Trappist Allure & the Rochefort Rendezvous
When I first learned about the monks of Scourmont Abbey, I felt like a child listening to his first Dr. Suess book. You see, the mystery surrounding the Chimay brews is every bit as intriguing to the aspiring beer geek as the Drum-tummied Snumm is to the wide-eyed, imaginative six-year-old.
Chimay has come to be one of the most widely recognized and respected labels in the craft beer circuit- a brand known not only for keeping distinguished palates content, but also for its ability to win over new recruits to the land of better beer. I was one of those converts. While I've long been able to appreciate a good beer, Chimay beckoned me to learn more. As I uncovered an incredibly complex, deep-rooted culture and tradition of Trappist brewing, suddenly beer became a lot more meaningful.
Monastery Brewing
The Trappists weren't the first monks to brew beer, as the roots of monastery brewing go back hundreds of years to medieval Europe. It is said that German Catholic monks, for instance, brewed Bock as sustenance through the Lenten fast - "liquid bread." Wikipedia tells us more of Trappist brewing origins:
Monastery brewhouses, from different religious orders, existed all over Europe, since the middle-age. From the very beginning, beer was brewed in French cistercian monasteries following the Strict Observance. For example, the monastery of La Trappe in Soligny, already had its own brewery in 1685. Breweries were only later introduced in monasteries of other countries, following the extension of the trappist order from France to the rest of Europe.
The brewing at La Trappe was documented in 1685, but I wonder if the the art may have preceded the publicity, as the activities of the monastery were not widely written about prior to that year. From Trappistbeer.net
The legendary abbey of La Trappe, in Soligny, county of Orne, France, is associated with the origin of the Trappist order which carries its name. On 16 November 1685, the abbey was visited by R.P. Dom Dominique Georges, superior father and general vicar of the Strict Observance.
Dom Dominique was welcomed by the abbot of La Trappe, Armand Jean le Bouthillier de Rancé, considered by many to be one of the founders of the Trappist community. Dom Dominique’s visit to La Trappe is described in the book “Histoire des trappistes du Val-Sainte-Marie.” In this book’s discussion of the various Trappist monasteries in France, we read that in Soligny, “at the bottom of the garden, on a brook which comes from ponds, there is a brewery to make some beer.”
As for why they brew, and what happened to all the breweries...
The Trappists, like many other religious people, originally brewed beer as to feed the community, in a perspective of self-sufficiency. Nowadays, Trappist breweries also brew beer to fund their works, and for good causes. Many of the Trappist monasteries and breweries were destroyed during the French Revolution and the World Wars.
Among the monastic breweries, the Trappists were certainly the most active brewers: in the last 300 years, there were at least eight Trappist breweries in France, six in Belgium, two in the Netherlands, one in Germany, one in Austria, one in Bosnia and possibly other countries. Today, seven Trappist breweries remain active, [six] in Belgium and [one in] the Netherlands.
Only the products of these seven brewers may bear the elite Authentic Trappist Product logo. This badge of honor is actually more of a protective measure, put in place by the International Trappist Association - an organization formed to distinguish actual Trappist brewers from copy cats and impostors. It would seem that the remaining seven have quite a reputation to protect, as their beer is some of the highest regarded in the world.
These are the Trappists and their beers:
Chimay (Belgium) 3 exports: Premeire (Red), Grande Reserve (Blue), Cinq Cents (White) 1 abbey-only: Dorée
Orval (Belgium) 1 export: Orval Trappist Ale 1 abbey-only: Petite Orval
Rochefort (Belgium) 3 exports: Rochefort 6, 8, 10
Westmalle (Belgium) 2 exports: Westmalle Dubbel, Tripel 1 not for sale: Westmalle Extra
Westvleteren (Belgium) 3 abbey-only, limited availability: Westvleteren Blonde, 8, 12
Achel (Belgium) 3 exports: Achel Blond 8°, Bruin 8°, Extra 8° 2 abbey-only: Blond 5°, Bruin 5°
Koningshoeven (Netherlands) 4 main exports: La Trappe Blond, Dubbel, Tripel, Quadrupel 2 seasonals: Witte, Bockbier
Trappists and Me
I have had the pleasure of sampling imported brews from each of the above brewers, with the exception of Achel and the legendary Westvleteren, which produces the highest-rated, most sought-after beer in the world. [UPDATE: I have since sampled the Achel Brown and Blonde]
Westvleteren 12 is often at the top of every beer-lovers wish list, and sits untouched in the number one slot on Beer Advocate's list of the Top Beers on Planet Earth. Unfortunately the monks of St. Sixtus abbey do not distribute or export their beer, as it is only available directly from the brewer - it must be purchased at the abbey or across the street at the In De Vrede cafe. The monks also do not condone reselling of the beer, nor are they particularly fond of the publicity surrounding them. They have no intentions to increase brewery production to meet popular demand.
Westvleteren beer purchased anywhere in the world other than at the source has been deemed by the monks as 'gray market' as it is typically being resold for profit and does not support their cause. [Westvleteren Brewery] Of the brews I have been able to find, I've grown quite fond of Chimay Cinq Cents - which was the first beer I reviewed - but Rochefort 10 has come to be one of my all-time favorites.
I tasted the Rochefort 10 alongside their 6 and 8, and found the 10 to be far superior. Apparently I wasn't the only one who thought so. I recently tried to hunt down Rochefort 10 to no avail. The store from which I originally bought the beer had plenty of 6's and 8's but no 10's.
I tried Oak Tree Buy Rite in South Plainfield - NJ's mecca of craft beer - no dice. The salesman told me they've become quite the hot commodity, "they're getting to be like Westy's." No, not the adorable terriers - those are 'Westies'. He was talking about Westvleterens.
So... let me get this straight. Rochefort 10, which is widely exported to the U.S. and distributed to my home state of NJ - a state which arguably has some of the most convoluted alcohol distribution laws in the nation - is becoming as hard to find as a beer that is sold only on a limited basis by Belgian monks at their doorstep?? Not possible, I won't believe it. I started to call around in a desperate frenzy, only to hear the same sad story, "We've been out of them for a while, the distributor doesn't know when they're coming in again." I exhausted the possibilities at all immediately surrounding stores in NJ.
I then moved on to New York City. I used the web to narrow down my locations, and followed up with phone calls to establishments that were on the distributor's hit list. A discouraging 'swing and a miss' with the first two calls, but I finally found a supermarket that said they had some in stock. After work I packed my things and hit the subway. Now, I don't typically enjoy a crowded supermarket, in fact I don't know anyone who does.
The markets in NJ can get pretty bad - clueless old people stopping mid-aisle, carts blocking walkways, kids throwing fits and taking items off of the shelves. NJ markets, though, have got NOTHING on a crowded Manhattan supermarket after 6pm. Take the above mix, throw in twice the number of people, smaller aisles packed to the ceiling with goods, homeless people, law enforcement, and lines worse than TSA at Newark International Airport. I pushed my way through the chaos to find six remaining 10's on the shelf, I took two in each hand (yeah, that's right, I left a couple for someone else - what goes around comes around!), and got in line. I paid way too much for those beers, and even discovered (much too late) that they charged me for one too many. I was tired, sweaty, and emotionally unstable... I needed a beer.
I got home and poured one of the 10's into a goblet. If I built up a reputation for that beer in my head the first go-around I'll be damned, because that particular Rochefort 10 was the best beer I've ever had. Sure, there was a lot of turmoil surrounding its acquisition, and I probably went through more trouble than it was worth to find it; in fact, I'm inflating this beer's ego with WAY too much hype, it's somewhat of an acquired taste. I suppose I'm no better than the punks who created this 'shortage' to begin with. But MAN did I enjoy every last sip of that brew! I almost want to avoid drinking the remaining three until I'm sure I can find it again with ease.
At the end of the day, some folks drink Bud, others drink Miller, and I'll be the sucker waiting 20 minutes in line to pay $7 a beer at a crowded, Manhattan supermarket. Say what you will, it's still my favorite beer. And besides, me and the monks go way back...
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Reader Comments (5)
The Rochefort 10 is quite good. You really should see if you can get your hands on a Westy 12, gray market or not. A bar up here in Maine did a full Trappist tasting last November and the Westy 12 really is as good as everyone says. The Achel Extra 8 is also pretty tasty...
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Also the Westvlet 12 is available at the Downtown Bar and Grill in Brooklyn for...get this: $50 a bottle! Expensive...but if it's worth it to you, you should try it. I haven't yet but I'd like to. Love your article.