For most of Chimay’s history, the Gold did not exist for the public. It was the beer the monks of Scourmont Abbey brewed for themselves — lighter than the Red, Blue, or White they sold, intended for daily refreshment rather than ceremony or export. When it was widely released to the public in 2013, Belgians got access to something that had effectively been a house secret for over a century. If you grew up in Belgium, the Gold is the Chimay you reach for when you are not in the mood for the weight of the Blue. If you are Belgian and living in Tokyo, it is the version of Chimay that feels most like an everyday beer, in the best sense of that phrase.
The monks’ own beer, finally public since 2013
Bières de Chimay — the brewery of Scourmont Abbey — was founded in 1862 in Baileux, near Chimay in the Hainaut province of southern Belgium. The Gold, also known as Dorée, was traditionally brewed for the monks’ own consumption rather than for sale, and it was only widely released to the public in 2013, making it the most recently introduced beer in Chimay’s standard lineup despite drawing on a much older recipe.
The style is a Trappist Belgian pale ale, and it is the lightest of the Chimay range by a clear margin. The pour is pale gold, considerably brighter than the Red, Blue, or White. The flavour carries fresh herbal notes and a soft fruity yeast character — present but restrained compared to the more intense esters of Chimay’s stronger beers — finishing clean and genuinely refreshing. At 4.8% ABV, it is the most sessionable beer Scourmont Abbey produces, built for everyday drinking rather than the slow, deliberate pace that the Blue or the Grande Réserve invite.
How Chimay Gold Beer is drunk at home
Santé! / Op uw gezondheid! (sahn-TAY / op-uw geh-ZONT-hayt) — French and Flemish respectively, both meaning “to your health,” in use depending on which side of Belgium’s linguistic divide the table sits on.
In Belgium, the Gold occupies the early position in a Sunday family lunch that moves through multiple beers across courses — the lighter beer poured first, before the table progresses toward something stronger. Moules-frites, the national dish, pairs naturally with it: the herbal, refreshing character of the Gold against the brine of steamed mussels and the salt of the fries does not compete with the dish the way a heavier Trappist beer might. Belgian fries with mayonnaise are a constant presence regardless of which beer accompanies them, eaten throughout the meal rather than confined to a single course. Stoofvlees, the slow-braised beef stew, tends to call for something with more weight than the Gold provides, but the lighter beer remains in rotation even as the meal moves toward richer dishes.
The tradition of Trappist abbey pilgrimage gives even the lightest Chimay beer a connection to Scourmont’s monastic history — the Gold, having been kept within the abbey for so long before its public release, carries that history in a particularly direct way.
How to drink it in Japan
The Chimay Gold is a warm-weather beer in Japan, well-suited to the period from late spring through early autumn — April through October — when something refreshing and lower in alcohol fits the climate more naturally than the brewery’s stronger offerings.
At 7-Eleven, try it alongside edamame — the herbal, fresh-grass character of the Gold finds a natural counterpart in the simple salt and vegetal flavour of steamed soybeans. For a sit-down pairing at home, serve it with grilled white fish, such as sea bream prepared with a light citrus and soy dressing. The Gold’s restrained yeast character and clean finish do not overwhelm the delicate flavour of the fish, and the beer’s refreshing quality suits the lightness of the dish overall.
A genuine Trappist pale ale is uncommon in Tokyo’s specialty import shops, and where available, a single bottle can run ¥700 or more. By the case from Omori Mart, the per-bottle cost is considerably lower, making the Gold a practical everyday option rather than an occasional treat.
Get Chimay Gold Beer delivered in Japan
Chimay Gold Beer is available from Omori Mart in a 330ml × 24 bottle case, delivered nationwide across Japan.
- Free shipping on orders over ¥15,000
- Pay at FamilyMart, 7-Eleven, or Lawson — or by bank transfer or card
- Nationwide delivery to any address in Japan
Rakuten and Amazon Japan do not carry this label. Omori Mart is where Belgians in Japan find the full range of Trappist beers, including the ones that took the longest to leave the abbey.
[Shop Chimay Gold Beer →]
https://omorimart.com/product/chimay-gold-beer-330ml-x-24-bottles/
Santé at Scourmont Abbey, where this beer was kept to themselves for generations, and kanpai at a Tokyo table on a warm evening — sometimes the everyday beer is the one worth waiting a century for.
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