Petit Orval

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

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

(Bottled@Akkurat) Hazy dark amber color with a small, tight head. Quite mild, dry-hoppy, fruity and yeasty aroma. Flowery-perfumy (lavender), hoppy and lightly spicy flavor. Quite carbonated, light to medium-bodied, dry and bitter palate. A quite nice "Orval Light".

Bottle, poured into Orval chalice at Ange Gardien in September 2009. Sampled alongside Orval bottled March 11 2009, with a big portion of Orval Cheese.

Pours slightly lighter and less hazy than Orval, topped with a medium sized tan head. Aroma of caramel, light hops, and wild yeast; essentially typical Orval aroma but less intense. Dry on the palate, with brett, earthy notes, hops, and faint hints of caramel. Funky yeast lingers on the palate for a bit. Less intense than its brethren, but easy to drink and quite enjoyable, especially in these surroundings.

Bottle at De Heeren van Liedekercke. Good grassy hop aroma, reminding me of the bigger Orval. Clear dark amber colour. Nice big stable creamy off-white head. The flavour is mildly hoppy. Has the familiar Orval hop flavour, only less powerful. Creamy texture, nice mild carbonation. Not an outstanding beer in my opinion, but good, refreshing and well-balanced, and very good considering the ABV.

Bottle at Ange Gardian, the Abbey’s tavern, a light brown with some carbonation and a large bubbly off-white head. Strong floral hop aroma, some vinuous notes - impressive for 3.5%. Smooth and light palate - some carbonation again. Sweet and juicy flavours at first, then dry and hoppy in the refreshing short finish. Lucky monks.

Bottled. Hazy orange coloured, mediumsized head. Orange and lemon in aroma along with wheaty hints. Flavour is weaker than normal Orval, kind of "Orval mixed with water".

Amber coloured beer with some light carbonation and a large white head. Fresh hoppy floral aroma. Full palate, light creamy. Finish is fullmalty, hoppy with some bitter notes. Huge pallet for only a 3.5% one. Very good.

12oz bottle, courtesy of joet (via Phil_L). Thanks, Joe! Pours a murky, orange-amber color; creamy, fine-bubbled, off-white head with solid retention and lacing. Hugely yeasty, minerally, musty aroma; nicely dry, slightly tart, loads of horseblanket and must; really funky nose. Medium-light body; modest carbonation; lightly creamy; slightly watery on the palate, honestly; lively, complex, musty yeast character is the most dominant note throughout: horseblanket, light citrus, and huge amounts of minerals; very dry core, and dry almost to the point of chalkiness or light astringency; tasty stuff, especially for how small-bodied this is; lovely, musty, funky stuff; a great, clear example of "horseblanket" without the intense funkiness or acidity; very dry core; lovely stuff. Lasting mineral-focused finish: dough, toastiness, lightly bitter; very hard water.

Copper color is less hazy than its big brother. Lightly floral and yeasty aroma. Flavor is light, dry and dusty, with very mild hops and carbonation. Damn refreshing, especially after a hot day exploring the abbey ruins. And I do wish there were more tasty beers with lower alcohol levels.