The Six Belgian Trappist Beers from A to W
- Achel
The brewery of the Saint Benedict Abbey was the last of the Belgian Trappist orders to be allowed to bear the sign of the authentic Trappist beer in 1998.
Two beers are readily available - a blond and a brown beer both at 8% ABV (Alcohol By Volume.) The abbey also produces a blond and a brown “extra" beer at 9.5% ABV only available in 75 cl bottles.
The Achel glass is a straightforward goblet with the rather modernist Achel logo in brown printed on it.
- Chimay
Chimay was the first Trappist brewery to start mass commercial production of their beers in the 1920s, and Chimay bottles can be found in most outlets in Belgium, as well as being widely available in the UK and the USA.
Three types are available, Chimay Red (brown, 7% ABV,) Chimay White / Triple (blond, 8% ABV) and Chimay Blue (brown, 9% ABV.)
Chimay White / Triple is sometimes available on tap. Chimay Blue is a vintage beer, so it has the year of manufacture on the label - it can be matured like a wine - and is also available in a 75 cl bottle with a cork stopper.
The glass is a fairly basic goblet with the monastery name in white letters and a gilded rim.
- Orval
Orval makes only one beer, but as they concentrate on making it to perfection. The beer is somewhat lower in alcohol that the other Trappist beers at 6.2% ABV. The taste is very distinctive, very bitter and very hoppy. I find this beer goes very well with food.
The glass is solid and quite primitive, like a chalice from a mediaeval refectory. The bottle is quite striking, taking the pleasing form of a skittle.
- Rochefort
Rochefort makes three brown beers denoted by the colour of the bottle top using an old Belgian numbering system for alcohol content - The 6 has a red top (7.5%) and is very rare as it is only brewed once a year. The 8 has a green top (9.2%) and is the most common beer from this brewery. The 10 has a blue top (11.3% ABV) - a real headbanger!
The 8 and 10 to my tastes are too sweet due to the high alcohol content. With the Rochefort 10, I can only enjoy it if it is at refrigerator temperature, which I would not normally recommend for a brown beer. But a cold temperature it seems to tame the sweetness.
The glass is perhaps the most beautiful of all the Trappist beer goblets - curved and sensuous.
- Westmalle
Westmalle makes the brown Dubbel (7%) and the blond Tripel (9.5% ABV.) I think the Westmalle Tripel is one of the great beers of the world - especially when decanted properly, the taste is complex and refined, with strong citrus notes.
The glass is more spherical that the other trappist glasses with cut glass highlights and has the name and stamp of the Abbey on the side.
- Westvleteren
The most rare and obscure of all the Belgian Trappist beers, the Westvletern bottles are extremely hard to find in bars and cafés. The beer is only available from the monastery shop to private buyers and the amount you can buy at any one time is highly restricted and tied to the licence place of your car.
Three beers are produced - Blond with a green cap (5.8%,) 8 with a blue cap (8%) and 12 with a yellow cap (10.2% ABV.) I have tried the beers from this brewery only a few times - each time I tried a Westvletern I was prepared to be disappointed - each time my expectations were surpassed. These are extraordinary beers which you should taste given the chance.
The glass is similar in shape to Westmalle glasses, but without the cut glass decoration, and with the distinctive green logo of the brewery.
Belgian Trappist beer is of a very high quality and complexity, and that you know when you drink a Trappist beer, the profit is not going to some large faceless corporation. Open a bottle, pour the beer gently and enjoy the feeling of being a little bit closer to heaven!
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