Any Flanders Reds made/commissioned by monks?

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docubus

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Hello,

Does anyone know of any commercial Flanders Reds that are made by monks...or any that are at least commissioned by an abbey?

I know this seems like an odd question, but any feedback you can give would be helpful. Thanks!
 
The big ones I can think of are Duchess, the -tion beers at Russian River, and Tor Rouge, none of which are affiliated with any particular religion that I know of.

Why the interest?
 
I'm a seminary student concentrating my studies in church history. I've been trying to research all of the various beer styles created by monks and how they have influenced each style. Oddly enough, though, I can't find anything about a monastery brewing or commissioning a Flanders Red or Oud Bruin. This seems a little odd, since they have experimented and pioneered so many other styles from that region. I figured asking the HBT community might shed some light on this.

This place is a wealth of information!
 
My understanding is that, for the most part, Trappist monks brewed beer for daily consumption, particularly during winter months, because their styles of beer lasts longer than if it were stored as grain. Sour beers aren't great as a substitute for bread, both because of their strong sour flavor and because of their high alcohol content. (Some Trappist beers are now brewed with higher ABVs; I've been told that those are not original recipes and/or are intended to be consumed by the public, not monks.)
 
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