allovate (6) reviewed Orval from Brasserie d’Orval 20 years ago
Appearance - 10 | Aroma - 10 | Flavor - 10 | Texture - 10 | Overall - 10
As far as beers go, this is a masterpiece of artistic triumph. Complex, clean, complimentary and quenching. The history of the Abbaye D’Orval is enough to give it fame, but the beer itself should make the Benedictine Monks of this Trappist monastery very proud. Tasted from the bottle, at the Belgian beer café, Perth (6.2%ABV Feb ’03). Poured into it’s own glass (a little too cold, though), a lovely big fluffy beige head formed and clung like glue to the glass. The beer itself a hazy caramel orange. Sweet and generous citric, floral and acidic nose, very yeasty and balanced with biting spicy phenols. Fruits like peaches, mangoes and apricots mingled in the leafy and bitter ’hoppy’ aroma, as it warmed in my hands. Very little malt to be found, but just an absolutely lovely bouquet that followed through into the mouth. Extremely dry across the palate, biting but not puckering, clean and grassy. Low vanilla notes, but dominant hops push this to the background. Orange and lemon zest, mangoes, apricots and other fruity esters, and leafy herbs bounce around the mouth, and follow into the long quenching and bitter swallow. Very well rounded, extremely balanced and big in flavour. A truly unique experience and one I am sure to come back to. Cannot fault it. One of the best!!
pivnizub (12821) reviewed Orval from Brasserie d’Orval 20 years ago
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 9
Bottle: Amber, almost orangey hazy ale; thin, but long lasting fluffy head; big fruity (orange, citrus) nose; the initial orangey fruitiness, with a tinge of candy and malt, changes into a stupendous rich, herbal, hoppy and dry finish (caused by dry-hopping ?). A must for lovers of hops....... Re-rate (03/08): Rich aromatic hoppiness in the nose, lingering aromatic hoppy finish. A real gem...............
oh6gdx (51139) reviewed Orval from Brasserie d’Orval 20 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8
Bottled. Copper coloured, big white foamy head. Aroma is pretty complex but atleast I found it spicy and hoppy with hints of yeast. The nose was a bit like some wines. Flavour was almost the same as aroma, mainly spicy and hoppy with hints of yeast. Also noted a bit grassiness/mould in the flavour. Tastewise a very rich beer, and very wellbalanced. Good stuff.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 10 | Overall - 8
This beer is more widely known as Orval Vert . Orange-amber, slight haze; huge off-white head. Typical but very intense grapey Orval nose, hops (dry), leather, Brett - including horsey finish - bit of lunaria, herbal-spicey. Bone dry - but light - fruity, grapey taste, rosewater flavour without the sweetness, different herbal flavours, slightly grassy. Quite light MF, but more filled than expected. Watery feeling as fine spring water. Ultra-long typical hop aftertaste (more taste/flavour than bitterness). Very strangely a very pleasing beer. Something to raise (healthy) children on. Or Brits.
JK (8181) reviewed Orval from Brasserie d’Orval 20 years ago
Appearance - 10 | Aroma - 10 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 10 | Overall - 8
Far different from any other beer I have had. I was expecting a malty Belgian ale, but this is more like a gueze or saison. Huge white head; cloudy orange. floral aroma. Flavor is highly complex. Sour with herbal characteristics, but not so sour as a gueze. Some barnyard qualities. Very different; very good.
Tessic (2342) reviewed Orval from Brasserie d’Orval 21 years ago
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6
This Belgian ale pours a slightly cloudy dark orange. The head is a smooth off white. Scents are plenty with lots of ripe fruit and yeast. Maybe apricot, raisen and a nice alcohol warm to it. First sip had a nice sharp carbonation to it. Slightly bitter with almost a apple/raisen flavour. You could feel the alchol warm while you drank it. Like most Belgian ales the yeast is prodominant. The finish is sour with the hops very present. The palate is also hoppy and leaves a bitter end to it.
Lubiere (24459) reviewed Orval from Brasserie d’Orval 21 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5
Hazy golden ale with a thick white head. Spciey orange aroma, raisinous notes. Light band aid taste, with a crisp malt and very harsh bitterness, slightly metallic notes. Good bodied. Always have problem with Orval, sometimes ecellent, sometimes off.
Marko (22181) reviewed Orval from Brasserie d’Orval 21 years ago
Appearance - 10 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 9
Wanted this to be my no. 100 beer, but just couldn’t wait (guess Samichlaus will have to do). Interesting (original) bottle. Smells a bit malty with a hint of caramel, even like wine at times (especially from the bottle). Huge creamy white-going-brown-but-far-from-it head. Beautiful orange colour that got cloudy near the top of the glass. Very lively and persistent carbonation. Taste... hoppy, slightly bready if I hold it in my mouth enough, spicy (coriander and more), maybe some fruity notes, and something I couldn’t place that lingers (but not very noticably) both in the smell and in the taste, I thought... aloe vera... but not sure now. Quite sour, but very nice aftertaste. An unique, interesting ale, well worth trying. It really suprised me when I found it in a store here. I just hope they still have some bottles...
ogivlado (19466) reviewed Orval from Brasserie d’Orval 21 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5
Bottled(330ml). -cloudly amber coloured, medium rich head, strong, dry hops aroma with barnyard and spices, fresh acidic finish
jhaase (14816) reviewed Orval Vert / Petit Orval from Brasserie d’Orval 21 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 4 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 5
Orangepeel nose. Hazy amber, low creamy head. In the flavor I mostly get light oranges - slightly metallic. Light body. Mhh couldn’t really enjoy this one.