Style: Belgian pale ale
Brewery: Orval
Origin: Belgium
Size: 33cl
Alcohol: 6.9%
Price: 45kr
Systembolaget: 1650
Orval is a Trappist brewery within the walls of the Abbaye Notre-Dame d’Orval in the Gaume region. The brewery has a yearly capacity of 77,000HL, making it the fourth biggest of the 10 active and recognised Trappist breweries. They only make two different beers, with the other (4.5% Orval Vert) only sold at the abbey itself. This is made with pale malt and a small amount of caramel malt. German Hallertau, Slovenian Styrian Goldings and French Strisselspalt hops are used for both bittering and aroma. This was paired with goats cheese and crackers.
This had a hazy honey colour with long-lasting white head. There was a pleasant aroma of honey, metal, spices, banana, and a slight farmyard funk backing things up. The taste was potent, with the farmyard note again pulling through strong. Straw, yeast, citrus peel, wood and moss were all noted, with the drying taste continuing long after swallowing.
I think I might be in the minority, but this really isn’t my kind of beer. I found it too funky and even a little sour. I know this is a classic world-class beer, but I guess you can’t like everything. If you like funky, farmyard beers, then this is for you. The cheese worked well with the beer though, mirroring the funk nicely.