A Trappist tripel in a can is not a contradiction. The beer inside is the same pale gold, spicy, citrus-edged recipe that Scourmont Abbey has been producing since 1966 — the same fermentation, the same yeast character, the same dry finish at 8.0% ABV. What the can changes is the context. It removes the formality of the bottle, the cork, the decision about when to open it. The Chimay White Trappist Beer in can format is the version you reach for on a Tuesday evening, or pack into a bag for a picnic in Yoyogi Park, or keep in the fridge for when the occasion is simply a good one rather than a ceremonial one. If you are Belgian and living in Tokyo, that flexibility matters more than it might seem.
Scourmont Abbey’s tripel, now in can format
Bières de Chimay — the brewery of Scourmont Abbey — was founded in 1862 in Baileux, near Chimay in the Hainaut province of southern Belgium. The Chimay White is the brewery’s Trappist tripel, the most hop-forward beer in the Scourmont range and the youngest of the three classic Chimay colours, having been added to the lineup in 1966. The can format makes the same authentic Trappist recipe available without the presentation overhead of a bottle, lowering the threshold for when it is appropriate to open one.
The beer is pale gold and clear. The flavour opens with pronounced spicy yeast notes — the phenolic character that Belgian high-temperature fermentation produces in a tripel — followed by citrus and balanced malt sweetness that keeps the body from feeling thin. The finish is dry and warming, with a hop bitterness more assertive than in Chimay’s darker beers. At 8.0% ABV, it is not a light drink, but the dry finish and the citrus character mean it does not feel as heavy as the ABV suggests. The can is sealed immediately after filling, which preserves the beer’s fresh, spicy character in a way that suits this particular style well.
How Chimay White Trappist 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.” Even from a can, the toast applies — perhaps especially so, given that this beer comes from a monastery that has been brewing for over a century and a half.
In Belgium, the Chimay White belongs to the lighter courses of the Sunday family lunch — the beer poured before the table moves to heavier dishes and darker bottles. Moules-frites is the pairing that fits it most naturally: the brine of the steamed mussels and the salt of the fries find a direct counterpart in the citrus note and dry finish of the tripel, and the beer’s spicy yeast adds interest that a lighter lager would not provide. Belgian fries with mayonnaise are a permanent presence at any Belgian gathering, and the Chimay White handles their fat and salt cleanly. Stoofvlees, the slow-braised beef stew, tends to arrive later in the meal when something darker has taken over — but the White sees the table through to that point without difficulty.
The tradition of Trappist abbey pilgrimage connects even a can of Chimay to Scourmont’s history. The format is different; the provenance is not.
How to drink it in Japan
The can format makes the Chimay White particularly well-suited to the informal outdoor occasions that define Tokyo’s warmer months. Cherry blossom season in late March through April, summer evenings in parks, rooftop gatherings in Shibuya or Minami-Aoyama — a 330ml can of Trappist tripel travels more easily than a corked bottle, and the citrus and spice of the White suit warm outdoor air naturally.
At Lawson, pair it with a shrimp-flavoured rice cracker — the mild seafood note and the clean salt respond to the citrus character of the beer without adding weight. For a sit-down pairing at home, serve it with yaki-tori shio — salt-seasoned grilled chicken, without the tare glaze — where the clean, dry finish of the White and the simple char of the chicken find a straightforward, effective equilibrium. Neither element demands more than the other provides.
A Trappist tripel in can format is extremely uncommon in Tokyo’s import bottle shops, where Belgian beer tends to arrive in bottles only. By the case from Omori Mart — 330ml × 24 cans — the per-can cost is accessible, and the format means no concern about storage conditions, cork, or the right occasion.
Get Chimay White Trappist Beer delivered in Japan
Chimay White Trappist Beer is available from Omori Mart in a 330ml × 24 can 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 Trappist beers in every format they actually come in.
[Shop Chimay White Trappist Beer →]
https://omorimart.com/product/chimay-white-trappist-beer-can-330ml-x-24-cans/
Santé at Scourmont Abbey where the recipe has been unchanged since 1966, and kanpai on a Tokyo rooftop in May — a Trappist tripel does not need a cork to mean something.
No products in the cart.