Bières de Chimay S.A. Chimay Première (Red) (2015) Dubbel at 7% ABV (C$9.97 at NLC Howley Estates, 750 ml, best before 31-Dec-2019, acquired 13-Jul-2015, reviewed 23-Aug-2019)
Appearance: hazy deep amber with two fingers of fluffy ivory head, good retention and spotty lacing. (3/5) Aroma: caramel, raisins, dark stone fruit, cedar. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, mild bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, sweetish medium duration finish. (4/5)
I aged this one for four years to see if it would improve, but I don’t think it did. In fact, I can’t really identify any difference at all from the last one I had, of a current (at the time) vintage in 2014. Seems pretty clear to me that these are already aged sufficiently when bottled. and there’s little or no benefit to be gained by further ageing. (Don’t mind the moldy label – it got wet when another bottle broke during transport, and clearly I didn’t clean it completely before cellaring it. Adds character, don’t you think?) (16/20)
8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
