Tuesday Beer Trivia: Belgian Trappist Abbeys

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Test your knowledge on Trappist abbeys in Belgium in this week’s Tuesday Beer Trivia quiz.

The Trappist abbeys of Belgium are the original craft breweries, with some dating as far back as the mid-1800s. Test your knowledge on these Belgian craft beer pioneers.

After you take the Beer Trivia quiz below, scroll down to the “Beer Trivia Answer Explanations” section to learn more about Belgian Trappist abbeys.

Beer Trivia Answer Explanations

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The following explanations are taken from Great Beers of Belgium by Michael Jackson.

Question 1: 

The Achel Trappist Brewery is located in the heart of the abbey, unlike other Belgian Trappist breweries that are near the abbey, not right inside. The abbey is dedicated to Saint Benedict, the father of monasticism. Achel’s beers have retained a generous hop aroma and bitterness with a clean malt background.

Question 2: 

The St. Sixtus abbey dates from 1831, and brewing started eight years later. A line of cars forms at the abbey to purchase their beer, and each driver is only allowed to purchase 5 cases.

Question 3: 

Chimay is produced at the abbey of Notre Dame on a hillside called Scourmont. The monastery was founded in 1850, and the monks started brewing about 12 years thereafter.

Question 4: 

The Trappist abbey at Westmalle first launched the golden tripel around 1919, at which time golden ales like tripel were considered to be innovative. Westmalle’s tripel uses Belgian candy sugar for its contribution to flavor.

Question 5: 

Maybe the reason Rochefort isn’t so well-known is that, for years, its monks were known for their shyness, particularly in brewing. They typically won’t accept visitors into the abbey, and they don’t have a café, a customary feature of other Trappist breweries in which tourists can sample beer.

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