… or Chimay Grande Réserve Fermentée en Barriques – Chêne Français, Chêne Américain, Calvados (05/2023) to give it its full name. Corked & Caged, heavy, 375 mL bottle, with Best Before End of 2028 date.

As I saw with the Rhum version this is a great looking, garnet/dark brown pour with some very good head and lace for a beer of this age and ABV. Undeniably looks great.

The nose is again a sweetish alcohol but there is some light acidity that greets the nostrils. The tastes bring a lot of fruity acidity, and like the Rhum barrel it’s not bad, but also like the other in the BA series I’m never choosing this over regular Chimay blue. There’s a mild vanilla, chardonnay oak here which is obviously totally expected, but the fruity acid note is persistent. I’d never specifically pin it down as apple/calvados, but it’s a definite feature. It makes it surprisingly clean for a BA beer.

The Calvados version doesn’t finish as dry as the Rhum version. Alcohol seems lighter too.

As I’ve said umpteen times before, my general indifference to barrel aged beer in general, and to barrel-aged Belgians in particular, remains firmly in place.

For me, in the final analysis, Chimay Blue is a perfect vehicle for showcasing various barrles barrels, so in that regard this is a “good” beer, but the kicker is this. For all the soft, subtle warming taste of the rhum and alcohol that is not unpleasant, I simply want my beer to tastes of … well, you know … beer.