England was not exactly overflowing with Trappist breweries. Then a group of Cistercian monks in Leicestershire quietly started brewing one and immediately made history.

Tynt Meadow became the first English Trappist beer when it launched from Mount Saint Bernard Abbey in 2018. Brewed entirely within the monastery grounds by the monks themselves, it joined a very small group of officially recognised Trappist beers produced under strict monastic rules. The name comes from the meadowland surrounding the abbey, though the beer itself is considerably darker than that might suggest.

The ale is a rich, dark strong beer built around layers of chocolate, dried fruit, liquorice and roasted malt. Despite sitting at 7.4%, it remains remarkably balanced. There is depth and warmth without drifting into heavy sweetness, which is often where stronger dark ales can get themselves into trouble.

What makes Tynt Meadow particularly interesting is that it feels influenced by Belgian Trappist tradition while still carrying a distinctly English character. The brewing heritage is monastic, but the flavour profile sits comfortably within Britain’s long history of darker ales.

The fact that one of the most talked-about British beers of recent years came from a monastery rather than a trendy industrial unit remains quietly amusing.