Orval

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

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

Poured from a 11.2 ounce bottle into a Chimay goblet. Bottled on April 22, 2010 printed on label. Appearance: Pours a hazy orange caramel color with a huge 4 finger thick and creamy off-white head. A touch of sediment pools right on top of the billowy head. The head was so big it rose a full 2 fingers above the rim of the goblet. Perfect head retention. Halfway through the glass and it’s still got a 1/2 finger head. Excellent lacing. Smell: Strong funky notes with some sweet apple and pear coming through as well. Taste: Crisp tart fruitiness up front followed by funky "horseblanket" notes in the middle before ending with a grassy hop bitterness at the finish. Aftertaste is funky, mildly phenolic and very dry. The dryness of the aftertaste lingers for long time. Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied with a good amount of carbonation. The mouth puckers much the same as it does when eating an unripe persimmon. Drinkability: High drinkability. Goes down smooth. While I wouldn’t want multiples, drinking one is a pleasure. Overall: Very good beer overall. This is probably the most unique of all the Trappist beers. Orval is funky in a good way. Definitely recommend giving it a try.

Bottle. Pours clear amber with a big fluffy foamy head that slowly fades to more foamy film and lacing. Aroma is yeast bubblegum and some spice/white pepper. Taste is spicy and belgian yeast with some bubblegum florals and bitterness. Palate is medium/thin with plenty of carbonation and finishes dry.

I guess I’m one of those who fell for this beer. I just love it. I used to drink it everyday. The aroma is very yeasty but you can dig the citrus hops without much effort. I must say that the appearance makes this beer look like somebody didn’t much care about looks. I like it flat so I pur orval in a ruff way in a humid glass so it loose a bit of the carbonation : I use for it a much larger glass then it should be. Otherwise there would be to much foam in my mounth. There is so many things you might say about the first taste : well balanced light sweetnes and freshness of hops but you forget quickly after you swallow because it’s the grapefruit taste that dominates. When you take a year old bottle then allready on the beginning you feel much more the sourness and very interresting bitterness. Overall this beer has allmighty grapefruit like aftertaste and when you get more then 4 bottles of it you still don"t feel like you had enough of it (contrary to a grapefruit itself). This is my best beer. If I add to this that this beer contains no sugar left after fermantation and you gor yourself a great everyday beer. Unfortunatly even here in belgium you might have troubles to find it regulary on the shop shelves.

Colour - Medium brown, cloudy, slightly carbonated, maintains a very thin head. Aroma - Sweet, yeasty. Initial taste - hint of caramel, tiny hoppyness, slightly grassy and nutty. Further drinking - gets slightly dry upon further tasting, very nice and clean on the palate.

Bottle. Pours a pale amber with lots of heqd. Aroma is musty Belgian yeast. Taste is slightly month at first, giving way to a strong but subtle hop presence with leathery undertones. Finishes slightly dry with a medium body.

Pours light brown. Some slight yellow head, which outlasts the beer in the glass. Flowers, hay and yeasty aromas. Some hop and spice (pepper) as well. Hint of candy. A bit on the sweet side. Quite thin mouthfeel. Good.

Pours a yellow/orange hue with a huge growing head thats lasts forever as a pillowy white tower. Aroma is of faint ripe fruits, yeast and lemon/orange zest. Taste is of spice, lemony citrus, some earthy barnyard from the brett. This is light refreshing and nicely dry. Although light, the flavors are nice and complex and I can see why this is highly thought of. And I am glad that its availabilty and lack of rareness still have it scored highly. Can’t believe it has taken me so long to try.

UPDATED: JAN 24, 2012 In bottle at de Het Kathedraalcafe, Anterp. Pours a golden colour with a thin white head. Aroma of caramel, treacle, pepper and yeast. Similar flavours with some lemon also. Quite dry overall especially to finish. Mild carbonation with a little CO2 prickle. A little thin also. Tried this again for the mass online tasting. Bottled date 10/08/2011; BB 10/08/2016. Pours a golden amber colour with a rocky beige head and a thick turbulent stream of small bubbles. Beautiful aroma of pineapple and Brett! Quite fruity overall with flavours of plums, passion fruit and a lovely bone dry finish. I’m really enjoying this, much more than previously. Brett is definitely present but I’d love more. Mouth-feel is still chewy with a little lingering caramel also. Moderate carbonation. Really drinkable, I wish I had a couple more of these to compare this too. Time to stock up the cellar.