Comments on: La Brasserie d’Orval http://thespiritworld.net/2006/07/04/orval/ Quenching your thirst with sips, nips and tipples. Tue, 16 Mar 2010 12:54:10 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.4 by: Donavan Hall http://thespiritworld.net/2006/07/04/orval/#comment-423 Thu, 06 Jul 2006 10:25:37 +0000 http://thespiritworld.net/2006/07/04/orval/#comment-423 Stan- Unfortunately, I only had one four year old bottle left. I would like to try it again when I can focus more on the beer rather than explaining the beer to my guests. I recall that the four year old Orval surprised me because it was so different form the 3 month old bottle I had the week before. Now I understand the reason for some of those differences. Thanks. I'm still not experienced enough to know the "goût d'Orval" without doing a side-by-side vertical tasting for reference.<br /> <br /> Vinnie Cilurzo's statement about the Brett character coming and going over time is counter-intuitive. Why would there be a minimum in the Brett character at five years? I suppose its a balancing act between the malt, the hops, the yeast, and the Brett with competing development cycles. Stan- Unfortunately, I only had one four year old bottle left. I would like to try it again when I can focus more on the beer rather than explaining the beer to my guests. I recall that the four year old Orval surprised me because it was so different form the 3 month old bottle I had the week before. Now I understand the reason for some of those differences. Thanks. I’m still not experienced enough to know the “goût d’Orval” without doing a side-by-side vertical tasting for reference.

Vinnie Cilurzo’s statement about the Brett character coming and going over time is counter-intuitive. Why would there be a minimum in the Brett character at five years? I suppose its a balancing act between the malt, the hops, the yeast, and the Brett with competing development cycles.

]]> by: Stan Hieronymus http://thespiritworld.net/2006/07/04/orval/#comment-422 Wed, 05 Jul 2006 12:41:30 +0000 http://thespiritworld.net/2006/07/04/orval/#comment-422 Donavan, nice job of capturing why Orval appeals in different ways to different people.<br /> <br /> A couple of brewing points that may affect how Orval ages:<br /> <br /> 1 - Within the past year the brewery began adding the Brett only at bottling rather than in secondary.<br /> <br /> The brewer, Jean-Marie Rock, says that he prefers Orval without Brett character, which won't come out until 6 months. Having recently tasted three different batches in the 2-4 month range I'd agree the Brett is muted - but there is some.<br /> <br /> 2 - That beer in that four-year-old bottle you had would have been fermented in open tanks, while today's batches ferments in tall conicals. The brewery did plenty of tests with an idea of creating the same product, but only years will tell if there are differences in the ways beers from two different processes age.<br /> <br /> Back to the appeal of Orval. The next All About Beer magazine will carry something of a roundtable discussion among the five American brewers who took their extreme beers to Belgium in March. For a sidebar I asked them each to pick a training wheel beer for those sticking their toe in extreme waters for the first time.<br /> <br /> Vinnie Cilurzo chose Orval. He said:<br /> <br /> “At first glance it might seem to extreme for a beginner, but, here is my thinking: When the beer is young there is little Brettanomyces (wild yeast) character, yet lots of hops. In my mind, the hops are more complex than your typical American IPA or Double IPA. As the beer ages, the Brettanomyces comes forth and melds with the hops. Over time, the Brett can come and go. I was amazed when we tasted several vintages of Orval. The two-year old Orval was so full of Brett. At five years the Brett had diminished, yet at seven years it was even more bright than the two-year old. This is what I like about Orval; it is a beer that can age. Orval can age with the best of wines. Orval elevates beer to a level of wine in that it can age, and change, and be a different beer. In a way that is what we are trying to do with a lot of our beers.”<br /> <br /> Prosit - Stan Donavan, nice job of capturing why Orval appeals in different ways to different people.

A couple of brewing points that may affect how Orval ages:

1 - Within the past year the brewery began adding the Brett only at bottling rather than in secondary.

The brewer, Jean-Marie Rock, says that he prefers Orval without Brett character, which won’t come out until 6 months. Having recently tasted three different batches in the 2-4 month range I’d agree the Brett is muted - but there is some.

2 - That beer in that four-year-old bottle you had would have been fermented in open tanks, while today’s batches ferments in tall conicals. The brewery did plenty of tests with an idea of creating the same product, but only years will tell if there are differences in the ways beers from two different processes age.

Back to the appeal of Orval. The next All About Beer magazine will carry something of a roundtable discussion among the five American brewers who took their extreme beers to Belgium in March. For a sidebar I asked them each to pick a training wheel beer for those sticking their toe in extreme waters for the first time.

Vinnie Cilurzo chose Orval. He said:

“At first glance it might seem to extreme for a beginner, but, here is my thinking: When the beer is young there is little Brettanomyces (wild yeast) character, yet lots of hops. In my mind, the hops are more complex than your typical American IPA or Double IPA. As the beer ages, the Brettanomyces comes forth and melds with the hops. Over time, the Brett can come and go. I was amazed when we tasted several vintages of Orval. The two-year old Orval was so full of Brett. At five years the Brett had diminished, yet at seven years it was even more bright than the two-year old. This is what I like about Orval; it is a beer that can age. Orval can age with the best of wines. Orval elevates beer to a level of wine in that it can age, and change, and be a different beer. In a way that is what we are trying to do with a lot of our beers.”

Prosit - Stan

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