Sometimes the planets align and something wonderful happens. Well, my dear friends,
those planets justlined up and something wonderful did indeed happen. Just a few weeks ago one of my favorite breweries introduced a new line of my favorite style of brews — Belgian Ales.
In conjunction with Cistercian Abbey of New Clairvaux, Sierra Nevada is producing a series of three Belgian style ales to benefit the monks’ eforts to rebuild a 12th century, early-gothic Cistercian chapter house a few miles north of Sierra Nevada’s home in Chico. The medieval chapterhouse—Santa Maria de Ovila—was begun in 1190, near the village of Trillo, Spain. The chapterhouse was shipped from Spain, piece-by-piece, to California by William Radolph Herst. Herst never got around to putting it back together, though. So, in 1994, the monks of the Abbey of New Clairvaux, began the arduous task of putting the building back together stone-by-stone.
The Ovial brews that will be made are a dubbel, a saison, and a quad. Each will be brewed using the traditional methods and ingredients. And, as is expected from Sierra Nevada, you can be sure that they will be brewed using the highest quality ingredients.
The first brew, Ovial Abbey Dubbel shipped last month, the saison should be available in June, and the quad for Christmas.
You can learn more about these exciting beers at the website Sierra Nevada built specifically for them.
Until next time,
Long Live the Brewers!
Cheers!
Marc Wisdom
The ATL Beer Guy 