How do I explain this site to people?

"It is one man's journey to figure out what the best Belgian beer in the world is
(whether it comes from Belgium or not.)"
At one point in my life I had not tasted the sweet elixir which is a Belgian Style beer. My very first description of my first glass was - in a nasally voice-cracking nerdy tone -
"It tastes like bananas; but I like it."
No I was not prepubescent at the time but I certainly was green. It was in my youthful days of college, in Sonoma County, where I first tasted "Belgian Style Ale." At a small (although apparently world acclaimed) brewery called Russian River.
The beer: Damnation.
I did not realize what I had at that pub, great pizza, magnificent beer. It also opened me up to a new world of Belgian beer. Soon I was drinking Chimays and Unibroues and Ommegangs and Duvels. Enjoying each along the way. And now I continue that journey with a purpose:
To find the best Belgian beer in the world!

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Chimay Bleu

Now; when you think of Belgian beers you probably think of monks, and Chimay is one of a handful of Trappist beers produced in Belgium, which means it is brewed within the walls of the monastery. In the dictionary there's a picture of Chimay, and their Grande Reserve in the blue bottle is the crown jewel. It comes in both their stubby bottles, and a big Pint & 9 bottle and weighs in at a very respectable 9% alcohol, which is what I am drinking this evening. This bottle is probably only six months old, even though Michael Jackson suggests it to be aged for 2 or more. (By the way I am drinking these beers at cellar temperature: and mine is about 60 degrees Fahrenheit.)
Pour it!
Much darker, I would call it a brown ale (or an auburn ale.) It doesn't have the head that the Damnation poured.
It is malty and spicy. Almost like a winter ale. It is sweet, almost syrupy. You can smell the alcohol on your nose hairs, but can hardly taste it over the sweetness. I think it has more sugar per percentage than the Damnation. There is nearly zero hops detected and the banana yeast is deep below everything else happening. Sugar, malt, spice, then yeast.
Again this sucker is gonna be too sweet if you're drinking the whole Pint & 9, by yourself, without food, but damn-it! it's my job. So here I go, I'm going to enjoy the rest, watch some American Idol, and get slightly less than enough sleep for tonight. To sum up, this is a delicious beer (despite being less "Belgian" than it's North American rival) and seems to serve as a fine Winter Ale, falling comfortably in that category; I believe.

1. Russian River's Damnation
2. Chimay Grande Reserve (Blue)

...next up Trader Joe's Holiday Ale by Quebec's Unibroue
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