Westvleteren 12
Widely considered the world's greatest beer. Brewed by Cistercian monks at Saint Sixtus Abbey. Dark fruit, chocolate, caramel with a long warming finish. Sold only at the abbey gate — you must phone ahead to reserve a case.
Rochefort 10
Rich plum, raisin, dark chocolate, and yeast spice. Brewed by Trappist monks since 1595. One of the most complex and celebrated ales ever made.
Rochefort 8
Dark fruit, toffee, and rich malt. More accessible than Rochefort 10 but equally complex. A Trappist benchmark that any serious beer drinker must experience.
Chimay Grande Réserve (Blue)
Rich, malty, fruity with roasted notes. Chimay's flagship and most celebrated expression, first brewed in 1948. Widely available yet consistently extraordinary.
Orval
Dry-hopped and wild yeast-conditioned with Brettanomyces. Funky farmhouse complexity unique among Trappists. Changes dramatically with age — fresh is floral, aged is barnyard gold.
Westmalle Tripel
The original Tripel — golden, fruity, spicy. The benchmark for the entire style. First brewed in 1934, widely imitated but never surpassed by non-Trappist breweries.
La Trappe Quadrupel
Dried fruit, caramel, and warming alcohol. The only Dutch Trappist brewery, founded in 1884. Rich and indulgent, oak-aged versions released periodically.
Leffe Blonde
Soft fruit, vanilla, and gentle spice. Belgium's most widely distributed abbey ale — the gateway to Belgian beer for millions worldwide. Brewed under licence from Abbaye de Leffe since 1952.
Chimay Première (Red)
First brewed in 1862 and has remained virtually unchanged. Fruity, slightly bitter with light roast character. The most approachable of Chimay's trio and a perfect introduction to Trappist beer. Excellent with aged cheese.
Affligem Tripel
Honey, citrus, and spice from one of Belgium's oldest abbey brewing sites (1074 AD). Brewed by Heineken since 2000 but retaining its authentic recipe and character. An accessible entry point into Tripel-style ales.
Maredsous 10 Tripel
Fruit, spice, and honey from a Benedictine abbey in the Namur province. Brewed under licence by Duvel Moortgat since the 1960s. Golden, warming, and complex — the abbey's premium expression.
Achel Extra Bruin
Plum, fig, chocolate, and warming alcohol from Belgium's smallest Trappist brewery. Only available on draught at the abbey itself. Recently lost its official Trappist designation but remains made by monks.
Westmalle Dubbel
Dark, complex, and rich. First brewed in its current form in 1926 and regarded as the original Dubbel. Dark fruit, caramel, chocolate, and a dry finish. The abbey that gave us both the Dubbel and Tripel style deserves two spots on this list.