Can you imagine an English beer created especially for the flavour? Not for profit, just for quality? Well, now you don’t need to imagine, as this Trappist beer finally exists! There are thirteen Trappist breweries in the world, but there is only one in the UK. There used to be fourteen Trappist breweries, however the last living monks from Achel brewery in Belgium are no longer living at the monastery, therefore it can no longer be considered Trappist.
Based in Leicestershire, the Mount Saint Bernard Abbey produced their very first beer, Tynt Meadow, in 2018. Since then, it’s been a constant battle to get your hands on their incredible creation as the worldwide demand is too high for them to keep up with production.
What Is A Trappist Brewery?
Any brewery cannot be a Trappist brewery as there are certain requirements to be classified as Trappist. To be a Trappist brewery, it must be located within the walls of a monastery. Examples include Chimay and Westmalle breweries based in Belgium. It’s monitored by the International Trappist Association and the beer itself must be brewed either by the monks or supervised under them for it to be classified as a Trappist beer. If there are no living monks within the monastery, it cannot be classified as Trappist, just like the Achel brewery mentioned earlier.
All of the money raised from selling the products made is put back into the monasteries to keep them running, as well as used for charitable causes.
Why Choose Tynt Meadow?
The abbey was built upon a meadow in 1835, and the beer is affectionately named after the meadow. Tynt Meadow beer is sold by a few retailers as well as within the abbeys own shop. The beer itself is the first to be brewed by English monks since the Reformation. You can even watch a documentary on the story of the monks within the monastery named Outside The City.
Tynt Meadow is full-bodied and mahogany in colour with a warm, dry finish and an aroma featuring gentle hints of liquorice, fruit and dark chocolate. It is so good that on a Sunday, the monks choose to wind down and relax by gathering in the meadow and drinking their own brew together. The taste carefully balances dark chocolate, pepper and fig. It’s made with English barley and hops and an equally British strain of yeast. Twice-fermented, once in the tank and once in the bottle, it creates a simple, yet flavoursome beer.
The International Trappist Association regulations state that monasteries aren’t allowed to sell beer for profit. Instead they sell their beer in the hopes of being able to fix things on the grounds and fund their way of life within the monastery. Not only that, the profits are also used towards charity wherever possible. If that’s not enough to make you want to try this delicious beer, nothing will.
Want to try the monk’s famous concoction yourself? You can! If it’s out of stock, you can always join our waiting list and be the first to know when it’s back in stock. Alternatively, we offer a Trappist World Beer Mixed Pack containing Trappist beers from around the world, including Tynt Meadow…
