Water & Soil

The brewing water at Rochefort comes from a well within the monastery walls. According to local lore, digging there released the Tridaine spring, said to be rich in calcium. Anyone crediting this water for the beer's flavor is relying on brewers and connoisseurs rather than on lab analysis.

Rochefort lies in the Famenne, a depression at the edge of the Ardennes where limestone forms the bedrock. Rainwater seeps into fissures there, dissolves the limestone, and re-emerges as hard, mineral-rich spring water. Calcium aids the mashing process by supporting enzyme activity and bringing the mash's acidity into a favorable range. At the same time, it lends the beer's body a certain roundness.

Further south, the terrain changes. On the Ardennes plateau, slate and sandstone dominate, the water is softer, and snow often lingers well into winter. The Achouffe brewery sits right in the middle of this highland country, in a valley between Houffalize and La Roche-en-Ardenne. It's fitting, then, that their lineup includes a winter beer called N'Ice Chouffe.

A distinctive feature of the area is its river valleys. The Meuse has carved deep into the rock between Namur and Dinant, and monasteries, castles, and old cellars line its steep slopes. Cool, damp air prevails there almost year-round, which favors the bottle-conditioning of strong beers. Brewery cellars benefit as well, since the stone insulates against sharp temperature swings, allowing the beer to age evenly. For a strong beer with high alcohol content, that's an advantage you won't find in an attic.