Chimay Rouge (Red) / Première

Brewed by Chimay
Style: Abbey Dubbel
Baileux, Belgium

Serve in Trappist glass

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330 mL bottle BBF 2005. This one was very very smooth and lusciously fruity and had no earth mustiness in the aroma or flavour. Even the yeast dregs tasted real good. It reminded me very much of a slightly milder version of and I still prefer it over the blue.
Third rating: 8/24/2002: 3.9This time we rated two different 750 mL bottles, one was a use by 2002 and the other was use by 2004. Both were quite different to my previous 2 ratings (see below which were in 330 mL bottles). The 2002 750 bottle demonstrated the peat aroma and flavour that others have reported but I have not found in the 330’s. The 2004 750 had no earth but strong cured meat, celery and chicken noodle soup character about it. The overall smoothness was also missing from both 750’s compared to the 330’s. Maybe storage is an issue here. Needs further research - a vertical rating even perhaps?
Second rating: 8/9/2002: 4.3 It’s good to have a beer like this right in the middle of rating a whole load of average stuff. It really helps you appreciate a good beer like this and puts the rest in perspective. Everything in my original rating still stands - this is an excellent beer:
Original rating: 22/6/02: 4.3 Faint hazy deep red-brown with large creamy tan lasting head. Very faint aromas when cold. When warmer, fruity hops, caramel, malt and light farmyard and doughy yeasts. Medium bodied and wonderfully smooth velvety well balanced bitter-sweet-alcohol palate from start to finish, some woody flavours in there as well. Lighter flavoured than both the Blue or White but still a great beer in its own right. I think I prefer it over both the Blue or White. Generally under rated and gains points because I could drink 3-4 of these at a sitting quite easily.

Bottle shared with (and courtasy of) Inbreak and ClubGonzo. Vintage 2009. Pours a very cloudy brown colour with a medium light beige head. A lovely sweet aroma of dried fruit, leather, chocolate and brown sugar. Really a round and nice smell on this. The dried fruit is also well pronounced in the flavour along wih dades, wort and sweet leather. Light bitterness in the end. Soft and slick, and a bit watery mouthfeel. The aroma is fantastic but the flavour is not following.

Dark red-ruby color with creamy tan white head which lasts. Caramel, malts and some dark sweet fruits, probably some kind of berries. You smell and taste all the above. Live carbonation and a very smooth body. Mild bitter finish with a little alcohol. A great beer.... Truly great....

Pours dark brown with stewed fruits on the nose. gentle carbonation, rich fruit and sweet malts.

330ml bottle. Hazy dark amber with huge stable frothy off-white head. Intense fruity aroma, predominantly red berries, minor dark berries, some yeast. Fine fizzy carbonation, yeasty and slightly fruity taste, some sweetness and a sourish counterweight.

Supergod, rund smak, fyllig. Behöver lagras något år för att få rätta balansen.

Murky brown colour and smooth, white head. Aroma has some malts but it’s not very strong. Soft and smooth on the palate, lively carbonation. Taste is not too strong either, but it stays in your mouth for a while. I can’t quite identify the flavours but it has very beer-ish feel to it. It’s a decent beer but nothing spectacular.

pours a nice dark red/ ruby color, with a fissy head. The aroma is malty, fruity, grassy. The flavor is malt with caramel up front followed buy fruit to the rear tasting some of raisins, and other fruit i cant depict with the astringent taste to the rear contributing to some of the bitterness. The palate is very smooth, while feeling like a heavier body. Overall this is a very well balances beer, and would recommend

Nice red coloted with a decent home. Aroma has a sweet hint of cookie dough. The taste is very sweet and kind of cherry like. A good trappistes

Aroma is that characteristic of all Chimay beers. Sweet bread, cookie dough, and candy sugar. Appearance is dark brown to dark orange with a quick fading head and a great deal of particulate. Taste is sweet and resembles that of cookie dough. Very soft on the palate with minimal carbonation. Overall, I would classify this as a "dessert beer". It drinks decent on alone, but I would really like to try it with tiramisu or creme brulee. (just like the "blue" variety of Chimay) This is a good brew and I can’t wait to try it with dessert, but it is one of the most overrated beers of all time.

0,75 cl bottle. Fruity belgish trppist beer. Dark browm color, small white head, fruity, berries. In the finish is quite bitter but not too much alcohol.