Orval

Tasting Notes

Orval pours with a dense, rocky head and greets the nose with wild, barnyard funk from Brettanomyces alongside floral hops and a faint orange-peel citrus note. On the palate it's dry and moderately bitter, with a pronounced hop character unusual for Belgian ales — the result of dry-hopping with Styrian Goldings. The body is medium-light, almost austere, and the finish is long, dry, and increasingly funky as the beer warms. It evolves notably in the glass, and aged bottles shift toward leather, earth, and dried fruit.

About the Brewery

Orval is a Trappist abbey brewery located in the Gaume region of southern Belgium, within the walls of the Abbey of Notre-Dame d'Orval. It produces exactly one beer for commercial sale, making it unique among Trappist breweries. Founded in its modern form in 1931, Orval is among the most distinctive breweries in the world — its single product is immediately recognizable by its distinctive gourd-shaped bottle and its deliberate use of wild yeast in secondary fermentation.

Food Pairings

Aged hard cheeses like Comté or Gruyère work well because the beer's funk and bitterness cut through fat without overwhelming subtle nuttiness. Roast chicken with herbs is a natural match, as the dry, hoppy character complements savory roasted skin. Charcuterie — particularly dry-cured sausages or pâté — pairs cleanly with Orval's earthy Brett notes. Mussels steamed in white wine echo the beer's Belgian roots and benefit from its bitterness balancing the brininess of the shellfish.

Style Guide

Belgian Pale Ale is a broadly approachable style originating in Belgium in the early 20th century, developed in part as a domestic answer to the British and German pale lagers gaining market share at the time. It typically features moderate bitterness, a noticeable but restrained hop presence, and yeast-driven character ranging from fruity esters to mild spice — notably softer and more complex than British pale ales. Orval sits at the edge of this category; its aggressive dry-hopping and deliberate Brettanomyces fermentation push it toward something singular, and many classify it as a category of one rather than a straightforward example of the style.