FavoUrite age for Orval?

Reads 2609 • Replies 16 • Started Saturday, October 21, 2017 9:02:03 PM CT

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Message smith4498 beers 4285 º places 20 º 21:02 Sat 10/21/2017 Drinking one bottled 9/11/2016 and it's drinking pretty good. I have a couple more of these and a couple more bottled 8/21/14. I would drink a lot more of it wasn't almost $7 a bottle.
Message VsXsV P beers 5000 º places 92 º 21:23 Sat 10/21/2017 From experience, either super fresh or 8-9 months. It's really nice and hoppy straight out the door. After half a year or so, the Brett really starts to show, and at nine months there's a perfect balance between hop aroma and brett funk in my opinion. This keeps true up till 16 months or so, after that both of those qualities die out bit by bit. I think it's pointless to age it further than a year or so. What's cool about Orval is the interplay between hops and Brett, not some kind of malty balance that people try to find by ageing it for years.
Message b3shine P beers 12217 º places 372 º 21:57 Sat 10/21/2017 6-9 months.
Message SinH4 P beers 15470 º places 416 º 15:37 Sun 10/22/2017 Originally posted by VsXsV What's cool about Orval is the interplay between hops and Brett, not some kind of malty balance that people try to find by ageing it for years. I totally agree, but for me, the interplay is great, and it's still hoppy, until about 2.5 years of age. My favourite age used to be 1.5-2.5 years, but then I had this particular 11 months old bottle that made me change this to 11 months to 2.5 years :D

Message Garrold P beers 10736 º places 149 º 16:12 Sun 10/22/2017 48
Message jamestulloch beers 8692 º places 10 º 16:13 Sun 10/22/2017 Orval is one of my all-time favourite beers. I've reviewed bottles of different ages, as follows: 6 weeks old: 4.2 4 months old: 4.4 5 months old: 4.5 12 months old: 4.7 14 months old: 4.1 23 months old: 4.5 https://www.ratebeer.com/beer/orval/835/138957/ Orval always tastes superb, but (to me anyway) it also tastes different every time; each bottle brings a unique experience. I most enjoyed a 12-month-old bottle; the zingy hop flavours from the younger bottles were still present, but overall the beer was much drier. What's the oldest bottle of Orval others have tried? What's the freshest?
Message VsXsV P beers 5000 º places 92 º 16:44 Sun 10/22/2017 Oldest 6 years, youngest 3 weeks. Don't see much positive development after 18 months or so.
Message SinH4 P beers 15470 º places 416 º 16:49 Sun 10/22/2017 oldest 12 years, youngest <10 days. I think that's quite a nice spread.

Message adamnowek beers 7153 º places 117 º 17:08 Sun 10/22/2017 Within a few minutes of buying it at the shop, obviously.
Message Ibrew2or3 P beers 10542 º places 353 º 19:09 Sun 10/22/2017 I drink whatever age Orval Gary tells me to drink. You should too.
Message MacBoost beers 2074 º places 37 º 19:55 Sun 10/22/2017 Peaks 1 year after bottling. Doesn't taste like dog food bitter Tylenol like most American beers at 1 year.