You always remember your first; your first love, your first kiss, your first time, and to this Connoisseur, your first Belgian Ale. I remember I was working at Starbucks at the time where I had a partnership with the neighboring liquor store; free coffee for free beer, a good deal by any reckoning. One day I ventured into the store told the clerk I wanted to try something different, that my beer vocabulary could use a new volume. As a response, he handed me a chilled 750ml bottle of Chimay Grand Reserve which I excitedly stashed in my bag and hurried home.
I had never even seen a beer with a cork stopping the bottle, so I knew I was in for a taste of class. I uncorked the bottle and was greeted by a rich, sweet, bready scent that warmed my heart. There was a slight alcohol tinge to the beer, which rather than striking me as stringent, invited me to explore the depths of its complexity. I had no clue how to properly enjoy this mystical brew at the time and quaffed the entire bottle over the course of a half hour which, on an empty stomach and at 9% abv, was a truly enjoyable experience. Even at the time I noticed how the flavor matured, opened up, and improved as the beer came to temperature. The taste was like beer cake; sweet, full-bodied, rich, thick, and very pleasurable.
I know now the proper way to drink a quality Belgian, and the Grand Reserve benefits greatly from this treatment. Chimay Grand Reserve pours a cloudy medium brown with a very light tan head which dissipates to a light lacing shortly. I recommend taking your time with this beer, start off cool and let it come to room temperature as you go through the bottle, your patience will be rewarded.
This Belgian would pair very well with a sandwich of muenster cheese, whole grain mustard, and onions on dark oatmeal bread grilled to melty perfection and served with a whole dill pickle.
I have had many Belgian Ales since uncorking this masterpiece, some have been better, many have been worse, but there will always be a special place in my heart for my first bottle of Chimay Grand Reserve.
