In Belgium, beer is more than just a frothy beverage - it is a culture. With over 450 different varieties, many Belgian beers have personalized beer glasses in which only that beer may be served. The shape of each glass enhances the flavor of the beer for which it is designed. This tradition may seem like behavior reserved for wine snobbery, but Belgians take their beer seriously - and with good reason. The country has enjoyed an unparalleled reputation for specialty beers since the Middle Ages. Connoisseurs favor Belgian beers for their variety, real flavor and character. And the Trappist beers are in a league of their own, rightly feted for their complex flavours.
The Belgian Trappist breweries include Achel, Chimay, Orval, Rochefort and Westmalle and Westvletern The Belgians take their beer seriously, and none more so than the Trappist monks. The monks brew with an eye for quality rather than quantity, and this is what makes them so special. A typical pils lager takes three days to brew, but a Trappist beer can take two to three months, with secondary fermentation taking place in the bottle. As early as the 3rd and 4th centuries — before Belgium was Belgium — the Belgae (as the Romans called them) were brewing beer, with a cool climate that provided an especially fertile environment for growing barley.Many Belgian monks, to sustain a life of prayer and work and remain self-sufficient, farm and brew beer, consuming what they need while often selling the surplus to the public. The name "Trappist beer" is legally protected and applies to those beers brewed by Trappist monks in a monastery.
Since many of Belgium's finest brews can't be bought outside the region in which they are made. So a trip here is essential if you take beer seriously. The six Trappist breweries of Belgium are spread across the country - three in northern Flanders (Achel, Westmalle and Westvleteren), and three further south in Wallonia (Orval, Chimay and Rochefort). So no wonder that the Belgians have driving tour through the countryside called the Beer Route - and some do it on their Bicycles! After a day of castle hopping, visitors can stop by one of the local cafés to enjoy some chocolate with their beer, as their worries melt away. Whether you were visiting a brewery, sitting in a café or attending a festival, visitors will remember the first time they tasted their favorite brew. This epic road trip will try and guide you through a sample tour..
Brouwerij Westmalle, WESTMALLE
The first stop in this beer pilgrimage is at Westmalle monastery, an hour-and-a-half north of Brussels. The monastery itself doesn't allow visitors, but its cafe, Trappisten, serves beer, and on request the manager will play a DVD about the making of the beer, presented by one Brother Augustine. The Westmalle monks make a bottled beer called Extra for their own consumption, and it can be bought only at the Trappisten cafe. The bottle doesn't even have a label. The monks also make cheese, which you can buy if you walk up through the fields and bang on the big wooden door of the monastery. Brother Gatekeeper opens up and will invite you inside for a short while in order to exchange hard cash for a giant slab of their cheese, which, not surprisingly, goes down well with a draft of Westmalle.
Saint-Benedictus Abbey, ACHEL
Next in the tour is - The Trappist Abbey of Achel or Saint Benedictus-Abbey or also Achelse Kluis (which means hermitage of Achel) - located just south of the Dutch border in the town of Hamont Achel. The monks, along with farming and cattle breeding, began brewing beer in 1845. Achel itself is the only Trappist monastery that has its brewery and cafe inside the abbey. This means that in Achel you can sip your beer quietly while watching through large glass windows as the monnks, wrench in hand, go about making beer. It also has a well-stocked shop selling most Belgian beers, and their individual glasses. The brewery produces six beers, including blonds, browns and a particularly potent 9.5% ABV (alcohol by volume) Achel Trappist Extra. Most of the beers are characterized by a crisp, if bitter, malt flavor profile. While the brewery doesn't provide individual visits, inquire about privately guided group tours. You can sample the beer at the onsite bar which also serves snacks.
Kasteel Ter Dolen
Since you would be happy and high already - thanks to the heavy duty beers you enjoyed through the day, spend the night at this historic castle - which comes with turrets and an enormous romantic log fire. The castle brews its own beer , for visitors and locals, which should help you in getting some good rest before part deux of this epic road trip!
Abbaye Notre-Dame de Saint-Remy, ROCHEFORT
Leaving Flanders the next morning, travel south to Rochefort in the Ardennes, where the wooded hillsides and valleys offer a rustic playground for walkers. A late afternoon stroll through the trees in their autumnal colours works up an appetite for even more cosy beer drinking later on. With their helpful 6, 8 and 10 alcohol content-designations (i.e. Trappistes Rochefort 6, Trappistes Rochefort 8, etc.), the Rochefort collection is characterized by rich, fruity flavor and a hint of chocolate. Although there are no formal tours of the brewery, the abbey church is open to the public and cafés throughout the area proudly serve Rochefort beers. Not only does the nearby town of Han sur Lesse, feature the beers, the town is also home to the Grottes de Han
Orval Abbey, ORVAL
Next stop, Orval, is the most accessible of the monasteries and the most impressive, with a complex of mustard-coloured buildings surrounded by forest. Despite its relatively young Trappist beer age of 82 years, Orval, located within the Abbey of Notre Dame D'Orval, is one of the more popular Belgian exports. The beer advocate labels Orval both "delicate and subtle," and the late beer journalist and author, Michael Jackson, called the brew "quintessential beer." The beer's complex flavor profile evolves over time, beginning light and crisp soon after brewing, and taking on a lemony tone after several months. There is an exhibition in an 18th-century cellar and the well, from which the water is drawn to make the beer, lies among the ruins of the original 12th-century abbey. Visits are available during the brewery's annual open house; at other times by private arrangement.
The Abbaye Notre Dame De Scourmont,CHIMAY
Next stop is the picturesque town of Chimay - two hours from Orval along country lanes. Founded in the mid 19th century and located in a tranquil setting in the Ardennes, the Abbey of Notre-Dame de Scourmont has taken particular pride in its offerings, and became the first to adopt the "Trappist Beer" moniker in the early part of the 20th century. Available today in Chimay Red ("Premiere"), Chimay Triple ("Cinq Cents"), and Chimay Blue ("Grande Reserve"), the beers offer distinctively light, slightly fruity aromas, ideal for savoring with a hearty bowl of mussels or platter of frites (French fries). Visitors are free to wander the secluded garden in the middle of the Abbey and visit the church. Tours that detail the history of Chimay beers and cheeses are available at Espace Chimay, a short drive from the Abbey and the nearby Auberge de Poteaupre serves, like Westmalle, beer that is made especially for the monks' own consumption.
Brouwerij de Sint-Sixtusabdij, WESTVLETEREN
This is the smallest and most secretive of the Trappist breweries. Just a few kilometres from the First World War Ypres Salient, it is a good base for a combined beer and history tour. The beer itself is sold in just a few shops, and you can buy it in bulk only from the monastery door. Recently, punters have had to start calling up to reserve their casks - hence the need for some forward planning.
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