Orval

Woden

Hi,

I tried this a couple of months back on a trip to Bruges and was quite taken with it. A local pub to me has it which is great. I would a big fan of belgian/trappist beer in general however the orval is quite distinctive and was wondering if you could recommend anything else of this style. The barman in the local recommended a goose island matilda however I wasn't quite taken with it

Cheers,

Woden

oblivious

Orval has a wild yeast present call Brettanomyces or bret for short, this is what produce the very unique taste and dry finish. A good lambic like Boon Geuze which is some what available in Ireland, this is a blend of old and new and a good one to start. be warned these beers at first can taste like blue cheese but it worth getting into. Lindemans is another but these tend to be sweetened an some done consider these true lambics


Orval is really a totality differ thread of the Trappist beer, but its produce by the Trappist order and is classed as such.

The true classic is Cantillon but can be hard to find and I have never seen it yet in Ireland

Beligan have a range of soure borwn ale which are very good such as Rodenbach,Duchesse de Bourgogne and Goudenband (Liefmans) which is very good.

Both Goudenband (Liefmans) and Orval are available in Ireland

the beer revolu

Ahhhh Orval!!
If I had to name a favourite beer (which would depend on ones mood or what you drank before etc etc) it would probably be Orval.

As stated, there really is no other beer quite like Orval.

You might like American IPAs of even double IPAs

and I would also recommend Leifman's Gouldenband it's not really like Orval at all but has a great sweet/sour complexity!

I do like a very hoppy beer like Hommelbier or a double IPA followed by an Orval! It's a combination that works for me!

Woden

Nice one.

Was in Ireland this weekend and my local off licence had the Boon Geuze. Picked a couple up for after the rugby. In fairness it was after a few pints whilst watching the match but I believe I had it on the same trip to Belgium. Quite dry, think I thought it was a cider the first time I had it!

bionic.laura

I recently drank Orval from a skull in a pub in Brussels. Definitely made it taste better!

There isn't really anything quite like Orval. But a trappist beer well worth checking is Maredsous 8 or 10.

BeerNut

bionic.laura wrote: »

a trappist beer well worth checking is Maredsous 8 or 10.

As you know I'm not one one to nit-pick, but...

Maredsous is an "abbey beer" (made under licence by Duvel Mortgaat), not a Trappist (made in a monastery on a not-for-profit basis). The Trappist beers all feature the hexagonal Trappist logo, and the Belgian ones are Achel, Chimay, Orval, Rochefort, Westmalle, Westvleteren.

the beer revolu

Woden wrote: »

Nice one.

Was in Ireland this weekend and my local off licence had the Boon Geuze. Picked a couple up for after the rugby. In fairness it was after a few pints whilst watching the match but I believe I had it on the same trip to Belgium. Quite dry, think I thought it was a cider the first time I had it!

Well, one could be forgiven for not recognising it as beer!
I much prefer the Boon Mariage Parfait Geuze to their regular Geuze - it seems to have a fuller flavour to carry the sourness. I think it has more old beer in the blend. I'm trying to age a few bottles to see how it mellows (its best befor date is 2024!!) but I'm not sure how long I can keep them!

bionic.laura

Yeah forgot it's not a trappist beer, it was before the coffee had fully kicked in when I posted that.

They say aged Orval is great. I don't know as I've never been able to keep a bottle of it long enough to find out.

Also Orval is very nice when used as the stock for beef casserole.

BeerNut

bionic.laura wrote: »

They say aged Orval is great. I don't know as I've never been able to keep a bottle of it long enough to find out.

Some specialist beer shops in Belgium and the Netherlands will stock vintage bottles of Trappists, going back ten or twenty years in some cases.

Quint

OP, where is this "local pub" you speak of? Is it in Stockholm? If it's in Dublin I want to know about it!

I was in Charleroi airport and my flight was delayed. The bar had Orval, so I was actually happy:D

pa990

i've sen orval in a few places in cork

Running Bing

Can anyone point me in the direction of an off-license in Dublin that sells Orval, Liefmans and the Boon Geuze?

Thanks.

oblivious

Babybing wrote: »

Can anyone point me in the direction of an off-license in Dublin that sells Orval, Liefmans and the Boon Geuze?

Thanks.

In Dublin Redmonds of Ranelagh have for sure and a few of the other good offies like Sweeneys and Deveney's of Dundrum probably do stock some if not all


The bull and castle and porterhouse sells them too

BeerNut

Babybing wrote: »

Can anyone point me in the direction of an off-license in Dublin that sells Orval, Liefmans and the Boon Geuze?

Most any of the green pins on this map should be able to sort you out.

Woden

Quint wrote: »

OP, where is this "local pub" you speak of? Is it in Stockholm? If it's in Dublin I want to know about it!

Its in Stockholm i'm afraid Quint www.monkscafe.se If its an consolation I'm not found Orval in there systembolaget off licences over here yet! /goes off to search.

Hmm there website is quiet good actually. Must track it down

http://www.systembolaget.se/SokDrycker/VarFinnsVaranExternt.htm?ArtikelNr=165003&LanNr=01&SokVarugrupp=Ol

dereko1969

bionic.laura wrote: »

I recently drank Orval from a skull in a pub in Brussels. Definitely made it taste better!

There isn't really anything quite like Orval. But a trappist beer well worth checking is Maredsous 8 or 10.

A surprising pub that has bottles of maredsous 8 and 10 in it is the welcome inn on parnell street!

oblivious

Just be aware Maredsous is not a Trappist beer, Moortgat/duvel brew it


UCD student bars has them to:D