In this bucket list beer episode, we’re cracking open Orval, one of Belgium’s most distinctive Trappist beers – and discovering that it really is a beer that refuses to fit neatly into a box. We taste our way through its surprisingly dry, highly carbonated character, picking up Belgian yeast, pepper, orange peel, floral notes, herbal hops, earthy Brett and a touch of dried fruit. We also get into why Orval is such a fascinating outlier, combining Belgian brewing traditions, English-style dry hopping and Brettanomyces maturation. And yes, we discover that 6.2% can be remarkably easy to drink… perhaps a little too easy!
We also head back to the 1930s to explore the history of Orval Abbey and the brewery, the legend of the trout and the golden ring, and the fascinating story of Brettanomyces – a yeast that many breweries desperately try to keep out, but which Orval has turned into one of its greatest strengths. We talk bottle conditioning, ageing and the joys of doing an Orval vertical, plus the discovery of Orval Vert, the elusive lower-strength beer served only near the abbey. And, naturally, this leads us to cheese, Belgian beer pilgrimage dreams and the beginnings of what might just become a very ambitious brewery road trip…
Check out the Reddit trip to Orval here:
https://www.reddit.com/r/CraftBeer/s/frsjrsZzi5
Beer & Brewing’s Ode to Orval:
https://www.beerandbrewing.com/an-ode-to-orval
Hop Culture on Orval Day:
https://www.hopculture.com/orval-day-2022/
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Music: Higher Up by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com
