Fifty Bucks! This cost me Fifty bucks! Well, this was a Christmas gift to myself last year so this was meant to splurge on - I love a good Chimay so sometimes a good beer deserves to be splurged on.
Today's sampling of Chimay Grande Réserve Fermentée en Barriques is a 2022 release with Chêne français (French Oak), Chêne amérique (American Oak) and Whisky. Bottled September 2022. 10.5% ABV. Triple fermented in tank, barrel and bottle.
Appearance: Deep and rich dark brown beer with a bit of muddiness to the appearance, a bit of caramel hue to it. The head is decently thick with a yellowish-beige head on top and a noticeable carbonation that lasts a good moment. As the beer is getting savoured it gradually leaves behind a bit of lacing on the glass.
Aroma: This beer would have been great without all the oak aging but here we are! The oak is incredibly strong with notes of well.. wood, a bit of whisky, caramel, vanilla and for some reason.. lilacs?! There's an incredibly spring time floral presence at the end. Some maltiness to it, but the various oaks overpower the beer.
Taste: The oak is pretty much up front again - it's got a bit of a woodiness to it with notes of vanilla, caramel, Whisky (though pretty mellow). The Chimay itself gives off notes of dark fruits (plum, raisin), bit of brown sugar, a slight nuttiness and ends off with a slight boozy burn.
Overall Thoughts: Solid offering from Chimay but a bit too smooth from what I was expecting. In hindsight I should have probably bought a bottle to age for a couple more years but this was still a decent Belgian ale.
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