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

Gyle41386

South Carolina

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

Finally, my first Orval. It's always been so readily available that I was never in a huge rush to try it. Not sure why, but it caught my eye during my last beer run, and I grabbed a bottle. Always fun to crack open a legend for the first time.

Bottled 5/10/09, poured into a tulip.

Loud hiss as soon as I start to pry off the cap, so I know this one's going to be bubbly. Absolute monstrous wall of white foam fills just as much of the glass as the beer does. The pour is a surprisingly orange-amber one. Head retention is outstanding, and the glass is completely plastered with sticky lacing.

I'm smelling a pretty good bit of gueuze in Orval...lots of tart lemon and green apple, along with some barnyard funk. The flavor is essentially the same, with a very, very dry finish. It's funny - this is one of the more complex beers I've had, yet I don't have a whole lot to say about it. It's got flavors of Belgian Pale, British Pale, and Gueuze in it, which I really enjoy. There's a mineral-like (I don't want to say metallic) taste in the finish.

Fairly light body with very active carbonation. I can certainly see Orval being an acquired taste, and probably wouldn't have liked it two years ago when I was first exploring new beers. Probably not something I'll be chasing after very frequently, but it's nice to know that it's always on the shelves.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2010 22:51:52 | More by Gyle41386

BeerSnob1022

New Jersey

4.5/5  rDev +6.9%

05-21-2013 17:09:07 | More by BeerSnob1022

BelgianBeerPope

Belgium

4.25/5  rDev +1%

05-21-2013 11:29:47 | More by BelgianBeerPope

aslamm75

Indiana

3/5  rDev -28.7%

05-20-2013 23:44:43 | More by aslamm75

sendbeer

Georgia

4.25/5  rDev +1%

05-20-2013 18:07:47 | More by sendbeer

akttr

Michigan

3/5  rDev -28.7%

05-20-2013 03:50:58 | More by akttr

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

Photekut

Azerbaijan

4.5/5  rDev +6.9%

05-18-2013 21:13:20 | More by Photekut

OldsmarTap

Florida

3.25/5  rDev -22.8%

05-18-2013 19:19:50 | More by OldsmarTap

NJB145

Michigan

4.5/5  rDev +6.9%

05-18-2013 12:16:09 | More by NJB145

Blashawright

Texas

4/5  rDev -5%

05-16-2013 22:39:07 | More by Blashawright

jborgschulte

Florida

3.75/5  rDev -10.9%

05-16-2013 18:37:30 | More by jborgschulte

inanity

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +6.9%

05-16-2013 00:38:39 | More by inanity

jimctin

Ontario (Canada)

5/5  rDev +18.8%

05-15-2013 18:00:22 | More by jimctin

apanloco

Sweden

4.5/5  rDev +6.9%

05-15-2013 17:38:22 | More by apanloco

Nolen12

Kentucky

3.75/5  rDev -10.9%

05-14-2013 19:16:18 | More by Nolen12

CoryR

Oregon

3.75/5  rDev -10.9%

05-14-2013 19:15:11 | More by CoryR

SonOfOdin

Kentucky

4.5/5  rDev +6.9%

05-14-2013 18:45:15 | More by SonOfOdin

rboinski

California

4.5/5  rDev +6.9%

05-14-2013 14:44:01 | More by rboinski

KVNBGRY

Florida

4.75/5  rDev +12.8%

05-14-2013 13:05:46 | More by KVNBGRY

danipp

New Jersey

4/5  rDev -5%

05-14-2013 02:11:28 | More by danipp

Dcunicelli

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -16.9%

05-13-2013 19:23:58 | More by Dcunicelli

NorthSideSean

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +6.9%

05-13-2013 17:37:41 | More by NorthSideSean

SMM0606

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +6.9%

05-13-2013 01:40:55 | More by SMM0606

mikeburd1128

New Jersey

3.25/5  rDev -22.8%

05-12-2013 17:11:36 | More by mikeburd1128