Orval

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

#300!!! I don’t know why it has taken me so long to try this trappist. Not a very appealing bottle/label. What an amazing aroma. Spicy malt aroma, and slightly yeasty. Very herbal. Extremely unique aroma! What a beautiful pour. Deep amber orange color and slightly cloudy. Wow. Flavor is malty and a bit tart. very dry. Very herbal taste. slightly tart and not very sweet. Very dry! There must be an extremely unique yeast strain that they use, I just can’t place a finger on the all of the flavors. Fresh green apples, honey, slight citrus. A very well rounded glass.

Bottle from Wine Warehouse in Charlottesville. Pours orangish-brown with a massive head so big my Duvel glass couldn’t accomadate the bottle in the first pour. A very sour earthy bitter yeasty aroma. Bitter, earthy and highly complex taste. I got some definite flavors of mint and tea. Interesting.

Second bottle tried from the same store and something is wrong. So hopefully I*m able to rerate it as I think my rating is not what this stuff deserves. Wonderful apple banana, citrus and vanilla nose. Orange body with a medium frothy head. Totally sour and bitter - grapefruit like - aftertaste. Also oily palate. RERATE 30.12.2002: My result is that the bottles before must have been infected. Not as sour and unpleasant as I thought. Nice bitter but short finish. Very hoppy. My rating before was 3.0 RERATE again at Belgo, London: Nice indeed - get more used to it. We’ll see how it turns out after another one, so now raise of 0.2 points. RERATE: Rating before 3.9 - this is a beer that grows with me every time I try it. Nice hoppiness, Everything is balaned great. Loveable.

May have been biggest head ever. The foam was very stiff and rose over the top of the glass about 1.5 inches and wouldn’t have budged in a hurricane. I get Juicy Fruit gum in the aroma underneath which slinks a cigarette smoking man playing baseball with a big eraser in his pocket. To interpret that, underneath the juicy fruit smell and flavor was something that reminded me of cigarettes, wood, and pencil erasers (especially after you’ve just erased something.)

pale orangy amber ,expansive creamy tan head. Great natural carbonation.Sharp heady nose.Tangy and effervescant. Long finish

this was nice. nice color, huge head stayed for entire bottle. had that tart/peppery taste. the bottle i had may have been getting a little old - could taste/smell the alc. by the end. One of the better belgians i’ve had (although i’m just getting interested in them, maybe will have to re-rate this later)

330 mL bottle. Hazy golden amber. with a foamy white head. Aroma of malt, yeast, and floral hops. An unusually bright and slick palate. Tastes of honey suckle with a deep floral hoppiness and a bone dry finish.

Pourred an orangy brew with what I consider to be the most beautiful beige head. Head retention for Orval is what other brewers should aspire to since it is the longest lasting I have ever experience. Taste is of complex spice with great fruit aroma. Also, great wheat taste with a strong body. One of the best trappist in my opinion.