Chimay Spéciale Cent Cinquante - Bières de Chimay S.A.

jwc215

New Jersey

4.15/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

750 ml cage-corked bottle, opens with a loud "pop".
Poured into a Chimay glass:

Pours golden with a frothy head that stays. Some fizz sound at first. The head settles and stays as trailing lace slides down the glass.

What a wonderful aroma this has! Bubblegum and cotton candy mix with the classic "Chimay" yeast scent. Lemony and herbal hops come through.
The taste is sweet but with some tart. Bubblegum and cotton candy with a slightly bready yeast show at first, but then a hoppy bitter bite comes in at the finish. Alcohol gives a peppery spicing without becoming overbearing or just alcoholic tasting.

The feel is very nice: creamy with a classic "Belgian-esque" effervescence. Somehow, it doesn't quite reach "perfect", but close enough to keep this drinker quite happy!

A very nice beer to celebrate a special occassion! This brewery was probably the first to show me the greatness of Belgium years ago. This beer seems hoppier than the other Chimays, from what I remember. Pretty complex, and well-balanced, this is a great night-time sipper! Is it worth the $20+ I spent for the bottle? Well, being that it is well-made and limited, I suppose so. Hey, compare this to a bottle of wine. And, I can't really compare this to the marks I gave the Chimays I had early on. This is good stuff!

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2012 02:23:55 | More by jwc215

DrGonzoDDS

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +7.4%

05-26-2013 02:00:09 | More by DrGonzoDDS

jkane101

New Jersey

4/5  rDev -4.5%

05-25-2013 23:00:12 | More by jkane101

desint

Belgium

4.75/5  rDev +13.4%

05-24-2013 11:56:47 | More by desint

KiMiRaiK

Washington

4/5  rDev -4.5%

05-24-2013 03:45:54 | More by KiMiRaiK

Mike151014

South Carolina

4.25/5  rDev +1.4%

05-23-2013 12:08:16 | More by Mike151014

Zbeetleman

California

4/5  rDev -4.5%

05-16-2013 02:58:04 | More by Zbeetleman

jimctin

Ontario (Canada)

4.25/5  rDev +1.4%

05-15-2013 18:11:45 | More by jimctin

Zimm

New Jersey

4.25/5  rDev +1.4%

05-15-2013 17:10:29 | More by Zimm

Joshpu

California

4.5/5  rDev +7.4%

05-15-2013 00:12:33 | More by Joshpu

bainard

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +1.4%

05-14-2013 05:37:57 | More by bainard

hotsudge

Ontario (Canada)

4.75/5  rDev +13.4%

05-12-2013 23:53:20 | More by hotsudge

spinrsx

Ontario (Canada)

3.98/5  rDev -5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

750ml Bottle from the Ottawa LCBO for $10.00 (value!)

Appearance - Slightly hazy golden/amber colour with a large size fizzy/frothy white coloured head. There is a high amount of carbonation showing and there is some good lacing. The head lasted for 6-7 minutes.

Smell - Breads/grains, clove/yeast, banana

Taste & Mouth - There is a very high amount of carbonation and I can taste bread/grains mixed with some banana, honey, clove and yeast. There are also some peppery notes and some herbal tea flavours. It ends with a spicy/peppery dry aftertaste.

Overall - Obviously a very good beer, but I would have liked some more refreshing flavours.. perhaps some citrus notes. It strikes me as a good cold weather type beer. Well worth the 10$ I paid, but not worth the 30$ price tag I saw in the states.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2013 00:15:50 | More by spinrsx

jrohrbacher

North Carolina

4.25/5  rDev +1.4%

04-26-2013 12:27:10 | More by jrohrbacher

superspak

Michigan

4.38/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

750 ml bottle into signature chalice; 12993 cork code, 2012 bottling. Pours lightly cloudy golden amber color with a nice 1-2 finger dense and fluffy white head with fantastic retention, that reduces to a small cap that lasts. Nice soapy lacing clings down the glass, with plenty of streaming carbonation retaining the head. Beautiful looking brew. Aromas of lemon, pear, apple, clove, pepper, coriander, cardamom, candi sugar, honey, light bubblegum, and earthy yeast spiciness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of fruity/spicy yeast esters with moderate malt balance; and moderate spices. Taste of lemon, pear, apple, clove, pepper, coriander, cardamom, honey, candi sugar, light bubblegum, floral, and earthy yeast spiciness. Lingering notes of light fruits, pepper, clove, coriander, honey, candi sugar, light bubblegum, and yeast earthiness on the finish for a while. Fantastic balance and complexity of fruity/spicy esters with moderate spicing that isn’t overdone; with a moderate malt balance and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Medium-high carbonation and medium-full bodied; with a moderately slick, crisp, and prickly mouthfeel that is great. Alcohol is extremely well hidden with hardly any warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a fantastic Tripel! Great balance and complexity of yeast ester flavors with moderate malt and spice balance; and very smooth to sip on for a 10% brew. A highly enjoyable offering.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2013 04:02:08 | More by superspak

tripledbrew

Kentucky

4/5  rDev -4.5%

04-24-2013 22:44:37 | More by tripledbrew

falloutsnow

Illinois

4.28/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

From: Belgian Beer Shop dot com
Date: Best before 2015 marked on bottle
Glass: Tulip

Chimay's Spéciale Cent Cinquante is an excellent tripel with some very nice springtime aromas of cherry blossoms and flavors of bright, sweet malts with counterbalancing Belgian yeastiness and Continental hop spiciness. The flowery nature of the beer makes it seem appropriate for a spring seasonal, as the budding flowers outdoors truly complement this beer's bouquet and flavor. I truly enjoyed this beer, though the mouthfeel was a bit harsh, and would still happily drink another again if it weren't import only and fairly expensive at that.

Pours a very tall (4cm) head of white foam, quite classic for the style, though composed of fairly irregular large to medium-sized bubbles. Retention is above one minute, but shorter than the ages-long time it takes for many other tripels' foam to subside. After a few minutes, the head has reduced to a thin cap atop the body of the beer, with moderate lacing clinging to the sides; a modest collection of foam patterns and dots adorn the walls of the glass. The body is a fairly bright golden orange color, about 40-50% opaque, with light bringing out brighter yellow-orange hues. Carbonation is visible, quite active and very numerous.

Bright, light, fruity, and flowery aroma, rather like fresh cherry tree blossoms with light citrus zest as from orange and lemon. Faintly present Belgian yeast contributes slightly musty and phenolic characters, while pale malts add to and play up the blossom-like sweetness.

Similar to the aroma, the major flavors I'm picking up are spring tree flower blossoms (primarily in the genus Prunus), citrusy zest, Belgian yeast with associated phenols, and pale malt sweetness. Front of palate is primarily of pale malt sweetness, citrus zest (orange and bit of lemon), and slightly spicy and woodsy Continental hops. Mid-palate is very much like sweet and bright cherry tree blossoms with Belgian yeast phenols and mustiness, overripe bananas, diluted honey, pale malt sweetness, spice and woodsiness from Continental hops, and slight ethanol. Back of palate features sweet pale malts with spicy Continental hops, spicy/peppery ethanol, and flowery cherry blossom-like flavors. Aftertaste is of pale malts, Belgian yeast and mustiness, flowery and slightly spicy Continental hops, very mild lemon zest, and light ethanol.

Beer is medium-bodied, with carbonation of fairly high intensity. The resulting feel is rather fizzy, slightly uncomfortable, although with a bit of time the carbonation has run through the beer and it feels much softer on the palate, resulting in a smooth and foamy caress. For a fairly bright 10% ABV beer, this hides it very well, though the ethanol can be felt in the nostrils and back of throat, with increasing ease as the beer warms. Closes quite dry, with only slight stickiness lingering on the palate.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2013 00:26:46 | More by falloutsnow

Benny3000

Michigan

4/5  rDev -4.5%

04-20-2013 10:25:09 | More by Benny3000

SHODriver

California

4/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: pours a clear light gold with obviously vigorous carbonation from a gentle pour into a snifter. A dense and long lasting two finger white head tops the beer
S: bready, spicy, and fruity. slight banana as well. it smells the part and is sweet on the nose
T: spicy yeast, bready malt, and fruity esters along with a bit of clean hop bitterness and a touch of alcohol. swallow brings a lot more fruitiness with some banana, plenty of spicy yeast, and a bit of alcohol. long lasting aftertaste.
M: fairly full in the mouth with good effervescence without being over the top. finish is slightly drying
O: A very good and very smooth Tripel. flavors are good and the balance is very nice.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2013 10:12:04 | More by SHODriver

eduardolinhalis

Switzerland

4.23/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750ml bottle served in its own chalice.

A: Pours a slightly hazy golden yellow color forming a big, creamy and compact white head. Long retention and tons of lingering lacings left in the glass

S: Very bready in the nose. Authentic belgian. Delicious bready and earthy yeasts. Sweet grains, a bit fruity, wheat and honey

T: Sweet upfont. Sweet malts, honey, wheat, belgian yeasts. Quite bready and fruity, peaches mainly. Light hoppy bitter end

M: Heavy molasses body. Medium carbonation. Bready aftertaste

O: Good drinkability. Chimay quality

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 16:09:04 | More by eduardolinhalis

willit618

Indiana

4/5  rDev -4.5%

04-09-2013 03:30:43 | More by willit618

drabmuh

Maryland

4/5  rDev -4.5%

04-08-2013 15:41:47 | More by drabmuh

SStein

North Carolina

4/5  rDev -4.5%

04-07-2013 08:26:34 | More by SStein

Abe_Froman

Texas

4/5  rDev -4.5%

04-06-2013 06:05:44 | More by Abe_Froman

T-RO

New Hampshire

3.5/5  rDev -16.5%

04-05-2013 13:16:34 | More by T-RO