Orval Trappist Ale - Brasserie d'Orval S.A.

Jonada

New Jersey

4.01/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bottled on October 6th 2011. Served in a goblet.

Appearance: Rusty orange in color with 1 finger of an off white colored head. Decent retention and lacing. Body is very hazy, with moderate amounts of visible carbonation streaming throughout the glass.

Smell: Banana, phenols, candi sugar, clove, spice.

Taste: Belgian yeast, honey, floral, spice, heavy phenolic notes, and some very slight funk.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, soft mouthfeel. Medium fine carbonation. Finishes dry, with a slight bitterness.

Overall: One of the classics in the beer world. It's not mind blowing, and it won't knock your socks off, but it's an extremely well crafted beer that I could easily drink every day.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2013 02:42:08 | More by Jonada

IrishKevin

Massachusetts

4.34/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a bottle into a tulip glass. Bottled on 10/24/12 best by 10/24/17.
Not super fresh, but good enough.

Extremly huge rocky head.

S: Spicey pepper aromas.

T: this is an extremly complex beer. Spicyness is ver promininent, the aftertaste is dry and slightly tart. Subtle maltiness through out.

O: haven't had this one in a long time and it didn't disappoint. There is a lot going on in this beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2013 02:34:48 | More by IrishKevin

mrw1zard

Alabama

4.08/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Poured into a snifter with a nice dark copper / amber color with lots of head. Very bready nose to this. Taste was a little sugary with hints of lemon and cloves. Finish was dry and smooth. Very easy to drink. Would definitely be something that I would pick up again.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2013 16:29:46 | More by mrw1zard

Mdog

Minnesota

4.09/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Clear amber, good carbonation, big Belgian head.

Smell: All I get is a tart smell, not quite sure how to describe it.

Taste: Very interesting flavor. Mild fruitiness with an earthy component. Lemon tart with a hint of sourness. Dry finish.

Overall: I had this beer 6-7 years ago but did not review it. Picked up a bottle for review and to see how my palate has changed over the years. This is a very interesting beer and seems to be a style all its own. I don't taste too much sour or funkiness, but still a unique experience.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2013 22:19:58 | More by Mdog

rodney45

New York

3.91/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.25

A: Intensely dark crimson with a billowy pure ivory white head that lingers and laces beautifully.

S: Banana bread and raisin with cinnamon and cloves.

T: First notes of subdued yet present belgian style hops. Bitter with notes of honey, clove and lemon. Finish is dry and has a note of belgian candied sugars.

M: Doesnt have the remarkable body that other belgian trapist beers have. Light mouthfeel with moderate carbonation. Not bitter.

O: For a belgian pale ale I imagine this is the top of the top... but it didnt impress me like other trapists Ive had. I chalk this up to the style of beer Orval is.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2013 06:15:29 | More by rodney45

AmitC

Indiana

4.2/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a 11.2 fl oz bottle into a snifter.

Color is golden amber. A lot of haze and cloud. About two fingers thick off white colored head with good retention. Decent lacing on the sides. Calm. Opaque.

Aroma is of dry fruits and nuts. Belgian yeast. Slight spiciness and fruitiness. Strength is good.

Taste is full of Belgian yeast, slight fruit character, some esters, slight cloves, dry fruits. A good malt body. A lot of yeast. Finish is semi-dry.

Mouth feel is medium bodied. A lot of carbonation. Easy to drink. Very smooth.

Did not find anything out of ordinary.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2013 02:05:22 | More by AmitC

thebigredone

Wisconsin

3.78/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Finally purchased a bottle so I could add one more tick to the Top 250.

Pours a coppery golden color with a rocky white head.

Smell comes in somewhere between belgian yeast, apples, and nail polish remover. Not unappetizing, but not fantastic either. Over time the nose becomes dominated by a darkly sweet smell, like overly ripe fruit.

Taste is interesting, starts a bit sweet and nice, then moves to funky and what I consider to be a bit astringent on the back end. Almost a bit cidery in some aspect. Weird.

Mouthfeel is incredibly dry, like drinking a very tannic red wine.

Overall, a very strange beer. Certainly not one I would seek out again, but not terrible either.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2013 22:30:24 | More by thebigredone

Kremlock

Ontario (Canada)

4.24/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A: Thick fluffy white head that has great retention. High apparent carbonation, hazy dark copper colour.

S: Green apples, pears, candied apples,

T: Tart flavours, some green apples, candied apples, some bready flavours.

M: High carbonation, dry finish, cleans up the palate, very smooth going down, full bodied.

O: This is a great trappist beer with great green fruit flavours.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2013 00:48:50 | More by Kremlock

lacqueredmouse

Australia

3.7/5  rDev -12.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

How have I never reviewed Orval before? Noticing the oversight, I purchased a bottle from Steve's Cool Booze in Kingsford.

Pours a clear golden-tending-to-amber hue, with a fluffy, relatively large-bubbled, white head, that stays pretty solid and consistent. Body is light, but smooth riddled with very fine carbonation. Looks reasonably good.

Nose is clean and crisp, with a hint of wood, and a slight apple overtone. Some peppery tones and a slight cedar character. It all melds together nicely, giving a slightly aged, slightly fruity character. But it stays pretty light throughout. Yes, indeed.

Taste is actually a lot lighter, a lot dryer than expected. Clean, appley tones on the front. Slight biting phenolic characters towards the back and an uptilt of mild aged funk. The funk actually just dries out the back, and provides much less true funk than I remember.

Feel is light but smooth.

Overall, it's a decent brew, but I remember this being much better. I guess the brett can be patchy anyway, and this may just be a more subtle one than the usual. As it is, it's a decent, but not exciting Belgian ale for me, and one I may well revisit and re-review.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2013 04:15:15 | More by lacqueredmouse

Mischhack

Sweden

4.46/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

A: Massive foam. Settling and lingering. Pale amber, slightly hazy.
S: Pear, green apple with some chemical tones to it as well.
T: Immediately phenolic, later bready. Very late low bitterness.
M: Mouthfeel is dominated by strong carbonation and almost champagne-like. Dry finish. Light/medium body.
O: Hard to judge. Good to drink.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2013 20:16:54 | More by Mischhack

barczar

Kentucky

3.56/5  rDev -15.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Pours a hazy medium brown, almost coppery color with a billowing, foamy 2 inch cream head that lingers. Can't pour the full bottle into the tulip.

Green apple, pear, floral hops and belgian yeast character dominate the initial aroma. Coriander and white pepper add complexity. Notes of tangerine and pineapple surface late, accompanied by confectioners sugar sweetness and a hint of caramel malt.

Flavor is fairly tart initially and somewhat phenolic, becoming slightly bready mid palate, and finishing fairly bitter and a touch peppery. There's significant mustiness throughout. Tart crab apple esters are somewhat overpowering at first, but sweettarts notes emerge later as respite.

Body is moderate, with fairly high carbonation and significant alcohol warmth.

More tart than most, as well as more bitter. Wish the tartness weren't so overpowering and allowed more ester variety to shine. Served at suggested temperature, head is out of control. Becomes stale after a while. I just do not like this beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2013 00:22:25 | More by barczar

dar482

New York

4.35/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

The beer comes in a hazy honey brown/amber with a huge foamy white head. That does not subside. Big bubbles with a frothy middle.

The aroma has a fresh lemon bite, fresh citrus peel, banana with a bit of Pinesol freshness as well. There’s Belgian yeast and has much similarity to Duvel. It’s nice and refreshing.

The taste is exciting, yet malty mellow. There is an initial fresh pop like Duvel with lemon and freshness along with pepper, then it eases into a bitterness like grapefruit and that Brett bite of grass and funk. There’s a hop astringent bitterness with the finish.

This beer is not here to blow your socks off, but instead, be extremely well crafted. Of the Belgian pales I’ve had, I like this along with La Chouffe the most. The funkiness is really something different and highly recommend you try this if trying to get into Brett beers.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2013 03:08:05 | More by dar482

DandyEssex

Ontario (Canada)

4.71/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75

From 330mL bottle into an Orval glass.

Great cloudy head that basically never goes away... sometimes it seems likes it is actually growing. Hazy, rust colour.

This needs to warm up to serving temperature for it's flavours and aromatics to really open up, but it has such a funky, dirty profile. The nose, once it warms up is huge & complex. Floral hops, citrus, clove and a slight bit boozy. It tastes like it was made in a barn in some back country. It has some similarities to a hot toddy maybe. It is a tiny bit over-carbonated for my liking, but this helps to ensure a very long, bitter & fruity finish.

This is known to be a world class beer, and it never disappoints, even with persistent bottle variations.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2013 05:09:54 | More by DandyEssex

chrisgalvin

California

5/5  rDev +18.8%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Funky, sour, malty, fizzy, tasty and clearly should be in the Beer Hall of Fame... I've had many of these and each time I open a bottle I'm brought back to the time I had it when my wife and I were in Brussels at the Beer Circus.

btw, this is Vinnie Cilurzo (RRBC) favorite beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2013 05:04:15 | More by chrisgalvin

TheCondor

Missouri

4.33/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

I just assumed this beer would be on the Beers of Fame list, well I assumed wrong. It has not yet garnered the necessary 2000 reviews. So I am trying to help that along with this review. Side poured with standard vigor from the bottle into a Chimay goblet.

Appearance - Pours an awesome hazy copper color with a big, bubbly, soapy two finger head with decent retention, probably a few minutes worth. Leaves little lacing. Carbonation is immediately seen inside the glass. Packaging is very simple, but beer shows an excellent presentation.

Smell - I can smell the beer as I pour it, you hardly need to stick your nose close to it to smell it. Fruits, sugar, candies, heavy phenol and clove aroma, exceptionally strong aroma. Complex and delicious.

Taste - Follows the nose pretty closely. The initial rush of carbonation on the palate is followed by the sweetness. Bitter on the beginning, then supplanted by sweet candies, oranges and banana, and finally the clove. Super funky, you could tell this was Belgian with your eyes closed. Very solid. Beer gets more bitter and funky as it warms, don't let it get too warm though.

Mouthfeel - One of my favorite parts of the beer. Heavily carbonated, very dry and crisp on the finish, with the cloves and a bit of bitterness rounded out by a sweet sensation on the palate. Outstanding finish.

Overall - This beer belongs on the Beers of Fame, and it will make it there as soon as it reaches the cusp of that 2000th review. It is an outstanding beer, one I would be more than happy to drink over and over again. Very happy I bought it. Condor recommended and approved.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2013 03:11:03 | More by TheCondor

Roman5150

Michigan

4.05/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Bottle from Total Beverage in Murfreesboro, TN. Vastly different from other trappist beers i've had. Unique Bottle shape. Poured into a tulip. Highly carbonated, huge head. Lot's of lacing. Pours very light yellow/orange, cloudy like a hefe as it's unfiltered, pretty decent looking beer can't lie. Smells decently hoppy, with other similaraities to a hefe with notes of citrus, subtle banana, and clove, with a splash of coriander. Drinks very smooth, with a subtle hoppy bite. Very distinictive belgian yeast taste, but with more bitterness than than sweetness, yet not overpowering. Lot's of carbonation. Has a sort of wine like aftertaste, but lacks the punch i was expecting for a 7% beer, i guess this could be good or bad. Very well balanced beer, will buy more, although I prefer other Trappist Beers, this one stylistically is very different stylistically from the likes of Rochefort, Westmalle, etc..

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2013 02:32:18 | More by Roman5150

Haydn-Juby

Quebec (Canada)

2.91/5  rDev -30.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

served from a 330ml bottle

A: Hazy copper color partially due to the yeast in it. A bubbly, white two finger head. Looked pretty tasty.

S: Very phenol heavy aroma. Clove like. I found it almost band-aid like.

T: There was a little bit of honey, clove, and bubblegum. Hop bitterness was mild. The aftertaste was very displeasing to me. It tasted very grainy and metallic like. Really it was this gross aftertaste that killed it for me.

M: This was a pretty decent aspect of the beer. It finished pretty crisp and bubbly

O: There seems to be a group of people who loves this beer and those who hate it. Personally I'm the latter. I just don't like it. Not that other people shouldn't its just not what floats my boat. I wish I could like this and it really seemed like something that I would. I'm typically a pretty big fan of anything with a Belgian yeast strain in it but this just didn't do it for me. I feel like I'm going to have to give this another go in the future.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2013 20:44:36 | More by Haydn-Juby

JamesQuaff

California

4.88/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5

Poured into a Duvel tulip from an 11.2oz bottle, with a bottling date of 08/18/2011. Gifted to my on my birthday by a good friend with great taste and extreme patience. Told myself I was going to wait for a special occasion, but today thought "wouldn't cracking this aged Orval MAKE today a special occasion?".

A: Pours a rich copper-orange with a dense and luxurious one finger head which leaves rather thick fingers of lacing that slowly retract completely into the brew. Plenty of carbonation rising up from the bottom of the glass. Beautiful.

S: The nose is giving me something different every time I go back. Wildflower honey, banana, grains, some pepper, a tiny bit of horehound candy, tropical fruit, and a funky barnyard vibe toward the back. Belgian all the way. The honey seems to come up to the front to me the most.

T: Oh man... the taste. This beer is absolutely sublime. Subtle initial hop bitterness fades into a slight honeyed sweetness which gives way to a most delicious funky finish. Kind of like how you can taste the Asturian hill country in Cabrales blue cheese or taste the ocean in a fresh oyster. This fleeting idea of a flavor note that floats away from the finish must be what an abbey tastes like. Mind-blowing.

M: Medium-bodied, creamy and smooth. The carbonation is luxurious and velvety.

O: Definitely one of the finest beers to ever cross my lips. Hands down the best example of a BPA I've ever had. This was my first encounter with Orval, so I've never had a young version to compare with this one. I will absolutely be adding a few bottles to my growing collection and sampling them at various ages.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2013 00:00:02 | More by JamesQuaff

rlee1390

Indiana

4.1/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A-Cloudy blood orange, one finger fluffy white head.

S-Wheat, orange, slight clove and banana.

T-Clove, banana, wheat, orange and grass. Started off bland-ish but then started to grow on me.

M-Light, highly carbonated, smooth and dry.

O-It was good beer, I'll have to try it again sometime but did not blow me away.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2013 01:40:02 | More by rlee1390

darky

South Dakota

3.91/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottled on 11-17-2011, poured into chalice. Reviewed 3-16-13

A: pours a brilliant light orange capped with a persistent 1/2" white head.

S: Orange and grapefruit are primary with that characteristic hint of banana so many Belgians have.

T: This is, I believe, the third time I've tried this brew, but the first time really 'tasting' it. I didn't pay any attention to vintage until now, and I would wager those bottles were significantly fresher than this one. I distinctly recall this beer being far dryer (to the point that I struggled with it) with a more pronounced hop character the previous two times. This pour is definitely mellower with muted orange at the start and middle, and then the trademark Orval grapefruit-y (again, mellowed) dry bite on the finish.

M: Soft and creamy, ample carbonation. Quite good really.

O: I really wish I had a younger version to compare this bottle to right now. I don't think this particular bottle is representative of what this beer is like fresh. I am enjoying it, but it's not at all what I remember it to be, or how others have described it here on BA. I will revisit this one with a fresher specimen when I find one.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 04:08:35 | More by darky

Weli

Wisconsin

4.66/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

A-Light copper/amber with a rocky white head with great retention.

S-Really reminds me of spring in a hayfield! Kinda fruity maybe apples, a hint of spice

T-Smooth earthy bitterness up front with a hint of citrus and spice, hints of pilsner malt

M-Kinda tart, overall dry and very thirst quenching

O-A must try beer! Definitely a bench mark example of the Belgian Pale Ale

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2013 22:37:29 | More by Weli

John_Henry

Japan

1.81/5  rDev -57%
look: 3.75 | smell: 1.75 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 1.5

A: Looks pretty good, as one would expect. Enormous amount of head, leaving good lacing. The head is so big it is actually too much.

S: The first thing that hits, and unfortunately a little off-putting. I racked my mind for a few minutes as it reminded me of something, but I couldn't put my finger on it. Best way I can describe it is Parma ham.

T: Pretty horrific. Lite, dry to the point of sourness. Quite bitter, but overall really rather unpleasant. Awfully disappointing.

M: Seems pretty good, but the taste is so unpleasent that it overpowers, what would potentially be a great mouth feel. I really can't even begin to process whats going o in my mouth.

O: I assumed I had a bad bottle until reading some of the other reviews. I still find it hard to believe that this isn't a bad bottle, and this is how this highly acclaimed beer is meant to taste, am I so pore of a judge? Having been an avid beer enthusiast for the last 20 years, I have to assume this just isn't for me. Strange having enjoyed pretty much every other Belgium beer I've had.

I will give this another try as this was purchased in Japan, so may well be a bad example, but unfortunately I think it may be how this beer is intended.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2013 12:08:54 | More by John_Henry

BuzzLitebier

Maryland

4.64/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Poured chilled a pint glass (hey, I'm all about class!)

A: poured a golden/orange honey color with a HUGE head and nice lacing after it subsided, clearly unfiltered, and had nice carbonation with a mix of big and largish bubbles
S: crisp nose; reminded me of a pilsner
T: It had a bitterness that was nice and didn't linger with a bit of apple vinegar.- very nice balance.
M: medium body with a nice carb.

Would I have it again? HELL YES! This was a treat.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2013 00:46:13 | More by BuzzLitebier

arfenhouse

California

3.23/5  rDev -23.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A: Cloudy dark orange with a very large off-white head. Good retention and good lacing.

S: Lemon and herbal. A fair amount of maltiness. Toasted bread. Some spice and a bit of funk.

T: Lemon and a bit of toasted bread. A bit of grass and herb/spice (some clove among other spices). Lemon and a bit of bitter grain in the aftertaste.

M: Light mouthfeel with medium carbonation. Finishes a bit dry.

O: Not impressed but a decent beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 08:36:37 | More by arfenhouse

TheSevenDuffs

Ontario (Canada)

3.99/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Poured in to tulip.

A - Slightly cloudy medium orange with an amber hue towards the centre. A lot of head from the pour that settled off-white and very thick.

S - Funk up front with some bready malts, some lemon zest and Belgian yeast.

T - Funk up front that immediately gives way to Belgian yeast and clove flavours. Mid-palate has a grassy hop profile with lighter lemon zest and herbal notes. Finish is dry with some bitterness and funk.

M - Light to medium body with moderate to high carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2013 19:17:27 | More by TheSevenDuffs