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Wednesday, May 10, 2006
Beer Tasting: Chimay Première (Red)
This is a dubbel style ale from Abbaye Notre Dame de Scourmont in Belgium. This beer was tried along side of the other two styles of ale from Chimay. Jump over here for our tasting notes for the "white" and over here for our tasting notes for the "blue."
These 12 ounce bottles were purchased together in a gift box (with accompanying glassware). My box was bought in December '05 and stored at 54F since that time and Adam's was purchased and consumed within a day. Could the length of time from purchase have influenced our reviews? Hm......
Have you tasted this beer? Let us know what you think. As a suggestion, try to keep the review as brief as possible for each of the following: appearance; smell; taste; mouthfeel; and drinkability.
Appearance
Adam: huge head dissipates to thin carpet, smoky ruby in color
Bryan: cherry mahogany red; substantial dense head; very slow to fade
Smell
Adam: spicy date with alcohol and malt, big nose
Bryan: lightly sweet, pleasing aroma; not overwhelming
Taste
Adam: wonderful, big and still not overpowering, the taste of Belgian beers are hard for me to describe
Bryan: nothing extremely notable; a bit of malt a bit of hops, but not that full; a bit of peppery flavor in the remaining pour (yeast)
Mouthfeel
Adam: well carbonated
Bryan: smooth, lightly carbonated
Drinkability
Adam: be careful this is a big beer that is easy to drink
Bryan: very, but it carries its most character when cooler
Seconds?
Adam: definitely would like a second, the question is can I handle it ;-)
Bryan: if it's the only Chimay variety in the house then fine, but it's not that great
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1 comment:
The red label is pretty boring by Trappist standards, but it's better than 90% of the beer on earth so I can't be too hard on it. On the other hand, a well aged bottle of Grand Reserve is one of the most sublime experiences most people will ever have outside a bedroom. If you can get your hands on some Achel Xtra Bruin it would make for a good comparison to the Grand Reserve.
BTW, The blog is great!
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