Bières de Chimay Chimay Red

**Aroma:** “Fruity esters (pears). Spicy phenolics (pepper and cloves). Very light with some German hops notes and a touch of sweetness.” **Flavor:** “Initial impression is of curaçao orange peel, followed by carbonic acid and then a pleasant, long bitterness. Nice, round mouthfeel is a little heavier than is typical for a tripel, but it works. The orange component is unique and interesting. Slight sweetness with high carbonation.” **Overall:** “Nicely balanced by the sweet malt and medium bitterness. A little full for a tripel, but it works. The unexpected orange makes for a pleasant drinking experience, and this would work well as a so-called “brewmosa” with half orange juice at brunch. The finish on this beer is superb and the carbonation gives it lots of life. Just enough malt to support the full spicy flavors from hops and yeast.”

**Aroma:** “A pleasant, light aroma that doesn’t overpower in any one area. Yeast aromatics are a touch more saison-like (some nice pepper and spice notes) than classically dubbel. Light spicy hops aroma complements yeast phenolics. As it starts to warm more esters (cherry or peach) start to come out and less spice.” **Flavor:** “A rounded malt foundation of toffee and raisins gives way to an unusual, but pleasantly different suit of fruit (bananas, cherries, plums) and spice (cloves). Some crisp hops bitterness to balance. Finishes dry.” **Overall:** “Spicy with a low malt complexity and a good balance of sweetness. Very drinkable. This could easily fly under the radar in a sea of competitors, but this pleasant little dubbel-esque saison quenches one’s thirst as readily as it quenches the need for something from the abbey. Perhaps this is what the monks drink when they mow the lawn?”

**Aroma:** “Sturdy banana esters, moderate toffee-like malt, slight clove, and no hops character. As it starts to warm up, a slight alcohol note becomes apparent. Light fruit esters—banana, cherry, and apple. A very subtle aroma overall.” **Flavor:** “A spot-on flavor profile for a dubbel with fruit esters (light raisins, banana, and clove) that dominate, but don’t overwhelm the satisfying deep malt body. Hops bitterness is moderate but sufficient to balance the beer. High carbonation. The flavor is much bigger than the aroma suggests.” **Overall:** “A wonderful, well-executed example of a classic dubbel. This could easily be the standard bearer for a Belgian brewery’s lineup. Neat spicy phenolic. Less fruity esters than some of the others and a very accomplished malt character.”