Aging Chimay Blue?

Discussion in 'Cellaring / Aging Beer' started by Reedbrew, Jun 19, 2015.

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  1. Reedbrew

    Reedbrew Initiate (0) Nov 1, 2014 California

    Has anyone had experience with this or any suggestions?
     
  2. tkdchampxi

    tkdchampxi Pooh-Bah (2,473) Oct 19, 2010 New Jersey
    Pooh-Bah

    It's a Belgian Strong Dark Ale. I fully expect it to be able to age, in the same vein as beers like Trappistes Rochefort 8 and Cuvée Van De Keizer Blauw (Blue) which both age beautifully. Cuvée Van De Keizer Blauw, in particular, needs two years to really get good.

    I've had Chimay Blue aged 1-2 years, and it is delicious. Wouldn't recommend going past 5 years by much, but your mileage may vary.
     
  3. interman

    interman Initiate (0) Aug 5, 2010 Norway

    It's one of the classics as far as cellaring goes. In places like Kulminator in Antwerpen you can find ones that are more than twenty years old. They change in many ways. The oldest I've had was 7 years old, and I liked that. You have to be a fan of port wine / oxidized notes / raisins and that whole thing. Buy a crapload of them and drink one every year
     
    Gemini6 likes this.
  4. RDMII

    RDMII Initiate (0) Apr 11, 2010 Georgia

    Kind of like asking if people have ever breathed oxygen. I think the first mention I ever heard of cellaring beer, even before I liked beer, was a Chimay Grand Reserve. There is likely thousands of experiences with this one with time on it.
     
  5. lyman

    lyman Initiate (0) Jun 27, 2008 Virginia

    good to know it can hold up over extended periods,
    I have a magnum that has been in a nice dark cool closet since 2009 or so
     
  6. Scott17Taylor

    Scott17Taylor Initiate (0) Oct 28, 2013 Iowa
    Trader

    I love it with a few years on it. The great thing about this beer is that it is easy to find them in stores with 2-3 years on them.
     
  7. AugustusRex

    AugustusRex Initiate (0) Apr 12, 2013 Canada (ON)

    Michael Jackson:

    "Chimay Blue ****, which has a gravity of of 8; 19.62 (1081) and an alcohol content of 7.1; 9... has again that characteristically Chimay depth of aromatic fruitiness -- a Zinfandel, or even a port, among beers. Chimay Blue is vintage-dated on the crown cork. If kept in a dark, cool place (ideally 19 deg. C / 65 deg. F, but definitely not refrigerated), it will become markedly smoother after a year and sometimes continues to improve for two or three, drying slightly as it progresses. After five years, it could lose a little character, but some samples have flourished for a quarter of a century. A version of Chimay Blue in a corked 75cl bottle is called Grande Reserve. The larger bottle and different method of sealing seem to mature the beer in a softer manner. With different surface areas and air space, a slightly larger yeast presence and the very slight porosity of cork this is not fanciful." (Pocket Guide to Beer)
     
  8. MisterKilderkin

    MisterKilderkin Initiate (0) Aug 24, 2011 California

    I've got a magnum from the year I got married, looking forward to having it with much more than 5 years on it.
     
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