Beer is the nectar of the gods, but I have run into a slight problem when it comes to drinking.
I have a soft spot for American craft beer, but I have started to cross the pond (as they say in England) and expanded into smaller European and Trappist breweries. I have been drinking mostly Belgian and Trappists beers for the past week and they are some of the best ones I have ever tried. Here's a little Belgian beer history lesson if you are not familiar with the difference between Trappist ales and Abbey ales:
Granted they both sound very similar, they are not! All Trappist ales are Abbeys, but not all Abbeys are Trappists. Trappists are only brewed within the walls of 8 different monk monasteries: Chimay, Orval, Rochefort, Westmalle, Westvleteren, Achel, La Trappe, and Gregorius who are nonprofit brewers. Makes sense since they are monks right? Every penny they make goes towards their cost-of-living and maintaining the monastery grounds; the rest goes to charity.
Abbey ales on the other hand are not made within these monasteries, and most are not even made in Europe! To be labeled as an Abbey ale or Abbey style ale a brewery has to be either owned by a church/ abbey, a beer that is sponsored by a defunct abbey, or simply a Belgian style ale that is not connected to a church at all.
Here are some examples:
Trappist: Trappistes Rochefort 8 is created in an approved Trappist monastery in Belgium.
Abbey Ale: St Bernadus Abt 12 is an Abbey Ale with a sponsor.
Abbey Style Ale: Blue Moon Winter Abbey Ale is made here right in the U. S. of A. and does not have an Abbey sponsor, so therefore has no Abbey or Saint in the name.
The easy way to know if you are drinking a Trappist beer is by looking for this easy to find Trappist logo
Some Trappists have been making beer since the 1500s and have perfected their recipes. They are some of the best beers I have ever drank, but they raise one problem- stomach aches. They're not from me drinking too much, or eating fried food, or anything; just strictly from the beer's yeast. I know it's the yeast because I usually only drink them when I am relaxing without food, it's not the style because I've had non-Trappist beers with no issues, and there's usually a ton of sedimented yeast on the bottom of the bottle. I try not to pour any in my glass, but some always comes out.
I've read online that if you drink the yeast, they kick your digestive system into overdrive, similar to yogurt.
So I raise the question: should I stop drinking something that I love just to feel 100% in the morning? Would you stop eating or drinking something so you wouldn't have a mild stomach ache the next day? They're not making me sick, just uneasy. Let me know what you would do.
I tend to be stubborn when it comes to food so I'm most likely going to continue drinking them. I eat all the ice cream I want and Mexican food regularly so I'm familiar with expected stomach aches. Maybe I'll cut back a bit, maybe I won't.
Here's what I had the pleasure of having last night: Trappistes Rochefort 10. It received a 100 on Beer Advocate and I completely agree with their rating. I like Trappistes Rochefort 8 a little better, but I will still reach for a 10 if the price is right. At $6.99 per 11 ounce bottle I can't make this a regular beer.
I will start reviewing beers on here, so stay tuned for upcoming posts.
Cheers,
Chris
