Aged Chimay Blue & Bottle Dates

Discussion in 'Cellaring / Aging Beer' started by mrchrisray, Sep 3, 2013.

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  1. mrchrisray

    mrchrisray Initiate (0) May 14, 2013 Ohio

    I have a bottle of Chimay Blue a friend gave me at least 4 years ago, possibly as many as 6 years ago. For some reason I still have it and now I'm wondering if it will be any good. The only thing I see that resembles a bottled on or best before date are a few numbers on the rear label. It says, "L07-083." I've heard that you can see the date on the cork (this is a 750ml bottle) but I don't see anything.

    What does that mean? Thanks.
     
    #1 mrchrisray, Sep 3, 2013
  2. Treyliff

    Treyliff Grand Pooh-Bah (5,025) Aug 10, 2010 West Virginia
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Chimay can be aged for long periods, I've seen bottles that were much older. Some would say that it's better with age.
     
    #2 Treyliff, Sep 3, 2013
  3. Treyliff

    Treyliff Grand Pooh-Bah (5,025) Aug 10, 2010 West Virginia
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    I believe that L07 denotes the year that is was bottled (2007).
     
    #3 Treyliff, Sep 3, 2013
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  4. Dupage25

    Dupage25 Savant (1,044) Jul 4, 2013 Antarctica

    L07=2007. 083=batch 83 or bottle #83.

    I've never had a bottle that old that I know of but I'm sure it's fine. Maybe not as good as it was a few years ago, but it's basically a quad and one of the better ones, many people age similar beers for five or more years. Before Chimay switched over to more modern brewing equipment people used to age the Blue up to 15 years.
     
    #4 Dupage25, Sep 4, 2013
  5. Albin

    Albin Initiate (0) Aug 18, 2013 Sweden

    Chimay puts five year-best before on their blue. I had Chimay that was 16 years old, 10 years old 5 years old and so on... And I think they're are best at 5 years. There is always something special with having beers that are older than ten years but I think it peaks at 5.
     
    #5 Albin, Sep 4, 2013
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  6. gzaIPArza

    gzaIPArza Initiate (0) Mar 5, 2013 Indiana


    I agree. I find that Chimay Blue ages more poorly than other quads. I think this in part has to do with the thinner body than, for instance, Westvleteren 12.
     
    #6 gzaIPArza, Sep 4, 2013
    AlfromPA and Lucular like this.
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