Chimay And Their Big Year

When I opened my first business ABBEY in 2006, it was the draw of Belgian Beer that not only begat the bulk of the inventory that we carried, but also inspired the name itself.

The first event we held was a tasting of Trappist beers; the beers we always leaned toward were Trappist and Trappist-inspired (Abbey) beers; and a little known secret, we even had Westvleteren shipped to the bar from Belgium to ensure that we had all seven of them (although La Trappe was Koeningshoven at the time).  

This in part comes from the fascination with the story of Trappiste Beer itself.  For those who are not currently advised, here is a short idea of the the Trappist brewing tradition.

To start, there are currently 7 Trappist Breweries in the world.  There are very strict rules as it applies to being within the International Trappist Association, the governing body of Trappist Breweries.  I have taken these rules from the ITA website and as you can see, they are pretty strict:

A “Trappist” has to satisfy a number of strict criteria proper to this logo before it may bear this name: 

1. The beer must be brewed within the walls of a Trappist monastery, either by the monks themselves or under their supervision.
2. The brewery must be of secondary importance within the monastery and it should witness to the business practices proper to a monastic way of life
3. The brewery is not intended to be a profit-making venture.  The income covers the living expenses of the monks and the maintenance of the buildings and grounds.  Whatever remains is donated to charity for social work and to help persons in need.
4. Trappist breweries are constantly monitored to assure the irreproachable quality of their beers.

The seven Trappist breweries; Achel, Chimay, La Trappe, Orval, Rochefort, Westmalle, and Westvleteren are all easily recognizable by the Authentic Trappist Logo as seen here.

Currently, six of the seven Trappist beers are all brewed in Belgium with La Trappe being produced in the Netherlands.  As of this writing, there is another new Trappist Brewery afoot and that is Mont des Cats, which will be produced in France.  

The bottom line is that Trappist beers are brewed of unquestionable quality and all seven have played their part in creating a legendary line of beers that all sit at the top of the lists of the greatest beers in the world.  

I have the pleasure of working with the largest of these breweries, and that is Chimay.

This is a special year for Chimay as this is the year of their 150th Anniversary.  Put into perspective, this Belgian Brewery has survived being in the middle of two world wars and has survived a world-wide depression.  In those 150 years, Chimay has never latched onto the next new fad, run scared to try what others find successful, or cut corners to keep costs low in bad times.  These guys have kept it real for all these years and have only three varieties of brew.  Once again I have stolen from the ITA site as they said it perfectly:

“Red Chimay”  (Chimay with the red bottle cap)

“Red Chimay,” also called “Premier” in the 75 cl. bottle, received its nickname from the fact that it’s the first beer that the Trappist monks brewed.
This beer is known for its copper color and its creamy head.  The fermentation process gives “Red Chimay” a light apricot aroma.  The flavor in one’s mouth confirms the balance which the fruity nuances of the aroma disclose.  Its taste is a silky sensation on the tongue, with a refreshing, slightly bitter tang, pleasantly puckering the palate and adding to the quality of the taste of this beer.  This beer is 7% ABV.

“White Chimay” (Chimay with the white bottle cap) or “Triple”:

“White Chimay” was developed in 1966 by Father Théodore, who isolated the yeast needed for the fermentation process in Chimay.  It’s the latest addition to the beers produced by Scourmont Abbey and, in the 75 cl. bottle, is nicknamed “The Five Hundred.”
This beer is characterized by its golden color and is quite misty in appearance, with a really fine head.  The aroma of “White Chimay” is a pleasant mixture of fresh hops and yeast.  The scent of hops influence the taste in one’s mouth, which can be characterized as a tang of nutmeg and raisins.  The aroma accentuates this bitter tang, but it’s never astringent – just a slightly bitter aftertaste that melts in the mouth.  This beer is 8% ABV.

“Blue Chimay”  (Chimay with the blue bottle cap)

“Blue Chimay” is nicknamed “Grand Reserve” in the 75 cl. bottle.  It’s also available as “Magnum” (150 cl.) and “Jeroboam” (300 cl.).  Originally it was a Christmas beer, developed by Father Théodore in 1948.  It’s success quickly led to its year-round production.
This beer is known primarily for its being a strong beer, with the aroma of fresh yeast pleasantly mingled with the light tang of the perfume of roses.  It’s rather dry taste has a spicy touch of caramel flavor to it.  This beer is 9% ABV.
Special Qualities:  “Blue Chimay” is the only beer which carries the year in which it was brewed.  Of all the Chimay beers, this one keeps the best.  When it is stored in a cool, dark place, the taste of this beer improves with the years

In addition to the beers produced at the monastery, the monks also produce the legendary Chimay Cheese, which is a bi-product of the beer itself.  As it turns out, the grain that is left from brewing is fed to the cows who produce the milk used in the cheese.  Nothing goes to waste and the beer is, even if spiritually, a part of the cheese as well.

 To celebrate the 150th Anniversary, the Renegade Reps will be holding events throughout the state of Florida from September to December and Chimay was awesome enough to create a special 150th Anniversary chalice to commemorate this special occasion.

If you pay particular attention, you may also be able to attend an event where we pull out some of this remarkable Chimay Cheese or even a magnum or jeroboam of the incomparable Chimay Grand Reserve.

Here's to another 150 years of Chimay and big cheers to all of the Trappist monks and the wonderful brews they have produced for us to enjoy.  Cheers!