Chimay Abbey

Chimay Abbey is widely recognized for operating a commercial brewery and cheese factory under the supervision of the Trappist monastic community. They produce famous Trappist ales and semi-soft cheeses that are often washed in their own beer.

Chimay Abbey, formally known as Notre-Dame de Scourmont, was founded in 1850. It is located in the Belgian province of Hainaut and was established by monks from the Trappist tradition.

Chimay brews several distinct ales categorized by their originally assigned bottle caps, most notably the Red (Première), White (Cinq Cents), and Blue (Grande Réserve). The Blue variety is a strong dark ale that is typically aged the longest before consumption.

While the brewing and cheesemaking operations are managed by the monastic community, the heavy manual labor is performed by lay employees who work on-site. The monks oversee the process to ensure the profits strictly support the abbey and charitable causes, per Trappist rules.