What Would Jesus Brew? - The Trappist Beers

One of the great ironies of the beer world is a common familiarity with the idea of "Trappist beer", but little understanding of what the label actually means. Today, there are only eight Trappist monasteries in the world that brew beer, and these are the only breweries allowed to use that name. Contrary to popular belief, the Trappist breweries are not all in Belgium. One is in the Netherlands and another -- the most recent -- is located in Austria.  Many mistakenly believe that "Trappist" represents a style of beer, but the term actually refers to beers brewed under strict rules set by the International Trappist Association (ITA).  

Trappist History

The Trappists, or the Cistercian Order of the Strict Observance (COSO), are a Roman Catholic religious order that strictly adheres to the rule of St. Benedict, a set of monastic values emphasizing work, humility, prayer, and compassion. St. Benedict of Nursia lived from 480-547, and the Cistercian Order, now divided among sects of Common and Strict Observance, was originally founded in 1098. The Trappist sect did not emerge until the 17th century.

In the 1660s, the Abbot Armand Jean le Bouthillier de Rancé championed strict and penitential observance of St. Benedict's Rule at the La Trappe Abbey in Normandy, and his followers became known as "Trappists". Under Rancé, the monks lived an austere life in quiet revolt against the lax and soft practices that -- in Rancé's mind -- characterized the larger Cistercian community. The abbey became a center for reform in the Cistercian order, but Rancé developed many enemies before his death in 1700. The Abbey faced further peril during the French Revolution, as church lands throughout France were seized, and many clerics faced the guillotine. The Abbot Dom Augustine de Lestrange led the Trappists into exile in 1792, but managed, after Napoleon's defeat, to purchase and rebuild La Trappe Abbey in 1815, returning the order to its home. After a second period of exile, the Trappist order returned to La Trappe, and became an independent monastic order -- the COSO -- in 1892.

Prior to the French Revolution, there were no Trappists in Belgium. The period of revolution and war in the late 1700s and early 1800s wreaked havoc with monasteries and religious orders in Europe, particularly as Napoleon and the Pope were often in open conflict. On February 7th, 1831, Belgium ratified one of the most progressive constitutions in Europe, opening the doors to scattered Trappists in exile to begin opening new monasteries.

The Rules

Despite several centuries of tradition, it wasn’t until recently that the Trappists formed an organization to protect their name. As market demand grew for products from Trappist monasteries, other businesses started to use the name "Trappist" as a marketing tool. This is really no different than California wine producers using the term "Chablis". Nine Trappist Monasteries came together to draft the by-laws for an organization that would protect their name.  The by-laws went unsigned upon completion in 1928; in 1997 the rules of production and were finally agreed upon and the International Trappist Association (ITA) was officially formed.  

Once the ITA organization was formed, it outlined four basic rules that a Trappist Monastery must follow in order to label their beer with the Trappist logo and name.

1. The beer must be brewed within the walls of a Trappist monastery and the work must be done either by monks themselves or under the direct supervision of monks.
2. The brewery must be of secondary importance to the monastery.
3. Income from the brewery is meant for the sustainment of the monastic way of life and, thus, additional proceeds are to be used for charity.
4. The ITA itself will constantly monitor breweries carrying the Trappist name and logo in order to ensure the quality of their beers.

Today, breweries that do not meet these conditions but make beers in styles associated with Trappists often call them ‘Abbey’ beers instead. 

Trappist Beers and Breweries

Today, we still hear patrons of the publican ask for a ‘Trappist’ ale as though this is a style.  It is something of an overstatement to say that Trappist beer is a distinct style; however, there are some generalities as to production of beer that the Trappist breweries follow.  Trappist ales are top-fermented ales, they undergo secondary fermentation in the bottle, and no antiseptic agents or pasteurization is used -- meaning that the breweries and processes must remain impeccably clean. The Trappists beers typically include "heavy" in their list of attributes. As monks have always lived under strict dietary rules, in brewing heavier beers they were able to take in necessary additional calories without violating the Rule of St. Benedict. Consider, for example, Germany monasteries that produce Doppelbock, which has become known as liquid bread.  

Although three styles have been traditionally brewed by Trappists -- single, dubbel, and tripel -- it is the latter two that are the most well known. It is likely no mistake that there were three traditional styles considering the importance of the Holy Trinity, but there is still a wide array of beers made by the Trappists outside of these three traditional styles. There are too many styles to go into a full break down of each in this article.  Instead, we will take a quick look at the two major categories, dubbel and tripel.  

• A summary of the Brewers Association definition of Belgian Dubbels: they are “medium-bodied, red to dark brown colored ales with a malty sweetness and chocolate-like caramel aroma. A light hop flavor and/or aroma is acceptable. Dubbels are also characterized by low-medium to medium bitterness. Yeast generated fruity esters (especially banana) are appropriate at low levels. Often bottle conditioned, a slight yeast haze and flavor may be evident.” 
  
  
• A summary of the Brewers Association definition of Belgian Tripels: they are “pale/light-colored ales, which may finish sweet.  They are often complex in character, and sometimes with mild spicy character. Clove-like phenolic flavor and aroma may be evident at extremely low levels. Yeast-generated fruity esters, including banana, are also common. The beer is characteristically medium-bodied with an equalizing hop/malt balance and a perception of medium to medium-high hop bitterness. Traditional Belgian Tripels are often well attenuated. Brewing sugar may be used to lighten the perception of body. Its sweetness will come from very pale malts. There should be no character from any roasted or dark malts and have low hop flavor is acceptable. Alcohol strength and flavor should be perceived as evident.” 

Although there are nearly 200 Trappist Monasteries in the world, there are only eight making beer today under the Trappist logo. Six of the breweries are in Belgium: Chimay, Orval, Rochefort, Westmalle, Westvleteren, and Achel.  One is in the Netherlands (Koningshoeven, which we commonly know by the abbey name of La Trappe), and the newest brewery, Engelszell, is in Austria.

The Trappist Breweries

Chimay

The Chimay (pronounced something like "She-may") brewery was founded in 1863 within the walls of the Scourmont Abbey in the Belgian municipality of Chimay. It was Jean-Baptiste Jourdain who first conceived of the Abbaye Notre-Dame de Scourmont in 1844.  Jourdain obtained support from Prince Joseph II of Chimay along with the abbots of Westmalle and Westvleteren, and on July 25, 1850 the priory was officially founded. As a matter of fact, it was a small group of monks from Westvleteren along with Jourdain that settled the wild plateau of Scourmont. Today they brew with water from a well within the abbey walls. They filter the water and the leftover particulate goes into the cattle feed, whose milk is used in the production of Chimay Cheese. Chimay was the first to use the "Trappist Ale" designation on its labels. They produce one beer -- patersbier (father’s beer) -- exclusively for the monks, with three other beers making up their main public offering. These are often referred to by their cap colors of red, blue, and white. they are Chimay Rouge (the ‘Première’, a dubbel), Chimay Bleue (the ‘Grand Reserve’, much like a very strong dubbel), and Chimay Blanche (the ‘Cinq Cents’, a tripel) respectively. 

• Chimay Rouge (Première) - red
  Noted for its coppery color topped with a creamy head, it gives off a light, fruity apricot aroma produced by the fermentation. The palate is in balance, confirming the fruity nuances noticed in the nose. 7% abv
  
  
• Chimay Bleue (Grande Réserve) - blue
  Principally distinguished by its character of a strong beer with a nose of fresh yeast and a light, flowery, rosy touch. The palate follows the nose along with a light but pleasant touch of roasted malt. 9% abv
  
  
• Chimay Blanche (Cinq Cents) - white
  This brew is golden and slightly hazy with a fine, dense head that is especially characterized by its aroma of fresh hops and yeast. Fruity notes of Muscat and raisins add to the nose on the palate. 8% abv

Orval

The Orval brewery was founded in 1931 by the Abbey Notre-Dame d’Orval in the Gaume region of Belgium. The brewery itself is only 80 years old, but the Abbey, founded by a group of Cistercian monks from Champagne, dates all the way back to 1132. Orval itself is the main brand, and they are well known for their fish-holding-a-ring logo. The story behind the logo: a beautiful young countess from Tuscany, the widow Mathilda, lost her wedding ring in the lake while visiting the site. She prayed to God for the return of her ring and when a fish arose from the lake with the ring she praised the site as a "Val d’Or", or golden valley. In gratitude to God she built a monastery on the site. The brewery still draws its water from the same spring.

• Orval
  It has an intensely aromatic and dry character. Between the first and second fermentations there is also an additional dry-hopping process. The beer is bottled at 5.2% abv, labeled as 6.2%, yet can get as high at 7.2% through the bottle conditioning process.

Rochefort

The Rochefort brewery is located within the walls of the Abbey of Notre-Dame de Saint-Rémy, near the town of Rochefort in Belgium, and was founded in 1595. The Abbey can trace its history back to 1230, when it was built to house a group of Cistercian Nuns. In 1464 the nuns were ordered to leave and the convent became a monastery. Today, the oldest parts of the abbey date to the 1600s due to centuries of ruin and war, and the brewery was renovated in 1899. Rochefort produces three primary brands. Rochefort 6, referred to as the red cap, is a reddish-colored beer that is only brewed once a year. Rochefort 8, the green cap, is like a strong dubbel and represents the largest part of their production. The Rochefort 10, or blue cap, is a dark, reddish-brown, high-alcohol beer. The numerals refer to an old Belgian system of measuring specific gravity that was used to set tax levels. Though the system is no longer in use, Rochefort continues to name their strong ales with it.

• Rochefort 6
  Reddish-brown color with amber-gold highlights; a soft body leads to earthy flavors and an herbal character. Refined, soft spiciness in the bouquet finishes with a bit of caramel. 7.5% abv
  
  
• Rochefort 8
  Deep brown color; the flavor is vigorous and complex, with firm body to support the strength. The aroma has elusive notes of fresh fruit, spice, leather, and figs. 9.2% abv
  
  
• Rochefort 10
  This brew pours a rich dark color and has a full and complex palate of plum, raisin, and black currant. 11.3% abv

Westmalle

The Westmalle brewery was founded in 1836 in the Belgian municipality of Westmalle, north of Antwerp, by the Abdij van Onze-Lieve-Vrouw van het Heilig Hart (Abbey of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart).  The abbey itself was founded in 1794; the brewery started up in 1836 but it wasn’t until 1870 that they first commercialized the beer. For the 150th anniversary of their brewery they released a commemorative brochure with uses and advice for their beer. “Against loss of appetite, have one glass of Tripel an hour before mealtime; against sleeplessness, drink one Trappist; two glasses of Trappist will reduce stress by 50 per cent”. We have to suppose that with the last two suggestions we may choose the Trappist beer of our liking. They produce three beers in the traditional format of a single, dubbel, and tripel; however, the single is a patersbier and is only produced for the monks. Westmalle is often attributed with being the first to use the term ‘tripel’ for Belgian golden strong pale ales.

• Dubbel
  A reddish brown ale delightfully malty with hints of fruit from fermentation and featuring a 3-week secondary fermentation. 7.0% abv
  
  
• Tripel
  A strong, golden hued ale, dry and spicy with faint citrus notes, rounded body, and an alcoholic kick.  The use of Belgian candi-sugar raises the alcohol, adds more body, and leaves a slight sweetness. 9.0% abv 

Westvleteren

The Abbey of Saint Sixtus founded the Westvleteren brewery in 1838 in the Belgian municipality of Vleteren. Although signs of monastic life at the site trace all the way back to 806, it wasn’t until 1831 when the hermit Jean-Baptist Victoor was joined by a prior and several monks to found Saint Sixtus. Westvleteren is no longer distributed in the US, but they made a one-time release of the XII recently.  An exception was made when they found themselves without enough money to pay for a multi-million dollar roof renovation. Lines at liquor stores started overnight and extended around blocks for the one-time commemorative pack release. Today, the curious beer drinker will get closest to the Westvleteren XII by drinking the St. Bernardus 12. This is because the brewery we know as St. Bernardus today once brewed, under contract, for -- and with -- the Saint Sixtus monks. When the monks decided they wanted to take over the entire operation again they allowed their previous brewery to continue using the yeast and recipes. That brewery renamed themselves St. Bernardus. Interestingly, Westvleteren doesn’t use their own original yeast strain, rather they now purchase yeast from Westmalle.

• XII
  A step past the tripel, this is considered a quadruple with notes of dark fruit, biscuits and yeast with well-blended alcohol. 10.2% abv

Achel

The Abbey of Saint Benedict in the Belgian municipality of Achel founded the Achel brewery. The abbey is also known as Achelse Kluis, or the "hermitage of Achel". The abbey's roots reach back to 1686, when Petrus van Eynatten gathered a community of hermits on the site. After nearly two centuries of war and treaties interrupting monastic life on the site a group of Trappists from Westmalle helped to rebuild the Abbey in 1846. Brewing has occurred sporadically throughout Achel's history, but it began modern commercial brewing as recently in 1998. Today the monks produce three beers that are only available at the brewery: a Blond 5 (5%), a Brune 5 (5%), and a 9.5% Extra Blonde.  The following beers are marketed worldwide.

• Blond 8
  A pale, strong, fruity, hoppy ale that is lightly filtered, but still wholesomely hazy. 8% abv
  
  
• Brune
  Despite the name this ale pours more of a very dark amber color and is richly malty with hints of raisin and yeast biscuit yet still refreshingly dry. 8% abv
  
  
• Extra Brune
  This copper-colored ale has just a little malt sweetness, dried fruit flavors, warm sherry notes, and a brisk balancing backdrop of fresh hop bitterness. 9.5% abv

Koningshoeven

The Koningshoeven Brewery, founded in 1884, is located in the Netherlands. The most commercialized of the Trappist beers, we know them now under the name "La Trappe". Bavaria Brewery manages De Koningshoeven; while monks don’t manage the logistics of the brewery, they may still continue to use the name "Trappist" because they meet the minimum requirements of the ITA. The Abbey La Trappe -- part of the same order, but not at the same physical location as Armand Jean le Bouthillier de Rancé's original La Trappe in Normandy --  traces its roots back to 1122 when Rotrou III, Count of Persche, built a chapel to commemorate his late wife. In 1140 it was raised to the status of an Abbey. La Trappe today produces many beers, but it is the Isid’or and the Quadrupel for which they are particularly well known.

• Isid’or
  This beer was first brewed to commemorate the 125th anniversary of the brewer and is named after Brother Isidorus, the first brewer of "de Koningshoeven". It is a slightly sweet amber beer with caramel and nuts, which continues to ferment after bottling and has a rich, slightly bitter flavor along with a fruity aftertaste. For a real treat seek out the oak-aged version. 7.5% abv
  
  
• Quadrupel
  This brew has a very strong malt presence, is slightly sweet, and has some distinct brandy-like notes. This beer is produced in an oak-aged version as well; worth seeking out, but expect to pay! 10% abv

Engelszell

Lastly, we have the newest brewery in the Trappist line up: the Austrian Engelszell brewery. The Abbey Engelszell goes all the way back to 1293, when it was founded by Bernhard, Bishop of Passau. Although it was established as a Cistercian monastery it did not become a Trappist monastery until 1925, when German refugee monks expelled after World War I from the Oelenberg abbey in Alsace settled here. Engelszell, with only 7 monks in its community, was approved to brew under the Trappist name in May of 2012. They already have two brews in the US market: Gregorius, named for Gregorius Eisvogel, the Abbot of Engelszell from 1931 to 1950; and Benno, named for Benno Stumpf, the Abbot from 1953 to 1966.

• Gregorius
  A dark ale with rich, bittersweet cocoa notes from an addition of roasted malt. It is made with hops from the region and a generous dose of local honey, 9.7% abv
  
  
• Benno
  This brew boasts a heightened hop aroma and flavor reminiscent of a farmhouse brew from Wallonia.  Golden blonde and relatively light in body. 7% abv

Much like beer itself, the Trappists have a long and rich history, which we are only beginning to understand. Much like wine producers in California striving to make wine like the French in the early days of the industry, American home and craft brewers have strived to make their beers in the fashion of Trappists. Brewers have gone to great lengths to mimic the Trappists: they have used the name (now protected), to depicting monks and monasteries on their labels, to cultivating yeasts from the bottles of Trappist breweries. The question in the beer world today is for the future of the Trappists. The draw of monastic life is not what it was in centuries past. De Koningshoeven has the youngest Abbot of all eight monasteries, and he is 60 years old! Without new men and women to enter into the Trappist fold and accept the austere life of the monastery, their future is in question. But with Engelszell's recent entrance to brewing, there is hope. Interest in the monastic lifestyle may be falling, but interest in Trappist brews has never been higher.

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Drew Larson holds certifications as a Cicerone®, Sommelier, and Specialist of Spirits on top of a degree in Culinary Arts. Currently, he is the Beverage Director at The Hopleaf in Chicago where he produces one of the most well known beer programs in the country with 400 bottled selections and 68 daily rotating drafts. This is in addition to the 60 bottle wine list, 8 draft wines, and spirit program. Drew is also the owner of Leaders Beverage Consulting, a company that not only focuses on beverage and menu development with brand integration, but draft design and maintenance as well. If you want to keep up on trends in beer you can follow Drew on twitter at @DrewDLarson or @LeadersBeverage.