Instead of washing the rind in wine or a bath of helpful bacteria, the Cistercian Trappist monks of Chimay wash certain handcrafted cow's milk cheeses in their other famous product, Chimay beer. If you want a cheese that pairs nicely with a rich, heady beer, this Chimay would be a good choice. Can you taste the beer? Not really. The rind is stronger than the center of the cheese but the notes of hops and wheat are long gone. It tastes like your standard semi-soft washed rind cheese. Washed rind cheeses, Chimay being one of them, are not my favorite cheeses in general. I find many either too bland or, if overripe, too pungent. At their best most are pleasant but not memorable. Sure, Chimay knocks the pants off your average variety supermarket cheese but for the price I can find many other cheeses that deliver more flavor and appeal.

Name: Chimay met bier, Chimay with Beer, Chimay
Type of Milk: cow's, unpasteurized
Type: semi-soft, washed rind
Produced in: Belgium
Date Purchased: 2/13/2007
Date Eaten: 2/15/2007
Purchased Where: United States, North Carolina, Chapel Hill, A Southern Season
Price: $19.99/lb.