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Tynt Meadow, English Trappist Ale, Now in the USA

There were 7 Trappist breweries, which back in the late 1990s, seemed like how it always was and always would be. And to be fair, back then the youngest Trappist, Orval, dated to 1931. Nothing had changed for a long time.  


Here in the USA, due to a variety of factors, Trappist beers were rather expensive, special occasion beers. Filled with mystery and legend to match their out of the ordinary flavors.

But times always be a changin (eventually). Between 2012 and 2016, 5 more Trappist breweries opened up, usually in countries not known for Trappist beer. 


The most recent, from 2016,  is Tynt Meadow, from Mount St Bernard Abbey in Leicestershire, England. Imported by Merchant du Vin, Tynt Meadow is now available here in the USA. This arrival was met with silence for the most part. This only crossed my radar, when I saw a post from Hopleaf Bar in Chicago. I figured if nobody else seemed to be writing about it, why not me?


Photo from Wikipedia by Funkimunk - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=82098461


Here’s the official description of the beer: Tynt Meadow is mahogany-coloured, with a subtle, warm red hue, and a lasting beige head. Its aroma carries hints of dark chocolate, liquorice, and rich fruit flavours. The beer is full-bodied, gently balancing the taste of dark chocolate, pepper, and fig. It leaves a warm and dry finish on the palate.


Tynt Meadow is brewed with English barley and hops, using an English strain of yeast. It is twice-fermented, with the first fermentation taking place in the tank, and the second in the bottle.


I haven’t had a chance to try it yet; it sounds delicious. The ABV is 7.4%. From the description, it sounds like the Mount St. Bernard monks have learned well from their fellow Trappists brewers. One difference is that most Trappist monasteries have a lot of lay co-workers, Tynt Meadow is 100% monk brewed, bottled, and packaged. 


I spoke with Hopleaf’s Michael Roper about Tynt Meadow. He describes it as an interesting dark brown ale, not Belgian but quite British, more of a winter beer. Though when we were spoke (Mike in Chicago, me in DC at the time), most the US was experiencing a mid-summer heat wave.


Hopleaf, an OG craft beer bar, has always carried a wide selection of Trappist beers, and they still do. Well worth a long visit anytime you're in Chicago.


Links (which have interesting stuff that didn’t fit here)

http://www.mountsaintbernard.org/tynt-meadow-ale

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trappist_beer

https://merchantduvin.com/the-breweries/tynt-meadow/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tynt_Meadow

https://hopleafbar.com/

 

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