I finally got the chance to try a bottle of Orval. I have been reading about it for years now, but never got the chance to try it until just before the holidays. LCBO released started selling it in November so right away I snatched a few bottles for $3.50 a piece. Even if you can drink only one of these, save the rest for another time...or another year.
Before opening it, I let the beer sit out for just over an hour to warm up a little. The beer has a hazy, medium amber, honey color and pours with a creamy, large and lacy head. The aroma is not as sweet as I had expected, though it still carries some sweet, fruity notes. Some pine tones are noticeable but what surprised me most was how dry the beer was. There are a few things I really like in my beers, and dryness just happens to be one of them. The taste also offers some light malty flavours as well as some spices. The finish is dry with a warm feeling and shorter than I expected. The alcohol content is higher than normal, but not as high as some other Belgian ales, and it goes down easy. Overall, Orval surpassed my expectations and I cannot wait to see what a couple of years in a cool and dark place will do to it.
Scores:
Cost - $3.50
Taste - 8.8/10
ABV - 6.8%
Overall - 8.8/10...it was worth the wait
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