Chimay (beer)

Chimay magnum bottle

Chimay is a Trappist beer brewed in the Notre-Dame de Scourmont Abbey in Chimay in the Belgian province of Hainaut .

Today around 130,000 hectoliters of Chimay are brewed in the abbey every year. This is more than 10% of the Belgian specialty beer market. A third of the production is exported. The bottling of the approximately 35,000 bottles per hour is currently done outside the monastery by laypeople on the industrial site of Baileux , so as not to disrupt monastery life.

Chimay is unfiltered and unpasteurized.

In addition to Chimay, only five other Trappist beers are allowed to carry the legally protected Authentic Trappist Product label in Belgium : Achel , Westvleteren , Orval , Rochefort and Westmalle ; as well as La Trappe in the Netherlands and since 2012 Engelszell Abbey in Austria .

history

In 1850, at the request of the Prince of Chimay, the Cistercian Abbey in Chimay was founded by monks from the St. Sixtus Trappist Abbey of Westvleteren (see also Westvleteren beer ). Since 1862, Chimay has been brewed there with water that has been described as particularly “delicate”.

Types of beer

Chimay varieties

• Chimay dorée (Golden Chimay): a blond table beer with an alcohol content of 4.8%. Golden bottle cap , black sticker. In the past, it could only be purchased in the abbey and in the neighboring Poteaupré hostel . It is now available in stores.

• Chimay rouge (Red Chimay): a copper-colored beer with an alcohol content of 7%. Chimay rouge is available in bottles of 33 cl and 75 cl. Red crown cap, red sticker. Called Chimay Première in the 75 cl bottle . It is the oldest of today's Chimay beers. It has a smooth, fruity taste. The beer should not be stored for longer than a year before consumption.

• Chimay triple also Chimay blanche (White Chimay): an amber-colored triple with an alcohol content of 8%. Chimay triple is available in bottles of 33 cl and 75 cl. White crown cap, white sticker. Called Cinq Cents in the 75 cl bottle . It is the youngest of today's Chimay beers.

• Chimay bleue (Blue Chimay): a dark beer with 9% alcohol. Chimay bleue is available in bottles of 33 cl, 75 cl, 1.5 liters and 3 liters. Blue bottle cap, blue sticker. Called Grande Réserve in the 75 cl bottle . Chimay bleue continues to mature in the bottle for a few years.

enjoyment

Chimay Rouge and Chimay Bleue should be drunk at cellar temperature (10 to 12 ° C), as the beer will develop fully at this temperature. Chimay Triple is recommended to drink between 6 and 8 ° C, on the other hand, a temperature of 4 to 8 ° C is recommended.

Chimays are enjoyed in a clean, fat-free Chimay goblet. You should then slowly pour the beer into the slightly angled glass in one go. About an inch - the lees - should be left in the bottle. In the second course you can safely drink the rest with the vitamin-rich yeast residue.

Web links

Commons : Chimay  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• Official website

swell

1. ↑ Chimay Rouge ( Memento of the original of July 20, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (French), accessed on May 28, 2012  
2. ↑ Chimay Bleue ( Memento of the original from July 20, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (French), accessed on May 28, 2012  
3. ↑ Archive link ( Memento of the original from July 20, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Chimay Triple] (French), accessed May 28, 2012  
4. ↑ Archive link ( Memento of the original from July 20, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Chimay Triple au fût] (French), accessed May 28, 2012  
5. ↑ Archive link ( Memento of the original from October 15, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.