Benno's appearance is a stunning reflection of the amazing colours of a sunny day in autumn in this part of the Danube valley. The fresh and grassy flavours of this beer come from the Mühlviertler hops. The slight bitter taste combined with the malty notes give this Trappist beer a great taste. Origin of Name In 1953 Father Benno Stumpf was elected Abbot of Engelszell. Similar to Abbot Gregorius his infinite optimism, dedication and faith in God were the main forces behind his work. Forced to leave Trappist monastery Maria Stern (Banja Luka, Bosnia) in 1944 with his fellow monks, he made a brief stopover in Maria Veen, Germany, finally arriving in Engelszell in 1952. During his term the reconstruc-tion of all monastic buildings including the church was successfully finished. It was him to decide to redecorate the empty space under the ceiling of the Engels-zell church with a 20th century fresco by Prof. Fritz Froehlich: « The nine choirs of angels with Mary as their queen »; what an audacious move at the time!
This motto is lived out every day with beers. Natural processes take place during brewing, but also during fermentation, maturation and storage of the beer. The duration of these processes cannot always be the same and so they give the beer the time and peace it needs to develop its full flavor. Even today, you still have to be patient to get a good beer. In 2012, the current brewery was founded on the grounds of the monastery. This made Engelszell Abbey the eighth brewery to join the ranks of Trappist breweries. The number of breweries run by the Cistercians of the Strict Observance and bearing the coveted "Authentic Trappist Product" logo has now grown to 10 worldwide. (As of 2021) The three beers of the Engelszeller, Nivard, Benno and Gregorius are brewed based on the model of the Belgian Trappist breweries.
 (1).jpg)
