1. Hundreds of years of brewing expertise
The Rule of Saint Benedict was written in 530 (yes, almost 1,500 years ago!) and was the main reason why monks brewed beer. The rule dictated that monks needed to earn and donate to the poor by the work of their own hands. Food and beer were the products the monks produced most. Beer was also safer than water to drink as water tended to be contaminated. Considering the amount of chemicals we currently use in our agriculture and industry all over the world, that may happen again… Side note, sorry for the diversion…
The Abbot of the monastery of La Trappe in France created the Trappist order in 1656, aiming to follow the rule of Saint Benedict more closely. Since then, the order spread out to other countries in Europe, Belgium especially as the French revolutionary government suppressed all monasteries and confiscated their property. Most monasteries and breweries were also destroyed throughout the numerous wars.
2. Drink for a good cause
A fundamental principle of the Trappist order is that all monasteries need to be financially independent. Monks brewed beers to feed people and get some revenue.
Trappist breweries can’t make any profit as all revenue exceeding the monastery operating and maintenance costs is donated to charities.
3. Trappist beers taste is unique
Trappist beers are warm-fermented (or top-fermented) which means that they are fermented with top fermenting yeast like any ale type beer as opposed to lager.
Belgian yeasts are probably the main contributor to the unique taste of Belgian beers as it tends to provide distinctive spicy, floral and fruity flavours.
Just before being bottled, sugar and fresh yeasts are added in order to start the re-fermentation process which takes place in the bottle. As a result, the beer will be different depending when it is consumed after being bottled.
4. A sophisticated beverage making beer a great gift
Men love beers but beers can’t really be offered as a gift as they are not seen as a refined product. Hard to imagine kids offering a pack of 6 for father’s day.
Trappist beers are different. Their sophisticated taste, their traditional packaging and their price make them a fairly chic beverage.
Similarly to some high quality wine, Trappist beers can be aged which contributes to their refinement. Young Trappist beers usually demonstrate fresh hops with some bitterness and a fruity distinction. Older Trappist beers (more than 6 months) typically have old-fashioned hop with more pronounced yeasts flavours.
Trappist assorted packs are available in some places for dads or husband to discover the wide range of Trappist flavours…
5 reasons why we love Trappist beers
& where to find them in Perth
Types of Trappist beers
There are only 12 beers that can label the Trappist beer appellation:
Mont des Cats in France, Chimay, Orval, Rochefort, Achel, Westmalle & Westvleteren in Belgium, La Trappe & Zundert in the Netherlands, Engelszell in Austria, Tre Fontane in Italy & Spencer in the US.
How to store and serve Trappist beers
Trappist beers should be stored away from light for similar reasons as wine. Storage and Serving temperature would ideally be between 8° and 15°C. The bottle should be resting at least a week before serving in order to get a clearer beverage in the glass.
When pouring Trappist beers, you would ideally use a special glass or goblet available in most shops selling Trappist beers. The glass should be inclined when slowly pouring the beer along the side. Hold the glass vertically at the end before leaving about 1 cm. The residues mostly made of yeast sediments should be served and enjoyed separately.
last updated 25-May-2016
5. Only beers produced by Trappist abbeys can be named Trappist
Breweries can only use the name Trappist with the “Authentic Trappist Product” logo if they are part of the International Trappist Association (ITA). You can’t be misled by a commercial brewery selling similar types of beers…
Trappist beers are easily confused with Abbey beers which present similar features but are not produced by Trappists.
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Double
The Dubbel or double appeared first at the Westmalle Trappist abbey. As most Trappist monasteries, Westmalle used to produce only one beer, the single. They called their second beer the dubbel only to differentiate it, not for any other reason such as it contains double the amount of whatever. Dubbel is now used to denote a type of Trappist beer.
A dubbel usually is a fairly strong brown or dark amber ale (6%-8% ABV), with a perceptible Belgian yeast charm. It typically has a deep reddish amber with a rich malty sweetness; often coming with caramel flavours and fruity aroma.
The Rochefort 8 and Chimay red are very representative of the Dubbel beer type and available in Perth liquor stores.
Triple
The Triple, also called trippel or tripel, is probably the most famous of the Trappist beers.
It is a strong beer with an alcohol content ranging from 8% to 10% ABV. It is a dry, golden beer very similar to the Belgian Strong Golden or Pale Ales.
Triples are generally floral, fruity, and spicy with a soft malt appeal.
Westmalle is considered to be the “king” of the triples, and we could find it in Perth! Chimay white is the other available alternative for this type of Trappist beer.
Quadrupel
"Quadrupel" or "Belgian Strong Dark Ale" offer a wide range of tastes which make it difficult to describe in a generic manner..
Quadrupel typically offer a great strength (9%-13% ABV) with the floral flavours of the Tripel but more fruity savours.
Most are dark brown, very rich and complex
Rochefort 10, Chimay and La Trappe Quadrupel can be found in Perth.
Where to Find Trappist beers in Perth
You probably figured it out yourself, Trappist beers are not cheap.
Like every beer in WA, buying them in cases decreases the price per bottle significantly. We therefore focus on price per bottle when bought by 24.
La Trappe Quadrupel and Chimay are the most affordable and available in Perth. It can be found from A$5+ per 33cl bottle (A$130 per 24). Westmalle triple and Rochefort 8 start from A$6+ per bottle. Rocherfort 10 from A$8+.
Single
A single is typically a lower alcohol table beer (4.5% – 5.5% ABV ) held in reserve for the daily use of the monks. The single is typically only sold on the monasteries premises.
There are a number of shops on the east coast with a good range of Trappist beers.
Consider about A$30 shipping on top.
We have found the following few places:
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There is something special about Trappist beers, probably mostly for emotional reasons but not only. Monks using manual labour to a spiritual end, contribution to charities and obviously, hundreds of years of history behind it are all contributing factors making Trappist beers an exceptional beverage.
We have attempted to share our love of Trappist beers with the following 6 points including where to find it in Perth
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