For starters, I didn't know
Chimay made a gold label beer. I mean, they have a
white label that looks a lot like it's gold, but this is a whole different beer. Aside from colors, I guess you pretty much have to try each one to know what style is in the bottle. I could try looking up "Dorée" like that's a real word - I mean, who are they trying to impress with the little doo-dad on the first e?
The bronze-gold beer has lots of big, imposing bubbles that filter down to nothing at all. The slight ring of bubbles around the rim are almost all that is left, and those are staying around out of embarrassment. The aroma is heavy with bread and alcohol - despite the VERY low comparable alcohol content of this beer at 4.8% ABV.
First sip is dry coriander, light oranges, and a dry grain. It's very much not the thickness and solidity of the nose. Instead, the dry, almost tasteless beer is certainly inoffensive, but it also leaves the mouth wanting more of something that it's not getting. It's like the beer is the tip-in for another, better beer, but then it gives up.
Tip-in is grainy citrus. The middle is thicker, but it's an empty thickness with light grains, grasses, and just an orange zest spritzed toward it. The finish is dry grains and tartness.
Bottom Line: A simple and ultimately pointless beer.
1.25/5