8.6/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 9
Flavor 9
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
Jan. 16th 2016: 330 ml bottle, bottled 09/07/2015.
Deep amber, hazy body, with a massive, frothy, rocky, lacing, off-white head.
Aroma of green apples, lemongrass, citrus, orange, barnyard, dough, candy.
Tastes of sweet and sour apples, pears, bitter citrus, orange zest, lemongrass, dough, barnyard, some citrus candy.
Medium, slick mouthfeel, with an average carbonation.
Finishes bone dry, medium bitter, yeasty, zesty, with citrus, pears, some apples, quite long-lasting piney hops.
April 27 2018: 330 ml bottle, bottled 20/12/2016.
Very smooth, yet complex aroma of red apples, Brett, young cheese, berries, ripe fruits, fruit tea, dough, some bubblegum, slight leather.
Tastes quite similar, while with a lovely, elegant dryness.
Medium, slick mouthfeel, with an average carbonation.
Finishes medium dry, very fruity, Bretty, a bit hoppy, floral, yeasty, with apples, ripe fruits, slight cheese.
Beautiful! This has really grown on me over the years. The younger had lovely piney hop notes, while the 16 month old one is very elegant, with diverse fruit notes, lovely Brett notes and some crisp dryness. Perfect balance between drinkability, complexity and endless amounts of smoothness. A one-of-a-kind beer, that is always different, really exciting.
Deep amber, hazy body, with a massive, frothy, rocky, lacing, off-white head.
Aroma of green apples, lemongrass, citrus, orange, barnyard, dough, candy.
Tastes of sweet and sour apples, pears, bitter citrus, orange zest, lemongrass, dough, barnyard, some citrus candy.
Medium, slick mouthfeel, with an average carbonation.
Finishes bone dry, medium bitter, yeasty, zesty, with citrus, pears, some apples, quite long-lasting piney hops.
April 27 2018: 330 ml bottle, bottled 20/12/2016.
Very smooth, yet complex aroma of red apples, Brett, young cheese, berries, ripe fruits, fruit tea, dough, some bubblegum, slight leather.
Tastes quite similar, while with a lovely, elegant dryness.
Medium, slick mouthfeel, with an average carbonation.
Finishes medium dry, very fruity, Bretty, a bit hoppy, floral, yeasty, with apples, ripe fruits, slight cheese.
Beautiful! This has really grown on me over the years. The younger had lovely piney hop notes, while the 16 month old one is very elegant, with diverse fruit notes, lovely Brett notes and some crisp dryness. Perfect balance between drinkability, complexity and endless amounts of smoothness. A one-of-a-kind beer, that is always different, really exciting.
Tried
from Bottle
on 21 Nov 2013
at 12:35
9/10
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Appearance 9
Aroma 9
Flavor 9
Texture 9
Overall 9
Hazy copper-orange colour, large rocky white head, a lot of lacing. Malty bready nose, barnyard, aroma full of honey, hay, floral hops, hint of citrus. Dry but mild medium bitter taste, light sweetness, grassy and earthy notes. Lively carbonation, medium body, creamy mouthfeel. Smooth dry finish, spicy notes. Probably one of the best beers around.
Tried
from Bottle
on 13 Nov 2013
at 11:00
8.2/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 9
Texture 6
Overall 9
Bottle sampled at a tasting event. From notes. Oaky and earthy with a bit of funk. How the heck have I not rated this yet?
Tried
from Bottle
on 31 Oct 2013
at 13:03
8/10
Tried
on 21 Oct 2013
at 10:37
7.1/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
Finally a good one: bottle with expiry date 17.08.2021, so quite new. Rocky head that disappears after a while. Aroma is funky, grassy hops, some sauerkraut. Light bitterness, slightly sour, no sweetness. Fizzy carbonation. Very good. Old rating from 24 Sep 2013: 2/2/2/2/8 = 1.6 Aroma: vinegar like in a lambic beer, maybe a bit of straw, a touch of herby hops. Frothy head, quickly diminishing. Amber colour, hazy. Medium sourness, medium bitterness, no sweetness. Fizzy carbonation. 33cl bottle, bottled on 23rd May 2013. Generally, it looks like there is something wrong with my bottle. This is the second bottled Orval I drink outside Belgium and second disappointing one.
Tried
from Bottle
on 24 Sep 2013
at 13:20
6.6/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
Bottle at home, bought from Brussels, 18th September 2013. Just felt like a Belgian for a change. This delivered well, quite a substantial head, the beer tastes spicey, lots of yeast, some banana and some hops. This was an hour is so in the fridge, prior to cracking, more complex as it warmed. Nice, easy drinking Belgian ale
Tried
from Bottle
on 20 Sep 2013
at 00:14
6/10
Tried
on 10 Sep 2013
at 20:25
8.3/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 9
Bottled at the Leiderkerke Beer Festival. Cloudy amber-orange with a tall, fine head. Funky Orval nose (1-2 years or so I suppose), grassy, citrus hop, brett, caramel. Just a bit fainter than the regular, but look and nose is about the same. Light body and flavor, but good brett character and hop bitterness. Light, crisp citrus, grass, funk. Excellent. Obviously properly aged. Even more so than the Chimay Doree, the ultimate session beer?
Tried
from Bottle
on 08 Sep 2013
at 03:48
7.2/10
—
Appearance 10
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
Vacation 2013 @ Virton, Belgium. 25 cl. glass on tap @ A l’Ange Gardien. Hazy amber with a white head. Floral aroma. Slightly more yeasty and less hoppy than the regular Orval but still a great beer. I could drink this all day long but regrettably we had to go after 3 glasses.
Tried
from Draft
on 03 Sep 2013
at 13:10
6/10
Tried
on 15 Aug 2013
at 13:11