Remarks: Vedett Extra White is produced by the family owned Duvel Moortgat Brewery that was founded in 1871. The strong golden pale ale Duvel (Devil) is the best known beer of this Distillery. Over the years the Brewery had its ups and downs but since the 1980's Duvel grew stronger all the time. It went public in 1999 and since acquired various other Breweries in Belgium and the USA. The Vedett Brand was originally launched in 1945 (Pilsener) but made its come back in 2003 as a luxury Lager. Vedett has successfully introduced a quite original marketing scheme that gives consumers the possibility of having their pictures placed on the labels of the bottles. Vedett Extra White was introduced to the market in 2008. It is made using Water, Malted Barley, Wheat and Hops. It is spiced with Coriander and Dried Orange Peel. It is re-fermented in the keg or bottle for several weeks to maximise flavour.

Drinking Experience: Good.   

Conclusion: Vedett Extra White is an excellent Thirst-Quencher on a hot day after a long walk walk in the city. Few people would not like it as such. It's a well made Wheat Beer with no off-notes on the Nose and on the Palate. The Orange and, to a lesser extent, the Coriander give a little extra flavour. It's very drinkable and highly refreshing. But it's also very Light, Thin and even slightly Watery. The Finish is extremely short. So if you're looking for a strong beer that will leave a lasting impression you're at the wrong address here. Instead this is a perfect Summer Beer to enjoy outside with your (girl) friends. Should combine well with Sushi and Sashimi.

Jan van den Ende                                                                        May 6, 2015