Brewery Slagmuylder is the last active brewery in a town that formerly had 30. The brewery stands on the grounds of the original Abbey of Ninove and boasts its own small museum. It is a delight to tour while you sample the brewery’s delicious ales—justly famous for being uniquely light-bodied and aromatic interpretations of the Belgian abbey style.
Slaghmuylder makes the only beer brewed by a layman ever permitted to use the “Trappist” designation on the label. Today the handsome 150 year old brewery is overseen by three cousins who are descendants of the founder Emmanuel Slaghmuylder, a grain merchant turned brewer. The Slaghmuylder cousins brew Witkap Stimulo (the formerly “Trappist” beer) according to a recipe first developed at the Drie Linden brewery (in nearby Brasschaat). The Slaghmuylders took over Drie Linden in 1981. The brewer there, Henrick Verlinden, was instrumental in developing many celebrated beers for Trappist monasteries. Verlinden was so beloved by the Brothers, and his contributions were so valued, that they conferred on him a special honor. For the duration of his life, his Witkap beers (made at his own brewery) would be allowed to carry the “Trappistenbier” (Trappist Beer) designation. Witkap refers to the cowl worn by the Cistercians. The brewer at Slaghmuylder is the young passionate Karel Goddeau who is also associated with the lambic brewery, DeCam.
Witkap Stimulo is the most celebrated of the brewery’s beers. Today it bears the “abbey” designation. lt is twice fermented, once in vat and once in bottle. Witkap Singel is the lightest of the Trappist style beers and is typically drunk at the midday meal. Witkap has a very high fermentation temperature (22 degrees Celsius). It is held at this temperature for five days. The beer is aged for four weeks at 5 degrees Celsius. The beers are then centrifuged. At bottling, Witkap is dosed with candi sugar and new yeast. A blonde beer that sparkles like champagne, it has an extremely estery nose with typical abbey notes of banana and berry. Unusually, this is followed by a light body and lemony finish. Overall the effect is something one could describe as an abbey lager. Witkap is invariably a surprise hit at tastings and is well worth seeking out.
Rated “4 star a classic of its style” in The Good Beer Guide to Belgium by Tim Webb.
Witkap 750ml bottles will be available in 2011.
