Orval
Brasserie d’Orval in Villers-devant-Orval, Luxembourg, Belgium 🇧🇪
Belgian Style - Blonde / Pale / Amber Regular|
Score
7.93
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Orval beer is a high fermentation beer. The ageing process adds a fruity note, which strikes a subtle balance between the beer’s full-bodied yet complex flavour and bitterness.
The beer was first brewed in 1931 and owes its unparalleled taste to the quality of the water, the hops and the yeast used. The brewery has selected very aromatic and unique hop varieties, which hark back to the first brewmaster of Orval, who hailed from Bavaria. The beer’s aromas are very pronounced while maintaining the right level of bitterness thanks to the English method of dry hopping.
The various stages of fermentation – combined fermentation with the original yeast and with wild yeast, followed by fermentation in the bottle – mean the beer must age for some time and requires numerous quality controls.
The beer was first brewed in 1931 and owes its unparalleled taste to the quality of the water, the hops and the yeast used. The brewery has selected very aromatic and unique hop varieties, which hark back to the first brewmaster of Orval, who hailed from Bavaria. The beer’s aromas are very pronounced while maintaining the right level of bitterness thanks to the English method of dry hopping.
The various stages of fermentation – combined fermentation with the original yeast and with wild yeast, followed by fermentation in the bottle – mean the beer must age for some time and requires numerous quality controls.
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Best before... today. Never kept one that long. Lots of nectarines, bracken-like funk. Bone dry. Hints of sherry and boot polish. Carbonation has dropped off but only a bit. Bitterness is lower. Interesting. Happy enough to stick with the 1-2 year olds.
Tried
on 30 Jul 2025
at 12:11
8.5/10
—
Appearance 10
Aroma 9
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
0,33l bottle from K-Supermarket Lippulaiva. Bottled 12/04/2023, bbe 12/04/2028. Pours very beautifully with amber color and huge head that stays. Aroma is strong, it has apple, flowers and sourness. Taste has apple, citrus and grass and sourness. Medium carbonation. More belgium yeast when yeast is added from the bottle. Still wonderful.
Tried
from Bottle
on 25 May 2025
at 19:40
7.8/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 10
Overall 7
Sometimes it?s good, sometimes it?s bad. Orval is always a bit of an adventure. When it?s on it?s good, when it?s not it?s crap.
Rerate a fresh one 5 years later. This was a good one. Love the Brett funk
Rerate a fresh one 5 years later. This was a good one. Love the Brett funk
Tried
on 20 May 2025
at 00:44
8/10
29/06/2023, prima verder, leuk bret smaakje
Tried
from Bottle
on 01 May 2025
at 18:10
8/10
Tried
from Bottle
on 30 Apr 2025
at 23:10
8/10
A bit past its prime for me and probably not stored well. But I gotta try every year I see!
Tried
from Bottle
on 11 Apr 2025
at 15:17
10/10
Bottled January 11th 2024. Orval is always the perfect beer for me.
Tried
from Bottle
on 28 Mar 2025
at 14:07
6/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 5
Texture 6
Overall 6
Bottle. I know it’s just my opinion, but I think this beer is over rated. It starts off good. Has a really pleasant aroma, almost of a floral nature. Looks ok. Has a nice head that goes away rather quickly. The taste, ok this is where it goes down hill. It is way too sour, bitter and dry for my taste. I can see this being a wine lovers beer. Recommended for those who like dry beer.
Tried
from Bottle
on 24 Mar 2025
at 05:17
8.1/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
Old rating from 2014 - 330ml bottle, pours caramel colour with a white head. Aromas & tastes of white grapes, apple, pineapple, bread, coriander, grains, lemon, herbs & malt. Medium body. Soft carbonation. Soft tart finish
Tried
from Bottle
on 23 Mar 2025
at 16:55
9/10
Tried
from Draft
on 22 Mar 2025
at 15:17