Pairing Belgian Abbey Ales with Craft Chocolate
by David Nilsen
Belgium has a long-held monastic brewing tradition that has a strong influence on its modern beer scene. Many abbeys and monasteries (the words usually get used interchangeably) in Belgium and around Europe have historically brewed beer for commercial use, and while their numbers are dwindling, there are still many abbeys brewing their own beer. Additionally, many secular breweries in Belgium pay homage to this tradition by brewing beers in common abbey styles.
Technically, there are no specific styles an abbey has to brew, and there have been abbey breweries that have produced everything from Witbier to IPA to Bock. The styles most commonly associated with Belgian abbey brewing however are known as Single, Dubbel, Tripel, and Quadrupel, and these are the styles typically being referred to as “abbey ales.”
Right off the bat, let’s discuss those names—we don’t actually know for sure where they come from, and there is a lot of misinformation out there in books and on the internet because of it. A Tripel isn’t three times…anything. It isn’t three times the strength of a Single, and it isn’t brewed with three times the amount of malt. None of those multipliers in these beer names directly correspond to anything, though they do roughly scale in strength from Single to Quadrupel.
I’ll tell you right away Single is a tough sell when it comes to pairing with chocolate. The style is very light-bodied, very dry, and moderately bitter. While there are some decent pairings to be found, it’s not a style I would generally recommend people reach for with chocolate. It’s also by far the hardest of these four styles to find on draft lists or store shelves. For those reasons, we’re going to skip Single and just discuss Dubbel, Tripel, and Quadrupel.
Let’s look at each of these styles and discuss how they can be paired with craft chocolate.
Dubbel
Description—Dubbel is a brown Belgian ale of moderate strength (usually 6-8% abv) and a balance of malt and fermentation flavors. Dubbels usually carry the subtle influence of expressive Belgian ale yeast, but often not as prominently as many other Belgian styles. Gentle notes of dried fruits and sometimes pear or banana accent malt character of toast, caramel, and mild cocoa, with background spice notes. Highly carbonated, medium bodied, and moderately dry.
Examples—Westmalle Dubbel, Chimay Première, La Trappe Dubbel, Rochefort 6, Ommegang Abbey Ale, St. Bernardus Prior 8, Maredsous Brune, Taxman Deduction.
Pairing with Chocolate—Dubbels find a perfect textural union with dark milk chocolates. The fullness and moderate sweetness of these bars play on the smooth mouthfeel of the beer while pulling forward its caramel and dried fruit flavors. Additionally, bars highlighting alternative sugars such as maple can work well too, as can sone lower to moderate percentage single origin dark bars, as long as they aren’t bitter or astringent. Lower percentage dark bars with gentle spice or fruit inclusions can work.
Avoid When Pairing—Single origin dark chocolate with bold flavors or elevated bitterness or astringency will cause a harsh or thin perception with Dubbels. Bars that are too sweet can highlight how dry and relatively light these beers are.
Example Pairing—Chimay Première weighs in at 7.0% ABV, and has notes of plum and cherry and brown sugar in a dry body with mild bitterness. A pairing with Latitude Dark Milk from Uganda yields silky caramel with flavors of dried dates with milk and honey, with the roasty “chocolate” flavor provides a bookend to keep those sweeter flavor notes in check. And don't get me started on these velvety textures together...
Tripel
Description—Tripel is a pale Belgian ale style of considerable strength (usually 7-9% abv). Despite being quite high in alcohol, Tripels are quite light and drinkable for their strength. This is due largely to the use of Belgian candi sugar during brewing, which ferments out entirely without leaving behind and body or weight. This allows a brewer to achieve a high alcohol content without a correspondingly heavy body. This has to be done carefully though so the alcohol flavor doesn’t become harsh.
Tripels are characterized by gentle but notable fermentation flavors, typically fruit notes of apple, pear, or banana, and spicy notes of pepper, clove, or related spices. Honey or mind confectionary- or bread-like malt notes are common, along with floral, grassy, or perfumy hop aromas. Highly effervescent and dry-bodied, with some notable alcohol warmth.
Examples—Westmalle Tripel, Chimay Cinq Cents, New Belgium Trippel, Allagash Tripel, Unibroue La Fun du Monde, Straffe Hendrik Tripel.
Pairing with Chocolate—Tripels shine with bars with spice or sugar flavors that complement their malt and fruity esters without amplifying their bitterness. Milk or dark chocolates in the 50-70% range that features dark sugars or warm but gentle baking spices are ideal, and bars at the lower end of that range with herbal or floral inclusions can work as well, so long as the planty notes aren't overly bitter.
Avoid When Pairing—High percentage bars or bars with elevated bitterness, as these can become harsh with Tripels. Low percentage and most white bars will get washed out by Tripel’s intensity.
Example Pairing—Westmalle Abbey in Belgium brews the original (and, arguably, the best) Tripel, and it features some, sweet banana notes, a touch of honey malt, grassy hops, and understated clove, all in a creamy but relatively light body with bracing bitterness when fresh.
Violet Sky’s Maple + Vanilla bar comes in higher than my recommended percentage at 77%, but crystalized maple sugar on the bar counteracts this with a comforting sweetness. The flavor impression of this pairing is of banana and chocolate chip pancakes lightly drizzled with maple syrup, with just a touch of lingering vanilla on the finish.
Quadrupel
Description—Quadrupel is the strongest of the Belgian ale styles. Beers of this type have historically been brewed as feast beers for special guests or holidays at abbeys, though they are now mostly brewed year-round. Quads present a complex balance of malt and fermentation flavors, with dark bread, dark sugar/caramel, dried and stewed fruits, subtle spice, and gentle perfumy alcohol notes, with a warming strength and full, creamy mouthfeel despite finishing fairly dry.
Examples—Chimay Grande Reserve, Straffe Hendrik Quad, La Trappe Quadrupel, St. Bernardus Abt. 12, Rochefort 10, Ommegang Three Philosophers, Taxman Qualified.
Pairing with Chocolate—Quadrupels are often excellent candidates for experimenting with single origin dark chocolates due to their complex but gentle flavor profiles and impression of sweetness. Grab some single origins bars in the 70-80% range, particularly those with fruitier notes, and a Quadrupel and see what your favorite is!
Avoid When Pairing—Most bars under 65% will get washed out by Quads, and most over 80% will be too bitter. Bars with spice additions—which may pair well in concept—often become harsh and bitter when they meet this style’s high alcohol content and relative dryness.
Example Pairing—St. Bernardus Christmas Ale is a more indulgent example of a Belgian Quad, with a fuller body and a bit of residual sweetness. The beer balances out the black tea notes of Argencove’s Apoyo Nicaragua 70% bar to create the impression of acidic caramel over raisins.
