Specialist beer distributor, James Clay, has announced a deal that will see it distributing the UK’s first ever Trappist beer, due to go on release at the end of the month.
Brewed at Mount Saint Bernard Abbey, in Leicester, the beer is expected to be in bars and bottle shops across the country over the coming weeks.
It is named Tynt Meadow, after the field in which the monks first settled on the abbey property, and adheres to traditional Trappist brewing methods to create a mahogany coloured drink with aromas of dark chocolate, liquorice, and rich fruit flavours. The beer is full bodied, gently balancing the taste of dark chocolate, pepper, and fig.
Tynt Meadow is brewed with English barley and hops, and uses an English strain of yeast. It is twice fermented, the first fermentation taking place in the tank, and the second in the bottle, which should then be stored in a cool, dark, quiet place.
The idea for setting up a brewery within the abbey’s walls came after the brothers began to feel the lack of viability from decades of dairy farming. In a bid to seek alternative means of continuing support of the abbey, the monks, who were granted permission from The Pope to open a brewery, studied the tradition of Trappist brewing from abbeys across Europe, bringing their learnings back to the UK to begin producing their own beer.
Trappist portfolio
The addition of Tynt Meadow takes James Clay’s Trappist portfolio up to six, with the distributor already responsible for bringing beers from La Trappe, Westmalle, Rochefort, Orval and Chimay into UK outlets.
Mike Watson, head of markeing at James Clay, said: “This is a huge milestone for the UK beer scene, and we’re really excited to be working with the our friends at Mount St Bernard Abbey to bring Tynt Meadow to consumers.
“It’s a really special and unique beer that fans of Trappist beer will fall in love with. We currently already distribute a number of other European Trappist beers, all of which are highly regarded amongst our clients, and we think Tynt Meadow will have this same positive impact.”
Father Erik, from Mount St Bernard Abbey, added: “It’s an exciting time for us to be launching Tynt Meadow into the UK market. Being the first active Trappist brewery in the UK puts us in a really good position to bring something truly special to consumers across the country, and we feel honoured to be at the forefront of this.
“All proceeds from the sale will go towards the upkeep of Mount Saint Bernard Abbey and towards charitable works.”
