Back to Belgium! Mmm another Trappist Ale. This time Orval. And another thing I am excited about is it's not a Pint & 9, it is just a manageable 11.2 fl oz. And it's a chugger at only 6.9% alcohol. I'm kidding but it is on the lower third of a Belgian style ale (which we are normally talking about doubles and triples - meaning basically, it is fermented 2 or 3 times.)
So I rustle around for a bottle opener, which I have not needed so far and I have had no need to keep one in my Belgian Beer Blog Staging area. Because if you weren't paying attention the others have all been corked (super classy.)
After the pour, the color of Orval in the glass is a slightly golden, I'd call it a light amber I guess.
The nose is somewhere between phenolic and fatty acidy. No but seriously (I just looked up a beer tasting wheel at http://www.alabev.com/taste.htm, I learned phenolic, which means band-aidy, at an Epic tasting in Seattle at the Holubs) it does smell a little soapy and "clean." It smells like a soapy Damnation. As I keep smelling, it's odd that there is such a lack of scent.
So I guess I'll dump some down my gullet and see how it tastes. It has no real sweetness to it, which I have come to expect from Belgians. It is also slightly watery by comparison. It is more bitter than the others, which is not a bad thing. It appears to have only bitter hops as it lacks that floral nose and flavor. This is such a different beer.
It is good. And apart from this 'competition', it is a tasty little beer, and turns what I've believed to be a Belgian style ale on its ear. I applaud the Orval monks for being different (and I may find all these Belgian beers to be drastically different from one another) but perhaps they need to get out of the monastery and taste some of their peer's beers. ;-)
1. TJs
2. Damnation
3. Chimay Blue
4. Orval
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