The Blonde, The Blanche and The Ambrée: The Grimbergen range.

Few things bring me more joy than a nice bottle of beer, but if there's one thing that does, it's three bottles:

These bad boys and the chalice they were destined for came into my possession long ago when everyone in the northern hemisphere was in the throes of winter, and yet it's taken me until now to sip my way through the trio, starting with the lightest in a temperate April and ending with the darkest in the unrelenting heat of a Murcian June - perhaps not the most logical sequence as far as matching beer with season goes, although the colours did follow the same pattern as my ever toasting skin. 

Obernai's former region of Alsace
within France. (Part of the new
Grand Est region since 2016)

Grimbergen beer has been going, in one way or another, since the dark Medieval days of 1128 - although since starting its life as a monk-brewed abbey beer in Belgium, the periodic accident and conflict-driven destruction of the abbey followed by several commercial takeovers in more recent times means the beer, now brewed partly in Belgium and partly in France, probably differs somewhat from what the Norbertine monks of Grimbergen used to get sozzled on with their guests. Indeed, the Belgian and French breweries even brew completely separate varieties (those coming from Belgium being mainly Blond, Dubbel and Tripel), meaning that the beers in my box were sure to have come from the Kronenbourg brewery in Obernai, France. Just call me the Beer Detective.

But no beer is complete without a story, and as the monks' use of the phoenix would imply, rebirth is a significant aspect of this beer's identity - so if the legend at the very least has managed to be kept alive over the course of almost a whopping nine centuries, then all the better. 

Onto the beers:

Blonde 6.7%

She pours a perfect golden amber with a dense, bright fluffy head and, as with all of Grimbergen's beers, looks particularly fine in the beer's own purpose-made chalice. 

It had been a long time since I'd tasted the delights of a Belgian-style ale and the distinctly Belgian whiff of spicy clove that wafted up from my chalice's bowl was a stark reminder of where this brew was born. Along with these spicy notes there were plenty of hints of toffee and caramel malt on the nose giving me a clue as to what was to come. 
After a gulp or two, malty depth came through peppered with spicy clove, broken up ever so slightly by a hint of bitter citrus, followed by a floral, soapy aftertaste. 

For its high ABV it goes down nice and easily, and since it's got plenty of depth you can afford to sup on it chilled without fear of compromising on flavour.

Blanche 6%

The Blanche pours an opaque pale straw colour with a small head that fizzled out quicker than I could snap it.

There's plenty going on on the nose with fragrant, perfumey and floral aromas seasoned with herbal notes and spicy clove, overall making for a fresh and complex first impression.

The fresh flavours of zesty citrus fruits and a strong presence of coriander and clove come through after a sip, but it soon becomes clear that where it exceeds in flavour it lacks in body and depth, almost a diluted version of what it could be.

Rather than a sipper to savour I'd call this an introduction to the style to be knocked back.

Double-Ambrée 6.5%

The darkest of the three, this pours a dark mahogany with a thin beige head.

I picked up the aromas of dark stone fruits and berries, even if they were a bit hesitant in coming forward.

The flavour doesn't disappoint, with rich, fruity woodland berries backed by sweet caramel, a hint of treacle and a dash of bitter coffee - a sweet, fruity experience with the welcome addition of an added 6.5% alcoholic warmth. 

As the aroma hadn't been so forthcoming I was pleasantly surprised by the taste. A touch more body could have brought more depth to the flavours, but overall of the three in the set, the double-ambrée is the brew I'm fondest of. Santé!

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Grimbergen's Website
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N’Ice Chouffe (10%) - Brasserie d’Achouffe, Luxembourg Province, Belgium

With the spring months well under way here in Blighty, it seems distateful, nay, downright perverse to post a detailed description of my experience with a Christmas beer. But experiences are to be shared, and share this I will.

The label shows a wintry scene with two of the brewery's trademark gnomes warming up by a camp fire outside in the snow, carrying hops and barley. They seem ready to sling the hops and barley into the fire: arguably not the best use for two key ingredients to the best beverage in the world, but I suppose even Chouffe gnomes will do what they can to stay warm. Then again, they could equally be fighting to rescue the grain and hop plants from the flames. Yes, valiant gnomes, we'll stick with that version of events.

N'Ice Chouffe pours pitch black, allowing some shades of deep ruby red to glow through when up against the light. The brewery's own curvaceous and reflective tulip glass does the beer's appearance full justice, showing off the lively carbonation that rises quickly from the bulbous black body to form the superb, bubbling off-white head that pushes up past the base of the lip.

The glass trapping the aroma magnificently, at first whiff my impression is that it smells unmistakeably Belgian with herbal clove aromas coming through. A rich chocolate and crystal malt backing brings out a toffee tinge alongside some forest fruits.

Things intensify by the camp fire with a super rich flavour of sweet brown "candi" sugar and lots of grassy, herbal notes all coming at you at once. The carbonation helps to cut through the intense sweetness, but for me doesn't go far enough to stop it from being too cloying. Finally, a big alcoholic burn reminds you what happens when a gnome gets his beard too close to a camp fire.

As a seasonal brew, N'Ice Chouffe leaves no doubt that it was conceived as a winter warmer (despite the reference to "ice" in the name). However, with such a burny and intense character it doesn't sit so N'Icely on the palate.

Appearance 4/5

Aroma 3.5/5

Flavour 3/5

Mouthfeel 2/5

Overall rating 6.5/10

Gordon Xmas (8.8%) - John Martin Brewery, Brabant Province, Belgium

Since discovering how easily accessible continental Europe is by car early last year, it's been difficult to stay away, especially knowing there's a whole other world of beer just a few hours' drive away. Having the possibility of loading up the back of the car is an added bonus, but this inevitably leads to a beery backlog that takes time to clear. That's partly why two weeks into January I'm still drinking Christmas beers and will be for some time to come.

I was surprised to find out that this Belgian brewery was founded by an Englishman, John Martin (although the clue is in the name, you could say) and has remained a family-run business since 1909, now in the hands of grandson Anthony. Gordon Xmas was created in the 1930's as the very first purpose-brewed seasonal Christmas beer, starting what would become a beery tradition we should all be grateful for. To make things even more interesting, the Gordon range is named after an ancient Scottish clan, making this a Scottish-inspired, English-brewed, Belgium-based ale (which I purchased in France).

I picked up this festive-looking bottle in a Calais bottle shop and must confess that I'd hesitated at the sight of the label, which looks like a 1970's movie poster, but in the spirit of Christmas and because I had a few euros of pocket money left to spend, I scooped it into my basket anyway. 

The beer pours a lovely dark amber turning to a ruby red under certain light, with a tan head that holds its own.

As soon as the snowy cap comes off, a pungent, rich caramel aroma shoots out. More of the caramels are present once poured into the glass, with hints of candied fruit that create a flavour similar to a fruitcake, accompanied by a dusty, floral soapiness.

The intensity of flavour exceeds expectations, with sickly sweet caramel malt and sweet, candied fruits coating the palate, followed by the minutest hint of a nutty finish and a warming alcohol burn. 

The medium carbonation coupled with the intensity made it overwhelming to begin with, which I found eased the flatter it became (yes, that's how long I spent on it). Even so, with nothing to cut through the bold, malty flavours, it's slightly too cloying for my liking.

Gordon Xmas is full-bodied, intense, rich and indulgent making it a great choice at Christmas. However, being in need of some balance I would steer clear of rich and indulgent foods while you're supping it.

Appearance 4.5/5

Aroma 2.5/5

Flavour 3/5

Mouthfeel 2/5

Overall Rating 6/10

Brewery Information
Website: http://www.anthonymartin.be 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/breweryjohnmartin
Twitter: https://twitter.com/bendelcourt 

Chimay Brune (7%) - Chimay Brewery, Hainaut Province, Belgium

It was tough work picking out a brew from such a tempting selection of Belgian beers that I hauled back from my recent trip to Belgium, but after 20 minutes of gawping indecisively at various bottles and studying the labels one by one, I finally opted to explore my inner monk with this exciting number.

Chimay Brune as it's called on the bottle (but Chimay Rouge seemingly everywhere else) is a 7% strong Belgian Trappist double from Chimay Brewery in the Hainaut province of Belgium. The brewery itself is located at the Scourmont Abbey where the beer is brewed by monks according to strict Trappist criteria, making it one of only 10 authentic Trappist breweries in the world. These pious souls spend their days happily brewing away, selling beer not for profit but to just about cover their own living expenses, giving the rest away to charity. I'll be honest that I had no idea about this when I shoved this one into my shopping basket, but the moment I discovered that the bottle I held before me was a product of this now rare tradition, my excitement became a lot more uncontainable. I also briefly considered becoming a monk.

In case you're wondering what makes it a double or dubbel, this comes from a traditional labelling system when crosses were used to indicate a particular brew's strength, "XX" (double) coming logically between X (single) and XXX (triple), a tradition that's stuck to this day for some. With this supposedly middle-strength beer coming in at 7%, it's clear those quiet Trappist monks still know how to live it up. 

Chimay Brune comes in a charming little 33ml bottle with “Abbaye de Scourmont” embossed on it. The label is quite simple, showing a golden shield with the Chimay logo sitting under two fleurs-de-lis. It pours a stunning ruby-copper colour almost matching the label and is topped off with a decent sized, creamy off-white head. Of course, with an appreciation for the real deal the monks don't bother themselves with pasteurisation, conditioning the beer naturally in the bottle. As far as appearances go, it’s nothing short of drool-inducingly gorgeous. 

The aroma is slight but immediately distinctive, with sweet, wheaty, fruity, apricot aromas coming out, fairly unique from other Belgian beers and worlds apart from any British beers.

The flavour carries on in a similar vein with sweet and wheaty flavours along with some dried apricots. The addition of earthy and peppery hops cuts through a sweet and malty undercurrent, and carries much more of a punch than expected. The flavours are swirled around by the lively carbonation before settling down to leave you with a gentle, fruity aftertaste that gradually fades with a warming finish. Chimay rushes in there, sweeps you off your feet and then elegantly puts you down again like some kind of holy beery revelation.

For a brew conceived by some modest Trappist monks, Chimay Brune has so much going on not just in the flavour but in the mouthfeel and texture as well. It has a gentle aroma, a flavour that erupts in your mouth before calming down again, and is every bit as sexy to look at as the Notre-Dame de Scourmont herself.

Appearance 5/5

Aroma 4/5

Flavour 4/5

Mouthfeel 4/5

Beer Belly's Rating 8.5/10

Brewery details
Website: http://www.chimay.com
Twitter: @ChimayUSA (don't ask why)