My beer world just got turned upside down

I used to drink only BMC , and thought I knew something about beer.

Then I got into craft beer, and after a while thought I knew something about beer.

Then I started home brewing and thought finally I knew something about beer.

I have just had a beer so divine I realize until now, I have known nothing.

Chimay Trappist.

NOW, I know something about beer - I know I just drank the best single beer I have ever had in my life.

Whether a beer is "good or bad" is highly subjective. So don't get too excited as you still may know nothing.

AKbrewer said:

Whether a beer is "good or bad" is highly subjective. So don't get too excited as you still may know nothing.

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Yeah - kinda my point in a way - I have been humbled and taught a lesson - there is always a great beer out there just waiting on you to find it!


Man that stuff was good though!

Hannable1975 said:

Yeah - kinda my point in a way - I have been humbled and taught a lesson - there is always a great beer out there just waiting on you to find it!


Man that stuff was good though!

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You should try to clone it, that will definitely be a learning experience.

Buy a bottle and age it for a year or 2+, it will blow your mind

beninan said:

Buy a bottle and age it for a year or 2+, it will blow your mind

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Well, I bought the Sampler - a red , a blue and a white. And th guy at the beer shop said you'll want another red, trust me - so I got one. Popped the cap as soon as I was on my property - it had warmed to a nice 50ish area of temp on the ride - and it was heaven.

I can only imagine what aging will do. So yeah, I'mma hit this sampler over the next few days ( so as not to let them overlap ) and I'm gonna get me a few to set back with the SN Celebration I have stashed away....

Which one, red white or blue? I like the white (cinq cents) the best. If I don't have a homebrew ready, and I. Can't decide what craft beer to buy, ill grab a bottle of chimay. Definitely one of the best beers I've had

I have had the red - and will have my other one in three... two... one.... Prost!

I had a similar experience two nights ago with Jolly Pumkin's Oro de Calabaza.
Wow. It was perfect.

Rogue's dead guy and Stone's arrogant bastard.....

talk about eye opening!

Welcome to the obsession!

Nothing like a bottle of Grande Reserve with a few years on it.

Hannable1975 said:

Well, I bought the Sampler - a red , a blue and a white. And th guy at the beer shop said you'll want another red, trust me - so I got one. Popped the cap as soon as I was on my property - it had warmed to a nice 50ish area of temp on the ride - and it was heaven.

I can only imagine what aging will do. So yeah, I'mma hit this sampler over the next few days ( so as not to let them overlap ) and I'm gonna get me a few to set back with the SN Celebration I have stashed away....

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I've never had the Red, I've only had the Blue both aged and young. It's very good young but it only gets better!

If you like the Red, try Westmalle Dubbel. If you like the Blue, try St Bernardus Abt 12. I'm not big on tripels but Allagash's is pretty good.

beninan said:

I've never had the Red, I've only had the Blue both aged and young. It's very good young but it only gets better!

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Daggone it - there were three more samplers at the store - I ought to get them so I have a set of four glasses and something to try now, 6 months form now, a year and maybe 2 years.

Hmmmmmm... it IS Christmas......

I had the same "holy cow" moment with Orval Trappist and Odell IPA. So much to learn, and not enough time to do it.

Daggone it - there were three more samplers at the store - I ought to get them so I have a set of four glasses and something to try now, 6 months form now, a year and maybe 2 years.

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You can order just the goblets by themselves. Chimay is very good, but you might look into some of the other trappist/abbey ales. You might consider giving one of Unibroues big 3 a try. Have fun!

Hannable1975 said:

Then I started home brewing and thought finally I knew something about beer.

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Brewers tend to learn more and more about smaller and smaller segments of brewing until they know everything about nothing. (This is in contrast to beer critics, who drink so many beers, while learning less and less about each one, that they finally end up knowing nothing about everything.)

DrinksWellWithOthers said:

If you like the Red, try Westmalle Dubbel. If you like the Blue, try St Bernardus Abt 12. I'm not big on tripels but Allagash's is pretty good.

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About 4 years ago I spent a few weeks in Belgium (Ghent) on business. Fell in love with Belgian beer. Out of several dozen varieties tasted, my favorites were Chimay (all varieties) and Westmalle Dubbel. Liquid gold, both. The only beer I didn't care for was Hoegaarden, but the old palate is starting to come around (I wasn't homebrewing back then).

I to didn't know what beer could be until I discovered the world of Belgian brews. I'm on a quest to sample all offerings from all 7 Reappost Breweries. Getting to the hard to find ones now and I realize a couple will require a plane ticket or two.

Here in Europe we have the opposite situation, we are used to great European beers, I can buy all three Chimay from local supermarkets. Giving a British person who knows their local beer a quality American brew usually gets the reaction you are talking about.

Oh, and you haven't fully experienced Belgian beers until you have had Rodenbach Grand Cru...

richc said:

Giving a British person who knows their local beer a quality American brew usually gets the reaction you are talking about.

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That is very interesting. Would you please elaborate. What style of American beer might cause that reaction?

richc said:

Oh, and you haven't fully experienced Belgian beers until you have had Rodenbach Grand Cru...

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Was looking for Rod Grand Cru last night. No luck. Picked up a Duchesse de Borgogne. I love that stuff.

Hannable1975 said:

I know I just drank the best single beer I have ever had in my life.

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I had the same epiphany when at the Russian River brewery drinking a Consecration. The sky parted, there was a flash of bright light, and a host of angels in choral arrangement heralded the introduction of a level of flavor heretofore unknown.

Just finished my first Chimay Red; very good. Smooth with hints of malts and hops alike. Hard for me to describe with my limited beer vocabulary, but it was smooth and tasty. That's the only way I can describe it.

On the other hand, last night I had my first DFH Worldwide Stout and I just couldn't drink it all. To me it had a medicimal flavor to it. Kind of like beer and Nyquil mixed together or something. Again, hard to describe, but just not good for me.

Waunabeer said:

Just finished my first Chimay Red; very good. Smooth with hints of malts and hops alike. Hard for me to describe with my limited beer vocabulary, but it was smooth and tasty. That's the only way I can describe it.

.

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Sweet - we lost our Chimay Virginity on the same day! In Belgium I think that would make us blood brothers or something...



( Best avatar ever BTW )

TheDutchman said:

I had a similar experience two nights ago with Jolly Pumkin's Oro de Calabaza.
Wow. It was perfect.

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I'm jealous... and BamBiere. Cant wait for my next trip up north. Bringing a case back with me if I can find it

passedpawn said:

That is very interesting. Would you please elaborate. What style of American beer might cause that reaction?

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Well I could give a good guess as I started homebrewing while living in Belgium due to missing out on IPAs. Don't get me wrong, I love Belgian beers (I'm drinking a 2yo Rochefort 10 right now) but sometimes I just gotta have a hop bomb.

What you describe has happened to me many times, and I continue sampling more beers in hopes that it will happen many more times.

I went to my lhbs-sponsored club for my first time and threw in 10 bucks for the raffle, I walked out with a few things plus 'Brew Like a Monk' a wonderful book about mostly belgian/trappist ales.

While going through the chapters, I tried my best to sample the beer I was reading about.

When I got my hands on a Rochefort 10, my heart just sang. I had a bottle of it with my friend the night before his wedding and it was the perfect beer to choose for the event; i've had several bottles since.

Its got so much going for it, but you've got to watch out because it packs a mean abv.

The opposite effect happened when I tried the Rochefort 6 and 8. I was expecting something somewhat similar and it just failed to deliver, I guess I was just spoiled by the 10 first.

I want to go into a bottle shop and find Rochefort 10 heh. I will. Oh yes I will.

And one day the elusive Westletveren 12. One day I will have some more beer epiphanies.

Daybis said:

I had the same "holy cow" moment with Orval Trappist and Odell IPA. So much to learn, and not enough time to do it.

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Orval was *definitely* a game changer for me. Prior to it I had very little experience with Brett. This beer is intensely complex and unbelievably light and refreshing at the same time.

Chimay blue is definitely a great beer as well. It's a great way to expand your palate into the Belgian arena

Rodenbach Grand Cru....not for the faint of heart . I wish I could get some Russian River out here because Rodenbach is the only sour that I've been able to get my hands on. Maybe one day I'll break down and brew a Flanders Red but I'd like to get a little more research under my belt before attempting it.

I have a bottle of chimay blue that is about to have a birthday

passedpawn said:

That is very interesting. Would you please elaborate. What style of American beer might cause that reaction?

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Until a couple of years ago the only American beers that where available in the UK where the classic big brewery, no flavour ones. The general opinion of American beer had been created by these tasteless and rather pointless brews. More recently a few decent American beers have started appearing (SN Pale Ale being the easiest to find) but most people who like beer automatically group all American beer with the Budweisers of this world. Once you persuade them to try an APA or a DIPA or whatever there is a moment of revelation....

We now have one easily available UK brewery that is making the newer styles of beer (BrewDog) but this is only just becoming available in major retailers..

snowveil said:

Maybe one day I'll break down and brew a Flanders Red but I'd like to get a little more research under my belt before attempting it.

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I've got a pack of the correct yeast sitting in the fridge waiting for me to be brave enough to brew with it......

Dkmount721 said:

I want to go into a bottle shop and find Rochefort 10 heh. I will. Oh yes I will.

And one day the elusive Westletveren 12. One day I will have some more beer epiphanies.

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My local beer warehouse, whole foods, and najas (an awesome bar) all have rochefort 10 available. Oddly enough whole foods here is the cheapest (at 8/bottle)

mikepkes said:

My local beer warehouse, whole foods, and najas (an awesome bar) all have rochefort 10 available. Oddly enough whole foods here is the cheapest (at 8/bottle)

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Ouch at that rate I have almost $1000 worth of Belgian beers in between my fridges. Check out my gallery.

^^^
Outstanding.

I love Chimay! I stumbled on to it about four years ago and have been hooked every since. I have four bottles of Grande Réserve in the cellar for about three years now, I'm getting anxious to try one and see how they age.