Trappist

Trappist beer is brewed by Trappist monks. Thirteen Trappist monasteries currently produce beer, but the Authentic Trappist Product label is assigned by the International Trappist Association (ITA) to just ten breweries which meet their strict criteria. The criteria for a beer to be considered a Trappist beer are that it must be brewed within the walls of a Trappist monastery, either by the monks themselves or under their supervision, the brewery must be of secondary importance within the monastery and it should witness to the business practices proper to a monastic way of life.

Trappist beers are ales, which means that they are produced using yeast strains that ferment at the beer’s surface. Unlike most ales, however, a Trappist beer’s flavour is dominated by the malt bill and type of yeast used. Only six Belgian beers can use the name Trappist: Achel, Chimay, Orval, Rochefort, Westmalle and Westvleteren.