Trappist Ales

TRAPPIST BEERS
The BeerMan would like to dedicate this column to Father Bob, Pastor of Saint Agnes Roman Catholic Church here in Atlantic Highlands.
Firstly, what is a Trappist Beer? Trappist beer is brewed by Trappist monks, specifically members of the Cistercian Order. Trappist is also a licensed term, and currently only six breweries in the world may legally produce Trappist beers. All six of them are Belgian. To use the name and the "Authentic Trappist Product" logo, the rules of the International Trappist Association must be observed:
The product must be made within the walls of a Trappist Abbey. The product must be made by or under the supervision of the monastery community. The largest part of the profit must be spent on social work.
The six breweries that are allowed to call their beer "Trappist" are
Chimay Orval Rochefort Westmalle Westvleteren Achelse Kluis, St Benedictus
There is some discussion about “La Trappe /Koningshoeven” beer, brewed in The Netherlands by the Koningshoeven brewery in Tilburg. The beer is no longer brewed within the walls of an abbey, but is licensed to a large Dutch brewery (Bavaria). They call it Trappist beer, but it isn't in the true meaning of the word. Neither are beers like the Belgian 'Abbaye Leffe', which is licensed to Interbrew, one of the biggest breweries in the world. These beers don't carry the official authentic Trappist logo.
In addition to all the other good works that the Church of Rome performs it has played a pivotal role in the history of brewing in the Western Hemisphere. Let’s step back in time to when the Church was younger, when the Goths, Visigoths, and Vandals ran roughshod over the waning Roman Empire. It was during this time that many Monastic Orders had their start, including the Benedictines. When not saving the literary treasures of the Western World from the clutches of the Barbarian Hordes, the Benedictine Monks needed sustenance to fortify them for hours spent in prayer, and for this they looked to beer. Beer consumption, as it was a liquid, did not break the fasting required by Lenten vows. Monastery beers were therefore rich nourishing brews that required extraordinary amounts of malt in the making. In 1098 the Cistercian order was splintered off the Benedictine Order. While they left some of the “worldliness” of the Benedictines behind, they retained the tradition of brewing in their monasteries, and as noted above, still adhere to this tradition. For a more detailed history of the Cistercians open this link to the Catholic Encyclopedia and explore this rich and colorful site http://www.newadvent.org/cathen
The Trappist Ales are as rich in taste as they are in History. I am pleased to say that I have sampled many of these beers and found them, without exception, to be of superior quality and taste. As you explore the Trappist Ales you should be aware of some differences between them and the more common beer styles: They tend to have prices that one would expect to see in the wine aisles. They are all bottle conditioned and can be laid down and aged like wine. They are not necessarily what most would call “quenching” brews. Don’t come home from a day at the beach and crack open a Trappist to sooth your parched throat. These are the beers to savor with a book, some good company or that favorite Gregorian Chant CD.
Many Trappist Ales can be found in our local stores. I have listed below, grouped by Abbey, the beers that each Abbey brews along a brief description (style, alcohol by volume and a rough estimate of the price).
Chimay http://www.chimay.be/ The Abbey at Scourmont brews four beers only three of which are available in the US. They are easily differentiated by the color of the cap on the bottle. The strongest brew is the Grand Reserve’ (Blue Cap), weighing in at 9% alcohol, is a Belgian Strong Ale. They also brew a Dubbel (Red Cap) and a Trippel (White Cap) at 7% and 8% respectively. You can find all three in 11.2 ounce bottles for 2 to 3 dollars each bottle or in Cork and Caged 750 ml. bottles for 7 to 10 dollars each. These are heavily sedimented beers that need to be poured with care to avoid disturbing the sediment. See my earlier article on the “Perfect Pour’ for more details. All Trappist beers are best enjoyed from a Chalice or Goblet style glass.
Orval http://www.orval.be/ This Abbey brewery operates on the philosophy of: do one thing, and do it well. They brew one beer, a Belgian Pale Ale, and bottle it in a Skittle Pin shaped bottle. Drunk from a chalice this hazy orange brew is elegant and tasty. The recipe is consistent with Abbey records dating back to the 1100’s. Expect to pay 3-4 dollars for an 11.2 ounce bottle.
Rochefort http://users.pandora.be/gerritvdb/rochefort/English/RochefortIndex.htm the monks at the Abbey de Notre Dame de Saint Remy brew three beers: Two Strong Dark Ales and a Quadrupel. They are numbered 6, 8 and 10 for ease of identification. The Number equates to Degrees Plato (specific gravity) higher gravity generally equates to stronger ale. Price wise expect to pay in the 4-6 dollar range for a bottle; the “10” will be a little pricier than the others.
Westmalle http://www.trappistwestmalle.be/ Two beers come from the Monks at Westmalle: a Dubbel, dark brown label, 7% and a Trippel, tan label 9.5%. Expect to pay in the 4 dollar range for a 11.2 ounce bottle. They also brew a Pale Ale but it does not reach these shores with any frequency.
Westvleteren http://www.sintsixtus.be/ The rarest of the abbey beers. The monks at Saint Sixtus do not actively pursue the distribution of their beer around the world. Somehow it gets here, a fortunate few, those willing to plunk down 6-12 dollars for a small bottle, can enjoy one of these tasty and nourishing beers. The styles this Abbey brew include two Belgian Pale Ales distinguished by their red and green caps with about 6% alcohol by volume, a Belgian Dubbel, blue cap with the number “8” on it (8% alcohol) and a Quadrupel, yellow cap with the number 12 on it, (10.2% alcohol)l. For many aficionados “Westy 12” is the Holy Grail of beers.
Achelse Kluis, St Benedictus http://www.achelsekluis.myweb.nl/ I have not seen this Abbey’s beer locally but there are three different products available in the US: a Dubbel, a Trippel and a Strong Dark Ale. They have alcohol levels of 8% to 9.5% depending on the style. I have never seen or tried this brand so If you see it locally let me know.
What should I do with the sediment in when pouring my Trappist beer? There is no right answer in my opinion. I suggest you consider the following approach. Pour the beer carefully so as to retain the sediment in the bottle with a small portion of the beer. Taste the beer without the sediment. When you have consumed about half of the brew, add the rest of the beer and the sediment to the glass. This way you can compare the taste with and without. Enjoy!
In my next column will answer a few readers’ questions, and will discuss the Gueze, Lambic and Wit beers of Belgium’s secular brewers.
Until next time, think global and drink local.