Dark brown color. Great strength balanced by a complexity of flavors and firm malt backbone. The bouquet covers a wide range: port wine, leather, apricots, oak, spices - a deeply intriguing beverage.

Lamb shanks with juniper berries, wild chantrelle mushrooms, truffles, or dishes with intensely reduced sauces. Serve in the traditional stemmed Rochefort goblet. The Abbey of St-Remy, in the southern part of Belgium, was founded in 1230, and the monks began to brew beer sometime around 1595. The beautiful small brewery in the abbey, Rochefort Trappistes, is one of only seven Trappist breweries in the world and makes full-bodied, deeply flavored dark ales. They are bottle-conditioned and among the world's most highly-respected beverages.

Many modern beers call themselves "abbey" or "abbey style ales," but the original and official abbey beers are brewed in Belgium and The Netherlands by Cistercian monks known as the Trappists. Trappist beers are not really a style of beer, but the seven breweries currently run by Trappist monks produce incredible beers that share a common heritage, history and many similar characteristics. Notably, the Trappist beers are often considered by experts to be among the best beers in the world.

Seven Trappist orders currently exist and brew beer including Orval, Rochefort, Chimay, Westmalle, Westvleteren, Achel and Koningshoeven (La Trappe).