A French abbey has launched a cheese washed in Trappist Westvleteren 8 from Sint-Sixtus Abbey. This is the first time Trappist beer has been used in a cheese. It was created to mark the 200th anniversary of the Mont des Cats Abbey in northern France.
The new cheese is the result of a collaboration between the two abbeys. “There is a long and strong historical bond between us,” a spokesperson for Sint-Sixtus said.
The Abbey of Mont des Cats was founded in 1826. Five years later, a group of monks travelled to the Westvleteren area of West Flanders to join a hermit living there. This gave rise to the first priory, which would later develop into the Sint-Sixtus Abbey.
“Whereas we used to make our own cheese for personal consumption at Sint-Sixtus Abbey, that tradition is now continued by Mont des Cats Abbey,” the spokesperson said. “They still have their own cheese dairy today. That’s how we came up with the idea of lending our beer to create a unique cheese.”
The cheese matures for about a month in the abbey’s cellars and gains an extra dimension of flavour from the addition of the beer. During production, the cheese is immersed in the beer for 48 hours.
As a result, both the rind and the cheese absorb the aroma of Westvleteren 8. The result is a semi-hard, creamy cheese with a slightly salty taste. Adding Westvleteren 8 gives the flavour greater intensity without becoming too extreme, the abbey says. The rind is intended to be eaten.
In Belgium, the cheese is only available at the In de Vrede meeting centre, opposite the Sint-Sixtus Abbey in Westvleteren. It is also available in the Mont des Cats shop. As with other Trappist products, the proceeds are used to support the abbey community, pay staff, invest in production and support charitable causes.