The monastery of St.Sixtus near the small village of Westvleteren can be found in the southern part of the Flemish region of Flanders, close to the French border . This monastery is found in a very remote area of Belgium near the hop producing town of Poperinge. Thirsty visitors can enjoy the rich ales of Westvleteren in the cafe “De Vrede”.

In cafe “De Vrede” we sampled the Special, the Extra and the Abbott.

• The Special is a complex, spicy ale with an alcohol content of almost 5% by weight and 6% by volume.
   

• The Extra comes in at around 6% alcohol by weight and 8% by volume. The Extra also features a slight, warm alcohol presence.
   

• The Abbott comes in at around 8,8% alcohol by weight and 11% by volume. It is a rich beer with a delicious body.  “Westvleteren Abbott ale” is like heaven on earth.

In the 1940’s the abbey gave permission for this monastic name to be used by the small brewery nearby. The beers from this secular brewery were known simply as “St.Bernardus”. In recent years agreement has ended, but the “St.Bernardus” brewery uses different strains of yeast and as a result their beers have a different flavor profiles. The St.Sixtus monastery is a beautiful stone building with a large stone wall between the abbey and the tiny road.

The wonderful beer in the café really to warmed up our bodies and souls…

Lynn Segers