HOPIQ FACEOFF
THE HOPIQ TAKE
Two Trappist legends and genuinely different beers despite the shared origin. Chimay Bleue is a dark strong ale — richer, more fruited, with dried fruit and chocolate notes that make it feel more like a meal than a drink. Westmalle Tripel is the style-defining pale strong ale: golden, effervescent, complex with orange peel and coriander notes, deceptively light on its feet for 9.5%. Chimay Bleue is winter, a leather armchair, a fire. Westmalle Tripel is late summer, a terrace, a longer evening than you planned. Both are roughly the same ABV; both will catch you off guard if you're not paying attention.
SIDE BY SIDE
| Chimay Bleue | Westmalle Tripel | |
| ABV | 9.0% | 9.5% |
| IBU | 35 | 35 |
| Colour | Deep amber, SRM 22 | Golden, SRM 6 |
| Style | Belgian Ale | Belgian Tripel |
| Origin | Belgium | Belgium |
WHEN TO CHOOSE WHICH
Pick Chimay Bleue when…
- →Autumn or winter — the dark fruit and warmth are genuinely seasonal
- →After dinner, slowly, with dark chocolate or a cheese board
- →You want something rich and contemplative rather than refreshing
- →A special occasion where you want to drink something genuinely serious
Pick Westmalle Tripel when…
- →Warmer months — golden, lively, it feels like summer despite the strength
- →Alongside Belgian food — mussels, frites, dishes where the spice complements
- →Showing someone what Belgian Tripel means at its canonical best
- →You want complexity that presents itself as lightness rather than weight
WHAT IT TASTES OF
Both beers
STRUCTURE — HOW IT'S BUILT
TASTING NOTES
SIMILARITY SCORE
38%
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is the difference between Chimay Bleue and Westmalle Tripel?
Chimay Bleue (9.0% ABV) is a dark Trappist strong ale — rich, dark fruit character (plum, raisin), caramel malt, warming and complex. Westmalle Tripel (9.5% ABV) is a golden strong ale — lighter in colour, more carbonated, with citrus, spice and a dry, refined finish. Both are Trappist masterpieces but completely different in style.
What does Chimay Bleue taste like?
Chimay Bleue (also called Chimay Grande Réserve) is a dark Belgian strong ale with aromas of dark fruit, caramel and subtle spice. The taste is rich and complex — plum, raisin and brown sugar over a warming malt base, finishing with a gentle bitterness. At 9.0% ABV it's strong but surprisingly drinkable.
Is Westmalle Tripel the original Tripel?
Westmalle is widely credited with creating or codifying the Tripel style as we know it today. The Westmalle Tripel recipe in its current form dates from 1956 and has become the benchmark against which all other Tripels are measured.
Are Chimay and Westmalle real Trappist beers?
Yes. Both carry the Authentic Trappist Product (ATP) designation, meaning they are brewed within a Trappist monastery under the supervision of monks. Chimay is brewed at Scourmont Abbey in Belgium; Westmalle at the Abbey of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in Westmalle, Belgium.