Testing Orval

I tried Orval today and was hoping to do it in the warm sun. But when I finally got the beer poured and ready the sun was gone but no problem. At least I had a tasty glass of beer to comfort me with. I gotta say it was some comfort :)

The monestary that brews Orval was formed by immigrating Italian monks in 1076, but they moved out after only 40 years. The monastery was then inhabited by different kinds of monks until the trappist monks took over in 1132. The monestary has been raided twice since then and lay in ruins between 1790 and 1930 when the trappists returned and rebuilt the monestary. The brewery has since then become a separate company but the winnings still go to the monestary.

Orval is slightly different compared to the other trappists. Well for starters its not divided into doubles, triples and so on. Its just one beer and well they do it good. The beer ferments three times and is dry hoped with Hallertau and Styrian Golding hops. The beer doesn’t taste like any of the other kinds of trappist beers. It also looks different with a hazy copper colour and a huge foam. It doesn’t fit perfectly with the whole double-triple types, its close to a double. It tastes of yeast, spices, citrus fruits, wood and a hint of nuts. It had a stingy bitterness but it suited the beer quite nicely. It also improved the warmer it got, it was a bit to cold to start with. Orval is a really great beer and gives great value for your money.