A man on a mission....to find Trappist beer and drink it

There are just seven Trappist breweries in the world. Only one exists outside Belgium. La Trappe. 

It is hidden away in a monastery in the south of the Netherlands, deep in the Dutch countryside. Here, monks toil over hand crafted ales as they have for centuries. Mixing prayer and penitence, hops and malt, they create bespoke brews that reflect a devotion to excellence and centuries of craft. 

These beers are unique. And at 11% alcohol, some will blow your head off. To boost alcohol content in a brewed beverage, the monks let it freeze (by the back door), remove the ice, leaving the more concentrated ethanol in the brew.

On a bleak, sleety, wintery day, we went, via Breda and Tilbourg, to find this place.

And find it we did. Over steak and pea soup, duck breast and local bread, we sampled La Trapp's Bockbier, crafted seasonally. Alongside it, a one off quadrupel, aged in Spanish sherry oak casks. Both were superb.....complex, creamy, soft, rich drinks that were memorable and special.

What is the perfect beer? These two are very, very close. Rich will keep searching. It is a lonely, noble task, except when he is in company and has had too many.

The search continues.