Chimay White Trappist

Once again a Belgian brew and brewing historz factoid. Trappist brews are fairly well known as a style. However, there are only 6 breweries in the world that can claim they concoct a true Trappist brew (Trappist with 2 P's) and they all heil from Belgium. They are all Trappist monastaries where the monks have been brewing for hundreds of years and still do to this day. All of these are typically 7 to 12% ABV so get ready for a beer that packs a punch.
On this fateful night in Bruges I chose to drink a Chimay White Trappist, which is a mere 7% ABV. As I sat at my hostel window looking at the church across the street I was warmed by every sip. It's hard to drink in Europe without some religous reminder nearby. This beer was a peach colored citrusy brew that was very bitter. My one general complaint for citrusy beers was absent from this one. It did not with an overwhelmingly citrus aftertaste (the sign of a good citrus beer). This was probably helped by the high ABV% but regardless, it had a bitter aftertaste with minor citrus notes. It was definitely not a smooth finish though. It was rough and kinda hit you all at once. It was a bit acquired but I liked it more and more with each sip. And this one isn|t even considered the best of the trappist breweries. Go Belgian beer. Next stop, Germany.