The arrival of Westmalle

Modern Brewery Age, March 29, 2004 by Gregg Glaser

Two strong, flavorful ales brewed at one of the great Belgian Trappist abbeys, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart at Westmalle, in Belgium, are finally available nationwide. It's only taken about 1,500 years.

Why so long? First, St. Benedict had to be born in the year 480 in Nursia, a small town in Umbria, in north central Italy. Before he died, around 547, St Benedict had written the Rule for Monks, a document which organized the life of a monastic community and has been followed for centuries by different monastic orders. One of these orders of monks is the Cistercians, named after the monastery of Citeaux, founded in Burgundy in the 12th century. As Cistercian monasteries spread in France, they divided into two orders, one of which was attached to the Abbey of La Grande Trappe in French Normandy. From this abbey comes the name "Trappist." There are six Trappist monasteries in Belgium today which brew beer and sell to the public. Westmalle is one of the largest.

Before the monks at Westmalle could begin brewing, they had to establish themselves in Flanders, the northern part of modem-day Belgium. Napoleon Bonaparte is directly responsible for this.

In 1793, Napoleon began an anti-Church campaign in France. A group of monks left the Abbey of Val-Sante on route to safety in the New World. Failing to find passage to Canada from either Antwerp or Amsterdam, the monks eventually found refuge the following year on a farm outside of Antwerp, just west of a town named Malle. Not long after they had established a priory here, Napoleon invaded Holland (which at that time ruled much of Flanders) and the monks again fleck this time to Switzerland and various parts of Eastern Europe. After Napoleon's defeat in 1814, the monks returned to Westmalle and re-established the priory.

Now is when the beer part begins. On April 22, 1836, the Westmalle priory officially received status as the Abbey "Our Lady of the Sacred Heart." On August 1 of that year, the monks began brewing beer in the old priory of Westmalle, establishing the first Trappist brewery in Belgium. This first beer, taped four months later on December 10, was dark and sweet and consumed only by the monks at their meals. It wasn't until the 1870s that the Westmalle monks began selling beer to the local villagers and not until July 25, 1902, that the Abbey of Westmalle became a commercial brewery in Belgium. In 1920 the monks began selling their beers past the borders of the village of Malle. Today, Westmalle Dubbel and Tripel are sold around the world.

Beers labeled as Trappist in Belgium are not so much a specific style of beer than an "appellation," much as wines and other food products are in some countries. The Belgian Trappist beer appellation first appeared in 1861 when the monks of the Abbey of Notre-Dame de Scourmont (a.k.a. Chimay) first sold their beer outside the abbey brewery. Today, to be legally called Trappist, beers must be brewed within the walls of a Trappist monastery, the monks must participate to some degree in the production of the beers (brewing or packaging) and the profits from sales of the beers must go to the charitable activities of the monks. The six original Trappist breweries in Belgium still brewing and selling their beers commercially are Westmalle, Westvleteren, Achel, Orval, Chimay and Rochefort.

The two Westmalle beers sold outside the brewery (there is a third available solely for the monks' pleasure) are top-fermented ales (as are all Trappist beers) and stronger than ordinary beer. Westmalle Dubbel, 6.5% abv, is a deep amber, almost brown beer. Westmalle Tripel, 9.5% abv, is a blonde ale. The monks of Westmalle are credited with inventing the "tripel" style of Belgian abbey ale, much imitated by other abbey and secular breweries in Belgium and throughout the world. Both Dubbel and Tripel are bottle-conditioned ales brewed with candy sugar and special yeast strains. German and Czech malts and hops round out the list of raw ingredients. The beers are available in the U.S. in 33-cl and screen-printed 750-ml bottles.

Pioneering beer import company Merchant du Vin (MDV) of Seattle is the import firm which has acquired sole U.S. distribution rights to the Westmalle beers. Founded by beer enthusiast Charles Finkel in 1978 after a successful career in the wine business, MDV is now headed by Rich Hamilton. He said MDV spent four years courting Westmalle. "They were cautious about entering the U.S.," said Hamilton. "but Westmalle chose MDV because we have national distribution and infrastructure and a quality reputation as an importer. This is important to small brewers such as Westmalle. We know the right stores and restaurants in which promote these beers."

With 32 beers in their portfolio, ranging from German lagers to English and Scottish ales to Belgian lambics, abbey ales and one other Trappist beer, the question arises as to why MDV went after Westmalle so ardently. "We chose Westmalle because of its world class status and the great history behind the brewery and abbey." explained Hamilton. "And also because it fits a style gap in our portfolio." Although MDV does sell two Belgian "abbey-style" ales--Duinen Dubbel and Duinen Tripel from the Huyghe-Melle Brewery--and the Trappist ale Orval from the Orval Abbey, a true Trappist-brewed "dubbel" or "tripel" was missing. Westmalle fills that gap.