Orval

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

An aroma of citrus, grass and urin (!). The beer sure looks nice with its amber color and high, thick foam. Taste is dry and contains yeast, citrus and butter. It’s almost like a gueze, but it’s not sourish. Aftertaste brings out a nice salty flavour. After 3 months in a cellar the hoppy character has faded a bit, as expected. A good beer, but it’s strange, and I really can’t say if I’ve "figoured it out" yet.

Bottle. Pours with a nice, creamy, off-white head that is absolutely huge - and continues to rise after sitting. Body is amber-orange and hazy. Excellent lacing...this is a perfect-looking beer! Great aroma as well; quite yeasty, with citrus tones. The first sip is excellent - lightly sweet and acidic, with a medium, creamy body. Fizzy carbonation. At 6.9%, you can taste the alcohol but it’s hardly overwhelming... perfectly balanced. The head is fully lasting throughout drinking, and the finish is long as well. Excellent beer - one of my new favorites - and great that you can actually find in many places outside of Belgium.

The bottle looks really good, the beer in the glass also. Quite sourish aroma. Starts not as sourish as exspected, strong, modest alcoholic, spicy, notes of peach. Well balanced, warming finish. Really good!

Sweet, slight malt aroma with a grape and peach background. Deep copper with a large foamy head that gradually dissipates. Initially malt, then a sharp hop hit and plenty of fruity undertones. Perhaps a little too boozy... Very good beer, though not an excellent example of trappists in my humble opinion.

Burnished orange hue, hazy and wild. Thick cap of foam slowly releases an array of scents. Fruity pale malt, aggresive hop spice and a nice lashing of leather. Palate entry is soft at first with the carbonation adding delicacy, sensually the sweet malt is checked and a funky hop wave washes over. The earthy hop spice coats the tongue and lingers in the gums as a refreshing bitterness. Leathery finish is right on time and calls the luxurious bath to end, until the next sip. Very evovling and serenditously appetizing. Easy to see why this is a world classic. I could literally drink this all day.

Little vertical tasting with theisti – bottles 3,9,12 months old – 3mo straight from the Abbey, 6mo from Bier temple-Bruges, and 12mo from a local store in CO. All 3 pour a mesmerizing orange with a big fluffy head. The appearance makes me crave the beer, prettiest brew out there. Smells of light citrus, hops and wonderful bready funk – the more age, the more complex and bready the smell (duh). Tastes like the monks meant it to. Dry, hoppy, funky brett with some bubblegum mixed with spice and hops. I want more before I’ve even finished the first swallow. Finishes crisp and dry to complete the ’must have more if this’ vibe. For me – Orval just reeks of Belgium. Quintessential beer – looks, smells and tastes amazing, and it’s clearly alive - each one is different and every bottle opened generates the anticipation of what will be new about this one. ------- RE-RATE FROM June, 2009 --------&# a 3 year old bottle at, of all places, the Intercontinental in Hong Kong. With 3 years age on it, this is a totally different creature. All the great orval flavors are still there (tart/yeast/dryness/bitterness), but have really come together and are basically indistinguishable in and of themselves. The hop profile is, of course, well-subdued now, but there’s still a nice dry bitterness to finish, and the sour/tart yeast flavor is more of a wrapper than a distinct taste, if that makes any sense. Quite possibly the most unique brew out there and certainly at or within a slot of my personal favorite. Next stop - a 5yo bottle...

I found this stashed away in an apartment I rented while staying in Brussels. Thanks to whomever left it. I’ve read good things so I was excited to try it. Poured well with the frothy head, a bit darker in color. Smelled sweet of honey and hay. However the aftertaste of sour grapes came through. I was not expecting this, nor did I enjoy it. I know this guy is popular but I did not really care for it.

First time drinking Orval, much drier than expected. some comments include sour finish. sour finish is present but very subtle. About 10 srm color, very clear. Good aroma, very different for a belgian ale. Lighter, easier trappist product. good beer