Grande Réserve Oak Aged
Bières de Chimay

2018 corked 12.5 oz bottle, poured into a taster’s snifter. Tea brown, zero foam.
Swell aroma after sitting for five years in this jug. Pure oak, a tad of funk and must.
Taste is wine-y in a good way. The oak barreling dominates over prune juice.
Feel is flat, slightly oily, prickly little bit of carbonation.
Overall - this.,. elixir .,. probably sat a year too long, but it’s still a gem.

 

Pours dark coffee brown with huge frothy billowing head that sticks to sides as it warms. Beautiful Belgium style brew from corked tall 1 pint 9.41 oz bottle. Oak barrel Belgium style with notes of chocolate, fruit and spice. This Belgium Trappist style has a slight tart forwardness and silky malty backing. Great craft!

 

 

 

Big 750ml bomber purchased at Beermoth in Manchester City and then shared at the new Temperance street brewery tap
Pours a dark dark brown body with good off white head, aroma is molasses. Flavour is woody boozy rummy solid drink.

 

375ml bottle into a Chimay glass. 2018 vintage, blending of Chimay Blue aged in American Oak, French oak, and whiskey barrels.

Decent look. Reddish brown body, no head.

Nice aroma, getting mild whiskey along with dark fruit and some oak notes.

On tasting, this is beautifully put together. Smooth, light whiskey flavor. The oak tastes are suitably subtle. Some dark fruit wafts in and out. Abv seems less than advertised.

Mouth full, finish a short lasting whiskey with a warming smoothness.

Overall, very good beer. Intrigued to try out other vintages.

 

08/19 batch:

Dark brown, with reds => mahogany. little foam, low retention.
woody, port-like aroma.
cherry, vanilla, chocolate, raisins.
smooth, sweet, well-rounded, almost no bitterness.
aftertaste similar to red wine.
Unsurprisingly A lot better than chimay blue.

Nice... I'm not a huge Chimay Blue drinker, but respect and appreciate the base beer as style-defining/style-classic strong Belgian dark ale... So this is that aged in oak barrels - there are/have been whiskey and rum versions, but this version is plain oak barrels... Great stuff - absolutely elevates the beer, adding toasty notes and drying elements to the base dark fruit and spice impressions... Medium-bodied, mild bitterness, moderate sweetness, subtle carbonation... Now, brace yourselves - this 12.5 oz. bottle cost $20.99 at Total Wine - whoa, right? - so the beer is great for the style and a definite win *but* that price is a big ask, and the reason this may be a one-time buy - though I'd pick it over the standard Chimay Blue every time...

 

 

 

This is a great beer to close out the Christmas weekend.

Poured from a bottle into a tulip glass. Reddish brown color with with thin beige head and thin lacing. Pleasant smell and taste of dark sweet fruit. Dates, dark raisins, prunes. Warm spice, all spice. Sweet chocolate covered cherries. Smooth rich taste and feel. Nice beer to have on special occasion!

2020 vintage
Poured from 750 mL bottle into snifter.
A: Pours a dark ruby hue with 2+ inch bubbly light tan head with decent retention.
S: Dark cherry and dark dried fruit (soaked in booze) with warming spices (cinnamon and nutmeg), almond, vanilla, and a soft fresh wood note. Lovely and layered!
T: Dark cherry, cola, brown sugar, warming spice with soft wood, almond, and vanilla. Herbal mint and dark dried fruit. With warming, a vinous note emerges.
M: Medium body. Drinks surprisingly fresh and vibrant. Layers of malt sweetness. Some nice oak barrel elements with dry tannins. Lingers nicely on the palate.
D: A lovely brew to be sure. The fresh and vibrant quality was a pleasant surprise and not typically found in barrel aged beers. Definite a brew that would go well with a holiday dinner.

2019.

Pours a dark brown with a long lasting head of foam. Good lacing.

Tons of dark pitted fruits in the smell. Vanilla and wood from the barrel.

The wood and barrel add some interesting aspects to this grande reserve that is lacking in the regular. Dark pitted fruits, Vanilla, booze...taste is to my liking.

The body feels on the thin side for a robust beer like this.

Very nice overall but at +$40 a bottle, one and done.

 

Light fizzy head, low retention, dark brown color

Nose sweet malt, toffee caramel, dark candi sugar, dark fruits, toasted oak,

Taste big raw oak, toasted oak, mild sweet, candy sugar, toffee, caramel, dark fruits, little bitterness, smooth alcohol

Mouth is fuller bod, med fizzy carb