Thank God for Chimay Ales. I’m not just saying that as a play on the fact that Chimay ales are true Trappist ales, meaning they are among the few commercially available beers brewed within the walls of a monastery. No, I say this because Chimay Ales were among the very first craft beers that I ever enjoyed.

Way back in the mid-eighties I used to frequent a liquor store called Mac’s Liquors in tiny West Warwick, Rhode Island. The owner was very wine savvy, and carried as many good beers as he could find. I remember beers from Sierra Nevada, Anchor, Samuel Smith’s, Boulder, and Belhaven being staples. One of the more intriguing brews, though, were those of Chimay.

Now, good beer made in America may have been fairly novel around this time period, but it was old hat for the brewers at the Abbey de Scourmont in Belgium. Still, we didn’t see many crown-capped 750 ML bottles of beer in my neck of the woods, so when a crusty old employee at Mac’s suggested I try “Chimee” beer, I said what the heck. And I did.

My first buy was rather pricey for those days too, $19.95 for a crated three-pack of 750 ML bottles of Chimay Red Cap, Chimay Grande Reserve, and the beer I am drinking tonight, Chimay Cinq Cents (aka Chimay White). Chimay Cinq Cents is said to be in the trappist tripel style and has an alcohol content of 8% by volume. All of these beers are also sold in 33CL bottles; the Cinq Cents is not so marked in the smaller bottles but is easily recognizable by its white label.

From the bottle label:

“The registered trademark “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 its 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 agreeable combination of fresh hops and yeast of the Chimay Tripe, serve chilled, in a wide-mouthed glass. “

I wrote this about Chimay Cinq Cents on October 27^th, 1999:

I usually like this beer with about 5 years of age on it, this bottle has only 5 months. Label calls it a tripel but I have never thought of this beer as one. A big gush of foam emerged from the bottle when I popped the cap, then the beer poured to a reddish-gold color with lots of effervescent carbonation and settled to a rocky cauliflower head. Nice yeasty nose here, palate has good horse blanket Belgian character but lacks the alcohol warmth and fruitiness of a tripel to me. Still, delicious, drinkable, and this young one can discern a subtle hop bitternessin the finish. God I love this beer!

And tonight:

Chimay Cinq Cents pours to a rich golden color with a thick and creamy head formation and a soft funky Belgian yeasty nose. I like to rouse the yeast from the bottom of the bottle and pour into the glass. Doing so adds a distinct nuttiness to the beer, which is very present in the palate along with some of that funky yeast and a delightfully smooth and creamy palate. The finish is dry with warming alcohol and a bit of bitterness. Just a wonderful beer, not my favorite of the three Chimay beers but still a legendary brew.

Wonderful with baked stuffed flounder, a baked potato with sour cream and fresh buttered squash.

And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.

*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.

(B)=Bottled

(D)=Draft

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