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

Siriusfisherman

Montana

4.54/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Appearance: A cloudy gold with a slight amber tinge. A huge foamy eggshell white head sits atop and carbonation bubbles streak up the sides of the glass to the surface.

Smell: Crisp, unbelievably crisp. Wonderful blends of tart white fleshed fruits give this beer a spectacular blend of character and spice. Very champagne inspired aroma that is balanced out with a warm maltiness and bready yeast presence>

Taste: A huge hit of finely bubbled carbonation opens of the palate for a storm of complexity. White grapes and crisp tart apple flavors fill the mouth, creating a world of champagne effervescence. The sweetness is balanced out with some spice, light bitterness and a nice yeast breadiness, and brett funk. The brett funk varies in its prominence based on how old the bottle is. The fresh stuff will have a lot more hop flavor, the older stuff will have more barnyard/wet hay aroma and flavors. I personally prefer it under a year, around the 6 month mark I find superb balance.

Mouthfeel: The carbonation works wonders in this beer, not staying out of the way of the flavor but opening up your palate for the flavor to storm and be cherished. Breadiness gives the beer a full body and light bitterness gives it a nice fresh exit.

Overall, a great Belgian Ale, there are few I have enjoyed more. It is my favorite of the Trappist Ales I have had, certainly the most unique. Perfect balance meets brettanomyces!

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2011 19:52:09 | More by Siriusfisherman

Hayden182

Louisiana

4/5  rDev -5%

06-18-2013 05:52:41 | More by Hayden182

BColton1

Rhode Island

3.75/5  rDev -10.9%

06-18-2013 01:38:20 | More by BColton1

dorianmarley

Ohio

4.28/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25

Appearance is golden, opaque honey amber. Massive, fluffy head. Light, bubbly lacing.

Nose has tons of yeast. Spicy too; cinnamon and nutmeg. Sour fruit. Sweet lime.

Taste is dry, with an almost rye quality. Tons of fresh baked bread. Yeasty in a good way. Not as sweet as the smell suggested.

Almost perfect mouthfeel. It has a lot of carbonation; almost like a seltzer water. Very smooth. Fluffy head lightens every sip.

Overall, not as complex as many Belgians. In a way, it is refreshing in how straightforward it is. Fun to drink, but the heavy carbonation makes it sippable, not gluggable. Never overwhelming; every sip is pleasant. The head is the most impressive I have seen. Not a nerdy beer, more of a back porch easygoing beer when you're trying to kick back and sip on one or two.

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2013 03:08:16 | More by dorianmarley

jaxon53

Connecticut

4.5/5  rDev +6.9%

06-16-2013 22:47:28 | More by jaxon53

DarthKostrizer

California

4.25/5  rDev +1%

06-16-2013 20:59:42 | More by DarthKostrizer

TheBeeraholic

Ontario (Canada)

4.75/5  rDev +12.8%

06-16-2013 14:26:40 | More by TheBeeraholic

adityashekhar

India

4.75/5  rDev +12.8%

06-16-2013 10:55:04 | More by adityashekhar

IchLiebeBier

Virginia

3/5  rDev -28.7%

06-15-2013 21:55:21 | More by IchLiebeBier

Sesam

Sweden

4.75/5  rDev +12.8%

06-15-2013 08:58:01 | More by Sesam

Kunstman

Wisconsin

4/5  rDev -5%

06-15-2013 01:52:29 | More by Kunstman

hitter114

Colorado

5/5  rDev +18.8%

06-14-2013 01:23:20 | More by hitter114

joesmithrealname

Connecticut

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

Seven trillion Monks can't be wrong.

The humongous spongy foamy head, sprinkled ever-so-slightly with some extra yeasts...

The aroma of two hundred years ago.

The looks from people drinking an overly hopped battering ram in a glass, wondering what POSSibly was going on behind my Cheshire Cat grin.

Expensive but worth it, if you value your life, and the moments that remain.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2013 05:48:13 | More by joesmithrealname

zenithberwyn

California

4.5/5  rDev +6.9%

06-13-2013 05:36:23 | More by zenithberwyn

MDDMD

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

A-hazy amber color with a huge off-white head and good lacing

S-fruit, bread, yeast funk, sweetness, grassy, slight herbal, very complex

T-bread, caramel malt, grassy, lemon, orange, some bitterness in the finish

F-medium body with moderate to high carbonation, crisp and dry

O-solid BPA with a great aroma, would be great pared with some cheese

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2013 02:25:36 | More by MDDMD

femond

Quebec (Canada)

4.75/5  rDev +12.8%

06-13-2013 01:57:55 | More by femond

dwren89

Virginia

4.5/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: amber, hazy, sticky, foamy head

Aroma: fruit sweetness with notes of citrus, malty sweetness

Taste: mild fruit sweetness with strong malt character, recognizable tart orange hints, hops not recognizeable

Mouthfeel: well attenuated, medium-light body,

Overall Impression: though not as complex as other Trappist ales, this one does achieve impressive drinkability for the the Dubbel style.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2013 22:04:09 | More by dwren89

ackeeper

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +1%

06-12-2013 18:59:14 | More by ackeeper

tnewmark

Kansas

3.75/5  rDev -10.9%

06-11-2013 21:37:45 | More by tnewmark

joaopmgoncalves

Portugal

4.21/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

A: It's a well carbonated beer with a beautiful orange body.
S: It has a yeasty and grassy smell that mixes very well with the orange within its smell.
T: You can notice the small citric overtones all over the Orval and it's also very yeasty.
M: Good carbonation as said previously. It's smooth and the low IBU (32) mixed with the lower alcohol level makes Orval an easy beer to drink.
O: Basically, it's an awesome beer. It's a good Belgian Pale Ale to introduce your friends to the wonderful world of beer. Anyone can taste the greatness in Orval.

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2013 19:32:42 | More by joaopmgoncalves

utopiajane

New York

4.3/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Pours hazy orange with a billowing head of resilient foam that finally dwindled to a rocky cap with dense, sticky lacing. A spectacular pour into a tulip. Nose is complex and kept expanding as it warmed. Sweet Belgian yeast, apples, floral, banana, some medicinal alcohol, a little caramel malt poking through all that bright fruit and brett funk and ultimately finds some spice character. Taste is superb. Relaxed, smooth, full without heaviness, some lemon, some hay and horse blanket. No alcohol on the palate at all. Drinks very dry and leaves a long bitter finish that isn’t tart or sour. It’s earthy and hop bitter. Very impressive, indulgent, full of traditional character and easily approachable for a session.

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2013 16:53:51 | More by utopiajane

ChrisL24481

New Hampshire

4/5  rDev -5%

06-11-2013 00:21:15 | More by ChrisL24481

GraduatedCashew

California

4.25/5  rDev +1%

06-11-2013 00:19:36 | More by GraduatedCashew

Isotope

Texas

4.75/5  rDev +12.8%

06-11-2013 00:18:28 | More by Isotope

hagbergl

Massachusetts

4.43/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

33 cL bottle of Orval into my Chimay goblet.

Appearance (4/5): Big two and a half finger head of of white over a cloudy orange body. Beautiful. Tight bubbles tell me this is a well-carbonated beer. Extraordinary head retention.

Smell (4.25/5): Yeasty and bretty smell. Lots of sweet bread and light tart funkiness, spice, herbal and medicinal notes, grassy notes from the hops.

Taste (4.5/5): Spicier and yeastier in the taste. Not very sweet. Plenty of brett, though it's pretty light compared to some other beers with brettanomyces that I've had. At the front of the tongue, get some nice effervescence, middle of the tongue transition from bretty funk to a wheat bread and spicy yeasty clove-y flavor that's slightly bitter and lingers for a while. Very interesting and totally unique.

Mouthfeel (4.5/5): Excellent carbonation level. Brett adds some effervescence. Very smooth and goes down easy. The lower alcohol level on this beer means you don't have to exercise too much caution with it. A very nice summertime beer.

Overall (4.5/5): Orval is legendary for a reason. It's a totally awesome beer and a great intro to Brett-infused beer. While it's not a particularly intense beer, it's very refreshing and certainly a unique take on the Belgian Pale Ale. One of the rare Trappist ales that isn't thick and heavy. It also features more obvious hop character than those beers. Great stuff that's certainly worth buying if you see it hanging out on the shelf. And fear not–Orval has quite a good shelf life. Dust off that bottle from 2010 and enjoy some vintage beer!

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2013 23:03:30 | More by hagbergl