An Aged Orval Trappist Ale

Discussion in 'Cellaring / Aging Beer' started by deleted_user_1268106, Jun 7, 2019.

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  1. deleted_user_1268106

    deleted_user_1268106 Devotee (355) May 13, 2019

    So I just went to my local bottle shop and found a lone bottle of Orval Trappist Ale which I haven't tried before and was excited to buy. I looked at the bottling date and it was a date in 2013, making the beer 6 years old now and about a year past the best buy date. I've been learning a little more about beer lately but six years even for a beer with bret seemed like a bit much. I asked the owner of the store what he thought and he (politely) said that I was lucky to find an Orval aged for that long. Is he full of shit or could this beer hold up for 6 years?
     
    #1 deleted_user_1268106, Jun 7, 2019
  2. TongoRad

    TongoRad Grand Pooh-Bah (3,884) Jun 3, 2004 New Jersey
    Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Depending on your tolerance for brett funk it'll certainly be good, but lean very heavily towards the barnyardy side. In general for Orval, the happy balance between the hoppiness of young bottles and the more mature ones is in the 1.5 to 2 year range, so you're well beyond that.

    I enjoy Orval at all stages, so I'd happily give it a shot, but it's probably not the place to get started if it's your first try.
     
    #2 TongoRad, Jun 7, 2019
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  3. Prince_Casual

    Prince_Casual Savant (1,236) Nov 3, 2012 District of Columbia
    Trader

    I would say you are 'lucky' to get the chance to buy (1) bottle that is 6yrs old, and see how it is doing, but if that is ALL you can find, I would not consider that a good thing all.

    The beer itself can age for a long time if properly stored, although it will probably already be quite a bit different than ~2yrs in bottle. In my experience brett heavy beers (which Orval *can* be but isn't always) there is a parabolic life to it's character: it increasingly (quite quickly) gets brett'd up but turns a corner eventually and gets very savory and less funky, just like most >5yr beers.

    If he's not charging a premium for the aged bottle, personally, I'd gladly buy one or two, ideally scoring a fresher bottle elsewhere for a side by side (since they are small format, relatively low abv and not particularly expensive, whynot?).
     
    #3 Prince_Casual, Jun 7, 2019
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  4. deleted_user_1268106

    deleted_user_1268106 Devotee (355) May 13, 2019

    Thanks for the reply! I tend to like barnyardy beers but sounds like this will be a whole different level than what I've had.
     
    #4 deleted_user_1268106, Jun 7, 2019
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  5. John_M

    John_M Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,849) Oct 25, 2003 Washington
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    I'm in agreement with @Prince_Casual on this. It might not be an optimal tasting experience, but I'm fairly certain it will still be enjoyable. For Orval day this year, a number of places in town here were serving older vintage bottles, I think as far back as 2015 (if memory serves). For my palate, I didn't think the 2015 was the best of the bunch, but there were folks at the event I attended who thought it was. It was still quite enjoyable, and I didn't feel the flavor profile differed enormously from the current version. My guess is that a 2013 bottling would still be enjoyable as well, though again, I wouldn't buy a bottle if the retailer was charging a premium for it.
     
    #5 John_M, Jun 7, 2019
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  6. deleted_user_1268106

    deleted_user_1268106 Devotee (355) May 13, 2019

    $5.75 for the 11.2 fl oz bottle. I'll have to find another fresher one to compare this guy too. Feels like I'm 'cutting in line' without having the context of how this one has aged
     
    #6 deleted_user_1268106, Jun 7, 2019
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  7. dennis3951

    dennis3951 Initiate (0) Mar 6, 2008 New Jersey

    If you like Brett beers you should try, but buy a fresh bottle also to compare it to.
     
    #7 dennis3951, Jun 8, 2019
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  8. ManBearPat

    ManBearPat Pooh-Bah (1,813) Dec 2, 2014 Colorado
    Pooh-Bah

    ~$6 is the going rate for a ‘fresh’ bottle around my area
     
    #8 ManBearPat, Jun 10, 2019
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  9. BeerGlassesCollector

    BeerGlassesCollector Maven (1,404) Nov 11, 2002 Cyprus
    Trader

    From Patrick Dawson's bible on ageing beer, Vintage Beer. Too lazy to type it right now so here's a screen...

    [​IMG]
     
    #9 BeerGlassesCollector, Jun 14, 2019
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  10. Bitterbill

    Bitterbill Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,036) Sep 14, 2002 Wyoming
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah

    I was always used to aged bottles. When I came across fresher ones, they were a shock to my palate.
     
    #10 Bitterbill, Jun 14, 2019
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  11. BalancingBrooms

    BalancingBrooms Pooh-Bah (2,894) Aug 22, 2013 California
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Agree with pretty much everything said above. Enjoy!

    I would caution that you should have a large glass or multiple to pour into as orval has some pretty big head thats hangs around. Also unless its your thing watch out for the yeast cake at the bottom and leave the last bit in the bottle.
     
    #11 BalancingBrooms, Jun 15, 2019
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  12. Bitterbill

    Bitterbill Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,036) Sep 14, 2002 Wyoming
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah

    And be sure to refrigerate it cuz it can be a gusher.
     
    #12 Bitterbill, Jun 17, 2019
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  13. deleted_user_1268106

    deleted_user_1268106 Devotee (355) May 13, 2019

    Good to know, been in the fridge since I got it. Thanks
     
    #13 deleted_user_1268106, Jun 18, 2019
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  14. dlcarst

    dlcarst Zealot (733) Aug 21, 2015 Missouri
    Trader

    I found a bottle near best by date a few years ago. The brett had toned down a bit from a 3-4 year old bottle. But it was like yours and may have sat on a shelf in less than optimal conditions.
     
    #14 dlcarst, Jul 3, 2019
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