Petit Orval

Bottle shipped to me from Belgium. Pours a amber color with orange tones and a frothy white head that is mostly lasting. I noticed a more hoppy aroma than the regular Orval. Also, flavor is sweet and a little more watery leaving a dry finish. This is an excellent example of what a light beer should be.

Botle conditioned, from L’Auberge de L’Ange Gardien courtesy of John White. Hazy bronze, good lasting white head and moderate condition. Slight malty caramel notes in the nose with a distant hopsack note that is far more restrained than its big brother. Quite thin in the mouth with a gently refreshing yeastiness and muted hoppiness. Dry and watery in the finish with just a hint of hop flowers. A refreshing session Trappist beer, a not very sinful skinfull, if you like.

This and the Chimay Black are the most exceptional out of the Monks beer. I have no idea why Westmalle Extra is rated the highest of the three. Med Amber color, spicy nose, grains of paradise, oranges, bubblegum erupt from the nose. The mouth is much more subdued than Orval. It smooth, but retains a high degree of complexity. A dry orangey finish is similar to Orval. I just realized this is only 3.5%, WOW what complexity for its size! Very impressive

Complex yeast and lactice nose, orange-brown color, foamy beige head. Soft toasted malt base with a sour, acidic characer. Some spice. Thinish body, for sure, that tappers off then comes back with a broad hop bitter. For 3.5% this is an amazingly full and characterful beer. Shame on other light beers - it CAN be done.

Big thanks to RLB for a taste of this one that I’ve been searching for a while now. Poured a medium amber color with a smaller sized, lightly off white head. Aromas and tastes of yeast, citrus, and lightly spicy. Thin and light and bordering on watery. Out of the ’Monk Only’ beer I’ve had, I have to put Westmalle Extra 1st, this second then the Chimay Doree.

Bottled at the London gathering, November 2005. Part of a very generous and unexpected gift from Dalle. Not surprising that this tastes like a watered down Orval because that’s exactly what it is. Although I do think the effect is subtly more different than would be produced simply by watering down. If you look upon this as a weak but hoppy, clean and fresh, session beer for drinking in quantity (which of course is its intended purpose) rather than as Orval junior, it works fine. If you start drawing too many comparisons it doesn’t.

Bottle. Well it tastes like Orval Light. Has the dryness, hoppyness and saltyness of the Orval, and that slightly wild bitterness, but just doesn’t have the flavour/body of the regular, which begs the question if there is actually any point to this beer. Well i think there is, because i could drink it by the shedload. The monks apparently drink this one too, which is kinda cool.

Bottled at the Chris O Beer, Cheese and Curry powwow. An amber coloured beer with a decent large white head - would really have liked this to have been poured into a Belgian style glass but the bloody Diamond White cider went in the good glass!! The aroma is similar to the regual Orval with peppery spicy notes. Others thought the taste like watered down Orval but I just though it was thin and a little dull. Sure there was some peppery hoppiness but not enough. I must be fair and say I didn’t realise its ABV was so small but if I was one of the Monks I’d shun this for the real thing.