Orval

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

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

Orval, my 4th Trappist brewery tasted (5th if you count St. Bernardus), comes in a 11.2 fluid ounce brown, mini 750ml Belgian/French styled/shaped bottle with a trout holding a ring in its mouth on the label. Bottled on 22/01/2009, best before 22/2014. Definitely when I find this a little cheaper at Discount Liquor in Milwaukee I will buy a few to cellar. This bottle is lightly chilled. This is a fizzer, pours (sediment and all) unlimited off-white head with large bubbles into my Duvel glass. The head recedes fairly quickly leaving huge lumps of lacing behind. not the best looking Trappist ale. The beer itself is a hazy oranginsh brown, caramel colored almost. I’ve heard with a sediment free pour this is actually a very clear brew. Smell is the best I’ve encountered with a Trappist ale. It has a potent farmhouse saison style scent with some fruity sourness, a nice dose of yeast twang, some tropical fruit, white raisin, lemons, and a hint of spice. A very exotic smell, and a good one indeed. Taste carries over with all the above scents as flavors, and more. It seems even fruitier and more saison-like, tart with a tad bit of cloying bittersweetness in the finish, the cloying taste lasts only the first sip. The spices and yeast are a bit more pronounced in the taste as well. It has a slightly bitter aftertaste with a hint of sour green apple and a bit of hops. It is smooth drinking with the right amount of carbonation, a bit of wateriness mid-drink, and a dry finish. It is whole heartedly complex in taste, scent, and mouthfeel; the appearance seems to be the least flashy/unique attribute to this beer. The alcohol is hidden pretty well, you get hints of it here and there but nothing overpowering. It warms slightly as it goes. Nothing that would prevent me form at least having another despite the 6.9%abv. Overall this is a fine Trappist ale, not the pinnacle but on the upper tier. It is the most unique and possibly the most complex one I have had so far. This is also beer #250 tasted for me, hoorah.

The true King of Beers (or Archbishop perhaps?), my favourite beer. Strong hop presence, lively carbonation, dry and just the right body balance.

Very complex, dry, beautiful head. I don’t think I can say much that hasn’t already been said, except that this is one of my favorite new finds, which you really have to taste.

UPDATED: NOV 5, 2011 A beer that used to be hard for me to describe because there used to be nothing quite like it. More and more ales seem to try to be like this, nothing really is this great.

Bottle served in a tulip. Pours slightly hazy deep orange with a monster off-white head. Excellent retention and rocky lacing. Complex aroma. Cheese, orange, peach, and grass... and we are just touching the surface. Light sweet, light bitter flavor. Medium-light body, croily texture, and a bitter, dry finish.

11.2 oz bottle; bottled on 1/6/2010, opened 2/5/2011. Aroma is that amazing Belgian standard. Aroma is an amazing mix of earthy barnyard, something rotting, and leather. Appearance is equally impressive: big white airy foam, outstanding lacing. The flavor, for me, is vexing. One part of me wants to dislike this beer for being dry, rough on the mouth, and bitter on the finish; on the other hand, I love it for its complexity, the chewy finish, and its uniqueness compared to the other Trappists. I really don’t know if this beer deserves a ’3’ or a ’5’...

This was pressurized for sure. There isn’t anything that gets you ready to drink a beer more than the sound of it opening. Big what head that faded slowly. Dull Brown color and clear with small bubbles. The aroma wasn’t typical Belgian. I got bubblegum and hops straight away. Combined with the banana qualities, the aroma was quite enjoyable. I really loved how Orval stands out amongst the other Trappists. You can really taste that extra step. The finish was dry. Maybe it was the carbonation but my tongue was left feeling tingly and numb.

Très bonne bière et assez alcoolisé. Elle est excellente. Je vous la conseille, elle se déguste avec sagesse.