Chimay Rouge (Red) / Première

Brewed by Chimay
Style: Abbey Dubbel
Baileux, Belgium

Serve in Trappist glass

Sweet fruity aroma- bananas, apple. Sweet yeasty bread taste. Banana esters. Consistent with a mild bitter bite.

330 ml bottle in Germany. Nice reddish brown color with a medium nicely laced white head. The aroma is mostly fruity and malty. Nice fruity, malty and spicy flavors with a fruity/sweet finish. Light to medium body and an oily mouthfeel, lively carbonation. Although it is not up to its sister’s quality, Chimay Bleu, it is a very good beer.

Bottle pours murky brown with a tan head. Aroma is fruity and somewhat spicy, showing notes of apricot, fig, banana, cocoa, and clove. Flavor shows the same with the bread/caramel influence begining to show and providing the underlying malt influence. Overall body is light to moderate.

Transcription of an old BA review from 01-16-2010, with scores adjusted to RB scale. Will re-rate...someday. 330 ml into Chimay chalice. BB says 2013. The pouring results in long-lived light tan head atop of hazy coppery fluid with reddish depth. Head slowly dies out until a thin soapy film is all what is left. Malty (not sweet!) aroma, unburnt toast, raisins, hint of plum and perfumy almost rose-like alcohol.The flavor profile is malty although far less sweet than expected - more alike of bitter caramel, with raisins, toasty bread crust bitterness and soft alcohol leading into dry finish. As with Chimay White the individual characteristics are somehow indecisive and I can’t easily pinpoint at any although they are clearly delimited. However, the beer is very well balanced and refined with individual flavors/aromas in tune with each other. Medium bodied, medium carbonated. This dubbel is not nearly as fruity as that of Achel or Westmalle but it was the red friar that once introduced me into Trappist ale world and ignited my curiosity about other monastic brews, so Chimay Red , I owe you so much.

Outstanding! Pours dark, reddish - brown color. Off-white head with nice lacings. Sweet aroma. Taste is sweet with a slight bitterness, some dark fruits. Medium carbonation. Slightly bitter aftertaste. Medium body. Outstanding brew. Not overly filling, which I like in a dubbel. Very easy to drink. Probably my favorite beer.

Poured dark copper with no real head tasted caramel bread and yeast very good beer but not my favorite chimay butn good non the less

Bottle, gusher. Brown/red color with a tan colored head (about two fingers) which unfortunately almost immediately disappears. Very little lacing. It starts out cloudy, a bit like murky water. Subtle aroma, which oddly reminds me of autumn leaves and dried fruit. Taste is soft bitter, combined with some sweetness like sugarcane. Feels a little bit thin in the mouth, light-medium body and a nice soft carbonation which fills your mouth; nice. Quite a long finish which brings some more flavors, but leaves me thinking of something slightly oxidized. I like this kind of carbonation, but overall I cannot see what’s so great about it, I prefer other dubbels.

foamy, malty and sweet with caramel and dried mostly dark fruits. Balanced with some new fruit and spice including licorice and a bitter tinge of hop. Moderate slick sweet body that is a bit milky and completes an impressive overall package.