Belgian Strong Dark

The Trappist brewing tradition dates back to the mid 6th century where monks would brew and sell beer to support their Monastic way of life and give to their community. This tradition has carried on for centuries and still lives in Belgium. The Belgian Trappist brewers are known for brewing a light beer, a medium-strength darker beer, a light colored strong beer, and a strong dark beer. The Belgian Strong Dark is a rich, complex, slightly sweet, and a fruit forward beer. This beer is brewed with a pilsner malt base, dark Belgian candi sugar, and highly aromatic yeast. The dark candi sugar is made from caramelized beet juice; the flavors from the sugar and the fermentation give these beers their unique and wonderful flavors. These beers are normally bottled and go through a secondary fermentation; this gives it a high level of carbonation and complexity. Other breweries in Belgium brew this style of beer under “Abbey style”, but only true Trappist breweries are allowed to put the official “Authentic Trappist Product” brand on their beer. Both Abbey and Trappist Belgian Strong Darks are powerful and complex beers that highlight flavors of ripe fruit, chocolate, and figs.