Grande Réserve Armagnac Edition
Bières de Chimay

Bottle from the LCBO; just missed the 5 year best before. Whoops. Served in a Taylor Fladgate tulip. Bottle 37,017 of 48,000.

L - Quick-dissolving tan foam settles to some wisps and a thin collar. Dark mahogany body with a bit of amber to it when held to the light. I think the age may have killed a bit of the carbonation, but it's fine for the style.

S - Dark bread, honey, candi sugar, anise, vinous raisin and plummy notes, hints of oaky vanillin. Belgian yeast is fairly restrained, with low phenol. Barrel presence is mild; not super surprising considering how much use Armagnac barrels get before being retired.

T - Taste is less sweet, with more vinous oak and dark bread. No alcohol presence and an oaky finish. A bit of oxidation creeping in here; I imagined this popped more a few years ago, whereas it's mellow now.

M - Dry and tannic finish, lower carbonation than I expect from the style. Medium body feels a bit undersized for 10.5%, but with minimal warmth that's not a huge problem.

O - I always looked at these 750ml bottles with a bit of trepidation, as I generally enjoy BDSAs in 33cl bottles (usually split 2-ways). However, this was eminently drinkable, and kept pretty well in the fridge with champagne stopper. Also very reasonably priced. A nice change of pace from regular Chimay Bleue.

02/2020 batch:

Dark brown, mahogany (like oak edition), low foam.

Smells strongly of vanilla and the Armagnac brandy.
Flavors strongly of vanilla. Also raisins, oak, somewhat boozy.
Sweet, some creamy mouthfeel, though without a doubt also smooth with the brandy-taste.
A fantastic sipper.

Different than the oak edition, a lot more vanilla here with slightly less focus on dark fruits. Can't say one is better than another. (From memory, no A/B test). Same rating for me.

Perhaps one of the best beers I have had the pleasure of enjoying. Everything worked together, nothing was overbearing. A beautiful beer, I wish I had more.

Oak,boozy,very woody and cognac aroma. Very smooth, even creamy. Beautiful head. Much up-front flavour.These bottles come to local LCBO most years which makes it reasonably priced.

 

750 mL cork and cage bottle from the LCBO; this is the 2020 edition, best before 2025. Served barely chilled.

Pours a deep, clear brown colour with ruby red highlights, topped with roughly one finger of foamy, off white-tinged head that fades within a matter of minutes. A thick, creamy collar remains in place, encircling a thin layer of film; not a lot of lace at first, but it does deposit some as the level drops. The oak is immediately obvious on the nose, with notes of vanilla, date, raisin and brown sugar also coming through loud and clear. Moderately boozy, with suggestions of red grape, toffee and brandy.

A complex, bold, rather boozy brew, almost making their standard blue cap look like a lightweight by comparison. Dark fruits brown/candi sugar at the forefront: raisin, date, fig and grape, some clove spiciness by mid-sip, along with a touch of cherry cola. Big flavours of oak wood, vanilla and armagnac/brandy develop towards the finish, with more clove, candi sugar and hints of bananas foster preceding a spicy, warming aftertaste with suggestions of cinnamon and vanilla. Full-bodied, with lively, tiny-bubbled carbonation that tickles the palate continuously with each sip; feels smooth and a bit frothy in the mouth. Good drinkability for what it is - yeah it's boozy and meant to be a sipper, but the flavour profile is so exquisitely balanced that the only thing limiting my "sip rate" is my own self-restraint.

Final Grade: 4.46, a stupendous A grade. Chimay's Grand Réserve 2020 Armagnac Edition is a fantastic beer, but I wouldn't necessarily say it's definitively better (or worse) than their Bleue - it's different, for sure, which is of course a good thing. If you really enjoy oak-aged Belgian dark ales, or if you have an affinity for brandy/cognac/armagnac barrel-aged stuff, this is probably a safe pick-up for you, if you can stomach the price point - this bottle was $25 CAD, which is apparently a bargain?! I suppose this's one of those rare cases where the LCBO's massive size (& ability to purchase in bulk) manages to outweigh the high local tax levy and saves the consumer a little bit of money.

375 ml corked & caged bottle, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 10.5%. Mahogany colour, large to moderate off-white head. Aroma of dust, oak, armagnac and mild spices. Fizzy mouthfeel. Rich flavour with distinct notes of oak and armagnac, also brown kandij sugar, vanilla, dark dried fruits and mild spices.

2019 edition, corked and caged 750ml bottle.

It pours a clear dark brown with some reddish highlights. Nice off white head of foam.

Lots of oak woody notes in the smell. Malty, kind of sweet, strong, hints of dark fruits.

It has a very strong woody and malty flavour, sweetish, dark fruits abound, little bit of vanilla, noticeable alcohol. Overall though, it's on the smooth side.

Feels full bodied with an alcohol kick in the finish.

At +$40 a bottle this will be a one off.

Pours a reddish mahogany coloration with a large, foamy head. Smells of caramel, slightly grainy malt, some dark fruit and estery spice and hints of oak, with notes of raisin, fig, vanilla and clove. Taste is a great balance of caramel, slightly grainy malt, dark fruit with notes of raisin and fig, some estery spice with notes of clove and hints of woody and additional fruity and spicy white grape and vanilla accents from the barrels. Finishes with a medium/strong sweetness and some dark fruit, estery spice and hints of oak lingering in the aftertaste. Smooth mouthfeel with a medium/rich body and strong carbonation.

This is a nice, although not overly rich, Belgian Strong Ale that's a bit too sweet and boozy for my personal taste, especially as it warms, while the barrel notes could be deeper as well, but do add some subtle earthy, spicy and fruity accents to the typical dark fruits and estery spice expected from Chimay Blue. Doesn't feel all that full-bodied, which is probably partly due to the high carbonation level. Overall, it's a rather enjoyable brew that I had higher expectations of, to be honest. It's just not quite rich enough in body and barrel character to really leave a deep impression, but still drinks rather pleasantly.