Chimay Ale Red

Chimay Ale Red

Brewed by: Scourmont Abbey, Belgium

Bottle: 11.20 fl. oz. bottle

ABV: 7.0%

Served In: Tulip glass

Place of purchase: Lucky Baldwin's, Pasadena

Price: $6


In honor of L.A. Beer Week, Mugsy and Jugsy decided to get out of the house and enjoy a great brew with our fellow beer-lovers! We certainly have our favorite spots, and from time-to-time, we'll be reviewing "live" from various quality watering-holes. Lucky Baldwin's in Pasadena, CA, is a (beer & wine) bar with a fantastic selection of specialty beers and frequent Beer Festivals.

Mugsy and Jugsy can be found there often!

On this particular occasion, we went specifically to meet Chimay's Head Brewer, Dominique Denis, and review Chimay Red! As you can imagine, the Chimay was flowing liberally that evening - so much so that the pub ran out of proper Chimay glasses!

(Ironically, had we reviewed this at home, the picture would have displayed our authentic Chimay glassware!)

In every proper review, the Beeraucrats will examine the Appearance, Aroma, Taste, Mouth-Feel, Drinkability and Overall Rating of the Beer and arrive at a Total Score from 1 to 10.

Chimay Ale Red

APPEARANCE:

Mugsy: Cloudy brown with a thin head. Very muddy even when held up to the light.
Jugsy: Rich brown and cloudy in appearance. Opaque, even when held up to the light. Virtually no head.

AROMA:

Mugsy: Fruity and spicy. Notes of apricot and clove. Slight bit of yeast comes through.
Jugsy: Subtle. Fragrant yeast and light malts. The competing scents at the pub make it very difficult to differentiate aromas.

TASTE:

Mugsy: Strong taste of sour fruit, apricots and sweet malt. Slight funk from yeast in aftertaste. Hints of spices; cloves come through.
Jugsy: Seems like a good balance of malts, yeast and hops. Has a woodsy character with yeast and slightly bitter hops aftertaste. Slight cola aftertaste as well. Can certainly taste the alcohol. Some kind of spice I can't quite identify - cinnamon?

MOUTH-FEEL:

Mugsy: Little bite from the hops; goes down quite easily & smoothly.
Jugsy: Creamy and light / refreshing taste. Finishes with biting carbonation.

DRINKABILITY:

Mugsy: Certainly begin to feel the 7% ABV, yet the smoothness when it goes down makes this one I could drink over and over again throughout the night.
Jugsy: Goes down very easily. Flavorful but light. Can drink this all night.

OVERALL:

Mugsy: This is certainly one of the great Belgian - let alone - Trappist Ales of the lot; a force to be reckoned with. Would go great with any rich meal or dessert. This legendary Ale's reputation is well-deserved. Would drink again any day of the week!
Jugsy: I'm told this is your classic Trappist Ale. If so, I like it a lot! Drinking Chimay on an empty stomach is not recommended! Once my french fries arrived, I was pretty sure I could drink this all night!

SCORE:
Mugsy: 8.25
Jugsy: 7