Chimay Brandy Barrel Fermented Grande Reserve 2024

Chimay Grande Reserve aged in brandy barrels, a 2024 vintage. A Belgian Trappist strong dark ale. Rich with dried fruit and a brandy-soaked oak character.

Chimay is one of the most respected Trappist brewing communities in the world, operating from the Abbey of Notre-Dame de Scourmont in the Hainaut province of Belgium since 1862.

The Grande Reserve, also known as Chimay Blue, is the abbey's flagship strong dark ale, brewed to 9% ABV with a rich malt character and complex yeast-driven fermentation.

This 2024 vintage edition takes the standard Grande Reserve a step further by conditioning the beer in brandy barrels, a process that imparts additional layers of dried fruit, oak, and a subtle warmth from residual spirit.

Barrel fermentation and aging allow the Trappist ale's natural notes of dark fruit, caramel, and spice to meld with the vanilla and tannin structure of the wood. The result is a beer that rewards patience and careful attention, best enjoyed at cellar temperature in a wide-mouthed glass.

It sits at the intersection of Trappist brewing tradition and brandy barrel maturation. At 750ml, it is suited for sharing or for laying down to develop further complexity over one to three years.