Westmalle Extra, Westmalle
Added: Friday, April 2nd 2021
| Style | Trappist | ABV 4.8% |
Westmalle Extra 4.8%
The monks at Westmalle Abbey near Antwerp in Belgium have released a new beer that until now has been brewed solely for their own consumption.
The brewery is famous for its 7% Dubbel and 9.5% Tripel. Extra has a lower ABV and is designed to accompany simple meals. The brewery was built in 1836 and was updated in the 1930s in Art Deco style, with a brew kettle fired by direct flame. The water for brewing is hard, which suits the production of pale beers. The monks use spring barleys from Bavaria and France and whole flower hops are German Tettnanger, Czech Saaz and Styrian Goldings. Unlike the stronger beers, no brewing sugars are used for Extra.
The bottle-conditioned beer is pale gold with a powerful pear fruit aroma with honeyed malt and spicy hops. Hops build in the mouth, balanced by sweet malt and ripe fruit. The finish starts bittersweet with rich honeyed malt and pear fruit, but hops finally dominate in a spicy and bitter finale.
The beer is available from www.beermerchants.com and www.thebelgianbeercompany.com £2.80 per bottle.
