Val-Dieu Triple, a blonde within the abbey walls
In Aubel, this 9% triple connects grains, hops and herbal notes with a place where brewing tradition was revived in 1997.
A living abbey in the Pays de Herve
In Aubel, Val-Dieu Triple provides a tempting reason to explore more of the Pays de Herve. Founded in 1216, the abbey offers an evocative setting; the current beer also tells a recent story. A new brewery was installed here in 1997, reviving a tradition interrupted during the French Revolution. The last monks left in 2001; a Christian community has continued the site's spiritual life since then. I like this dialogue between old heritage and an activity that keeps it alive. This is an abbey beer, brewed within Val-Dieu's walls. Discover the abbey's timeline.
The time fermentation takes
The Triple is 9% ABV and refermented in the bottle. The producer describes a process based on water, barley malt, hops and yeast. After milling and mashing, the wort is separated from the grains and brought to the boil. Hops help build bitterness and aromas. Yeast then transforms the sugars during fermentation. The website describes a six-to-eight-week production cycle for the brewery's beers, with refermentation continuing the work after bottling. This sequence makes time's role tangible: a triple's strength never tells its whole production story. Understand the production stages.
Grains, hops and sweetness
The official description places the aroma around malt, grains and hops. On the palate, these meet herbal notes, noticeable sweetness and bitterness that the brewery describes as broad and smooth. A gentle alcoholic warmth accompanies the whole. The finish can be approached as a continuation of this interplay between hops and roundness, without imposing aromas absent from the producer's description. Served at the recommended 8 to 10°C, it invites a gradual exploration of that balance. Read the Triple's profile.
Looking for two rings
The anecdote can be read on the walls as well as the labels. Two rings associated with the motto In Vinculo Pacis, meaning in the bond of peace, form part of Val-Dieu's identity. The official website invites you to recognise them in the abbey's decoration and on the bottles. A small motif thus becomes a thread through the visit: a door, stained-glass window or piece of furniture looks different when you know what it conveys. Read the history of these symbols.
Brewery and abbey in Aubel
Production remains at the heart of the abbey. Guided visits introduce the heritage or combine abbey and brewery; bookings go through official channels. The park, architectural setting and Casse-Croûte restaurant encourage a longer stop, depending on current arrangements. Check the official visitor page to choose your route and plan your arrival.
Photos and credits
Photo 1 — Courtyard of Val-Dieu Abbey in Aubel, photographed in 2019. AnitaBeimert · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source.
Photo 2 — Val-Dieu bottling facility photographed in August 2018, before the 2020–2021 extensions. Paul Hermans · CC BY 4.0 · Source.
Photo 3 — Cloister gallery at Val-Dieu Abbey, photographed in 2018. Paul Hermans · CC BY 4.0 · Source.
For adults only. Enjoy in moderation.
