Monk-y beer business
The monks, the beer, the town and one of only five makers of the genuine Trappiste beers on the planet — discover Chimay with Tony Mallett.
When is a beer not a beer? Answer: when it’s a Trappiste.
Chimay is one of only seven beers in the world (six of them Belgian) that can genuinely and legally call itself by that label.
For the record, just so you can impress your mates, the others are Westmalle, Orval, Rochefort, Westvleteren and Achel. The seventh is Koningshoeven, brewed in the Netherlands. Contrary to popular belief, Duvel isn’t one. So now you know.
The nectar that is the world-renowned Chimay is created in a high-tech plant behind the Cistercian abbey of Scourmont-lez-Chimay, which in turn is a brief drive, or a longish monk’s plod, to the picturesque village, near the French border south-west of Namur, that gives the beer its name.
Old Europe meets New Europe at the abbey? Definitely, in technology terms at least.
As for its general location, Chimay’s Grand Place is charming in a rural, off-the-beaten track kind of way. Underneath the shadow of a church, dotted with terraced cafes and bistros (most selling the ubiquitous brand of beer native to the area), there are many worse places to soak up the atmosphere on a fine day.
The monks of Scourmont follow the doctrines of a celebrated – nay, canonised – sixth-century fella revelling in the name of Benedict. Six centuries after the worthy chap shuffled off this mortal coil, the monastery of Citeaux was founded in Burgundy, later to give its name to the order known as Cistercian.
Still with me? Good… In the 17th century, the Cistercian monks of La Grande Trappe (aha!) in Normandy embraced austerity in a big way. Against all odds it caught on – et voila, the Order of the Strict Observance, or Trappist, monks was born.
The beautiful Scourmont Abbey is relatively young – 153 years old on 25 July just gone. On that day in 1850, Trappists from Westvleteren, near Ypres, set about clearing land donated by the Prince of Chimay in order to farm it.
This they did, selling extra produce to the locals and, along the way, finding time to build an abbey, which now brews the beers and incorporates a cheese-making plant. The cheese is rich and rewarding to taste. Marvellous!
The manual tasks involved in the industries tie in so successfully with the monastic ethos that they are now the largest employers in the region. Crucially, the ‘brothers’ have decision-making powers on the company board and pump euro after euro into social projects in Belgium and abroad.
While the monks spend most of their time in prayer and study in their gorgeous surroundings, they dedicate a few hours each day to ensure that the beer production runs smoothly in the ultra-modern brewery.
The sight of habit-clad, silent monks wandering piously through the cloisters only yards from the laboratories manned by techie types sporting white lab coats can seem a tad weird. But you can live with it, believe me. Well, visit it, at any rate…
The fact is, while the sun dapples the pathways that gently weave their way through leafy trees and as the breeze wafts the delicious scent of blooms across your face, there exists a silence that is more startling than any noise.
Day-trippers will find that the atmosphere at Scourmont is both humbling and uplifting, sometimes enhanced still further by the rare but gentle footfall of a passing monk, head down, hands clasped and mindful of prayer.
The brewery itself is off-limits to casual visitors, being housed so close to a deeply holy order, but they all look the same anyway – trust me, I’m a journalist.
It’s the abbey and the small town itself that are the highlights. But I’ve missed something out here…what about the beer?
Well, here’s a bit of histoire: the first beer at Scourmont was produced in 1862 and was sold in corked bottles – the height of technology back then. By 1948, thirsty punters (those with good taste, naturally) could pour the brew from capped bottles.
This original beer – a 7 percent light, coppery-brown creation – is now shipped across the planet. It’s the famous ‘red cap’. I sampled it for the first time in a bar in York, England, around a decade ago and I was so impressed I moved to Belgium. Well, almost…
Also in 1948, the ‘bleu’ first saw the light of day. This one weighs in at 9 percent and was originally intended to be a dark, festive season beer. Prepare to be jolly after a couple of those, Santa…
The Holy Trinity became complete with the emergence of the ‘white cap’ in 1966. This, har-de-har, ‘light’ beer (8 percent!) boasts an aroma evocative of the expected fresh hops and the not-so-expected hint of muscat.
To be honest, these beers are not for the faint-hearted but, as they are all created using natural ingredients, the hangovers are at least worthy ones. No nasty chemicals – just good old-fashioned, tasty ale. Adam’s ale, you might say – but just a bit stronger.
While we’re being Biblical, what about these monks then? Surely not even the most devout could resist the occasional tipple of the fantastic beverages they play a part in making.
No, they can’t resist. Truth is, there’s another brew, nowhere near as strong as the ones that you or I would jealously guard in some bar off the Grand Place, but as tasty and refreshing in its own way. It’s a lighter version of the ‘famous three’ and the monks partake of a glass or two from time to time. Shame you’d need to turn Benedictine to partake.
So, even among monks, old habits die hard.
Updated August 2004
From Trappist Monks, Heavenly Brew
All about trappist beer; wiki
photo; Chimay
The Trappist Beers:
Chimay: the art of Trappist cheese and beer.
Chimay - The Art of Trappist Beer and Belgian Cheese.
Bières de Chimay - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Trappist Beer from the Chimay Monastery, Belgium
St. Benedictus Abbey - Achel, Belgium
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Klosterschenke Weltenburg - Our monastery beer is world class (wiki); Weltenburger - Ein Bier im Himmel wie auf Erden; Abbey website
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Benediktinerabtei Weltenburg - A Short Guide to Weltenburg
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