Spencer Trappist Ale

With the visit of Pope Francis to the United States, it seems appropriate to post a review of a Trappist beer.  A trappist beer is one that is brewed by or under the strict supervision of monks from the Order of the Cisterians of the Strict Observance.  I have posted a few reviews of Trappist beers, including the Orval Ale, the La Trappe Quadrupel, and the Westmalle Tripel.  Each one of those reviews was propelled by a fascination and curiousity of the notion of monks brewing beer.

Until just a few years ago, trappist beers were brewed from only a handful of breweries that had been registered with the International Trappist Associaiton.  All of those breweries were located in either Belgium and the Netherlands.   As the craft movement has grown, so has Trappist beer, with new breweries in Italy and the United States.  And, it is the one in the United States -- operated by St. Joseph's Abbey in Spencer, Massachusetts -- that provides the United States with its first officially recognized Trappist beer, which is conveniently named the Spencer Trappist Ale.  

St. Joseph's Abbey is a community of Trappist monks who follow the Benedictine tradition of ora et labora (prayer and work), the monks pursue a simple life of contemplative prayer, manual labor and hospitality.  A few years ago, some of the Brothers at the monastery expressed an interest in brewing beer, and even received some training at a local craft brewery.  The brothers then toured all of the existing Trappist breweries, to see how those beers were produced.  After completing thieir learning, the monks at the Spencer abbey began procuding their own trappist ale.

The Spencer pours a nice golden color, with an even foam across the entire surface. The aroma has a variety of mild, pleasant notes, including some bread, honey and herbal tones.  The beer is a very good example of a trappist ale, with some grass and clove up front,  There are also some biscuit and caramel notes from the malts that follow, but are not as prominent in the beer. 

Overall, this is a very good beer, and, an excellent first effort by the monks at the Spencer Abbey.  This beer sells for $11.99 for a 22 ounce bottle or $19.99 for a four pack of 12 ounce bottles.  It is definitely worth a try, especially if you, like me, were looking for a beer to toast the visit of Pope Francis to the United States. 

ENJOY!

Orval Trappist Ale

There are only seven Trappist breweries in the world.  A Trappist brewery is one that is either operated or under the control of a monastery.  The term "Trappist" originated with the monks of a Cistercian monastery in Soligny La Trappe, France, who had been brewing beer since before 1685 A.D.  The Trappist Order also had monasteries in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Austria and even Bosnia. The number of Trappist breweries declined over time, with only seven left today.  Six of the Trappist Breweries -- Achel, Chimay, Orval, Rochefort, Westmalle and Westvleteren -- are located in Belgium.  The remaining two are Koenigshoeven in the Netherlands and Mariawald in Germany. And they are all members of the International Trappist Association.

Orval is the oldest of the Trappist breweries, having been founded in the 11th Century. It also brews one of the more distinctive beers, primarily due to the brewery's use of Brettanomyces or wild yeast.  I have previously reviewed the Le Fleur Misseur? Ale, a beer produced by New Belgium Brewing.  The Brettanomyces provide a different flavor to the beer that most people will not enjoy.  However, I love the different flavor that the wild yeast contributes to these beers. 

Orval brews its Trappist Ale in the style of a Belgian Pale Ale, although the Brettanomyces result in a beer that does not taste like most traditional Belgian Pale Ales.  Moreover, unlike most beers, the Orval is brewed to last a very long time.  I bought this beer, which had been bottled on May 10, 2009 and, according to the label, the beer was best before May 10, 2014.

Although the beer was nearly two years old by the time I tried it, the yeast in Orval's Trappist Ale did their work.   As I poured the beer carefully, I nevertheless ended up with a very large and frothy foam resembling a large cloud deck.  The off-white, very light caramel foam topped an orange colored ale. 

As for the smell and taste of the beer, it is a little hard to describe given the use of wild yeast.  The aromatic elements included some flowers, spice and a hint of orange.The taste of this beer is the reason why I love wild ales.  Orval uses wild yeast during the fermentation of this beer.  The yeasts contribute to a tart, somewhat musty flavor to this beer.  For me, as I mentioned above, that taste is what I expected and really like about this beer. 

The ABV of this beer is 6.9%.  This beer is widely distributed and can be found at most beer stores.  It sells for about $4.99 to $5.99 a bottle.

ENJOY!