Chimay 175 is also a future, year round release as Chimay Yellow.

Honey colored body with a little chill-haze. Head is typical, i.e., bone-white, bubbly and has excellent retention. Lovely lace.

Somewhat neutral, grainy nose that opens on warming to give a light, oragey citrus.

It’s definitely peppery, but doesn’t come with the sweetness of a bigger Tripel-like beer, or BSPA. Of course, that’s entirely appropriate because it isn’t either of those, and in that respect it does exactly – I mean EXACTLY – “what it says on the can”. In the same light, this is a dry beer. It lacks any significant alcohol punch too, once more largely in line with the style and its advertised ABV.

There’s some estery fruit, but it is simultaneously dry, lightly bitter, and without an alcohol burst. From what I had read elsewhere I was half expecting a smaller version of Chimay Green, but this definitely isn’t that. It’s much drier, has infinitely less obvious sweetness and spice, and has a bitter backbone which is a little surprising. Plenty of pale malt character, the beer is very clean and offers an extremely deadpan experience. When I say ‘deadpan’ I don’t mean that as a criticism, I mean that it delivers utter and absolute simplicity. This beer has its own lane, and it tells you where it’s going. You don’t get to dictate that, it tells you what it is.

As the beer warms it loosens up a bit, but only a bit. The tight, simple bitterness stays, and there are a few more sweet and estery edges, but it never threatens the rock solid simplicity of this beer. There’s a delicate, soapy hop bitterness that lingers mostly in the back-end and in the lovely, vigorous mouthfeel.

Chimay describes the finish as “piquant” which is a little much, but I will say that it is appetizing and delicate.

Don’t expect a lighter Green, do expect a solidly made Belgian Blonde.