What's the oldest Chimay you've had?

[Den]

I have numerous old Chimay Grand Reserves in my wine cellar. Probably the oldest is around 15 years. What's the oldest one you've had and how did it hold up?

I also have some old Thomas Hardy and was wondering the same about that?

[LStaff]

When I started drinking Chimay back in 2000, they were all pre-aged in my area - meaning they would sit on the shelf for years since hardly anyone knew what they were. Impossible to find anything but fresh Chimay on the shelf now. ;-(

[Kevin B]

Chimay can go a LOOOONG way. I had an 81 & 82 Chimay Blue in 2003 (clearing my cellar to move.) The 81 was stunning and the 82 had gone very downhill. I had a 500th anniversary Grand Cru at the Kulminator in 2001 (brewed in 1986) and it came close to making me bocome a monk. All sherried (in a good way) and plums and chocolate.

I've had Thomas Hardy as old as 15 years and it holds up.

[Den]

While people will probably ask where I live and want to come over, I have them that old because other than one friend who likes them, none of my buds like that kind of beer. We drank a couple of the 15's over the holidays and they had a very smooth quality almost like a good port.

[Josh]

I can only imagine. Where do you live? >:-D

[Josh]

I once had a 5 year old Chimay Grande Reserve and it was amazing. I can't even imagine what the 15 year old must be like.

Any beer with sufficiently high alcohol should age well. I read a story about some 10%-ish ales unearthed from the basement of an old brewery in England that were a little over 100 years old. Apparently the ale in them had held up quite nicely.