Westmalle Brewery
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| Brouwerij Westmalle | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Location | Westmalle Belgium |
| Year opened | 1836 |
| Annual production | 120,000 hL (2004) |
| Active Beers | |
| Westmalle Trappist Dubbel | Dubbel |
| Westmalle Trappist Tripel | Tripel |
| Westmalle Extra | Belgian pale ale |
Westmalle Brewery (Brouwerij der Trappisten van Westmalle) is a Belgian trappist brewery located in the Trappist Abbey of Westmalle (Westmalle).
It produces three trappist beers:
- Westmalle Dubbel, a 7% ABV Dubbel. Despite its dark colour and strong aroma, it is not as rich and full-bodied as one might think on first contact. It does not go straight to the head, and is a local favourite because of its soft flavour. It has a brown color from dark malts and dark candy sugar as well as a dry finish.
- Westmalle Tripel, a 9.5% ABV Tripel. This Belgian Triple ale is made with pale candy sugar and has a very pale color produced from a mash of light pilsener malts. Styrian Goldings hops are used along with some German varieties and the classic Saaz pilsener hop. After a long secondary fermentation, the Triple Westmalle is bottled with a dose of sugar and yeast. It is a memorable drink with hints of fruit and pepper. This beer holds up well in the bottle over time and seems to soften with age.
- Westmalle Extra, a 5% ABV Belgian Pale Ale, only available at the monastery.
The abbey also produces milk and cheese.
[edit] History
The abbey was founded in 1794 but the community was not elevated to the rank of Trappist abbey until April 22, 1836. Martinus Dom, the first abbot decided to brew their own beer. The first beer was served on December 10 of the same year. Local sales began in 1856, and sales to traders commenced in 1921.
Westmalle has brewed a dark beer since 1856, and the current Dubbel is derived from a recipe first brewed in 1926.
In 1934, the brewery developed the first Tripel style beer, and the Westmalle is now considered the prime example of the style.
The brewery was remodeled in 1991. It currently has a bottling capacity of 45,000 bottles per hour, and yearly output of 120,000 hL (in 2004).
