by L’Abbaye Notre-Dame de Scourmont
Colloquially known as ‘Chimay Green’ this is the newest beer to the permanent Chimay range. Originally brewed in 2012 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the brewery, but was at that point a one-off release. A strong golden ale, it filled a vacant space in the Chimay portfolio and was mooted to be re-released.
Well luckily for us, the Chimay board (which consists of three monks) decided the time was right this May to unleash this beer (again). Originally available just within the Chimay group, it was later made available to the beer-loving public a few months ago. Just in time to joint our September container!
And as you’d expect it is a very nice beer. It pours a beautiful golden colour with a foaming white head. (Make sure you use your big glass for this one.)
Banana, citrus and coriander are prominent in the aroma and naturally follow through in the flavour. The first thing I noticed was the spicy yeast, really giving the tongue a tingle. Not overly bitter, there is a sweetness from the malt and citrus plus yellow fruits.
High carbonation lifts the beer and accentuates that spicy prickle, with a nice aftertaste of sweet malt, gentle herbs and a warmth from the alcohol.