Malt & Grain

The dark beer of the Westhoek monks starts with barley malt. Malt is barley that's been moistened, allowed to germinate, and then dried so its starch later breaks down into sugar during the brew. The hotter the kiln, the roaster the oven that dries it, the darker and toastier the malt becomes.

A pale beer like a Tripel or Blond needs only lightly kilned Pilsner malt. It provides body, a touch of bread, and a clean canvas for yeast and hops to play on. For Westvleteren 12 or St. Bernardus Abt 12, darker malts join in, bringing notes of bread crust, raisin, and caramel.

Sugar is another Belgian hallmark. Brewers add candi sugar to the wort, the sugary liquid before fermentation. Dark candi sugar contributes color and a sweetness reminiscent of dried figs, while pale candi sugar makes the beer drier and stronger without weighing it down. The sugar ferments out almost completely, which is why a 10-percent beer stays surprisingly light on its feet. The yeast consumes it, leaving behind alcohol and aroma but barely any sweetness.

In Germany, this would only be allowed in a top-fermented beer outside Bavaria, since the Provisional Beer Law permits cane or beet sugar in top-fermented beers. In Belgium, no such limit applies — it's entirely up to the brewery.

A classic Trappist beer needs no wheat, oats, or spices. The monks in Westvleteren list just five natural ingredients behind their three beers: Blond, 8, and 12.