Abbey and abbey-style beers

Abbey beers (Bières d'Abbaye or Abdijbier) are either:

  1. brewed by a commercial brewer with license from an existing abbey; or
  2. branded with the name of a defunct or fictitious abbey by a commercial brewer; or
  3. given a vaguely monastic branding, without mentioning a specific monastery, by a commercial brewer.

Abbey beers include dubbels and tripels, the most recognizable and distinctive Trappist types.

Some beer writers warn against assuming that closeness of connection with a real monastery is indicative of quality of product.

Various Abbey beers include Inbev's Leffe, Affligem, Grimbergen, Maredsous, St. Bernardus, Tripel Karmeliet, Saint-Feuillien, Floreffe, and Val-Dieu.

If the 1st condition is fulfilled, then it's real and certified Abbey-beer thus you may find an appropriate logo (a Gothic window shape) from the label. Otherwise, the beer is just an abbey-style beer.

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