Chimay Blue

One of the finest brews I have had in my short existence in the Land of Brew. I have spent most of my time seeing Guinness as the pinnacle of beer, but once I realized that if you spent the same amount as you would on a 6-pack to get a single bottle, you would encounter a very special beer.

Chimay Blue is this beer. Traditionally called "Grand Reserve," this definitely is the top beer of Chimay's brewery. At the crack of the cap, the pungent aroma of the beer hit me with an almost fruity, citrus-y essence. Also, I could tell it was going to be a bitter beer due to the ever-prevalent smell of hops. As I poured it into my glass, it produced a very dark, amber, golden color. It was a little translucent - bordering opaque. It formed a white/gold head that was retained for a good 5 minutes or so. After I let the beer settle, I took a taste and got a hint of fruit - a bitter one; almost reminiscent of the peel of a citrus fruit (orange). There was also a bit of spice from the roasted ingredients used in the beer. As the beer enters, you can taste the alcohol and hops right from the get-go. After the initial hit, the beer mellows out quite nicely and on the way down it smooths out. It almost seems like wine with the progression of textures and sensations. I also noticed the aroma of the wood that the beer was fermented in. Overall, this was a very filling beer. It would go nice with a small, but hearty, meal. If you have too much food, I can see it overfilling you. The bitter taste of the beer is strong, but pleasant and not overpowering to the overall flavor. I greatly enjoyed this beer.

Fonnie tried to make me eat my words in saying that Guinness is second to this, but I could not do that. It was a fantastic beer, but Guinness is still my first love.

EDIT: In the end, Guinness actually scored lower than this in the overall rating. I still refuse to admit Guinness is worse, though. :P

Appearance - 4.6
Smell - 3.8
Taste - 4.2
Texture - 4.5
Overall - 4.28/5