Beer 81 - Chimay Trappistes Ale

September 28, 2010, Beer 81
Chimay Trappistes Ale
Every now and then I am seduced by a shelf price that says "I am much more expensive, therefore I must be much better". Chimay is one of those beers, with a retail price of almost &12.00 for a 0.75 cl bottle. Brewed at Scourmont Abbey and bottled by SA Bieres De Chimay, Belgium. Bought at Randall's Grocery store, Greenspoint, Houston and drunk at home in Katy, TX with a cheese, turkey and tomato sandwich.
The bottle says "The registered trade mark "Trappist" certifies that this ale was brewed within the walls of an existing Trappist monastery under the control of the Trappist community. A major part of the sales revenue is used by the monks to support charitable works. The exceptional yeast isolated by Father Theodore combined with the purity of the highly protected water of the Abbey's wells gives Chimay it's unique richness.
Since 1862 Chimay's secondary fermented ales have neither been pasteurized nor filtered and only natural ingredients are used to fully appreciate the pleasant sharpness and the light hint of bitterness of the Chimay Premiere."
Is it worth the price? Absolutely. In the same way that a premier grand cru classe is worth $600 a bottle. When I win the lottery Chimay will be my beer of choice as Mouton Rothschild will be my red wine of choice.
The beer is as described on the bottle, it is superbly balanced, full bodied and smooth with none of the sharp edges that Patricia so dislikes. Patricia liked the beer, both on it's own and mixed with a little sparkling lime water. I loved the beer and will be back for more.