Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 9
Bottle. Malty, brown sugar, yeasty aroma. Dark brown colour, slightly cloudy. Big semi-stable head. Peppery and brown sugar flavour. Alcoholic, very dry aftertaste. Good mouthfeel, as if there is rye in there and with pleasant carbonation.
Appearance - 10 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5
I vacillate between this one and the blue as to which is my favorite from this brewer. Too pricey for me to have very often but it makes a nice change of pace. +++ Sampled from an 11.2 oz brown bottle this brew poured a murky brown color with a faint reddish tinge and a huge creamy beige head that lingers and leaves a bit of lacing. There is a tart, sweet fruity hop aroma with light sourdough bread undertone, a touch of mustiness and hints of cherry, raisin and toasted caramel. The flavor was tart, bitter and had light touches of fruity and floral hops, cherry, sugar, caramel, nut and a faint musty undertone. The finish was long, sour, tart , fruity and somewhat astringent with some noticeable alcohol. Fairly full bodied. Very well done.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7
Bottle Pours a hazy light yellow/amber with a hugh foamy white head. Hevy lacing. Lots of visible carbonation rising up. Sweet light malts and belgian spice in the aroma. Some notes of warm toast w/ honey. Flavors are much the same but sharper and more bitter. Lively carbonation. Very light grain and slightly sweet malts, almost pilsnerish at first. The immediate aftertaste is where the hops and bitterness kick in. A marked transition. Finish is quick and fairly dry. The ABV is not very noticeable.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7
Bottle Pours a hazy brownish red witha nice modest faomy off white head. Aroma is mainly the musty belgian slant with some light pitted fruit. Soft woody flavor with that dusty musty flavor. Not much of the belgian spice but sublte and easy. Nice.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5
Bottled. Hazy orange colour, huge foamy off-white head. Aroma is caramel, some wood, earth and mildly spicy. Flavour is yeast, hops, some wheat and also some alcohol. Alcohol isn’t burning bad though.
Appearance - 10 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 9
Sampled from a rather attractive 11.2 oz brown bottle this brew pours a murky dark brown color that turns to red when held to the light. There is a large light tan head. The aroma is sour, tart and fruity with notes of cherry, berry and caramel. The flavor is strongly sweet and sugary with sour malts, ripe black cherries, berries, notable caramel and faint hints of must and nutmeg. The finish was long, fruity and tart. Fairly thick body. Excellent.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8
Rerate, 330 ml bottle, now available in Norway (Vinmonopolet, + Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger): ABV is 7.0%. Hazy brown colour, big and lasting off-white head. Spicy complex aroma and flavour, some winey and woody notes too. The mouthfeel has still too much carbonation, but this is none the less a very fine beer. I’m upping it a few points. Original rating: 330 ml bottle, at the White Horse at Parsons Green, London. Served in "appropriate" Chimay glass (whether those wide chalices really ARE the most appropriate for savouring complex beers, is a discussion of its own). Unfortunately served far too cold - you’d think White Horse waiters knew better. For good measure, the waiter poured the beer along the side of the glass, which prevented the beer from "opening up", the head disappeared quickly and the beer kept too much carbonation. The beer has a brown colour, aroma of leather, balsamico vinegar and barnyard. Flavour is quite dry, well hopped, elements of leather and tobacco. Hints of cardamom and ginger. Aroma and flavour improves somewhat as the beer slowly warms up, but altogether this remains my least favourite of the Chimays - give me a Bleu, please! Still a decent beer, but with the Trappists I expect more. Will re-rate when I personally control the temperature and the pour.
Appearance - 10 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5
Hazy golden ale with discrete floaties and a thcik luscious white head. Nose of coriander and yeas, with a touch of alcohol. Sweet yet in a restrained fashion, with hops domineering quite well over malt, lingering coriander, bitter oranges, creamy in outh and complex. A classic. Santé aux voyageurs des papilles!
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 5
This Belgian pours a dark reddish brown with a small head. Very fruity to the nose with scents of ripe grapes and figs? Peppery to the nose, maybe a little cider vinegar. First sip was sharp with carbonation. Flavours of wine and slight vinegar with lots of ripe fruit. Some roasty flavours. The finish is yeasty and a little bitter/sour with flavours of citrus coming through. The finish ends with a small bitterness and of coarse the yeast flavours of a Belgian Ale. Belgian ales aren’t my favourite but this ones not too bad.
Appearance - 10 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 10 | Overall - 8
Aroma of malt, flowers, and herbs. Brown, large white head. Flavor is complex. Some bitterness. Malt, and fruit that seems to hold back. Heavy palate.