Orval

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

Bottle, 33cl, from Vinmonopolet, Oslo. BB 20.07.2014 (probably consumed way too young!). 6.9% ABV. Hazy copper/amber colour. Big, long-lasting head. Complex aroma, dry but also some sweetness, herbal, some unripe fruit, apple/banana. Fizzy carbonation, slick texture. Taste is initially a bit sweet with well-balanced malt, yeast and hop elements, then an almost geuze-like dryness takes over. Long-lasting bitter ending.

Hoppy, slightly sour nose. A nice hoppy flavour and a lot of bubbles. Nice bitter and full aftertaste.

Pours honey brown with 1/2 thick foamy off white head. Bright honey aroma with lots of citrus, specifically lemon. Dry finish. Taste combines citrus, coriander, wood and a faint candy sugar. Very much enjoyed.

Pours a copper / golden colour with a humongous off-white head. Aroma is yeast, hops and a little fruity. Creamy, dry mouthful. Flavour is quite mild - citrus, orange, malt, with a yeasty aftertaste. Quite nice, but overrated.

Smells lightly of maltiness and fruit, banana slightly. Very unusual colour, reddish orange, coppery but not quite golden. Nice head retention. Very nice malt flavour complemented by citrus fruit flavour at the end, the yeast is sooo smooth on the palate. Quite nice, a bit of an unusual aftertaste, I’m told its the betton-nemyasis yest, theres no way I spelled that right. Quite a nice brew.

Bottle. Pours a cloudy orange/amber with a beautiful thick head. Aroma of yeast, citrus... and very flowery. Taste is citrus, bananas and a little spice. Also, has a small but pleasant bitter aftertaste. Medium carbonation. Excellent beer!

Very nice, totally golden liquid with a slight orange tint. Two-finger head of dense white foam with excellent retention and amazing lacing. Smell is spicey and yeasty. Fresh baked banana bread. Slight notes of white fruits. Honey and floral notes mingle with hints of citrus. Not at all bold, but delicious smelling, and inviting, nonetheless. This is a different kind of trappist ale. All of the regular expected characteristics are there. Nice spicey flavors. Hints of banana and cloves. Honey sweetened yeast notes. Nice floral/citrus notes. Holding the whole thing together, though, is a funky sourness. Somewhat like a ’Flanders Belgian Ale’. Very interesting, and very good. As any good belbian ale should be, this one is smooth and creamy with lots of tight, tiny little bubbles. This is a highly drinkable brew, but I would keep it in mind as an ’alternate’, not as my ’go to’ for belgian ales. Extremely nice when you want something a little bit different.