The Quiet Trappist Brewer
In the far eastern part of the Namur province, bordering on Luxembourg province, sits the Abbey of Our Lady of Saint-Remy near the town of Rochefort. Arguably the least commercial of the Trappist brewers, this monastery produces only four beers, but they are world-renowned for their quality, complexity and finesse.
History
The abbey was established as a convent in 1230 and Cistercian monks made it their home in 1464. Brewing began in Over the years it was the target of a number of marauders. It was destroyed and pillaged in 1568 and again in 1650. It was demolished again during the French Revolution and the abbey’s properties were confiscated in 1797. The abbey and its brewery were occupied by the French and plundered, halting all brewing. It wasn’t until 1887 that the monks rebuilt the abbey and the brewing hall started up again in 1899. At the end of World War I, the Germans stripped the copper from the brewing hall, thus halting brewing once again.
By the end of World War II, Rochefort’s beers had declined in quality, but Chimay helped them by bringing in Jean Declerk and his brother Theodore, who had helped Chimay revamp their recipes. They recommended improvements to the brewing processes and helped the Rochefort monks develop new recipes. By the 1950s, the original “refectory” beer (Rochefort 6) was joined by the stronger and darker Rochefort 8 and 10. In 2020, Rochefort introduced its Triple Extra, the brewery’s first-ever Tripel.
Brewing Rochefort Beers
L to R: The Brewhouse; the Chapel; the Masterpiece
The monks soon realized a good deal of success in the Trappist market and today are considered among the top examples. The recipes have essentially been the same since the 1960s. Part of Rochefort’s uniqueness is attributed to the minerally waters from the Tridaine Spring, in the hills near the brewery. This spring water, along with the Rochefort house yeast, pilsner and caramel malts, Styrian Goldings and Hallertau hops, white and brown candi sugars and a touch of coriander come together to produce some of the finest Trappist ales available.
The Rochefort brewhouse has been roughly the same since the 1960s. Once a beer is brewed, primary fermentation lasts for approximately one week, after which the beer is bottle conditioned in a warm room for two weeks at 68 to 73 degrees Fahrenheit. Which naturally carbonates it in the bottle.
The Rochefort Beer Lineup
As we said, Rochefort makes only four beers:
Rochefort 6 (7.5% ABV) is a reddish-gold with a malty flavor profile and a light bitterness. This is the oldest of the Rochefort offerings and accounts for only about one percent of production.
Rochefort Triple Extra (8.1% ABV) is the newest of the Rochefort beers, introduced in 2020. It is very similar to a beer brewed by Rochefort from 1920 to 1923, Forte Bière Blonde Extra. It is the first new beer from the abbey since 1955 and a latecomer to the Trappist/Abbey Tripel market.
Rochefort 8 (9.2% alcohol) is Rochefort’s most popular beer. It is a “light” quadrupel (kind of an oxymoron). Introduced in 1955, it was originally only brewed for New Year’s celebrations until it went into year-round production in 1960. It is brown in color and fruity, with a touch of spice, leather and figs.
Rochefort 10 (11.3% ABV) is the “heavy” quadrupel and is widely regarded as one of the world’s greatest beers. It has been brewed since the late 1940s. It is a dark reddish-brown, rich, fruity and spicy with an amazingly complex character. While many consider Westvleteren 12 to be the best of the strong dark Trappists, my personal favorite has always been Rochefort 10.
By the Numbers
Many ask about the numbering of Rochefort and Westvleteren beers. These use the antiquated Belgian numbering system for beer strength, which are rarely used any more. The system is quite simple. “6” represents a beer with a starting specific gravity of 1.060. “8” has a starting gravity of 1.080 and “10” signifies a starting gravity of 1.100.
Keeping it simple
Simplicity is at the core of everything at Rochefort. No visitors, no gift shop, no interruptions on the way to making some of the greatest beers in the world.
