Chimay Dore Gold
- Producer
- Abbey of Notre-Dame de Scourmont
- Country
- Belgium
- Region
- Chimay
- Weight
- 3.3 lbs
- Website
- www.chimay.com
- Milk
- Cow
- Treatment
- Pasteurised
- Classification
- Semi Soft
- Rennet
- Animal
- Rind
- Washed
- Style
- Washed-Rind
- Flavor
- Flavor added to rind
Chimay (both the beer & the cheese) is produced by the monks at the Abbey of Notre-Dame de Scourmont. The Abbey is located near the town of Chimay, in Belgium, which lies just north of the French border in the forest of Mont du Secours. The Cistercian Abbey was established in 1850 by Trappist monks as a place to study, pray and work. By 1862 it was decided that a dairy and a brewery would be built, as an addition to the Abbey, in order to help generate funds for the monks' livelihood. Cheese production started soon afterwards, using milk produced at the Abbey's dairy, and the cheeses were sold at the local market.
Today, production of Chimay remains similar to the original recipe with a few variations. Some versions of the cheese are still washed with spring water while others (such as this version) are washed with their famous Chimay beer. The other change since the early days of production is that milk is now sourced from local and regional dairies rather than from the Abbey's herd of cows.
Dore Gold is aged for four weeks and is periodically washed with Chimay’s Dorée beer. The light-bodied, yeasty and slightly herbal Belgian pale ale imparts some of its qualities onto the cheese, while also aiding the Bacterium linens culture to develop, which gives the cheese a red-orange and slightly sticky rind. The pale-gold paste is semisoft, supple and springy throughout, without a distinct creamline.
Tasting Notes
As is characteristic of a washed-rind cheese, aromas are pungent yet flavors are milder. The paste is dense and savory, with aromas of hops, malt, grass and earth, as well as distinctive toasted notes.
Pairings
Pair it with a porter or with a Belgian pale ale.
