What are you thoughts about Chimay?

One of my favorite imported beers is Jever Pilsner (from Germany). I can buy a 6-pack of that beer for about 10 bucks. Doesn't seem like tariffs/duties/fees are the reason why Belgian Ales are highly priced in the US. Just my thought.

Cheers!

 

One of the only unpasteurized beers out there? Raw quality? See it in the foam?

Are you just making this stuff up?

 

Chimay Blue, one of the best beers out there in my opinion. I now buy beer made in the U.S. that makes Chimay seem like a bargain.

 

Belgian beers cost more in Belgium than German beers cost in Germany. So we have to see the numbers and mark ups to sort out the components of cost when it gets here to us.

 

They are pretty high quality Belgian ales, very easy to find, and generally reasonably priced (at least locally, anyway). What's not to like? I try to keep a bottle or two of each colour in my cellar - not really for long-term holding, but just because they're tasty beers, and it's nice to be able to crack a Chimay open if I get the urge.

The blue and the white are old favourites. Never been quite as big on the red, but I appreciate it enough to pick it up once a year or so. There are plenty of better Belgian-style beer brewers, but Chimay is always a reliable fallback option.

 

To me Chimay is my standard for Trappist/abbey style beers. According to Michael Jackson and a lot of older BAs, the Chimay beers have noticeably dropped in quality. I would choose Westmalle, or Rochefort any day over Chimay. Apparantly Chimay Blue was the best dark Trappist 30 years ago.

 

Maybe @77black_ships can provide some specifics wrt Chimay pricing in Belgium. He has provided input on this topic in the past. For example:

“Cantillon beers are not prized under their price point for Belgian customers. Research has revealed Belgian customers to be far more price sensitive than people from neighbouring countries. Belgian customers consider 75 cl. bottles priced over 6 euro to be too expensive, Cantillon regulars are priced below that and specials above that. The prices at the brewery are aimed at locals not the occasional tourist. Some tourists do buy them, resell them, whatever,… this should not affect the Belgian customer nor should they be punished.

They are under-priced for American customers but those should be irrelevant for how a Brewery store located in Belgium functions. The actions of American brewers are related to the situation in USA, Belgium is different and has a different market situation.”

Cheers!

 

It's a staple in my fridge. My favorite style is Belgian Quads/Strong dark ales. It was my first true non BMC other than Shiner.

 

Yep, and what's needed is comparable data on price points in Germany of German beers for German customers. But even then it will be hard to sort out the difference between a beer like Chimay which can be sold at a comfortable price point in Belgium and a beer such Jever. Then its also needed to know the mark up taken by the importing distributors in both cases and the mark ups taken by the stores in the US. Might be simpler to be to find the tax tables used by the importing distributors when they pay import duties, etc. Lots of variables floating around in this topic.

 

For me a restaurant beer--something I enjoy as an option at some places with a limited beer menu--Chimay red and gold will show up. Good stuff but been a decade since I bought one to put in my fridge. Prefer a Roch 6/8/10 or Achel for that itch.

 

The beers that I bought in Brussels were expensive. Comparable to US pricing. The Trappist beers I bought were quite expensive. Some of the shops I went to were not touristy and some were, but this wasn't really reflected in the prices. My experience was obviously a narrow one but not irrelevant.

 

Chimay White is probably my favorite beer in the world. It just pushes every button just right for me.

 

I have only had Chimay blue, and while it is not as good as say a Rochefort 10 i still think it is a solid beer and i like it.

 

Very middle of the road.

 

I don't drink it very often (as in, I may go over a year between bottles), as the three offerings are not my favorite styles. I generally have the draft version when I go someplace to eat that has a limited but "fancy" beer line-up.

 

One of the first belgian beers that really got me in to that style. left it alone for a while, but Ive probably had 4-5 in the past few months and I enjoyed all of them.

 

The best place to buy most of the Trappist beers is at a grocery store. You go to the specialty shop for Westvlteren beers.

 

Blue and White are outstanding, especially with some age on them.

 

Tom, there is no doubt there are lots of variables.

If folks in Belgium can purchase a 750 ml bottle of Cantillon for less than 6 Euros ($6.50) but those bottles retail for over 30 bucks here something is happening here. I don’t doubt that transportation, and taxes/fees play into that differential but that can’t be the sole aspect here.

Cheers!

 

I lived in Germany for 3 years and moved back to the States last summer. I would make trips every 2-3 months to Arlon, Belgium to buy beer. I would stop at a specialty bottle shop for the harder to get beers such as Cantillon etc and go to a Carrefour for super market beers.

The Carrefour had your Inbev stuff such as Stella, Leffe, Jupiler etc. They also had Chimay, Duvel, Rochefort, St. Bernardus and more. If I remember correctly Chimay 750's were around 4.50e per bottle. 4 packs were around 5e as well. Most 4 and 6 pack 330ml bottles were price around 1.00e- 1.25e per bottle. If you bought buy the case it was a better deal. I remember buying a case of Westmalle Tripel for 0.95e per bottle. That was a great price.

Being back in the States they are much more expensive. I did recently buy a 750ml of Chimay blue for $12.99. Much more expensive than what I used to pay, but I haven't had one in 9 months.