The Beer Tourist

Trappist beers are hot at the moment with long queues in front of the Westvleteren abbey gates, La Trappe beers returning to "official authenticity" and the increased volumes at Westmalle and Orval.

At the beer café De Gans in Huise, Oostvlaanderen they have their own way to make trappist beer hot: De Verbrande Trappist. A glass of Chimay Rouge gets an encounter with a red-hot poker from the open log-fire, and the trappist seems to take the treatment as a modern-day flagellant, as a hardship endured on the path to salvation.

As the poker is slowly stirred into the beer, the already decent trappist head rises dramatically, becoming even more creamy. The beer does not really get very hot, though, but it takes on some really interesting smokey flavours teaming up nicely with the caramelising sugars. The result is indeed a more interesting beer.

Asked whether Chimay Rouge is the only trappist that would benefit from this treatment, the answer was affirmative. Could it have something to do with the amount of candi sugar present?

Burning a trappist may not become your everyday activity, but should be a pleasurable enough exercise, whether you are a believer or not!