Chimay Rouge (Red) / Première

Brewed by Chimay
Style: Abbey Dubbel
Baileux, Belgium

Serve in Trappist glass

Appearance: Pours a deep dark maroon with a tight cap of off white bubbles.

Aroma: A large whiff burnt toast.

Taste: Bready spicy yeast, burnt toast, caramelized dark fruit and spicy hops.

Mouthfeel: Thin for the style and quite fizzy.

Overall: A super solid abbey dubbel. A world class adventure for your palate. Complex and balanced.

33 cl bottle. poured amberish with a white head. aroma was caramel malt, fruity notes, melon, and maybe some cinnamon. flavor was grain and some spice followed by some bitterness. body was medium with high carbonation. was hoping to be better and glad i didnt pay for a full 750.

UPDATED: MAY 20, 2010 Pours a ruby red brew with a hint of brown. Big bubbles in the foam, and big bubbles settle on the bottom of the glass. I’m drinking it from a large win glass, since that’s the closest thing I have to a trappist glass. This is also my first trappist beer.
Taste reminds me of Leffe Blonde, a fruity bubblegumy aroma which glides into a mix of almonds, marzipan and ... hm, what is that other stuff? I don’t know, but I like it!
update 2010-05-20: I’m trying another bottle - this time an older one. Batch L09-648, best before end 2013. (The previous tasting was from a bottle from 2010, best before 2014). It’s pretty much like the newer one in most aspects, but seems a bit more balanced to me. It’s got a tiny sting to it, and and overall better balance between bitter and sweet. This leads me to think that this beer does well with a year or so on bottle before drinking it. But hey, I’m no expert! I just like this beer! Can’t wait to try other Chimay/trappist beers! Btw, it works well paired with a taste I love, Parmesan cheese.

Pour is reddish brown with nice white head. Nicely spiced. Dark fruits, raisins and brown sugar in nose and taste. Rated 7/1/02

Pours a brown-red-orange colour with a creamy tanned head. There seems to be a cascade effect of small beige sediments, coming from the head, on down. Not as much retention as I thought it would be, and hardly any lace. Spices and Belgian yeast aromas, but lighter then Unibroue’s competition. Very smooth and creamy mouthfeel. Smooth nutty start with some mild bitterness and a clean aftertaste. Some spices, but flavour is not overpowering, quite light actually. Found some fruit as well, like some pear and slight apple. Expected more from this brew, but still a very good start for someone who has not tried a trappist beer. Still, the white cap is my favorite of the Chimays.

A copper color beer with a small head that fades very quickly. The aroma is sweet, fruity, and yeast. The taste is fruity, bready, and is very well carbonated. The yeast or the carbonation fizzles on your tongue. An OK Dubbel.

UPDATED: NOV 5, 2010 Bottle pour to Trappist glass gives murky color with thick off-white head. Quite a bit of sediment. Aroma of fruits and a bit sour.. Interesting taste of fruit, yeast, bread with a crisp slightly bitter finish. Excellent smooth and carbonated mouth feel. 2008 vintage. Was kind of underwhelmed, maybe I need to try a different batch. rated at 3.4. Re-rated a 2010 which I thought was better with no sourness - possibly the 2008 hadn’t been stored well? 2010 score 3.8.

Had a couple sample pours at a beer tasting event in a local grocery store. Served in a champagne flute with Chimay Blue and Chimay cheese. Orange/Light amber in color, nice head and a bit cloudy. Fruity and floral aroma. Bready, biscuity with some dark fruits like plums and raisins. Well carbonated with that Belgian yeast characteristics in the finish. Very refreshing and smooth. Had a lot of the same flavors and characteristics of the blue, but much more mellower and softer. Could certainly drink a couple of these and they went well with the buttery cheese of Chimay.