A side-by-side tasting of Belgium's five Trappist beers: Westmalle Dubbel and Tripel, Chimay Bleue, Rochefort 10, Orval, and Westvleteren 12.

The Authentic Trappist Product label was created in 1997 to protect beers brewed within the walls of Cistercian (Trappist) monasteries, under monastic supervision, with profits going to charity. Belgium has five remaining certified Trappist breweries: Westmalle, Chimay, Rochefort, Orval, and Westvleteren; Achel lost its Authentic Trappist Product designation in January 2021 after the last monks left the abbey. Het Waterhuis aan de Bierkant and De Dulle Griet in Ghent are the canonical Trappist tasting venues.

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Make it at home

Serves 42 hrEasy

Ingredients

  • 1 bottle Westmalle Tripel (light golden, hoppy, 9.5 percent ABV; the canonical tripel)
  • 1 bottle Chimay Bleue / Grand Reserve (dark, fig-and-spice, 9 percent ABV)
  • 1 bottle Rochefort 10 (the quad of quads, dried fruit and chocolate, 11.3 percent ABV)
  • 1 bottle Orval (single-style amber, dry and hoppy with brettanomyces character, 6.2 percent ABV)
  • Optional: 1 bottle Westvleteren 12 (legendary; only sold direct from the monastery; substitute La Trappe Quadrupel if unavailable)
  • Belgian beer glasses (each Trappist has a branded chalice; rotate glasses if a full set is unavailable)
  • Pairing food: Belgian Trappist cheese (Chimay Trappist cheese; Westmalle cheese), Belgian dark chocolate, dried fruit, slices of beef carbonnade flamande, salted almonds

Method

  1. Serve all Trappist beers at 12C to 14C; cellar temperature, not fridge cold. Take bottles out of the fridge 20 minutes before opening.
  2. Open the Orval first since it is the lightest. Pour with a steady tilt into the goblet glass, ending with an upright slow pour for a 2-finger head.
  3. Pour 100ml of each Trappist in order: Orval (single), Westmalle Tripel (tripel), Chimay Bleue (dubbel-style dark), Rochefort 10 (quadrupel).
  4. Taste Orval first; note the brett funk, dry hop bitterness, and lemon-citrus brightness; this is the only single in the Trappist range.
  5. Move to the Westmalle Tripel; note the banana-clove yeast esters, honey malt, and hop bitterness.
  6. Taste the Chimay Bleue; note the deep raisin, fig, and clove spice from the dark malt and Trappist yeast.
  7. Finish with the Rochefort 10; this is among the world's most complex beers, with dried fruit, dark chocolate, port-wine warmth, and a long finish.
  8. Pair Trappist cheese (Chimay cheese particularly) between sips. Belgian dark chocolate pairs especially with the Rochefort 10 finish.

Editor tip. Trappist beers age remarkably well; quadrupels like Rochefort 10 and Westvleteren 12 actually improve with 3 to 5 years cellaring. If you find a bottle with a year of vintage on it, that bottle has been laid down deliberately and is worth seeking out.

Common allergens: Gluten.