Notes from the cellar

The Monk's Journal

Longer pieces on Belgian beer: the breweries that make it, the places that pour it, and what we find when we go looking.

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Essay

Nobody Called Westvleteren 12 a Quadrupel

The word is centuries old. Its use for beer dates to 1991.

Jayson Snyder12 min readSt. Bernardus Abt 12Westvleteren 12Rochefort 10
Essay

The Waiting Room

Notes on Westvleteren, the beer that would rather you didn't want it

Jayson Snyder11 min readWestvleteren 12Westvleteren BlondWestvleteren 8
Guide

How to Actually Buy Westvleteren

What the abbey's rules actually say, and what the internet keeps getting wrong

Jayson Snyder8 min readWestvleteren BlondWestvleteren 8Westvleteren 12

    Belgian Beer Wisdom

    Did you know?

    Many Belgian beers referment in the bottle, creating natural carbonation and complex flavors.

    Why it tastes different

    The Monk's Dispatch

    One letter a month from our cellar: a beer worth seeking, a brewery worth knowing, a small lesson in the art. What is this?