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

Mavigo

Michigan

4.53/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

It's been a long day and I've anticipating this beer for quite some time. Poured into a tulip.

A: Pours a cloudy copper-amber color with a 3/4 inch beige head with a pink tinge to it, which dissipates in about a minute to a ring around the edges of the glass. Has particles floating about inside, remnants of ingredients, maybe yeast too though I poured carefully and did not invert the 750ml bottle further than being parallel to my arm.

S: Has the signature dubbel aroma to it, refreshing and enticing. Smells of yeast, wheat, sugars, fruits, particularly grapes, plums, spices.

T: Extremely delicious but at the same time very tame. Nothing is overbearing, flavors are well complimented and balanced, giving a neutral feel to beer. A great complexity of flavors here, wheat, plums, grapes, has a slight champagne feel to it, yeast is prominent, barley, wheat, spices, cinnamon,

M: Incredible balance of body and the richness and boldness of the flavors. Perfectly complimentary. Very easy to drink yet has much character to it, medium-full bodied with moderate but slightly lower levels of carbonation, but nicely balanced. Works well.

O: Overall, this is the highlight of my day. Of course I had high expectations and they were met. It's expensive but for a good reason, I was drinking this quicker than I do most beers, It's just so smooth and fulfilling, I couldn't help myself, finished the whole 750ml. Defiantly recommended to everyone.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2013 21:32:07 | More by Mavigo

57md

Pennsylvania

4.04/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Pours a reddish-copper with more than a finger of fluffy head that lingers for some time and leaves behind some nice lacing. The nose is reminiscent of a wheat field. The flavor profile is mild, but malty. The finish is a complex combination of fruity and dry flavors. Thsi si a very good beer and a great example of the dubbel style.

I rarely include the issue of price in my reviews, but I think that I must mention it here. While this offering is very good, it is definitely short of exceptional and unique. The price point, however, would indicate that it is the later. I am just not feeling the love for Chimay Red that much when there are many other exceptional beers that are significantly cheaper.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2013 22:39:39 | More by 57md

Roman5150

Michigan

4.28/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Another great trappist brew... This is my first Chimay, I have a Grand Reserve cellaring (more like waiting for the right time to drink it actually) that i'm excited to try as welll.

Appearance: Very dark, one finger off white head with hardly much lacing.

Aroma: wow, dark fruits, raisins, plums, figs, everything tupical you would except from a trappist dubbel, but with subtle addition of citrus.

Taste: Had somewhat lower standards as I've heard from almost everybody that Blue (grand reserve) is better, and that Red was better in the 80's. Well, this is a damn tasty beer. Very sweet, which I guess Chimay is known for. Really taste nots of raisin and dark fruits, VERY Drinkable. Could be dangerous, as you don't taste hardly any alcohol (it's 7% abv). Like most trappist brews, I try to sip on them more than "gulp", but the sweetness in this is very refreshing and compared to a quadrupel, you could drink these very fast.

Mouthfeel: Slightly carbonated, not too tingly, goes down very well. The sweetness contributes to this.

Overall: My first Chimay, very drinkable and sweet. Will be buying more for sure. I like it a little more than the Westmalle and Trappiste dubbels, will def be buying again. Can't wait to try yellow and blue. If you're new to trappist beer, this would probably be the best starting point. Monks know how to brew great beer, and while I would still prefer a Rochefort 10, this is more sessionable and can easily hold it's own in the complexity and flavor department. Any avid beer drinker should give this a try.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2013 01:40:11 | More by Roman5150

SteveMi

North Carolina

4.35/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured gently from the bottle into a chalice.

A - Dark brown with reds that come through the light. It kept a one and a half finger off white fluffy head. Carbonation was consistant and refused to let the head fall too early. Beautiful!

S - Sweet caramel and spice. Hints of raisins with a slight bready addition.

T - Raisiny, sweet bread and spices. Not terribly complex but satisfying nonetheless.

M - Medium body. High carbonation but not enough to hamper enjoyment.

O - Quite a treat! I'm embarrassed I had not given this oen a chance earlier while scouting for belgian beers.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2013 02:32:40 | More by SteveMi

Greywulfken

New York

4.23/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

A: in a chalice, hazy ruby brown with hints of orange - slim tan crown lasted all the way down

S: dark fruit and malt, some floral and sweet aromas

T: the dubbel always makes me think of winter holidays - this beer has the hints of holiday spice, like clove, nutmeg, and coriander; a malty musty dark fruit sweetness, and drying and brightening yeasts

M: soft, smooth, carbonated fuzziness, slightly coating

O: much better than I expected. A very refreshing and easy drinking dubbel.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2013 21:18:58 | More by Greywulfken

makerocketgo

Missouri

3.26/5  rDev -21.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

light and pleasant. not a lot of strong flavors but pleasant w subtlety. it's like a watered-down version of the tripel (that sounds more negative than it's meant). the bottle ref a lil bitterness, but i dont taste it. didnt think id enjoy it because the tripel is so hard to beat, but it was nice. i would buy again.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 22:40:32 | More by makerocketgo

Chrysostom

Ohio

4.35/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Presentation: 11.2 fl oz/330mL bottle, of a unique form factor, crown capped, not corked and caged like most Chimay (I have a 750mL of Chimay Red in the fridge). This beer was served a little cold (barely above fridge temperature, probably 35ºF), so I let it warm for a few minutes, and it continues to warm as I write my review,

As always, I am writing my review live, puzzling out the drink as it is being drunk, not from notes.

As always, I attempt to review "to style" (ala BJCP), with some admixture of personal taste (contra BJCP), not solely to personal taste. However, when it comes to most Trappists, reviewing "to style" and "to taste" are identical for me, as Trappist (Dubbels, Tripels, and Quads, especially Dubbels and Quads) tends to be my favourite style.

Chimay has different flavours in 330s, 750s, and 1500s (magnums), so, here goes, with that being said: without further ado, a review.

A: Cloudy, mostly opaque dark brown (lots of sediment still in bottle) with reddish highlights at the bottom when poured in to a Chimay chalice/goblet and held to the light. Sometimes I manage to pour Chimay crystal-clear, but not often, and not today. No head on delicate pour, one to one-and-one-half-finger head on moderately vigorous pour, quickly receding in to a "cap and ring" on the face and edges of the beer.

S: Massive malts, some dark fruit, and some quasi-citrusy-like flavours, such as tangerine and apricot, as undercurrents to the malt and dark fruit (not nearly as much tangerine, as, say, an English IPA... maybe 20% as much, if that). No alcohol in the nose. Some bread, lots of malts, a bit of spice, and very, very, extremely mild Belgian funk. There

T: Malt, dark fruits (as is typical for the style), mild spiciness, and the typical "Belgian Trappist character" which is impossible to describe, or, to put it more eloquently, ineluctable and ineffable (whoever is reading this should hire me since I was able to use those two words correctly). Very little alcohol. The bread character from the fallen (poured into glass) yeast is noticeable, but pleasant - it addeth to the character, it doth not take away. There is some spice, but the spice is lesser than St Bernardus, and not even one-twentieth as much as some Devilish concoction like Rochefort 8. Finish is dry to bitter.

M: Moderately high carbonation for the style, pretty full and a bit astringent. Not stingy in any way, nor thin. This is a full-bodied beer.

D: Very high, although not as compulsively high as the higher-ABV Chimay Blue (Quadrupel/Belgian Strong Dark Ale).

O: Excellent beer, one of the best representatives of the Dubbel style, second only to Westmalle.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 12:44:32 | More by Chrysostom

ssmack

Ontario (Canada)

4.13/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

750 ml corked bottle that opened with a big pop.

A warm cloudy reddish brown. Half an inch of frothy, active head with fine streams of bubbles. Some bubbly lacing. Lots of sentiment in bottom of the bottle.

A wonderful spicy, toffee aroma.

The taste runs right along with the aroma. Sugar candy with biscuit malts. There is a tartness of chrysanthemum. The hop bitterness is mild around the edges.

A medium feel with sparkles and slight tartness.

A lovely, sophisticated, restrained brew.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2013 00:50:19 | More by ssmack

hopsolutely

Ontario (Canada)

4.21/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

A benchmark example of the style.

Bottle pours a hazy, dull amber and has a reasonable off-white head with impressive retention. Classic and rich aroma of Belgian yeast, with roasted malt undertones. The yeast is present in all elements of the flavour, which ranges from an initial sweetness including roasted nut and tannin complexity to a more simple bitterness in the finish.

Well balanced and robust, this beer is a pleasure to drink - even for someone who wouldn't always choose this particular style.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2013 00:42:25 | More by hopsolutely

dar482

New York

4.56/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

It pours in a dark copper color. The aroma has some sweet breadiness and some sugary caramel notes as well. Very inviting.

The carbonation is one of the most defining characteristics to me. It’s almost like a malty champagne. There isn’t a big front, but then the middle of the tongue has a wonderful smooth texture. The flavor has dark fruits and breadiness. It’s extremely drinkable.

One of the better dubbels I have had. I had this along with Delirium Trememns, which aren’t exactly the same style, but at least there was some context. It emphasized the carbonation, the lack of a front, but the warm creamy middle malty body that this rocks.

Lovely beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2013 03:57:57 | More by dar482

deebo

Minnesota

4.09/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

A 330 ml bottle with a BB date of 2016.

Poured into a chalice this brew initially has 3 fingers of large bubbled tan head which breaks down rather quickly with no lacing. Ruddy and light brown but with more of a red tint than the other trappist dubbels. Aromas of estery Belgian yeast-fruity apricot. Typical dubbel malt aroma-sweet and heavy on the malt bill. Taste is all dubbel. Malty, quite yeasty and fruity with a dry finish. Light on the sweet dried fruit that should be present but it is definitely detectable. Mouthfeel is a bit more carbonated than most dubbels and lighter in malt backbone. Perhaps a touch more bitter aftertaste and slightly less sweet than Westmalle's version. Super easy to drink with lots of character. A great beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 22:33:37 | More by deebo

williamjbauer

West Virginia

4.21/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Bottled served in a shaker pint glass

A - Cloudy copper amber with 2 finger bubbly off white with good retention and moderate lacing.

S - Caramel, bready yeast, clove, banana, spice, honey. Floral and fruit note predominate, red berries. Sweet earth.

T - Starts with bready yeast with mucho dark fruits, raisins, dates, plums then sweet caramel and honey followed by a bold alcohol warmness and a fruity finish.

M - Medium body, moderate-high carbonation. Sticky.

O - After doing another back to back tasting with grande reserve I actually like this one more at this moment because of the nice fruity notes.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 12:37:00 | More by williamjbauer

rlee1390

Indiana

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

A-Semi-cloudy ruby, nice carbonation and an off white head.

S-Plums cherries, dark fruits, yeast and wheat.

T-Light plums, cherries and other dark fruits. Not much else.

M-Medium bodied and nicely carbonated.

O-A little disappointed with this one. Could have used more dark fruits, flavors seemed to be on the light side as well.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2013 23:46:12 | More by rlee1390

LampertLand

British Columbia (Canada)

3.83/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Chimay-Premiere Red @ 7.0% a Dubbel served from a 330 ml bottle purchased for $4

A-pour is cloudy amber with a good size off white head with a tight fine foam leaving a spotty streaky lace film along the goblet

S-sweet smelling also has that classic Belgian yeast smell

T-sweet dark fruit start , more true classic Belgian tasting than say Trap Roch 6 ,with a good finish

MF-good carbonation , full bodied , smooth on the palate , has that Belgian yeast crisp/snap to it

Ov-good beer , extremely well crafted

sampled alongside Trappist Rochefort 6 , Westmalle-Trappist Dubbel as well as other Belgian beers recently

prost LampertLand

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2013 21:40:24 | More by LampertLand

tone77

Pennsylvania

3.81/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This is a bit of a milestone for me, review #1,500. A few shout outs are in order.
First to beeradvocate, for opening my eyes to the world of great beer, and a pleasant community to be a part of.
To all thos I have traded with, in paticular the creator of the canquest, woodychandler, my local hookup and all around great guy. Also to cpolking for several great trades. Ok, then, to the beer.
Poured from a brown 25.4 oz. bottle. Has a pretty bronze color with reddish hues and a 1 inch head. Smell is of fruits, malts, some yeast. Taste is fruits, alcohol, malts, spice, yeast, tasty and complex. Feels full bodied in the mouth and overall, while I wasn't blown away by it, a solid beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2013 08:58:14 | More by tone77

JOaikido

Quebec (Canada)

3.68/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

0.33 L bottle.

A- Brown with amber highlights. OK beige head of slightly large bubbles.

S- Thick malt. Fruity notes of plum and pear.

T- Strong caramel flavour with a bit of a burnt touch. Slight bitterness. Sweet finish.

MF- Fairly thick. A bit too syrupy (sticky sweet).

O- Good beer, but not as good as I had hoped. Too much sweetness/stickiness, though the caramel taste is nice.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2013 02:28:16 | More by JOaikido

gr0g

New Jersey

3.93/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A cloudy orange-brown appearance, capped with an impressive head. Retention is good but not great, and there's no lacing to be found. Aroma is of ripe red apple, sweet grapes, and some yeasty phenols. An overall floral note is present.

Flavor is somewhat dry and tart. There's maybe a touch of sweetness and Belgian candi sugar, but tart and bitter flavors become more prominent toward the finish. Some notes of clove, apple, pear, and toffee. Crisp mouthfeel with strong carbonation that's aggressive without being harsh.

Chimay Rouge is a refined, classic take on the style, but a bit underwhelming. The balanced, demure flavor profile is tasty, but there are certainly better Dubbels available from Belgian as well as American brewers.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2013 18:51:25 | More by gr0g

Damian

Massachusetts

4.05/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Drank from a 1 pt.9.4 fl.oz./75 cl corked and caged bottle purchased at Colonial Spirits, Acton, MA
Served in a Chimay goblet

The beer opened with a loud pop and slowly began to gush. Once in the glass, the liquid was a cloudy, ruddy, crimson-mahogany was was topped by a tight, creamy, one-finger, khaki colored head. The head was quick to drop, but the thin cap that covered the liquid had amazing lasting power. Unfortunately, lacing was nonexistent.

The nose was rich, fruity and spicy. Allspice and clove were discernible. Semi-sweet with notes of plums, prunes, raisins and figs. Lots of dark candi sugar. Bready. A signature, phenolic, Belgian yeast quality also came through strong.

The flavor profile was a bit of a letdown. Like in the nose, spices were quite apparent. Allspice, cinnamon and clove dominated. Hint of apple and pear. There was a pervasive steely/metallic quality that I found rather distracting. Vinous notes appeared in the center. Touch of smoke. The finish was crisp and dry with hints of earthy, somewhat bitter hops. Even at 7% ABV, this dubbel was immensely quaffable.

The mouthfeel contained an extraordinarily lively, prickly effervescence. Super plush, creamy and pillowy. The beer seemed to instantaneously dissolve once it hit my tongue. Medium bodied for the style.

Chimay Red is a classic Trappist ale, but I was disappointed by the flavor profile, which was quite subdued and contained unpleasant metallic notes. I far prefer both the Blue and the White to this.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2013 17:55:28 | More by Damian

dertyd

California

3.48/5  rDev -15.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a 1 pint.9.4 fl oz.bottle popped the cork and it went flying was great when I looked at the cork it said 05\09 and its 02/13 right now so its about a 4 year old bottle

A:poured a dark amber red kinda like a lighter mister pibb soda with almoast no head at all just a lot of bubbles floating up like crazy a nice looking beer

S:sweet bready smell with some hints of dark fruits and a lil bit of chocolate

T:verry balanced taste a nice sweet bready backbone followed by a crisp finnish preaty good but I still like the blue lable the best so far but this is in no way a bad beer it is still a world famouse beer

M:two words verry crisp

Overall: another wonderfull beer by the monks at chimay they never diapoint. Allaround good beer

Live life drink beer!!!:-)

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2013 00:24:08 | More by dertyd

M_C_Hampton

Georgia

4.24/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

A: poured from a 33 cl bottle into a chalice, red slightly orange brown with a big off white head that lingers leaving good lacing, almost clear

S: Belgian yeast, banana, spice, clove, vanilla, bread, dark fruits

T: sweet and slightly sour malt, vanilla, spices, a slight lemon peel taste, sour cherry

M: lighter than expected with a lot of carbonation, drier finish

O: no doubt this is a tasty beer, good depth of flavors and balance, carbonation keeps it refreshing

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2013 01:23:40 | More by M_C_Hampton

watsonmd

Georgia

4.51/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

a: served in a Chimay glaas, dark amber color. quarter inch of head, short lived though.

s: faint, hoppy, bright. caveat: enjoyed in a restaurant, lots off competing smells.

t: light, tangy, balanced hop and yeasty, malty.

m: very highly carbonated, crisp.

o: expected more based on reputation, but glad I had it. not necessarily on my repeat list

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2013 17:54:40 | More by watsonmd

erickehoe

Michigan

3.93/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a hazy burgundy with 1/2+ inch creamy, bubbly head. Looks like molasses.

Aroma of ripe bananas, a bit of scalded milk. Yeasty with some pepperiness. Notes of ten cent bubblegum.

A bread-like beginning to this beer. Chewy and complex, maintaining subtlety and a deep maltiness. Notes of banana, bubblegum, spritzy and light carbonation through the middle. A hint of spice pokes through, only momentarily. Finishes with an elegant, cleansing springlike hop flavor. Subdued. Warming.

Sweet, velvety mouthfeel. Finishing with a dry cleansing.

A beer on the sweeter side, but offers complex flavors from beginning to end. Subtle use of hops allows the bubblegum, banana and yeast to pervade. Highly enjoyable and drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2013 22:57:18 | More by erickehoe

Haydn-Juby

Quebec (Canada)

4/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Served from a Bottle

A: Hazy ruby red color with a thick and bubbly looking two finger head that left behind some nice lacing. Very good looking beer. Retention was pretty good but that should be typical of the style. Looks like prune juice, not that that's a bad thing.

S: Dark fruits with a hint of clove are present to the nose but nothing is really outstanding. Alcohol presence becomes more noticeable as the head dies down and the beer warms to the room.

T: I was disappointed to be honest. It tastes of darker fruits. Picture figs, prunes, and a little bit of raisins. That Belgian yeast character is also there and brings out some clove flavors that were also present in the aroma. Sweet caramel malts are also available near the end of the sip. Good bitterness but pretty minimal. Alcohol is masked well. My problem with this beer is not the the lack of flavors its the strength of them. Overall I found it mildly complex but just didn't contain bold enough flavors.

M: Carbonation tickles your tongue as it should with a Belgian beer like this. Goes down smooth and the higher alcohol doesn't leave you with a boozy feel in your mouth.

O: I was disappointed quiet frankly. I expected much bolder flavors. They were there that's for sure but nothing that really excited me. Nothing was to strong in this beer and really made me go "wow". I probably wouldn't buy this again.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2013 00:10:48 | More by Haydn-Juby

Gagnonsux

Texas

4.2/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

I originally reviewed this beer in 2004; scores are from this re-review from 2/3/2013. I love this beer; the dark malty fruitiness plays so well with the yeast and hops. This is complex and so very tasty.

Old review from 7/24/2004:

This is the last of the three Chimay varities from my gift pack. I waited a while to drink it since Belgian ales aren't a style that I really like. For me this was the best of the three Chimays. Appearance is a nice dark burgundy color, head was a little less powerful than I thought it would be. Smell is of spices mainly, which isn't a smell I particularly like in beer. Taste is the most enjoyable of the Chimay beers, not overly spiced or too strong, and smoother than the rest. Well, I tried about 4 styles of Beligians and still haven't become fond of them, I guess it'll be a fairly long while until I try another one.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2013 02:17:35 | More by Gagnonsux

JimTeal

Nevada

4.28/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Chimay makes seem so effortless, what an exceptionally example of fine ingredients combined in perfect proportions. The end result is a fine brew, suitable for any occasion. Pleasant caramels married to those uniquely fine Belgian malts. Beautiful well defined head, pours lightly and lingers as the enjoyment of beer well done makes each sip more pleasurable than the last. It's not cheap, and you'd expect great and your wishes will not unmet, enjoy a real winner.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2013 00:05:47 | More by JimTeal