0,33 l. bottle - yes, surprise: The iconic bottle. From Vinbørsen, Copenhagen. Poured into a trappist glass. Orange-brown colour with a massive, white head that slowly shrinks. This is one of the most complex beers, I´ve ever stuck my nose in: Yeast is present, but also sweet fruits like apricot and raisins, only weak hop aromas. The aroma is very powerfull. Medium sourness in taste, but also some saltyness! Light body, but long lasting finish. This beer has a lot of followers, and no wonder: There is something mythical about it, every time you taste it, the beer brings something new to your senses. Given the taste, the history and the complexity of this beer, Orval deserves a high "overall" rating. I will be returning to this beer again...

Bright orange brown with an impressing white, pillowy head with good retention and nice lacing on the side of the trappist glass. Complex spicy aroma, fruits, yeast, hops, only slight sweets. Orange, dark fruits, apple, cardamom, liquorice, even some anise. Flavour does right to the complexity of the aroma. Slightly sweet, but balanced with a good hop bitterness and a slight sour twang. Citric notes, spices, cinnamon, cardamom, and more fight for attention. Strong bitter finish. Great trappist. (from 33cL bottle)

Re-rate on Orval Appreciation Day 2011. Hazy orange golden with a big and fluffy head if poured right. This head disappears a bit quickly though. The aroma never gets boring. Grass, grapefruit, fresh wood, leather, barnyard, spice notes and herbal notes. Deliciously dry and bitter, with complex flavour notes of fruit, herbs and funk. The one I had today also had a bit of caramel sweetness. Nice touch.

bottle@bar: there is probably no other beer like Orval, it is hard to compare it to anything else, it is a Belgian Ale made with brett’s, cannot think of any other beers that fit that description, completely different from the other trappists, sweet up front with spice, orange, lemon, yeast, hop, cinnamon, followed by a slightly sour, brett finish, dry, tart, bitter & acidic in the end but no extremes, everything is exceptionally balanced, you either love it or you won’t get what just happened /// upped score again from 4.6 to 4.8 - this might be the most brilliant beer out there. Tried it many different ages, I like this as fresh the most. Brilliant hop profile on it when fresh, earthy, touch blue cheese, almost Sorachi Ace-like blended with brett. You could almost pass it of for an IPA, it combines just so many different styles it seems - it is completely in a league of its own. Couple of months old it has leaves, earthy notes in the profile. Begins thinning out latter on, brett cleaning up once 1.5 + exchanging it with light oxidation notes. 2007 vintage - 5 years old, noticeable oxidation, light funk, near tang, peal, very clean, light, almost geuze-like notes, very clean, light, tad too much oxidation becomes apparent for me but still very good. // keep drinking this regularily // changed score to 5 because it is freaking Orval ///////////////////////////// //////////////////// Decided to review this one again. 4 bottles @ home. 38 days old. Pours a bright dark textbook amber maybe a touch less dark than usually with a huge collapsing bubbly off-white head, gorgeous. Nose is full of those lovely cheesy Orval hops, candied orange peel, faint pine resin with a lovely sweet candy sugar background, cookies and sweet malts. Tastes slightly more alcoholic than usual with lots of the same lovely cheese / hops, candy sugar, sweet cookies, sweet malty background, faint green olive, light herbs, cinnamon, sweet white bread, Chinese pasty, more ornage peel, slightly biter. Thick, chewy mouthfeel but this one isn’t as thick as Orval often is. Sooo good. Only beer that I session. I have been know to drink a lot of lambiek as well.

Bottled on 03/02/2011, served in a Westvleteren chalice. Pours clear orange-amber, with a massive foamy off-white head. The nose is over-ripe banana, dried pineapple, fig, nutmeg, fruit cake and more subtle notes of grass and hay. The taste is barnyard, hay, grass, leaf, tart citrus fruit (tangerine, peach, grapefruit, lemon pith), saltiness, brett definitely evident and lingering alcohol warmth, with a bitter-dry finish. Med-full body, mod carbonation and voluptuous mouth-feel. Really nice mouth-puckering tartness to it. Complex, yet still subtle and classy.

0.33l bottle. Orval pours a semi clear dark orange body with a massive neverending fluffy and beautiful white head leaving big lacings. Fantastic nose with hops, chocolate-like notes, peach, some spices I can't figure out, citrus and yeast. Tastes are quite similar to the nose, medium bodied silky and smooth body with medium carbonation giving first off hints of alcohol then it glides over in to different parts: first a fruity refreshing flavor before the malt balanced the whole thing, then it ends in a dry, bitter, yeasty and flowerish finish. Beautiful in many ways.

Yellow/orange colour with strong head. Complex citrus aroma. Heavy bitterness. Fruity, citric taste. An excellent beer.