Orval Trappist Ale
Brasserie d'Orval S.A.

Orval Trappist AleOrval Trappist Ale
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From:
Brasserie d'Orval S.A.
 
Belgium
Style:
Belgian Pale Ale
Ranked #1
ABV:
6.2%
Score:
93
Ranked #2,902
Avg:
4.2 | pDev: 12.38%
Reviews:
2,523
Ratings:
5,877
Status:
Active
Rated:
Mar 10, 2024
Added:
Sep 18, 2001
Wants:
  391
Gots:
  1,053
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.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by brewdog13:
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Rated by brewdog13 from Indiana

5/5  rDev +19%

Dec 07, 2011
More User Ratings:
Photo of Wheataleguy
Reviewed by Wheataleguy from Georgia

3.28/5  rDev -21.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Back once again to Belgium with another Trappist ale, this time Orval. This particular bottle was brewed in May of 2021, so it is nearly 3 years in the making. The aroma and flavor of this style change as the years pass and the beer conditions in the bottle. The triples and quads for sure get better as they age, but I'm not so sure about this one. I need to find one that is less than a year in the bottle. Using a Belgian style tulip glass, beer at room temperature, I began a gentle pour. This one is highly carbonated and the head just took off like a rocket. It took a while for it to settle before I continued the pour. A nice hazy amber color with a near 4-finger foamy head that just sizzled with all of that carbonation. The aroma is decent, with scents of banana and maybe a bit of lemony citrus and caramel notes, bitter. Perhaps a bit of sweet bubble gum in there too. Reminds me of a Hefeweizen in a way. So, how does it taste? With all that carbonation, the beer just danced around on the tongue. I get ripe banana up front, lemon zest and malty on the palate. Bready, earthy notes, herbal and a bit peppery. On the backend I got some bitterness and something funky. Can't nail it down. The only thing I can come up with is a weird sourness with a pinch of metallic there. Yeah, I'm gonna have to find one a little bit more youthful. I just get the feeling I caught this one after it had peaked. That sourness has me puzzled. This is not indicative of a Belgian ale. I'll revisit with another review on a baby Orval. Cheers!
Mar 10, 2024
Photo of Standardbs
Reviewed by Standardbs from Massachusetts

4.61/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
What I've found is you have to drink this beer when its in its sweet spot age wise, between nine and fifteen months from brew date. Huge creamy head. Great color really great ale flavor. I look forward finding in my local package store. Slightly warmed is best.
Mar 07, 2024
Photo of HarrisonReed
Reviewed by HarrisonReed

1.59/5  rDev -62.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.25 | feel: 1 | overall: 1.5
I was really surprised. This beer has almost no taste, other than a slightly bitter, metallic aftertaste.

I have poured many a beer in my life but this beer could not be poured without a ridiculously large head, no matter what angle I held the glass at.

Maybe I got a bad match, but it was will within (by years) the expiration date. Expiration was June, 2028.

Based on this example I tried, I wouldn't recommend, poured out most of it into the drain after a few sips. Now I'm out $4 or whatever it cost for the bottle. Back to my trusty Trappistes Rochefort number 8.
Mar 03, 2024
Photo of Saluki
Reviewed by Saluki from Florida

4.58/5  rDev +9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75
Beautiful long lasting head and hazy golden hue. Has delicious flavor, nutty and light malt tastes. Only complaint is it feels a little thin in the mouth, maybe that's a metallic tinge. Carries the abv, but barely. Very thirst quenching. Could drink quite a bit. Will definitely have some more, will age some now that I know the newer bottle flavor. This bottled on 3/29/23, today is 3/22/24.
Feb 22, 2024
 
Rated: 4.13 by gongfu from Connecticut

Jan 31, 2024
 
Rated: 4.2 by mushycake from Connecticut

Jan 31, 2024
 
Rated: 4.55 by Supper1

Jan 30, 2024
Photo of dofo777
Reviewed by dofo777 from Maryland

4.27/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Nice bottle! Pours with a huge foamy head, once you get to the beer it's nutty, dried fruit on the front, and slightly bitter on the finish, with a fizzy mouth feel. It's an experience.
Jan 14, 2024
 
Rated: 2.97 by SeanP99 from North Carolina

Jan 11, 2024
 
Rated: 3.74 by bschmidt_37 from Illinois

Dec 26, 2023
 
Rated: 4.28 by emwilke from Nevada

Dec 22, 2023
Photo of mrcstl
Reviewed by mrcstl

5/5  rDev +19%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
No tasting notes since this is readily available and a beer that every beer lover should absolutely try. Always surprised this gets so many mediocre reviews and doesn’t rate higher. I love it both young and cellared for several years as it takes on more Brett character. It would be my “if you could only drink one beer for the rest of your life” beer.
Dec 19, 2023
Photo of DrDemento456
Reviewed by DrDemento456 from Pennsylvania

4.06/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
I don't know how everybody got medium carbonation on mine it's quite high every sip being bubbly and effervescent something I'm not used to in beer. Overall The taste is pretty clean grassy herbal slight hint of sweetness. Price is a bit much I think I paid about $7 for my single. Worth trying for a world-class beer but I really couldn't see buying another one Duvel to me seems like a better option higher.
Dec 18, 2023
Photo of solisbrewmaster
Reviewed by solisbrewmaster from Mexico

4.29/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Bottled in 2021 and served in a glass in 2023. The color is slight haze with The bottom yellow and as it goes up it is a light brown to copper. It has a big head that lasts - seems like ice cream.
The smell is that of belgian yeast. It is a slight spice with herbs and slight fruit. A los slight tart sour.
The taste follows The smell and it is balanced with some hop bitterness.
It has a light body with medium high carbonation.
It is very refreshing - I would drink again if I can!
Dec 16, 2023
 
Rated: 4.25 by Nyoder

Nov 26, 2023
 
Rated: 4.51 by nunienun from Illinois

Nov 22, 2023
Photo of tenbeersbold
Reviewed by tenbeersbold from Germany

2.84/5  rDev -32.4%
look: 5 | smell: 1 | taste: 3 | feel: 5 | overall: 3
This is one I've gone back to over the last decade several times a year.
Various bottles at various ages.
I get that the yeast strain is rare and the taste is unique amongst Trappist beers
But I just don't get the adulation for it.
High carbonation and a metallic bitterness that's different but it just doesn't make me want to have another one.
I've really tried to love this beer but this is an outlier for me,probably the only Trappist I don't like
Oct 19, 2023
 
Rated: 4 by TheIPAHunter from California

Oct 13, 2023
Orval Trappist Ale from Brasserie d'Orval S.A.
Beer rating: 93 out of 100 with 5877 ratings