The Abbey of Saint Sixtus of Westvleteren, Flanders, Belgium produces some of the most iconic authentic Trappist beers in the world. One of their beers known as the Westvleteren 12 is a 10.20% ABV Quadrupel, according to our classifications here in the West. It’s easily regarded as the best in its style, and the simple fact that it can only be purchased at the Abbey makes it quite difficult to obtain (aside from a small batch being imported to the USA this year).

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Nothing screams “monk-tastic” like a nice, rich Belgian Ale. When you’re in your local distributor or bottle shop, you may notice that a few bottles say Trappist while others say Abbey. There is a distinction and history surrounding it, and I plan on attempting to break down the difference which may help you impress fellow beer geeks.

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