Belgian Beer Encyclopedia
Chimay: understanding the range and Scourmont brewery
Dorée, Jaune, Triple, Rouge, Bleue, Verte and barrel-fermented Grande Réserve: explore the seven Chimay beers in the catalogue.
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A brewery connected to Scourmont
The Scourmont community settled near Chimay in 1850, with the first brewing recorded in 1862. Production remains under monastic supervision. That origin explains the Trappist designation but does not give every beer in the range one identical flavour. To explore Chimay, compare the individual products. Colour, strength, fermentation and serving advice provide a more precise starting point than the abbey’s name alone, especially when several bottles share familiar colours and lettering.
Brewing, bottling and visiting are different activities
The beers are brewed at Scourmont. Chimay then describes their transfer to Baileux for bottling, after the addition of sugar and yeast for refermentation. Espace Chimay is the visitor destination; the producer states that the brewery itself cannot be visited. When planning a trip, consult current official visitor information. A location marker in the encyclopedia identifies the documented brewing location and should not be read as an invitation to enter the production facilities.
Finding your way around the seven profiles
Dorée, at 4.8%, provides a lower-alcohol starting point than the 8% Triple. Rouge and Bleue let you explore the darker side of the range, while Jaune and Verte extend the pale selection. The catalogue also includes barrel-fermented Grande Réserve. Use these names to choose a direction, then open each profile to compare the exact style, aromas and serving advice. The colours are useful identifiers, rather than a ranking of quality or complexity.
Names can change with bottle size
Triple is also called Cinq Cents in the 75 cl bottle. Bleue uses the name Grande Réserve in that format. Look carefully for the additional barrel-fermented designation: that identifies a separate reference whose editions depend on the barrels used. Compare the complete name and edition rather than the bottle shape alone. Similar wording on a drinks list does not establish that two descriptions refer to the same product or the same release.
Separate intensity from personal preference
For a first comparison, read Dorée alongside Triple, then Rouge alongside Bleue. Notice what changes in the descriptions before choosing: fruit, fermentation spice, malt, bitterness and texture. Tasting terms are pointers, not a list of ingredients necessarily added during brewing. The seven links below take you from the brewery overview to each beer’s own details. Continue with the tripel guide to compare Chimay with Westmalle and Karmeliet, or the Trappist guide to place its origin in a wider context.
Explore the full range
- Chimay BlueStrong dark ale · 9 %
- Chimay RedTrappist brown ale · 7 %
- Chimay TripleBlond Trappist tripel · 8 %
- Chimay DoréeLight blond Trappist ale · 4.8 %
- Chimay VerteStrong blond Trappist ale · 10 %
- Chimay JauneBlond Trappist ale · 6.5 %
- Chimay Grande Réserve · BarriquesBarrel-fermented brown Trappist ale · 10.5 %