Chimay Première (Red) - Bières de Chimay S.A.

Stubbie1

Connecticut

4.18/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a nice red, almost garnet in color. A thick off white head that wouldn’t quit slowly gave way to a thick never-ending lace that was on there until the finish. Mostly malt aroma with hints of plums or raisins mixed with yeast. Nice, very nice. A malt sweetness moves over your tongue with the hints of plum, raisins and yeast. Very smooth and creamy feeling in your mouth. I really enjoyed this beer so don’t let the rating fool you. This is my first beer of this style and I like to leave room for adjustments where needed. Looking forward to many more beers of this style…I may need to change my profile!

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2003 08:55:31 | More by Stubbie1

MJR

Missouri

3.6/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

750ml bottle with a cork dated 02/06.

Appearance: Underneath a massive, fluffy, light tan head is a burgundy body with touches of amber, red, and peach. The head fills half of my goblet on the pour, and takes quite a while to shrink. Leaves decent lacing on my glass.

Smell: Aroma of sweet fruit intermingled with a strong spice note. This one has a very distinctive smell.

Taste: Flavorful with lots of fruit and spice in an acceptable balance. A bit heavy on the yeast flavor... The finish has a really slight smokiness that I haven't ever noticed before. While it starts off nice and rich, it's aftertaste leaves something to be desired, as it's a bit thin and lacking in complexity.

Mouthfeel: Fairly thin body with a crisp, dry mouthfeel. Finishes with a tart dryness that, unfortunately, seems to highlight the subpar aftertaste. A bit watery...

Drinkability: Fairly good. It's fairly drinkably for a 7%abv brew, but it's watery body and 'not-nearly-as-complex-as-before' flavor does hurt it.

This beer comes across much better in my memory, as it seems much less flavorful and complex as other examples from years past. Is this brew being dumbed down?... Disappointing...

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2003 23:00:34 | More by MJR

francisweizen

Australia

4.72/5  rDev +14.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Quite the little Belgian Dubble here. This may replace the Bleu as my favorite Chimay bier! This bier pours out a nice dark red ruby colour with a monumental head lofting above the tiny bubbles. This beer omits some wonderful aromas of malts, spices, and candy sugar. This tests just like a belgian dubble should, one of the definitive examples of this style IMO. This has a very creamy and full bodied mouthfeel to it as well and a devlishly high drinkability. One of the best.
An absolute classic.
well, it is a trappist, what do you expect!!!
cheers!,
F.

1992 version, 75cl bottle, served in nice little Chimay goblets at the Kulminator in Antwerp. This stuff just rocked my world....please if any of you guys get the chance to drink pre 94 Chimay in Belgium....do so!

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2003 06:13:59 | More by francisweizen

HopheadEd

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Reviewed side by side by side, 3-98, 6-99, 8-02, all corked and caged. (special thanks to Nero Fiddled). Pours a murky, reddish brown with an absolutely perfect head. You can smell the carbonation in the aroma! Cherry's abound in the first sip, sweet yet somewhat sour. High carbonation, yet creamy in the mouthfeel. Short, dry finish, yet again with a lingering, somewhat tangy edge. Unbelievable. Now, of course the August of 2000 was the freshest, but my personal favorite; the March of 1998. It showed signs of aging, less carbonation, hardly any lasting lace, but the short, tangy, slight sour finish worked for me. Next mission, cellar some blue.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2003 18:49:49 | More by HopheadEd

BeerManDan

California

4.88/5  rDev +18.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Wow! Another winner for Chimay! Poured a hazy golden brown with a medium off white foamy head. The smell of fruits and spices were outstanding. The taste of fruit and spices was well balanced and pleasant all around. The sweetness was perfect to set of this near perfect beer. Again, WOW!

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2003 15:22:20 | More by BeerManDan

bewareOFpenguin

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Being a Belgain weekend, I had to try this beer again. I was a little dissappointed. Not as biting or outstanding as I remembered. A little week, although it did have a good taste to it, I find myself leaning towards the North American Belgians such as Allagash, Unibrue and Ommegang. Still all in all a good beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2003 07:06:21 | More by bewareOFpenguin

Realale

Missouri

4.28/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

From a 750 ml bottle with a cork dated 04/98. In my cellar for several years.

Slightly opaque dark mahogany. Thick, rich, fine bubbled head eventually settles to a 1/4 in or so.

Nose is plum liqueur soaring over rich crystal maltiness and dark toffee notes. Simply mouth-watering. Palate is largely candi sugar/whisky notes, yet there is a malty weight there keeping it all well-grounded. A previously hidden bitterness emerges to give great length to the finish. A gem.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2003 06:42:22 | More by Realale

jtw5877

Ohio

4.47/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a deep reddish brown with a white head. What a smooth beer. I've never tried this beer before, and the bottle I am drinking has been cellared for 6 months. I love it. Not as intense wild yeast flavors that I associate with Belgian's. A very complex beer with nice maltiness and a sweet spicy finish. A very enjoyable & drinkable beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2002 18:47:07 | More by jtw5877

the42ndtourist

Ontario (Canada)

3.88/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Huge billowy head over a dark brown body, some red tinges at the edges. Friuty nose and taste. Yeasty. You all know the specifics from everybody else's reviews. I wasn't all that impressed, maybe it isn't my thing.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2002 19:07:55 | More by the42ndtourist

CharlesRiver

Connecticut

4.38/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Light murky brown in color with a beautiful fluffy white head. The taste is creamy and smooth. Hints of spices come through and is a bit peppery. Very effervesant in the mouth. The aftertaste is very warming and smooth. I have been waiting to try the Chimay line for along time and they did not disappoint. Can't wait to sample the white and blue.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2002 15:01:43 | More by CharlesRiver

Ardon

Ontario (Canada)

3.73/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours with a nice fluffy head and rich brown/cherry colour. Smell is intensely fruity with cherry, plum, and mild banana. Taste is strong malt, cherries and plum again but without the banana. A touch of caramel as well. Mouthfeel fizzy and sharp. Not as smooth as the rest of the Chimay family. An excellent brew and strong thirst quencher but definantly the worst of the three. Almost like a toned down weizenbock.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2002 03:09:17 | More by Ardon

frank4sail

New Jersey

4.1/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Amber color with lots of bubbles. Thick white fluffy head, slightly sweet nose with a smack of spice (black pepper). Very smooth mouth with a lively (sparkle) finish. Very rounded malt taste with hop bitterness and spice to the finish (dry pepper). Tart plum notes also balence the malt sweetness. A great looking brew. Not as complex as I remembered but very well rounded.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2002 08:36:04 | More by frank4sail

bmills1608

Pennsylvania

4.22/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured cloudy, had a reddish brown color to it. Massive fluffy white soft head that took several minutes to lower itself, and that was only by half. Nose was really nice. Cloves and other (unsure exactly which) spices and quite medicinal. Very good nose.

Taste begins medicinal and hard candy, with banana, berries, malt and yeast. Nicely rich, soft, with a light tingling carbonation and mouthfeel. Finish was very complex, again with the medicinal spice, maybe cinnamon and vanilla. This beer has a lot going on. Very good.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2002 05:30:35 | More by bmills1608

Gusler

Arizona

4.33/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A deep translucent garnet to brown color on the pour, the head preposterous in size, creamy in texture, light tan in color, with oodles of lace to cling lovingly to the Chimay Chalice. The nose is dominated by the malt, but also a hint of yeast and hops, sweet, and quite sniffable. Start is malt sweet, the top middling in mouth feel, the finish is potently acidic, mercifully hopped, droughty malt aftertaste. My second most favorite Chimay, and as I have stated, if you haven’t tried a “Chimay”, you’ve not lived “Baby”.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2002 14:00:16 | More by Gusler

hyuga

North Carolina

4.5/5  rDev +9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

An amber red-colored brew fills the glass and a very large off-white head forms on top. Stays very well with the help of the Chimay chalice's etched bottom, which creates bubbles that rise to the top, keeping the head perfect. Leaves a few dots of lace as it levels out. Beautiful spicy aroma. Dried plum and raisin dominate, along with a little yeast in the background. Maybe a bit of banana as well. Definitely a "dubbel aroma". There's a characteristic in there that I can't quite pinpoint, it's almost like a soft aged cheese aroma. Maybe a little bready. A slight Belgian pepper tingle greets the tongue with the first taste. Clove and a bit of banana follow. Rich yet delicate malt sweetness supports the fruity and spicy products of the yeast. As the liquid travels around your palate, it feels almost thick, like whipped cream. So smooth and creamy! This is just about the smoothest, creamiest beer I've ever tasted... or felt, if you will. A medium to light body, but the complexities and malt make this a pleasure to savor in the way that a more full-bodied beer would be. I can definitely see this one holding the monks over during a fasting. A delight to the senses. Another must-try from Chimay!

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2002 05:05:36 | More by hyuga

ipogios

Cyprus

4.08/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Dark Brown color, which is actually very attractive if you pay attention to it. Topped with a creamy thick white head. It has a light smell of apricot. Yet another TOP Beer by Belgium (Dubbel Style)

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2002 04:55:18 | More by ipogios

Morris729

Texas

4.53/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a nice deep reddish copper color with a thick and creamy white head. Aroma is slightly sweet and fruity with hints of apricot and figs. I also read another reviewer describe this aroma as “bread pudding” like, which I have to say is right on. This is a medium-bodied brew with a somewhat complex taste that is a bit fruity and malty with a dash of pepper. The fine carbonation creates a very nice mouth feel that goes down extremely smoothly. I could drink several of these. A very fine beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2002 21:49:23 | More by Morris729

TheLongBeachBum

California

3.75/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Cork Date = 05/02.
In its “grown up” bottle, Chimay Rouge (Red) is called Grande Première. Of all the 3 Chimay beers, this one probably needs the least cellaring. For the character of this beer rarely develops to any great extent in my opinion, and examples I have tasted after 2 years do not differ that much from those of 3 months in my experience, if anything I prefer the latter.
It pours a very clear, but transparently light brown color with some dark orange twinkles when held to the light. It always looks watered down to me. The head settles to a thin smattering of large bubbles that form a broken soapy surface that nevertheless clings all the way down and leaves some lace spattering.
The nose is malty; with some sweet fruitiness as well as ethanolic aromas give a vague hint at the alcohol content. This however never comes through in the taste though. You would never know that you are drinking a 7% beer, I still find it amazing after all these years. The sweet, lightly roasted, malty entrance leads to a rather yeasty middle that eventually leads to a rather short finish that has some woodiness, and a slightly cloying sweetness. Given that it is 7% ABV I find this a little thin at times to be honest, but perhaps this gives it the quaffable qualities that endear this beer to me. A beer that is much more than the sum of its components. Not complex, but a truly Synergistic Belgium Beer with Dark Dubbel undertones.
The least favorite of the 3 Chimays for me, but that said, it is still a highly credible Classic beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2002 23:08:56 | More by TheLongBeachBum

doerickson

Virginia

4.1/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Honey-colored with a frothy, rocky cream-colored head--large bubbles. It's unfiltered, and there is some visible particulate matter suspended in the beer, but not so much as to be bothersome. Very natural-looking. Aroma is of dark fruity maltiness (very ripe apples or apricots?)--smells very sweet. Vigorous carbonation lends a very crisp bite at first. Notes of clove on the tongue. The taste is somewhat less complex than the smell, and it's definitely not as sweet as the aroma leads one to expect--the balance is striking, and it benefits from not being real sweet and syrupy. Certainly a world-class Belgian.

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2002 20:00:46 | More by doerickson

Lupe

New York

4.13/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a cloudy, deep amber color with a generous head and tons of lace. Malt and fruit in the nose along with a spicy, rose-like aroma. Medium body with a creamy and smooth mouthfeel. Flavor is rich in malt and fruity, some yeastiness, and bread-like taste. Finishes with light hops that balance it out. Slightly dry with a light spiciness. Easy to drink, but slowly enjoy this one. A wonderful Belgian ale

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2002 15:47:16 | More by Lupe

tigerpaws

South Carolina

4.47/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This is a great beer! It pours with a small but creamy tan head and is a nice dark reddish/brown. The aroma is very appealing like calling you to TASTE ME. And the taste is so smooth, not very hoppy but more on the malty side IMO. Great tingly moutfeel that stays with you. And contrary to somethings I read as to drink it alone, I had it with a fettucine alfredo and it went great with it. MY WIFE EVEN LIKED IT, and she is a liquor type gal. Try this beer...........CHEERS

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2002 14:46:47 | More by tigerpaws

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

4.38/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Small bottle. Age unknown, but prior to the fairly recent packaging change-over; and aging is not really needed with this beer. Cloudy reddish-brown with an orange cast. The light tan head wants to rise out of the glass at first, but eventually subsides to a very creamy 1/8" head that holds throughout the serving and leaves some nice lace. The aroma is lightly fruity (dark fruits - raisin, plum, fig... and maybe some lighter fruits as well), lightly phenolic (even some minor bubblegum), gently citrusy, somewhat woody, somewhat sweet, softly spicy (clove) and subtly leathery. The body is light/medium but with a very soft, smooth, and creamy palate from a very fine, natural carbonation. The flavor is somewhat rich with a fruity, bready malt flavor, some yeastiness, and some light grassy hops that round and balance. It finishes semi-dry with a light spiciness that lingers. Although it may appear one-sided at first, a closer examination will reveal that there's much more going on. That's what makes this beer work so well - its great balance and finesse. The flavors and aromas don't reach out and grab you individually, but rather act as a whole, which gives it complexity as the varied characteristics are slowly revealed at different times throughout the serving. Highly drinkable, and quite enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2002 17:12:38 | More by NeroFiddled

MAB

Alberta (Canada)

4.5/5  rDev +9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

An all around outstanding beer- the Belgian monks sure know what they're doing.
It is a beautiful red/ brown color and is typical of Belgian brews with its yeasty smell and taste. I find it has more intense flavors than the "Blue cap", which is more rounded and balanced.
Slightly bitter, definitely "fruity" tones. A class effort.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2002 11:47:16 | More by MAB

jdhilt

New Hampshire

4.13/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pour this one slow, there is serious carbonation in the bottle, some yeast stays in the bottle. Smooth creamy head, deep coppery color, fruity apricot aroma, very easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2002 16:05:36 | More by jdhilt

ThreePistols

Florida

4.35/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750 ml bottle, date on cork 01/02.

Hazy brown with a reddish hue. Thick creamy fluffy white head. Sweet and spicy aroma. Spicy and sweet flavor of clove, dark ripe fruits such as raisins and figs. Sweet and fruity with lots of yeast, but lacking in the malt department. Smooth, light to medium body with plenty of carbonation.

Very enjoyable and satisfying to the last drop.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2002 20:56:28 | More by ThreePistols