Exercises in the Discernment of the Spirits (Fourth in a Series)

 

 EXERCISES IN THE DISCERNMENT OF THE SPIRITS (FOURTH IN A SERIES)

“True discretion is only secured by true humility. And of this humility the first proof 

is given by reserving everything for the scrutiny of the elders, so as not to trust at all 

in your own judgment but to acquiesce in their decisions in all points.”

—Saint John Cassian, Second Conference of Abbot Moses, Chapter 10

 

Chimay Blue Trappist Beer

Originally released in 1944 as a Christmas beer, credits to Brother Théodore of fond and lasting memory, its popularity locally and abroad led the monastery to regularly output it as a fixture in its matchless portfolio.

Pouring it yields a generous, frothy head, three to four inches high, meditative and entrancing, pausing at length. Aroma is fresh and mild, sweet, malty, yeasty, aqueous, and delightfully mineral, surprisingly enticing and luxuriantly sensual. Deeply, intriguingly brown, a tad darker than Chimay Red’s and likewise notably transparent and pure, it is appealingly and magnificently colored. Densely sweet, pleasurably so, it is joined with rich notes of chocolate, coffee, molasses, raisins, and the like, while everything is appreciably bitter and hoppy, especially in the aftertaste. Christmas is here, it is always present—its name is Chimay Blue.

It kicks a bit more than Chimay Red, but it won’t tip you over.

Rating: 5 stars

 

Chimay Red Trappist Beer

Chimay Red is Trappist brown ale of the finest quality. Originally brewed in 1862, it was nearly lost to history at the beginning of World War II when German soldiers commandeered the facilities and left them in ruins. The monks had to vacate the location in 1940 and again in 1942, and when they returned in 1944, the monastery with the brewery had to be rebuilt.

Brother Théodore was sent to study under the brewing master Jean De Clerck of the Catholic University of Leuven, both of venerable memory, after which in 1948 the monastery released the reinvented product under the Chimay Red label according to a reconstituted recipe.

Today Trappist beers manufactured at the Abbey of Our Lady of Scourmont, Chimay, Belgium, are famous worldwide. They occupy an established place in the celebratory pantheon of beers.

Chimay Red beer has a rich, fluffy head, up to three inches high on first pouring, effusing a fresh water, vegetal, yeasty aroma, appetizing and pleasing. Dark chestnut brown, dim and shadowy in the center and dusky blonde in the perimeter where it is more lit and less dense, it is sweetly luscious and tasty, scrumptious even, strongly tart and bitterly satisfying, suggestively meaty, if that is at all possible. Spicy and tangy, it features berry high notes and fruity undertones against a toothsome chocolate background.

Rating: 5 stars

Chimay White Trappist Beer

Chimay White is the outstanding pale ale brewed by Father, previously Brother Théodore, in 1966, to complete the Belgian Trappist monastery’s globally renowned original triplet. This fine brew upon pouring produces an abundantly frothy head, three to four inches deep. A shadowy golden hue, slightly turbid, shining, appealing, mellow is accompanied by a hoppy fragrance intermixing with sweet fresh water, vegetal scents, all appetizingly pleasant. Deliciously flavorful, tasty, it delivers a rich, luxuriant feeling in the mouth, stimulating and bubbly, with bitter notes, zesty yet diffident, and winning. Aftertaste is lingering, lasting, memorable, and mild. It is filling, satisfying, and pleasurable. It ranks among the very best.

Rating: 5 stars

 

Aperol Spritz at Salvatore Cuomo Café, Podium, Pasig City, Philippines

Description: Aperol liqueur, soda water, sparkling wine

Originally a Venetian invention, a Spritz is an ever so lightly alcoholic cocktail usually consumed as an aperitif.

Aperol Spritz, our subject under scrutiny, is a bright, summery variant, indulgent and ephemeral, almost, steeping in vibrant orange liqueur, which consists of gentian, rhubarb, cinchona, and other fine herbs. Exquisitely bitter, slightly tart, crisply textured, with a citrusy fragrant aroma, rousingly chill, it’s definitely worth a try. Syrup settles at the bottom and sweetly collects, serving up a pleasurable finish. Saluti!

Rating: 4 stars

 

Yellow Chartreuse

Originally concocted by Carthusian monks in 1840 as a lighter version of Green Chartreuse, which dates to 1764, Yellow Chartreuse is an alluring golden liqueur renowned for its inimitable taste experience and storied history.

Evicted in 1789 during the French Revolution, the monks were able to return in 1816 to their monastery in the mountains of Chartreuse near Grenoble. After losing their Chartreuse trademark to the French government in 1903, they were able to recover its ownership in 1929.

Today two monks safeguard the secret recipe consisting of up to 130 herbs and plants. Connoisseurs who try out this famous yellow elixir—its color derives mainly from saffron—will be greeted by a minty fresh fragrance and complexly herbal scent. Marvelously, singularly sweet, pleasantly, uniquely bitter, with manifold exotic vegetal notes, it lingers blissfully, warming the lips and inside throat. It has a smooth, creamy consistency, lavish, and a cleansing palate, closing with an indelible aftertaste and incomparable finish—introspective, lulling, and cheery, interiorly transforming. The kick (43 percent ABV) is subtle, gentle, definitely present yet almost imperceptible. On the rocks, it is memorably, dreamily chill, almost a contemplative event—intoxicating introduction to the hermetic spirit.

Rating: 5 stars

 

Green Chartreuse

Green Chartreuse is the famous classic herbal liqueur derived from a 1605 “elixir of long life” recipe passed on to the Carthusian monks by François Hannibal d'Estrées, who according to tradition was a marshal of artillery under the French King Henry IV. The formulation today is distilled according to a 1737 adjustment by Brother Gérome Maubec of the original recipe.

Transparently crystal clear and refractive, the color of Green Chartreuse drifts between olive yellow and emerald green. A strong indefinably herbal aroma imbued with unmistakably alcoholic scents greets your nose, satisfying in itself, and invites you to dwell for a time on the lulling fragrance.

Spicy, its sting travels rapidly throughout, warming the inside of your nose and mouth, descending into the gullet and expanding from the sternum. Sweet and markedly bitter, it is smooth, creamy, and licorice-like, dense, with a long lingering aftertaste inviting attention and focus and rising to a contemplation of sorts. Chill from the ice amplifies the inward experience. Kick (55 percent ABV) is mild yet patent. Drink it slowly.

In sum, its singular qualities include its inviting, entrancing aroma; strong, sensual, flavorful herbal fusion—deliciously breathable, exquisitely complex, distinctively bitter, and notably spicy; suffusing, warming heat; and abiding aftertaste, worthwhile in itself.

Magical and embracing, it departs gradually with a touch of sadness. Best means nothing is better.

Rating: 5 stars