RateBeer

Orval

Percentile
99
overall
Brewed by Brasserie dOrval
Style: Belgian Ale

Florenville - Villers-d.-Orval, Belgium

bottled
common

on tap
available

Broad Distribution
Find this beer

Add Distribution Data
send corrections | shelftag |
RatingsAverageScoreABVStyle PctlServe in
22183.92/5.03.91/5.06.2%100Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler
Commercial Description:
In contrast to all the others, the Orval Trappist brewery makes only one beer for the general public. It has an intensely aromatic and dry character. Between the first and second fermentations there is also an additional dry-hopping process. Through this the beer acquires its pronounced hoppy aroma and extra dry taste.
Bottled at 5.2% abv - can go up as high as 7.2%
 Most Recent Top Raters Highest Ratings Who's Rated This?  
 Jonte (815), Gothenburg, Sweden
4.4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
9/104/59/105/517/20
Apr 29, 2009  
Bottle. Golden colour with a very lively white head. Aroma: sourness/bret, yeast, spices, light cheese, citrus, wood. Taste: sour and tart (but not lambic extreme), horse blanket, citrus, spices, cider, bitter hops, lightly bready. Dry finish. Very complex, but also very drinkable.


Peterlemonjelo (31), Birmingham, Alabama, USA
4.3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
9/103/59/104/518/20
Apr 28, 2009  
A: a hazey rich honey or light orange color. Pours a hefty/rocky head with lots of CO2 bubbles S: mildly sour apples and white grapes T: very fruity and dry turning giving way to some malt/bready flavors as it reaches cellar temperature M: nice, full and lots of delicate/soft carbonation D: Very nice beer with plenty of flavors. Complex beer but very drinkable. Serving type: bottle


Min (1), California, USA
does not count click to see why this rating of Orval does not count
3.8 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/105/57/104/515/20
Apr 28, 2009  
- Begins with strong funky, oaky, musty flavors - Very dry - Taste little bit of hops, but the strong musty taste is overpowering - Lingering bitterness (rec. It’s Alive by Milkeller)


 otakuden (518), Vero Beach, Florida, USA
4.5 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/59/105/519/20
Apr 25, 2009  
My bottle of Orval was bottled on 09/07/08, making her the freshest bottle of Orval I have quaffed to date. The expiration date on the bottle is 09/07/2013. When the Trappist monks themselves mark their beer 6 years into the future, then one knows they have a brewing work of art in their glass. One of 6 official Trappist breweries, Orval has been brewing their beer for centuries using the same recipe and the same tried and true yeast strains which give Orval her quintessentially enigmatic and devious nature. Devious because no two batches are ever the same, something that, when it comes to Orval, is a good thing. Without qualm, she will either scare or seduce both the newbie and the veteran.

Orval. Let the magic begin.

She poured with a billowing head of soft cream-colored foam which equaled in height the depth of her brew below. In no rush, I give her bounty a few minutes to recede before I gently poured the rest of her liquid wealth into my chalice-shaped glass. I don’t have an official Orval glass yet, but I will. A splattered cotton-candy network of lace paints the sides of my glass while her soft head rests comfortably atop her kingdom. Chunks of foam drift lazily while her nose envelopes me. Orange, grapefruit, honey, apples, pears, dry sour funk, leather, and wood while ginger, nutmeg, and cumin mingle amidst the continuous onslaught of aromas. Melons and plums make themselves known as soft floral notes of lavender soothe some of the sharper edges. Eyes closed, I rest atop a cloud of pure olfactory bliss, but that is only half the joy of Orval, and so in full revelry, I savor my first quaff. Crisp, bright, and dry with an immediately drying presence of palate. Lightly bitter finish hints of grapefruit while pervading warmth is laced with dry spices, leather, and wood. Mingling throughout her palate, nips of melon, pears, apples, plums, and apricot speak of a sweeter side to Orval even as dry grass and hay join the grapefruit for a crisp finish. As she warms and I try to ignore our diminishing time together, her palate reminds me of a bountiful cornucopia of delicate sweet fruits surrounded by dry earthen aromas and flavors with just the right amount of spice and crispness leading to her finish. I cannot compare my fresh Orval to my last because it was too long ago and each Orval is different. I do know that as much as I shall enjoy a few more fresh bottles, I will definitely be setting aside a few for aging.

Orval exemplifies Belgian Trappist brewing at is enigmatic best. The monks at Orval do two things: brew beer and make cheese. There can be no more divine a marriage than beer and cheese for obvious sensory indulgent reasons. If at first Orval does not succeed for you, do not give up. The next Orval to come your way may be the one which invites your “ah-ha” moment of supplication.


 Plamadude30k (122), Tucson, Arizona, USA
3.8 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/58/104/514/20
Apr 25, 2009  
Pours a nice hazy amber with about 1.5 centimeters of head on top of 6 cm of beer. Aroma is of citrus, a bit of yeast, bubblegum, and a hint of bananas. The aroma is a bit more delicate than I would expect. The flavor is relatively hoppy with quite a bit of citrus. It has a pleasingly long finish, which is sweet, and a bit creamy.


AGAquino (74), San Juan, Puerto Rico
3.6 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/57/103/515/20
Apr 24, 2009  
Bought a bottle at the LCBO. Nice colour and foamy head. Nice aroma of citrus and flowers. Hoppy flavour with noticeable dryness.


BrianWillum (31), Nakskov, Denmark
3.3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
5/103/57/104/514/20
Apr 24, 2009  
En dejlig kold øl i den begyndende forårsvarme. Mild klassisk trappistøl med en rolig eftersmag. Overraskende lysorange mat farve skjult bag den mørke facade og et glimrende valg af øl, hvis man står i kiosken og leder efter noget nyt. Problemet er at den ikke egner sig som gå-øl. Formen umuliggør at skummet bliver i flasken og efter min smag en lidt for lys øl, der mangler lidt smag.


 Fred82 (365), Montreal, Quebec, Canada
3.9 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/58/103/516/20
Apr 23, 2009    Updated: May 9, 2009
330ml bottle, cellar temp in chalice. Hazy amber/orange with huge thick fluffy head. Not even able to pour the beer completely in the chalice. Yeasty and spicy aroma. finish is quite dry, slight bitterness, a bit citrusy. Quite different from beer to beer. Will add some info with future samples. Rating #90. Rerate 090509. Had a 1 year old bottle (bottled 090529) and it was nicely bretty in aroma and taste. Nothing too hard, just a nice touch of brett. It was my best Orval to date. Still not a huge fan as some are but I like it more and more. Flavor up from 7 to 8.



CONSIDER FREE RATEBEER MEMBERSHIP



Join us! RateBeer is made by beer enthusiasts for the craft beer community. Your basic membership is free and allows you to read all beer ratings. Click here to create your account... and give your opinion!

SIGN UP NOW »

View Page 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222


About RateBeer | Add A Beer | Log In | Edit Personal Info | 100 Beer Club | FAQ | Feedback?
Copyright © 2000-2009, RateBeer LLC