There are many things for which you could praise Belgium when it comes to beer, and I could probably go on for much longer than anyone could stand to listen on any number of stupid minutiae. The joining of a monastic life with world-class beer, however, stands out above all else. Going as far back as the 12th century, monks in Belgium have been brewing beers in the very monasteries they live and pray in. The main difference between these small breweries and other craft or artisan breweries is that the monks brew only for subsistence. They brew as much as they need to support the abbey; if the beer runs out, it runs out. This can make acquiring some of these beers a challenge. These real abbey-based beers are referred to as "Trappist" beers and will carry the Trappist logo, a little hexagon with the phrase "Authentic Trappist Product" printed on the label. By law, only the real Trappist monasteries are allowed to put the logo on the label, so if you see one you know you're getting the real deal. "Abbey style" is a term used for beers that mimic these originals. There are only six Trappist breweries in Belgium: Chimay, Westmalle, Rochefort, Orval, Achel and Westvleteren. Chimay is the easiest to find and usually the cheapest (relatively, a 25 oz bottle is around $10), with the rest of the beers averaging around $6 for a 12 oz bottle. These are not cheap beers, but at least you know that $6 is going to some well-deserving monks. If you ever felt bad by skimping out on the collection plate, well, here's your chance to make up for it. Sort of. These beers are subtle masterpieces of brewing, representing the artistic approach and simplicity to which all breweries aspire. Many of these breweries have entwined histories and practices and, as a result are all relatively similar. I use "relatively" very loosely here, as there are clear and obvious differences between them. They are all sweeter beers, often with very high alcohol content (7% and higher), that showcase the flavors of dark sugar and dark fruits like plum and raisin. These beers are meant to be sipped in quiet contemplation, or at the very least, loud contemplation. Now, before you even think of getting one of these beers, you need to know how to drink one properly. First thing is first, you're going to need a good piece of glassware. In Belgian cafès, they only serve beers in their own glasses. If there are say, no free Chimay glasses available, they won't serve it to you. While possibly a little bit of overkill, I do recommend you find a goblet or something with a wide opening. These beers are very highly carbonated, and they need lots of room to hold the head and aroma. Plus, it looks really cool. On top of that, please please please don't drink one of these beers at refrigerator temperatures. 50 degrees Fahrenheit is the ideal temperature, not only for tasting reasons but also for carbonation. At higher temperatures, carbon dioxide comes out easily, leaving the beers with a subtle fizz. Too cold and they will be harshly bubbly. Your sense of taste is also much better at this temperature, as ice-cold beer really just numbs your taste buds. Let it sit out for 20 minutes, or run it under some warm tap water for about 30 seconds or so to bring its temperature up before serving. Chimay represents the more commercial side to Trappist beers, and their flavors are slightly more subtle and constrained. I would recommend Chimay Red, which is their Dubbel beer. Westmalle is much lighter in body than the other Trappists, but deceptively so. I would recommend their Dubbel also, which has great plum and brown sugar tastes. Rochefort is probably the fullest-bodied of these beers, with extremely rich tastes of dark fruit and malt. They have three beers, a 6, 8 and 10; the higher the number, the bigger the beer. Start with the six and work your way up. Orval is different from other Trappist beers for two reasons. One, they offer a single style of beer (distributed) and two, they use wild yeast. The wild yeast gives it a funky, almost sour flavor. It's my personal favorite. Achel is the newest of the Trappists but by no means the weakest. Their Bruin, or brown, beer has a great body with caramel and fruit flavors that blend into a layered sweetness. Westvleteren-well, honestly I've never had this beer before. The reason being that they don't actually ship their beer, and they make extremely limited amounts. You have to literally go to the monastery to buy it, or to their café across the street. If you're lucky enough to ever be in Belgium, grab a bottle! Until next time, Sláinte!
Brewing monks are happy monks
Published: Monday, September 28, 2009
Updated: Monday, January 18, 2010 15:01
Be the first to comment on this article!