Orval - The Best Beer in the World

In a picturesque part of Belgium known as the Gaume, in the province of Luxembourg in the far southeast part of the country, there are two monasteries side by side. One, built in 1132, is in ruins and has been destroyed and re-built several times. After a tumultuous history of wars and religious strife, the new abbey, rebuilt next to the ruins by 1929, is the current home of the Abbaye Notre-Dame d’Orval, a Trappist monastery.

Their beer, Orval, is the stuff of legends.

The 12th Century Ruins Next to the Existing Abbey

The abbey’s brewery makes the world-renowned Orval Trappist ale. Many may have other preferences, but I contend that it is the best beer in the world.

The Legend of the Countess and the Ring

Legend has it that in 1076, Countess Mathilde of Tuscany had been widowed and had gone on a pilgrimage shortly thereafter, including a visit to the recently established (Orval) abbey. On a walk, she sat next to a spring. As she cupped her hands to drink from the spring, her wedding ring slipped off her finger and into the water. Upset at the loss of her precious ring, she prayed to the Virgin Mary to bring it back to her. Just then, a trout broke the surface of the water with her ring in its mouth. She exclaimed that “Truly this place is a valley of gold!”

The Famous Fontaine de Mathilde is still on Orval’s Grounds Today

In French, valley is “val” and gold is “or.” So, Orval means “valley of gold.” The countess expressed her thanks by donating additional land and money for the Abbey. The famous Mathilde Fountain remains on the Abbey grounds to this day. Orval’s logo contains a fish with a ring in its mouth. This motif recurs throughout the Abbey and brewery in artwork, stained glass windows and on brewery labels and other materials.

Unlike Any Other Trappist Ale

Left: Dry Hopping Orval Right: Orval’s signature big pillowy head

Orval is unlike any other Trappist or Abbey ale, or any other beer for that matter. Forget Dubbels, Tripels and Quads. Orval makes only one beer, although you could consider Orval Vert (Orval Green), a 3.5% ABV version for the monks, a second beer. What’s different about Orval? Almost everything. Start with a somewhat bitter pale ale and then, in addition to its primary fermentation yeast, add wild Brettanomyces yeast and dry hop it for several weeks.

When Orval is first released after six weeks of conditioning, it is hoppy and bitter (36 IBUs) with spicy, floral hop aromas, big, bold flavor and 5.9% alcohol. After six months, it shows a funky and earthy element with a slight tartness. After a year, the earthy wild yeast and leathery character is far more prominent. The head is like a dollop of whipped cream and the beer has dried out significantly - actually picking up a full percentage point of ABV (to 6.9%) due to further attenuation by the Brettanomyces yeast.

Orval’s Production Process

Today’s Orval Brewery is Modern, but Brewing Traditions Have Not Changed Much.

Orval is made in a state-of-the-art brewery installed in 2007. While mostly lay people work in the brewery, it is still supervised by the monks. Orval is bottled exclusively in 11.2 oz (33 cl.) skittle-pin shaped bottles. It is not available in kegs. The one exception is Orval Vert, the monk’s beer. It is only sold on draft at a café a few hundred yards from the brewery. Orval is not only carbonated in the bottle, but goes through much of its development there. The bottle say it is at its best for about five years, although the brewery claims that you can enjoy Orval for fifteen years after its release. Orval aficionados claim that with proper storage it will last twice that long.

Every Bottle of Orval has a Bottling Date and a “Drink By” Date on the Label

The most interesting thing about Orval is its complexity and the fact that it develops over time. It is a perfect balance of acidity, fruit, malt and yeast flavors - the result of using the finest spring water, malted barley, hops and yeasts. At first release (about two months after brewing) it is quite bitter (36 IBUs) with fruit notes and a pleasant herbal hop aroma. At six months, the hop bitterness has mellowed out and flavors consist of caramel, yeast and a touch of tartness from the wild yeast. At one year, the yeast and caramel have intensified, the aroma has more yeast and sour notes and the flavor will be a good bit more tart and complex. Some like their Orval young, some like it with more months, or years, of age. The label indicates both the bottling and best-by dates, so you will know how old your bottle is. There is much debate in the region about the superiority of different batches and ages of Orval.

Orval is basically a pale ale, made with pale malt and a small amount of caramel malt. German Hallertau, Slovenian Styrian Goldings and French Strisselspalt hops are used for both bittering and aroma. Candi sugar syrup is added to the cooled beer as it is transferred to the primary fermenters. Orval uses a proprietary “High-fermentation” (top fermenting) yeast which was originally developed for Orval. After four or five days of primary fermentation, the beer is transferred to holding tanks, where it is stored for two to three weeks at 56ºF (15ºC). During this time Brettanomyces yeast and dry hops are added, which give Orval its distinctive aroma and flavor. At bottling time, liquid sugar and fresh yeast is added to the beer to start a third fermentation and carbonation in the bottle. After this, the beer conditions for three to five weeks at 56ºF (15ºC) before being released. This bottle-conditioning process is what gives Orval its dense creamy head.

The Art of Orval

While Orval itself is a work of art, the monastery’s design is also worth noting. The monastery itself was designed by architect Henry Vaes and was build on and next to the ruins of the previous abbey. Vaes also designed Orval’s unique bottle and the brewery’s distinctive and beautiful glass.

The Orval Abbey, Bottle and Glass Were All Designed by Architect Henry Vaes.

The “fish and ring” motif appears throughout the brewery in everything from beer branding to promotional pieces to stained glass windows.

The Spirit of Orval

As with all of the trappist abbeys, Orval is, first and foremost, the home of a working religious order. Except for one day each year, the abbey where the monks live and work is closed to the public. Visitors can tour the ruins of the medieval abbey, visit the gift shop, and stop by for an Orval Green at the L’Agne Gardien (Archangel) tavern (the only place in the world where you can buy it) a few hundred yards from the monastery.

Visitors can also enjoy the beautiful forests and trails around the monastery, as well as the quaint village of Florenville nearby.

Orval is a unique icon of Belgian brewing. It is a drinking experience not to be missed - again and again and again. It is, after all, the best beer in the world.