Trappistes Rochefort 6, 8 and 10

GRAVITY PULLS Monks have a lot of time on their hands. And to support those oh-so-attractive haircuts they must maintain, they often turn to brewing beer. At the Belgian Abbey of Notre-Dame de Saint-Rémy, they brew Trappistes Rochefort 6, 8 and 10, three deliciously unique lessons in beer making. All three of these ales start with the same malted grains, grains soaked in water until they germinate, then dried in a kiln, intensifying the toasty “malt” flavors. The malt gets mashed then strained, resulting in syrupy wort. When yeast is added, it eats the sugar in the wort, converting it to alcohol. So the more sugar, the stronger the booze. As the Rochefort monks sweeten their concoction (with both natural sugars extracted from the grain plus a bit of cane sugar), it evolves from the amber-colored “6” (7.5 percent ABV, slightly spicy with a touch of dried fruit) to the caramelly “8” (9.2 percent, sweetish fig flavors) and finally, to the opaque “10” (11.3 percent, molasses-like texture and flavors, with a slightly funky port-like quality). I smell a vertical tasting in your future. Buy it for $5.99, $5.99 and $6.99, respectively, at Binny’s or try it for $10, $12 and $14, respectively, at Hopleaf (5148 N Clark St, 773-334-9851).