Spencer Trappist Ale

Brewed in Spencer, Massachusetts at The Spencer Brewery, Spencer Trappist Ale has the notable distinction, at least as of the time of writing, of being the only certified Trappist beer brewed outside of Europe. The brewery is affiliated with St. Joseph’s Abbey, and has been brewing their 6.5% blonde ale for a few years now—I’ve been wanting to try it ever since I read about the stuff some years back, so I was pretty thrilled when I saw it sitting on the shelf at a Toronto beer vendor.

 The beer has a cloudy appearance and a thin but stubborn layer of eggshell head. STA has a fruity, yeast-heavy nose, with notes of apple and cranberry. The flavour is somewhat uncharacteristic for an abbey beer, in that isn’t particularly funky or rich in Belgian-style yeasts. That’s not to say that the beer isn’t yeast-driven, but it is a bit less tart and tangy than some of the longer established Trappist beers from Europe. The flavour is well-balanced, with slightly sour fruit notes and breadiness sitting on either end of the seesaw.

After downing the better part of a corked and caged 650mL bottle of the stuff, my conclusion is that Spencer Trappist Ale is an interesting addition to the tightly regulated and prescribed world of Trappist ales. It’s a nice blonde ale, but it lacks some of the verve I’ve come to expect when I see the “Authentic Trappist Product” icon on a beer label. However, I suspect that some of my findings were due to my own mistaken expectations—I wanted to open a bottle of North American Chimay or Achel, without accounting for the fact that Spencer is not a Belgian brewery, with all of the history and baggage that comes with. Instead of comparing this ale to one from Westmalle, I should have been appreciating it on its own merits a little more. In that context, it stands up well as a pretty decent gold ale. I’d really have liked a bit more booze and  depth, and a fuller mouthfeel, but for a first offering, Spencer Trappist Ale was pretty good. I’m interested in seeing what direction the monks head in from here; a dubbel or trippel could really knock my socks off if done well.

Rating: 7.0 out of 10.

Westvleteren 12

When my ol' pal WFM returned from his honeymoon in Belgium, he came home with a sixer of Westvleteren 12, reputed to be the best beer in the world. Lucky me, I got to enjoy one 12 oz bottle of the stuff because my friend is magnanimous. At 10.2%, this brew is a hefty tripel. It's a hazy rusty ale that pours with a thick, creamy head. It comes from Sint Sextus Abbey in Vleteren, in West Flanders, Belgium.

W12 doesn't have a powerful aroma, but it has some serious subtlety, with notes of raisin, rich yeast, and some tart cherry. The flavour, though, isn't the least bit tart. It's very smooth, with yeasty, malty, and sweet, with raisin notes. Remarkably, the alcohol (10.2!!!) is barely detectable--brilliantly masked.

While I don't think I'd class it as the best in the world, W12 is a pretty damn tasty ale. It's very rich, criminally easy to drink, and strong as fuck. The flavour is extremely nuanced and compelling. Down to the lack of a label, this beer is unpresumptuous, letting the flavour do the talking.

Rating: 9.0 out of 10.

Gregorius Trappistenbier

Austria's Trappist brewery, Stift Engelszell, is the outfit responsible for Gregorius Trappistenbier, a liver-battering 10.5% alcohol ale. Hailing from Engelhartszell, Austria, this stuff is sold in 330mL bottles. It's a very dark ale; a bloody, swampy, deep ruby, and pours with a fluffy but short-lived head. I'm pretty sure that this stuff would be classed as a quadrupel.

Gregorius has a powerful aroma: sweet, fruity, and extremely boozy. There are raisin and fig notes on the nose that carry over into the flavour. It's a very rich ale that begins with a lot of sweetness, but there is actually a pleasant bitterness buried in the finish that really keeps things interesting.

Strong. That's what this stuff is. It's flavourful and thick, with heaps of hooch. Not an ale for novice drinkers of Trappist ales.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.

Trappist Achel Bruin Bier

Trappist Achel Bruin Bier is a certified Trappist ale out of Achel, Belgium. It's brewed by the challengingly-named Brouwerij der Sint-Benedictusabdij de Achelse Kluis (according to Wikipedia--there was an irritating sticker over that piece of info on my 330mL bottle).

This Belgian brown ale is an "Authentic Trappist Product" and contains a hearty 8% alcohol. It's a hazy brown grog that pours with a very substantial cloud of cream-coloured head. It's aroma certainly isn't shy, with forceful malt notes, big booze presence, and, above all, lots of orchard fruit character. There's also a pretty cheeky yeast aroma. A very sweet beer, Achel has strong fruit notes--apple, pear, and fig are well represented. Like you'd expect from a strong Belgian ale, it's yeasty, malty, and boozily warm.

One of the sweeter and fruitier of the Trappists that I've tried, Achel Bruin still manages to be a fairly approachable exemplar of the style for drinkers interested in accessing a strong Belgian brew. It has an engrossing flavour and very few bad qualities.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

Trappistes Rochefort 10

Trappistes Rochefort 10 is a wildly strong abbey ale--it's potent like a trippel at 11.3%, but instead of a murky gold, it pours a dark, cloudy chestnut more characteristic of dubbels. It unbottles from its 330mL glass prison with a thin layer of cream-hued head, but this is short-lived. There is also a fair amount of sediment sitting at the bottom of my glass.

In terms of nose, 10 is fruity and warm, with raisin and berry notes--a very agreeable strawberry jam vibe was an unexpected treat. It's flavour is built on a malty, yeasty foundation. It's very gentle for such a strong ale--sweet, bashful fruit notes are plentiful, but nestled snugly and only begin to emerge as the beer warms. And speaking of warming, the alcohol lurks toward the finish, giving exhalations a boozy tint.

Born and bred in Rochefort, Belgium, and raised to maturity under the watchful eyes of Trappist monks at Abbaye St-Remy (it bears the "Authentic Trappist Product" emblem), 10 turned out to be a curious but cautious ale. Chalk-full of booze, it has a suggested playful quality, but uncapped, it is demure and restrained, with significant depth. A fine brew, 10 has more layers than an onion, and more alcohol than some pubs.

Rating: 9.0 out of 10.

Westmalle Dubbel

Westmalle Dubbel bears the logo of an authentic Trappist product. It comes from Antwerpsesteenweg, Malle, Belgium, where it's crafted by Brouwerij der Trappisten van Westmalle (Wikipedia cleared this up a bit for me--Westmalle, where the brewery is located, is one of two towns in Malle, a municipality in the Belgian province of Antwerp). This Belgian dubbel contains 7% alcohol and pours a deep reddish brown, beneath a loose cream head. It comes in shapely 330mL bottles.

As expected, Westmalle Dubbel has a yeasty aroma that has lively fruit notes. The nose primarily features notes of raisin, although there is a faint cranberry tartness, too. It's flavour is almost delicate, with soft floral notes mingling with more hearty yeast and malt ones. For a reasonably strong Belgian ale, this stuff is less assertive that might have been expected. Dried fruit flavours are represented, though they are not heavily emphasized. The finish is quite nicely balanced, with malt and a very agreeable dry hops quality sharing the spotlight with equanimity.

This is a very nice dubbel--restrained and mellow, yet still boozy and flavourful. While its not my favourite Belgian ale, I like it very much and I can think of no reason not to recommend this brew.

Rating: 9.0 out of 10.

Trappistes Rochefort 8

Trappistes Rochefort 8 is a Belgian ale marked with the "Authentic Trappist Product" logo. Brewed in Rochefort, Belgium at L'Abbaye St-Remy, the stuff contains a worthy 9.2% alcohol. It's sold in 330mL bottles. It's a cloudy, ruddy brown beer that exists underneath a veritable atmosphere of tan head that sticks around for the duration.

"Huit" has a nose that is yeasty, fruity, and packed with malt. The flavour opens like other Trappist beers that I have sampled: boozy, malt-driven, and supported by notes of raisin and apple. However, where the stuff sets itself apart is in the finish. While there are still lots of malt notes, but also a bit more bitterness than expected. For a strong, yeasty ale, the finish is quite short and verging on dry.

Trappistes Rochefort 8 has a pretty approachable flavour, but still provides loads of strength and a cartload of flavour. See it? Buy it.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

Chimay Primière

Chimay Primière is brewed at Scourmont Abbey.  It's bottled by S.A. Bières de Chimay, in Baileux, Belgium. It's a trappist ale and, I think, a dubbel.  It's sold in a heavy, corked 750mL bottle and contains a muscular 7% alcohol.

Love the big bottle ...

C.P. pours a muddy, orange-brown colour. It's reasonably well carbonated and crowned with a persistent cream head. It has a highly malty aroma with notes of dried fruit and lots of yeast. It has a surprisingly delicate flavour for a Belgian ale with 7% alcohol. There are sweet malt flavours. Breadiness and some dark fruit notes precede a reasoanbly hoppy finish.

... and the cork, too.

I like this stuff a lot. It's a good into into serious Belgian ales without being too intimidating or overpowering. When i sometimes find myself in the mood for a big beer that doesn't have the staggering potency of some other Belgians, Chimay Primière is the ticket.  Just be sure not to drink two in one night.

Rating; 8.5 out of 10.

Chimay Triple

 Chimay Triple is a bold Trappist Ale brewed in Baileux, Belgium by Bières de Chimay. It is, according to the label, "brewed at Scourmont Abbey" by Trappist monks. Sold in 330mL bottles, Chimay Triple contains a vigorous 8% alcohol.

C.T. pours a cloudy, dull orange colour, topped with a relentless cloud of off-white head and containing lively carbonation. It has a warm, boozy aroma that blends yeastiness with a touch of cider tartness. The 8% alcohol is on full display in a flavour that is at once bready and bitter. This is a very full-bodied brew. I'd like a touch more sweetness to round it out a little bit.

A fairly heavy beer, I wouldn't recommend reaching for a Chimay Triple early in an evening. However, a cool bottle of this stuff is an excellent way to wind down before bed at the end of a long work week. 

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.