7.5

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7

Bottle 0.375l at Ardes residence, Helsinki. Color is almost clear brown with small white head. Ripe fruits, some plum, vanilla, malts... Nice!

7.2

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8

750ml corked and caged bottle.

It pours a dark brown with reddish highlights, ample, no, more than ample head of off white foam.

Dark fruits and whiskey dominate the smell. Malty with some oxidation, figs, nice complex aromas.

Malty, some oxidation, whiskey taste. Dark pitted fruit, very light hint of port, which will probably grow as the vintage ages more.

Fullish body, lively carbonation.

Very good but not worth $40.

7.1

Appearance - 7 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7

Pours dark brown, big white head. Smell is sweet, sugar. Taste is sharp, bit booze, sugar, mild wood. No real whiskey. Some extra sweetness.

7.4

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5

Bottle. Pours an amber color with a small off-white head. Has a fruity malty caramel woody aroma with hints of dark fruit. Fruity malty woody caramel flavor. Has a fruity sweetish malty woody caramel spicy finish.

7.1

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5

Bottle shared by Jack, thanks! Pours a clear amber with a slight brown hue and a tan head that dissipates to the edges. Aroma has sweet grains, caramel, belgian yeast and a bit of whiskey barrel backing. Flavor has sweet grains and bread supported by Belgian yeast, Belgian candied sugar and a hint of whiskey.

7.5

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8

12.5 oz corked and caged. Aroma is toffee, apple, marshmallow, woody, banana, light whiskey. Pours dark brown with red highlights and sediment under a one finger cap of beige foam with good retention. Taste is highly sweet and a bit savory, caramelly, with apple-y fruity esters. A nice sipper.

8

kerstbierfestival essen 2018

9.4

Appearance - 10 | Aroma - 9 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 10 | Overall - 9.5

I’ve held onto this 375 ml bottle since February after getting it at Total Wine in Santa Fe. On a per ounce basis, this has to be the most expensive single purchase I have made in my almost four years doing RateBeer, just saying. But nobody made me make the buy, I am a fan of Chimay Blue and this is an extension of that. Tonight I have Mindi Abair providing the chill jazz and my Chimay glass doing the honors for my 750th rating, all apropos. High expectations since I believe barrel aging almost always improves a brew over the original version. The pour provides a clear, cola-brown body with a steadily recharged, parchment colored head. I get the scent of figs, raisins and whole grain bread. Finally I have a taste, dates, figs, dark cherry, some caramel and cane syrup. I detect a minimal amount of barrel effect, would not have minded more. A chewy sensation, thick, I like that. An improvement over the base Chimay? Perhaps. But not enough to offset the cost. Time to sit back, drink the rest of the bottle and enjoy the ride.

7.1

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 8.5

Sample, dark brown beer, small head, aroma is fruit, candy, sweet, wood. Taate is the same, sweet, fruity, light bitter. Very nice

7.9

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 10 | Overall - 7.5

A 375ml bottle kindly shared by djoeye. Bubbly pearl white head leaving rich lacing down the glass, brown coloured body with a deep rustic shade. Solid aroma of dried fruits and caramel. Solid taste profile as well, impacts of prunes, dark plums and choco-caramel, woody, distant hints of whisky.Lingering, warming ending. Full bodied. Great slow sipper qualities. (Rating session with djoeye and Finn, Tromsø 05.06.2020).