Hopulist Issue Eight

It is a masterfully brewed beer that uses local ingredients
to their fullest and achieves a taste that is wowing beer
drinkers all around Europe.
In the background of the peaks and troughs
of decent beer, though, has been one constant:
Trappist. The select few officially approved
Trappist beers are brewed by monks in their
own monasteries, seeking to help make a little
money for their church, but also to continue
ancient brewing traditions, making beer from
simple, locally-grown ingredients. And now,
after many years, the UK has its own official,
approved Trappist brewer: Mount Saint
Bernard Abbey.
The monks who live, work and worship
in this abbey in rural Leicestershire have
a simple outlook on life, which is reflected
in the simple, pure quality of the beer they
have produced. Tynt Meadow, is so named
after the original cottage that these monks’
brethren arrived at in the area in the early
1800s, and is a full-bodied dark ale, full of
gently balanced flavours including dark
chocolate, pepper and fig. It has gentle
aromas of the same chocolate and fruits,
but also with a hint of liquorice and leaves
a warm and dry feel after sipping. Tynt
Meadow is brewed with English barley and
hops and also uses an English strain of yeast.
This gives it a distinctly different flavour
to Trappist beers you may have tried from
Belgium. It is unique. Another unique thing
about it is that it ferments twice – once in the
tank and then again in the bottle once stored
in a cool, dark place.
The monks of Mount Saint Bernard say
that work provides balance in their life
and keeps their feet firm on the ground
in the pursuit of spiritual perfection. This
attitude definitely comes across with Tynt
Meadow. It isn’t trying to do anything fancy
or innovative, it is a masterfully brewed beer
that uses local ingredients to their fullest and
achieves a taste that is wowing beer drinkers
all around Europe.
The beer has also recently benefitted from
a newly installed artisanal brewery at the
abbey. This means the brewing process
can continue, but only in small batch. The
monks deliberately want to keep production
small, just enough to meet its expenses and
support its charitable work. In more than
one sense, this beer is old school, and we are
proud to call ourselves big fans.