Orval Trappist Ale

[Torcams]

I've been on a Belgian beer kick lately, branching out and trying some I haven't had before. Among the many I've tried recently, Orval really stood out with its exotic, flowery flavor profile. Any other fans out there?

The beer I tasted was bottled in January 2009, so it's just over a year old. Incidentally, it has a "best before" date of 5 years from the bottled date. The beer pours a deep amber with some haziness typical of yeasty Belgian ales. On the nose, it smells of cut flowers with some raspberry and citrus. On the palate, there is a fairly strong flavor of elderflower with some berry notes that follow through from the nose. The finish is clean with some nice bitter hoppiness and with the elderflower continuing to linger.

 

[Ru4scuba?]

I'm a Belgian beer nut and a big fan of Orval...not quite as much as Rochefort...for some reason, the 8 holds a spell over me I can't explain...but Orval isn't bad

 

[mdunn]

Im a fan. Orval is a goto on those hot summer afternoons I dont really want a super heavy ale.

Chimay Grand Reserve still is my #1 (Im about to pop a 3l bottle ive had in the cellar for the last few years - very excited)

 

[ouch]

I love the Westvleterens.

 

[Edcculus]

Orval is an awesome beer. My only complaint is that its so hard to get it without being overly oxidized over here. But thats the case with any Belgian.


Michael Jackson thought so too:

This last beer is, in my view, another world classic. So is Orval, the only truly dry Trappist beer. Orval is intense and almost sour, a wonderful apertif. It is made at the monastery of Orval, near Florenville in the far south-east of Belgium.

Like all of the brewing monasteries, Orval was revived after the secularization of the Napoleonic period, but it originated in 1070. The magnificent Romanesque-Burgundian monastery of the late Twenties stands alongside ruins of earlier incarnations.

The Trappists are the most rigorous of orders and interpret strictly the rule that they must live off their own resources. They are also a closed order. Those philosophies may have helped them maintain their brewing tradition.

 

[Luc]

Orval, Chimay, Rochefort, great stuff...

I also have something for Unibroue such as La fin du monde, Trois-Pistoles, Maudite and Ephemere...

 

[Norse23]

I love the Westvleterens.

Is Westvleteren really that good or is it just a perception based on scarcity?

 

[Norse23]

Chimay Grand Reserve is fantastic.

 

[ouch]

Is Westvleteren really that good or is it just a perception based on scarcity?

I'm far from an expert on Belgian ales, but the ones I've tried were some of the best I ever tasted.

 

[homebrewer]

Is Westvleteren really that good or is it just a perception based on scarcity?

I've had the pleasure of having a couple of bottles of Westy 12, and it truly is a shockingly delicious beer. Worthy of the hype? No.

It is very, very good, but is it not worth the hype, seeking it out, or paying outrageous prices for it. If you want to taste a Westy 12, go buy a bottle of St. Bernardus Abt. 12... very, very similar beer, without the scarcity or price tag.

 

[Ru4scuba?]

While not a Trappist Ale and somewhat off topic...anyone ever try Andechs? Its monk brewed beer in Bavaria...about an hour outside of Munich if memory serves.

This stuff blew all Trappist beers out of the water in my opinion...the DunkleWeisse was the best I've ever tried.

Apples and Oranges? Yes. But if we simply comparing beer tastes...that monastery takes the prize IMHO!

 

[Huxley]

Rochefort is nice but personally i prefer la trappe, i believe it's called koningshoeven over your end.

 

[dobeedigital]

Orval is an awesome beer.

They infect it with Brettanomyces, which coincides with the horse blanket and barnyard flavors. The interesting thing with orval is that the infection (brett) is highly intelligent in that it will try to stay alive for as long as possible by eating just enough sugar to stay alive.

This means that as it ages it changes flavors. I've been lucky enough to try a fresh Orval, a year old, 5 year, and 10 year old. The difference in flavor is amazing. When I tried the fresh Orval I was floored at the flavor, it was fresh and crisp. As it progressed through the ages the flavor started to develop into more the barnyard flavor. Which I still like.

If you have the budget and can resist the temptation, look at your local liqour stores and check there ages. Then let it sit and do a 10 year , 5 year, and 1 year taste test, it will floor you!

 

[thunderball]

Just had one of these last night!

 

[DFrancis]

Orval, Chimay, Rochefort, great stuff...

I also have something for Unibroue such as La fin du monde, Trois-Pistoles, Maudite and Ephemere...

+1 on Unibroue, wonderful Trappist style ales from Quebec. Chamble Noir is wonderful.

 

[Luc]

+1 on Unibroue, wonderful Trappist style ales from Quebec. Chamble Noir is wonderful.

Last time I drank Chambly noir, I also cooked lobsters with it... I was legendary...

 

[royalcrown]

Is Westvleteren really that good or is it just a perception based on scarcity?

They are fabulous beers and definitely top notch as far as Belgian brewing goes but I wouldn't recommend trying them at the price which it commands.

 

[johsa]

I love the Westvleterens.

Was lucky enough to score a case of 12. Another favorite is Dulle Teve aka Mad ***** or St Barnardus (how can you go wrong with a drunken monk on the label!)

 

[conteins]

just had this last night. love the complex scent and flavors.

 

[RCR]

Ommegang's products are some of my favorites. Ommegang is a Cooperstown, NY brewery specializing in Belgian-type ales, most of which are bottle-conditioned and corked. Wonderful products for an American brewer, and good price points as well. Their Three Philosophers is one of my favorites.