Orval

Brewed by Brasserie dOrval
Style: Belgian Ale
Florenville - Villers-d.-Orval, Belgium

Bottle - Pours hazy amber with lots of little bubbles and a nice white head. Smells like some of the Jolly Pumpkin brews I’ve had, with citrus peels, sour wheat and yeast, and a faint smell of rubber (wtf?). As it warms, honey and apples add themselves to the bouquet. Taste is very dry, with citrus up front and some bready malt on the finish. Very clean. After the sip goes down the throat, you get a little oaky hop slap--very nice. The little bubbles make it smooth drinking and it’s surprisingly a bit a bit resiny. Drank this just before New Glarus’ R&D Golden Ale and I liked the Orval much better.

Orange/brown ale that pours a huge white rocky head that really lasts. Aroma is hints of floral and fruit with sour notes. Flavor starts with fruit, turns to hints of clove and ends in dry bitterness. The sour balances the bitter really well. One of my favorite beers of all categories. Definitely my favorite Trappist beer.

Bottle. Pours cloudy golden with tall delicate white lace head. Slight hop aroma. Slight fruit taste followed by sour bite.

Bottle. Pours a slightly hazy pale amber color with a small off-white head. Has a fruity malty slightly yeasty spicy aroma with some weak hoppy hints. Fruity malty slightly bready bitter hoppy flavor with some yeasty hints. Has a fruity malty hoppy bitter finish.

Bottle poured into a tulip glass produced an enormous tan-colored head with a translucent, deep-amber body. Taste is similar to a lambric and has a dry finish. It was not what I had anticipated. Good, but not one of my favorites.

Bottle: Pours reddish brown, thick off-white head. Hoppy aroma, with hints of fruit and a bit of bread. Flavor dry, crisp, with a nice bready flavor with malt, finishing off with a pleasant bitter tail. Nice beer.

Bottle. I wasn’t expecting the flavor of this one. After reading recent posts I felt I wasn’t completely off mark. If pours a ridiculous head and the aroma is quite pungent and somewhat flowery. The flavor is sour and the finish is very dry. Nice subtle notes of yeast and spices. Not my favorite trappist, but OK.