NV Bieres de Chimay S.A. Blonde Forte Cent Cinquante (150)

Community Tasting Notes (2) Avg Score: 93.4 points

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  5/7/2022 - Henman Likes this wine: 93 Points

  Full bodied, smooth and tasty, delivering multifaceted flavors, including nice fruit, some honey and herbal notes. Not much heat despite of 10%. Darned delicious stuff!

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  3/11/2022 - forceberry wrote: 93 Points

  Lot L21-515, best before 07/2024. 10% alcohol.
  
  Deep lemon-yellow color with a very large, creamy and persistent off-white head. Savory, somewhat phenolic and very saison-like nose with nuanced, complex aromas of peach-driven fruit, spicy notes of white pepper and more exotic spices, some herbal notes of noble hops, a little bit of honeyed richness, light biscuity notes of malt, lifted hints of eucalyptus and lemon zest, a touch of smoke and a whiff of spicy wheat. Lots of everything going on here! The beer feels spicy, slightly oily and subtly sweet-toned on the palate with a full body and layered flavors of spicy white pepper and coriander seeds, some rosemary-driven herbal notes, a little bit of grainy malt, light eucalyptus tones, sweet hints of pear and honey and a touch of hay. Firm, prickly carbonation and a pleasantly balanced hop bitterness reminiscent of medicinal herbs. The alcohol shows a little, perhaps more as a slightly boozy taste than as a warming sensation. The finish is intense, moderately spicy and slightly warm with a very long, subtly sweetish aftertaste of honey and caramel, spicy wheat character, some eucalyptus tones, a little bit of white pepper, light notes of hay, a hint of wizened peach and a touch of fennel.
  
  A very impressive, rich and surprisingly complex bière blonde that is very deftly spiced: you can notice that there is some spice there is you stop and taste the beer with a thought, but it's not that obvious - I had to check the label whether the beer was spiced or not, because it sort of tasted like it, but it wasn't as in-your-face as you might expect from a "spiced beer". I expected this brew to be something not unlike a combination of Chimay Tripel and Duvel, but this turned out to be a brew that bests both of these classics effortlessly. A terrific Trappist that carries its high alcohol with remarkable grace. Really a meditational beer. Great value at 5,49€ for a 0,33-liter bottle.

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