CHIMAY WHITE ~ BIÈRES DE CHIMAY (ABBAUE NOTRE DAME DE SCOURMONT)

I think of these small Belgian bottles as ‘treats’ not something I would want to drink every day, as they are very rich, and better in small doses. Chimay White (aka White cap, Blanche, Cinq Cents, etc.) is an unpasteurized Belgian tripel that has been fermented and then refermented in the bottle. Sampled from a bottle the beer poured, an opaque coppery orange. The beer had a thick frothy head which, when settled down left a white cap and good lacing. Some sediment was left in the bottle, as this beer is unfiltered. The beer is aromatic and much of what would be expected from a Belgian tripel: fruitiness (tree fruit like apples and apricots and grapes), yeast and bread, spice and alcohol. The flavour follows the profile of the nose: light fruits, sweet malts, citrus notes, Belgian yeasts and with a hint of hoppy bitterness at the end. Complex and masterfully balanced. The beer was fully bodied and crisp, with an almost soda like carbonation. This doesn’t feel like it is 8%, the ABV is well hidden. A once in a while treat!

8% from Chimay Belgium.