bhensonb (22605) reviewed Orval from Brasserie d’Orval 18 years ago
Appearance - 10 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8
Aroma of sour and medium dark malts. Also yeast. Also hop. Ripe apricot color with foamy, lacing white head. Starts a bit tart and sour, moves to a sweet hit, followed by serious sour. Very dry. There is a nice finish which has some sour, and some bitter. Really different? Wish I could afford this everyday.
yespr (55501) reviewed Orval from Brasserie d’Orval 18 years ago
Appearance - 10 | Aroma - 10 | Flavor - 10 | Texture - 10 | Overall - 10
33 cL bottle. Pours unfiltered orange with a huge off-white head. Aroma is most of all hoppy, what a difference from the other trappists, but it also has so many other components: YEAST, fruits. spices, slight sweetness but most of all: the aroma is dry. Flavour is citric, malt sweetness which is good for balance to the sour/bitter hop notes. Strong bitterness into the finish. First time I had this I was in awe, I had found the perfect beer and no one around me could understand the same thing. I’ve come back and been in doubt several times, but this one deserves to be in the same league as the golden 12. There doesn’t seem to be an "inbetween" with this one, either you like it and wholeheartedly appreciate it, or you move on - I stay still, this is my beer for an evening on the balcony as the sun sets...
cagarvie (40076) reviewed Orval from Brasserie d’Orval 18 years ago
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 8
bottle 9/4/07 or 4/12/08 not sure which ...an amber coloured brew, little hop on nose, rich full tasty mouth, a little spiced shines through. quite drying 3.7 bottle bbf 10/08/16 drunk at Mass online orval tasting 24 Jan 2012 ... golden amber ... soft yeasty fruit nose ... light fizzy ... quite dry ... soft fruits ... quite peachy ... soft earthy toffee back bone ... Ok its quite subdues with no real anything i can place ... its soft and simple ... it doesnt exite me or repel me ... im tending toward the word boring ... but not quite 3.5 bottle bbf 10/08/16 drunk at Mass online orval tasting 24 Jan 2012 ... crisp amber ... thin white head ... soft farmyark funk fruit nose ... quite fizzy ... was a gusher ... ok very bretty ... def farmyard ... light toffee ... light fruits ... but mostly im only getting the brett... Not really liking this ... 3.2 how ever a good experiment in aging as these are quite clearly different beers ... At home(24 may2013) in Memory of Simon, with Zimbo who joined our tasting group as we both shared a friendship with simon ... bottled 300113 ... golden amber ... big white head ... big soft bretty ... mellow fruit nose ... dry fruity front ... light brett again ... tiny soft hint ...here to you Simon... may your name long be mentioned.
DSG (25977) reviewed Orval from Brasserie d’Orval 19 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8
Re-rate 11/13: Bottle sample at a tasting at Beer Market Jaffa. Thanks Noam. Bottled 12/5/12. Hazy orange with a huge off-white head. Aroma of barnyard, oranges, floral notes and some hops. Rather dry flavor with very light sweetish notes, a touch of malt, fruitiness, flowers, yeast, earth and a nice bitterness. Medium-bodied, lively carbonation. 7/4/7/3/14=3.5
Re-rate 11/13: Bottle shared at a tasting at Beer Market Jaffa. Bottled 3/14/02 (11 years old). Cloudy orange with a nice off-white head. Musty aroma of old horse blanket, barnyard and floral notes. Slightly sourish flavor, very dry, funky, bretty, with a bitter hint in the finish with a bit of cardboard. Medium-bodied. Nice and interesting. 8/4/7/3/15=3.7
Re-rate 4/1/12: Bottle shared at the 3rd Israeli Sour Tasting. (10 years old. Bottled on 3/14/02). Murky dark orange. Pleasant funky aroma with barnyard and lots of citrus. Sourish flavor with brett and a dry, somewhat bitter finish. Medium-bodied. Past its prime, but still nice. 8/3/7/3/14=3.5
Re-rate 2/4/10: Bottle (almost 8 years old. Bottled on 3/14/02). Heavily carbonated clear orange to deep golden color with a fine huge white head. Big barnyard aroma with some perfumy and flowery notes, lemon, citron, grapefruit, apricot, green apple hints, some malt and some medicinal notes. Dry earthy flavor with a bit of background sweetness, citrus, some brett and a bone-dry finish, a bit acidic, with herbal notes. Smooth mouthfeel with lively carbonation. Good, complex and unique, but the yeast character seems to get a bit out of hand at this age. 8/5/7/4/15=3.9
Re-rate 12/26/09: Bottle sample at a tasting. Thanks Dror. Bottled on 10/27/08. Cloudy orange with a huge rocky beige head. Perfumy aroma with honey, flowers, spicy hoppiness and funky notes. Flavor is sweetish and slightly bready-caramelly at first. Continues dry with citric bitterness, light tartness, fruits and a nice, lingering, hoppy finish. Silky mouthfeel. 8/4/8/4/16=4
Re-rate 3/8/08: Bottle at De Heeren van Liedekercke in Denderleeuw. Bottled on 2/24/05. Appears on the menu as "Orval Joost 35 Jaar" but I don’t know what it means. Slightly hazy orange color with a big consistent white head. Aroma of fruits, some bretty funk and some hoppy notes. A completely dry flavor with lots of citrus (grapefruit, some orange peels), some wonderful bretty touches, a bit of spices and some hops. Medium-bodied. Wonderful. Not as good as the older bottles I’ve has but very close. 8/5/9/5/18=4.5
Re-rate 1/17/08: Bottle (almost 6 years old). Magnificent appearance of hazy orange color with a big and thick off-white head. A really bretty aroma with some barnyard, loads of citrus and some other fruits. Very dry flavor with a good dose of funky sourness as well as some fruitiness and some malt. A dry finish with some citric-lemon touches, a bit of spice, and (surprisingly at this age) some hops. Medium-bodied. Wow, very close to perfection. Funny how I gave this beer the same score now and when I was rather new to good beers. I’m almost tempted to open another bottle but I want to save the two bottles I still have in case the only store in Israel that still carries this (all bottles at this age by the way), doesn’t have any more left. 10/5/9/5/19=4.8
Bottle (almost 5 years old). Dark cloudy orange with a medium head. A very complex perfumy aroma with malt, hops, citrus (a lot of orange). Flavor is unlike any beer i’ve ever tasted - sweet, fruity, citrusy (orange and a bit of lemon), and a bit spicy. Finish is wonderful dry hop bitterness with a bit of sourness. A very pleasent mouthfeel. A full body. Amazing and unique. 10/5/9/5/19=4.8
patrick767 (7169) reviewed Orval from Brasserie d’Orval 19 years ago
Appearance - 10 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5
bottled on 10/24/2002 - This brew pours up a huge white head that leaves some nice lacing. The yeast sediment is very fine. The aroma is complex is notes of yeast, citrus, spice, and a bit of the funk that I associate with lambics. That last was a surprise, but not bad. It’s in the taste a little bit too. The flavor is dry and very well balanced with those citrus, spice, and funky notes all in there. Medium bodied and lively on the palate, this is a very drinkable ale. It’s also held up well over time. The Trappist monks have done it again.
Hibba (858) reviewed Orval from Brasserie d’Orval 19 years ago
Appearance - 10 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 4 | Texture - 10 | Overall - 9
Pours a deep orange color with a fluffy white head that diminishes but remains...floral/ perfume aroma stings the nostrils ...this is not a typical Belgian...very dry mouth feel ...an unusual tingle in the back of my throat similar to pop rocks...a fun beer to drink...not a whole lot of flavor though a mellow bitter finish thats dry
mike_77 (15875) reviewed Orval from Brasserie d’Orval 19 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5
Hazy dark orange colour. Big fluffy head. Aroma has plasters and Bretty yeast. Dry but exceptionally clean feel in the mouth with light vinous acidity and a bitter dry finish.
Irishboy (4674) reviewed Orval from Brasserie d’Orval 19 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7
Bottled shared by Odeed! Thanks Jake! Bottled 1/24/06, Appley, caramelly, spicy nose; Slightly hazy orange with a medium tan head; Flavor of cinnamon and cloves, caramel, and yeast with a tinyevidence of hops in the finish. 6/4/7/3/13 3.3 12/11/06 330ml bottle from Bevmo Salinas bottled 5/20/11. Nose is yeast, light cloves, green apples, and a tiny hint of barnyard. Murky yellow orange with a medium, lightly lacing, pale yellow head. Flavor is yeasty, a slight bitterness with a small amount of contrasting sweetness, and slight fruitiness. Finishes with light bitterness. Still not my favorite Belgian Ale but smooth and drinkable.
HenrikSoegaard (21963) reviewed Orval from Brasserie d’Orval 19 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5
Bottle. Creamy white excellent fully lasting head. Dark yellow colour. Powerfull froral hoppy aroma. Strange fruity/flower flavor (if you can say that fast many times i will give you a prize). No as creamy as expected. Is this the least good trappist?
theisti (5540) reviewed Orval from Brasserie d’Orval 19 years ago
Appearance - 10 | Aroma - 10 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 10 | Overall - 9.5
++++ Re Rate 10 Feb 2008 ++++
11.2 fl oz bottle at The Dish pizza in Liberty, MO. Bottled May 2007, though served in a shaker pint, and a bit too cold, this beer was just incredible with pizza. Even more beautiful rocky head this time, and the perfect Brett dryness. I just love this beer more each time I have it. (10,5,9,5,19 - 4.8)
++++ Re Rate 16 Nov 2007 ++++
11.2 fl oz bottle purchased at Lukas KCMO. Bottled on 14/11/2006 enjoyed on 16-Nov-07. Pour is a clear gold with some red undertones. A bunch of carbonation bubbles and a big, rocky white head. Aroma is Brett funk, wet earth and some hay. Just a gorgeous nose. Taste is really nice, initially a bit of citrus and yeastiness, the middle gives way to the Brett big time and the sour and funk continues to a very dry finish. Amazingly unique. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed this beer. Side note, I was tempted to delete my original rating, since it was useless, but have decided instead to leave it as a memorial to how very little I knew about beer when I first started on Ratebeer. Granted, I am still a novice. (9,4,9,4,19 - 4.5)
++++ Original Rating 25 Oct 2006 ++++
Solid trappist, dry and hoppy throughout. Strength of this one can really sneak up on you! (8,4,9,4,17 - 4.2)