Chimay Rouge (Red)

Brewed by Chimay
Style: Abbey Dubbel
Baileux, Belgium

Reddish brown pour with a fine looking light tan head. Very fruity aroma. Apricot, peach, apple with a mild yogurty sweetness. The flavor is yeastier. Also more bread and caramel, but still quite fruity. The finish is very clean and dry, almost surprisingly so, and rounds the rich flavor out nicely. Very good, very drinkable beer.

Overall a very good beer, but not a flavorfull as some other Trappist Ale’s I’ve had before. There is almost no aftertaste when you drink it. I had bought this and Fin Du Monde also, and actually enjoyed the Fin Du Monde better. This is still a very good beer and will probably buy again.

Pours slightly hazy bright burnt orange with a tall beige head that has great retention (there ’till the glass was gone), likely due to the high effervesence, leaves some lacing as well. Aroma is grassy, caramel, blossoming fruit trees, fruity yeast, a hint of toast, and apricot preserves. Flavor is grass, apple, toast, caramel, fruity yeast, dark fruits and sweet grain. Finish is slightly acidic fruitiness, burnt sugar and some grassy, spicy notes. Bitterness is present and about average for a dubbel.

Larger bottle (750?). Pours a deep amber color with a medium off white head with good lacing. The aroma is yeast, fruit, vinous, caramel malt. The flavor has more yeast, vinous, moderately sweet caramel like malt, and other fruits. Dry, somewhat fruity finish. This is decent enough, but probably won’t revisit anytime soon.

Pours deep amber with a distinct fruit smell; hints of apple. Flavor is semi spiced with a medium body. Nice carbonation. Good intro to dubbels.

Bubblegum licorice malty smell. Pinkish amber color with an apple juice hue and a minimal frothy off white head. Lots of funnelling carbonation action and some suspended sediment. Smooth and rich taste of sweet malt with a minor sweet sourness. Medium bodied, resinous in the direction of syrupy, and the funneling carbonation is soft and fizzy. A very good Dubbel, whether a session beer or not could be debatable, how it’s served, and how it’s prepared to be served.

Bottle. Dark brown colour with a large off-white head. Spicy aroma with notes of yeast. The flavour is malty and some yeast with hints of fruits and spices. Nice medium-bodied dubbel.

The first of my Authentic Trappist beers. I’m pretty pumped about this one. Serving: 11.2 oz bottle poured into my Chimay glass. 08-314 stamped on label. A: Pours a dark brown/copper. Very cloudy and hard to see through. Fine beige head. Floaties big and small but not numerous. Definite lace work. S: Malty sweet aroma. Reminds me of cheap whiskey aroma. Toasty. Complex. There is a aroma I can’t put my nose on. Slight hops too, but not too noticeable. Spice, clove. T: Fruity and sweet with a touch of hops. There is that whiskey malt again. Earth and wood, maybe a tad whiff of smoke too. A slight alcoholic bite, but not bad at all. Very flavorful. M: The carbonation is nipping at my tongue. A longish finish makes me want to take another drink right away to replenish what I’m tasting. Just a tad dry and bitter. D: Very drinkable for 7% ABV. Its not overly expensive for being a beer from one of the six Trappist breweries. Overall, I am very pleased with my first true Trappist brew. I have read that Red is not the best from Chimay, but that ok because I bought the gift set with all three plus my awesome goblet. So, I only have two more to look forward to!