A holy beer?
Sorry I’ve slowed down with the articles; I just figured quality over quantity.
This beer review is of a beer that stands at a very high stature and is world renowned. Although I like giving a small background on the style, this week I wanted to mix it up and talk more about the brewers. This week’s beer is very unique and comes from Belgium. Specifically, we’ll be exploring the world of Trappist monks.
Trappist monks, described as monks involved in a contemplative Roman Catholic religious order, exists in small numbers around the world. At its inception in the 1600’s, the Trappist order began in La Trappe, France, hence the name “Trappist”. Similarly to other religious organizations in those times, Trappists brewed their own beers solely to sell and use the funds to operate their religious acts. As time passed and wars tore apart Europe, many of these abbeys were destroyed along with the breweries. At present day, this rich tradition of Trappist brewed beer is rare. Of the one hundred seventy monasteries that still stand, only seven (six in Belgium and one in the Netherlands) brew beers. As one could imagine, these beers are special due to the fact that every year, only so many beers are brewed. Each of the seven remaining breweries has maintained the hype associated with their beers and is known by many beer connoisseurs as some of the best beers in the world. This week’s review is of the most easily attainable Trappist beer: Chimay Grande Reserve. The style of this beer is classified as a Quadruple by some and as a Belgian Strong Dark Ale by others.
Chimay Grande Reserve is marked by the Trappist logo, an insignia only used by authentic Trappist breweries. Poured out, this beer is simply gorgeous. It has a deep brown/maroon tint with a thick looking, white layer of head. Lacing surrounds the glass when swirled and sticks well to create a nice sight. Additionally, tiny bits of yeast floated around near the bottom of the glass.
The nose proved that this beer was well composed. A yeast scent as well as apples and raisins came through. Darker fruits were also apparent which created an overall sweet aroma. This beer was extremely inviting and only tempted me to stop taking my time and jump right in. So as you could guess, that’s exactly what I did.
The taste was outstanding. Yeast, apricots, and grapes came through, which in combination, created a sweet, yet tart flavor. In addition, there was a slightly funky taste that only complimented the sweeter ingredients. Frankly, the taste of this beer was superbly friendly – almost as friendly as Michael Jackson is towards kids.
The mouth feel was also great. It was very balanced and creamy; not too thick or thin. It also has to be noted that the carbonation of this beer is high. However, unlike crap like Milwaukee’s Best, a staple in hopefully none of your refrigerators, the carbonation does not just blow up in your face (shotgun, anyone?) This beer was carbonated in each individual bottle which makes the bubbles very small and not overpowering. I wasn’t full from this beer – only buzzed from the taste and of course, the ABV.
As you could guess, I loved this beer. Here’s how I ranked it on BA:
A+ / 4.7
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | drink: 4.5
I’m not sure what/when my next review will be, but just be sure to look out for it. I’ll be in Israel starting the 16th (woot!) so I don’t know how many more posts I’ll be doing this month since I get back near the new year.
As usual, here are some pics:
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- A holy beer?
