Chimay Grande Reserve (Blue) - Blind Taste Test

Our review of Chimay Blue in 2011 is one of our most hated episodes. The rating wasn't horrible, but Chef and Mark were not kind to it and both said that they would prefer to drink Miller Light. I was wondering if there review was based on preconceived notions about the beer, so I set up this blind taste to see if the score would change when the boys didn't know what beer they were drinking. Tune and find out whether the ratings change in this fun follow up to one of our most notorious episodes.

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Script from Previous Review:
"Hi, I'm James Knott and today we are talking about Chimay Grande Reserve from the Notre Dame Abbey at Scourmont in Chimay, Belgium.

This beer is the same as Chimay Blue, but they change the name for the 25.4 oz bottle because the brewery feels that the flavor is affected when secondary fermentation happens in a larger vessel. A larger 51 oz wine bottle is also sold called Magnum Grande Reserve.

Chimay is one of only seven Trappist breweries in the world -- 6 in Belgium, 1 in the Netherlands. To be officially recognized as a trappist beer the beer must be brewed within the walls of an abbey under the control of monks. Also, the proceeds must not be used for profit, but instead used for the Abbey and its charitable works.

Chimay Grande Reserve is a Belgian Strong, Dark Ale or Quadruple with 9 percent ABV. The water is drawn from wells on the Abbey grounds. It is not pasteurized and is a great beer for cellaring. Drink it out of a chalice at around 60 degrees Fahrenheit."

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Chimay
• Blue
• grande
• reserve
• big
• bottle
• belgium
• belgian
• quadruple
• notre
• dame
• abbey
• at
• scourmont
• trappist
• monks
• strong
• dark
• Better
• beer
• authority
• james
• knott
• review
• reviews
• rating
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• critic
• ale
• lager
• hops
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• barley
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• abv
• ibu
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• gravity
• bitterness
• bitter
• taste
• aroma
• mouthfeel
• head
• grainbill
• availability
• distribution
• available
• serving
• temperature

[jcomp21]

NO Mark gave it a 5 before!

[AgileHProductions]

@jcomp21 I think I wrote that as an on-screen correction in the video. It's understandable if you missed it though.

[jcomp21]

This format is interesting because its doing something other beer shows don't do. Very cool.

[AgileHProductions]

@jcomp21 The format is very well-received so far.

[AgileHProductions]

@AntoniustheGreat Based on this feedback, I'd say you have some of the best comments on Youtube - but I could be biased.

[AntoniustheGreat]

Great video! This is easily one of the best channels on youtube. Your videos are the best. James Knott is the coolest host of any show, period! Keep up the great work guys!

[AgileHProductions]

@hophedbrewhaus That sucks. Custom BBA T-shirts are also for sale at Zazzle.com if you search for "Better Beer Authority". Their are a lot more color options and sizes, but they cost a little more.

[hophedbrewhaus]

@AgileHProductions I just went to your site to buy one but unfortunately you're all out of Fat Guy sizes. :)

[AgileHProductions]

@moviemaker1989 Thanks for the feedback. I hadn't made up my mind on the game show part as to whether it was good or not. It's good to get opinions.

[moviemaker1989]

@aeopmusic Barleywines and big imperial stouts can be 15%+

[moviemaker1989]

I like the format and the "game show" aspect from both this episode and the next on Surly. The length doesn't bother me at all. Keep doing what you're doing!

[AgileHProductions]

@HardcoreBlofish1 I'm working on reorganizing the blind taste tests so that some of the information is revealed before the guys pick their ratings.