What a fantastic beer!  Anybody who has claimed to not like beer has not allowed this fine beverage to change their mind.

First off, the beer was highly carbonated.  I am very carefully when opening corked beers as I want to upset the beer as little as possible.  The last corked beer I drank (Three Philosophers)  op-end with ease…the cork slipped off.  Chimay exploded reminiscent of a bottle champagne.  The pour revealed a a cloudy reddish brown liquid.  I noticed small particles (yeast, I assume) suspended in the liquid.  The head on my beer was a bout 3 fingers and was supported by large carbonation bubbles that rested on the surface in a very uneven and unique manner.

The smell was fantastic.  It was a very earthy aroma.  I was expecting to pick up strong malt aromas, but instead my olfactory senses were immediately overwhelmed with a strong but pleasant iron/metallic aroma.  Underneath I picked up the malts, laden with a fruity essence, namely grapes and apple.  I also picked up on smells that reminded me of spice, brown sugar and molasses.

The mouth-feel, despite the dry and bubbly character, was extremely smooth and warm on my tongue.  The flavor of this beer hit me like a ton of heavenly bricks!  The flavor of this brew stands out in a crowd.  In fact, I would venture that this beer had one of the most distinct flavor of any beer I have tasted as a “Drink With Us Friday Beer,” which, in a world full of malty competition and look alike beers, is a rare and precious element.

The sweet molasses malts were perfectly balanced.  I have oft criticized many Belgium Ales of being overbearlingy sweet.  In fact, there have been bottles that I have struggled to finish.  But this dark ale did not over do it on the sweets or the spices.  The complex flavor tasted much like the smell.  Brown sugary, fig/raisin nuances, toasted malts, light clove…delicious.  The sweet yeasty mouthful went down smoothly and ended with a nice bitter twist.  I had a hard time pinpointing the sources of the bitterness ( I am working on developing my “hop” palette).   The entire experience was permiated by that earthy iron flavor.  I am sold.  I would drink this beer every night if I were so economically privileged.

I want to point out that I believe the unique quality comes from two sources.  One the yeast strain, that is guarded and maintained by Father Theodore and two the water source:  protected wells located behind the walls of the abbey.   Drinking this beer was practically a spiritual experience for me as I imagined the craftsmen blessing the beer as they labored over each intensive step of the brewing process.  In fact, the  Chimay website states, ” Here, in this heaven of peace and silence where since 1850 Trappist monks have dedicated their life to God, products are made which, in themselves, gladden the heart of man.”

My heart was gladdened!

I rate this beer:

Overall Satisfaction: ★★★★★ 

Among other Trappist Ales ★★★★★