Aging the Beers of Chimay
By jason on Nov 26, 2007 in Belgian Styles, Brewery Focus, Featured
“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” - Chimay Brewery website
Like most Americans, I would never normally associate religion with alcohol. Few churches in the US seem to have tolerance for drinking; most actively discourage it. Heck, the at the services I’ve attended lately they’ve even switched out the sacramental wine for grape juice!
How refreshing (and a bit shocking) it is for me to see religious groups not only encourage alcohol consumption, but to be actively producing it themselves! I am of course talking about the six Trappist monasteries of Belgium that produce beer: Orval, Rochefort, Westmalle, Westvleteren, Achelse Kluis, and Chimay.
Chimay beers are produced in the abbey Notre-Dame de Scourmont, in the Belgian town of Chimay, which is located fairly close to the French border. Three beers are produced for commercial release, a red, a white, and a blue. Of the three, the blue variety is the most popular, and also the best to cellar.
Incidentally, a fourth beer, called Chimay Doree, is also produced by the brewery but never released commercially. Chimay Doree is intended to only be drunk at the abbey (lucky monks) or the nearby inn L’Auberge de Poteaupre. There are rumors of certain places outside of these two which occasionally have access to this brew (perhaps at the Kulminator bar?)
Although you can have success in aging the Chimay White (a triple style beer), Chimay Blue or Grand Reserve is considered the classic Chimay to cellar. It will undergo much change over the years, developing both in body and fruity character as it’s flavors mellow and blend. If you’re interested in further reading, there is an in-depth tasting of 12 years of Chimay Blue Aged Vintages posted at ratebeer.com. I also came across this post nice post on the drinking of an aged Chimay Blue.
If you’re going to give cellaring Chimay a try, just remember you’re dealing with a bottle-conditioned brew here. You want the yeast in the bottle to continue to do their magic over the next year or two. This won’t happen if you store the bottle too cold of an environment, as the yeast will just shut down. I would recommend keeping your bottles at normal cellaring temperatures (55 degrees F) and no colder for at least the first two years of cellaring. You should also avoid quick swings in temperature during this period, as this can result in a rapid die-off of yeast creating off-flavors in your beer.
Did you know that all proceeds from the sale of Trappist beers go back to support the individual monasteries and their causes? I like to think that buying a Trappist beer is like purchasing some cookies from a local church group. You’re supporting a good cause here, so drink up!
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