Honeyish, mildly herbal with a subtle Eucalyptus aftertaste. Mildly spicy and balanced by a stiff bitterness. Dry finish with residual malt, fruit, and hops.
The Abbey of the Tre Fontane is located in Rome in the sacred place
where the martyrdom of St. Paul occurred in 67 AD. The Abbey takes its
name from the three fountains which miraculously appeared where the head
of the apostle hit the ground in three locations after he was beheaded.
Hence the name, Tre Fontane (Three Fountains).
Today the Abbey is surrounded by beautiful eucalyptus trees which were
planted by Monks starting in 1870. These trees were planted with the
belief that eucalyptus had healing qualities that could prevent malaria.
In actuality, eucalyptus does not prevent malaria. However, the trees
do require a tremendous amount of water, therefore draining the
surrounding swampy terrain. As a result the mosquitos, which later were
determined to be the actual cause of malaria, disappeared as the swamps
dried up.
In 1873 with in-depth knowledge of the trees, the Trappist community
began production of Eucalyptus oils and extracts. These products have
strong balsamic and antiseptic properties with intense, aromatic scent.
They are also a pleasant digestive.
In early 2000, thanks to the discovery of an ancient beer recipe, the monks began brewing Tre Fontane using the surrounding eucalyptus as a spice. Several years of intense work have now improved the quality, and finally in May of 2015, Tre Fontane Tripel was awarded the ATP brand (Authentic Trappist Product). Tre Fontane is the 11th Trappist Beer in the world and the only Trappist Brewery from the ancient holy city of Rome.