9% ABV, 20 IBU
Enjoyed 08.08.14
I came home from work to a totally unexpected surprise from
my amazing wife Mrs. Hacksaw. I just finished my master’s degree from Penn
State and was greeted with a steak dinner, balloons and most importantly -
Chimay Grand Reserve or as I like to call it – Blue Label. I think of Chimay
sometimes like I think of Johnny Walker – call me a rebel that’s just how my
mind works. She chose the Blue Label to show enthusiasm for Penn State of
course! I did a bit more than taste this 25.4 oz of Belgian Dark Strong
excellency – I polished the bottle off over the course of the evening.
Observations: The
Chimay Grand Reserve pours a dark amber color and if there was a head on this
beer I missed it as the high carbonation level spritzed it away. This did not
detract from this wonderful Trappist brews flavor. It smells of raisins and
alcohol and the continues through the flavor. The fruity malty Belgian balance evolves
as this beer warms up, but the enjoyability seems to only increase. This may be
in part to the 9% ABV that certainly is detectable in the flavor as well.
Conclusion: This
is one of the most popular Trappist beers for a reason. You want a beer to sit
down and get to know over the course of an evening? This is your beer. The
complexities are amazing and while I might recommend you split a 25.4 oz bottle
with a friend – it’s easy to want to hoard this on to yourself.
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