Trappist

The Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance, the Trappist order takes the name from La Trappe Abbey in Normandy where it began as a reform movement in 1664.

There are strict rules in place for gaining Trappist status: the beer must be brewed within the Abbey walls; it must be brewed under the supervision of the Abbey community; and a substantial part of the profit must be invested in social services.

Although there are some 171 Trappist Abbeys worldwide, however only seven of these brew beer – one in the Netherlands, the rest in Belgium.

Chimay |  La Trappe |  Orval |  Westmalle

Tripel

Originally used be the Westmalle Trappist brewery, Tripel (or Trippel) refers to a style of beer brewed mainly in the low countries. Westmalle originally released their Tripel under the name Superbier: a strong blonde ale and based on a blonde beer the monks had been brewing sporadically since 1931.

Westmalle