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

JAXSON

Pennsylvania

4.03/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

1 year old bottle, Nov 2010 bottling. Pours a pinkinsh amber gold with a large head and a tempestuous body. Nose is soft peaches and apples, hay, brett. Mouth is sweet trappist yeast throughout with a bready quality and medium hops over the finish. Dries out a lot toward the back palate but still sweeter than I remembered this being. Fair amount of dry, earthy brett creeping out at this age. Not nearly as bright or hop forward as the recent Jul 2011 bottling. Apples, stewed peaches throughout that avoid being overly sweet.

To me, this succeeds at being many things at once, but I don't feel it's really exceptional on any level. I've enjoyed the 5 month and 13 month old bottles I've had recently (which were massively different), but there are certainly better trappist ales, better dry brett golden ales, better Belgian pale ales out there. This is pretty notable in its transcendence but it's not straightforward enough for me, I suppose.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2011 03:03:06 | More by JAXSON

JackOfAll

United Kingdom (Wales)

3.5/5  rDev -16.9%

05-24-2013 18:01:55 | More by JackOfAll

Tjvan2

Iowa

2.75/5  rDev -34.7%

05-24-2013 12:31:30 | More by Tjvan2

desint

Belgium

1.5/5  rDev -64.4%

05-24-2013 11:13:19 | More by desint

robertmitchum

North Carolina

4.25/5  rDev +1%

05-24-2013 09:17:08 | More by robertmitchum

MikeDre

California

3.5/5  rDev -16.9%

05-24-2013 04:55:41 | More by MikeDre

mtrog313

Michigan

3.75/5  rDev -10.9%

05-24-2013 01:41:13 | More by mtrog313

broob

Mississippi

4.5/5  rDev +6.9%

05-23-2013 18:21:29 | More by broob

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