| Style: | Trappist Ale | |
| Brewer: | Brasserie d'Orval Florenville | |
| Country: | Belgium | |
| Container: | Bottle | |
| ABV: | 6.2% | |
| Description: | December 11th- Abbaye Notre Dame D’Orval is located in southern Belgium in the province of Luxembourg. The abbey takes its name from the legend of the lost ring. A widowed countess from Tuscany is said to have lost her wedding ring in a spring located on the grounds of the future abbey. When she prayed to God for its return, legend has it that a trout swam up to her with the ring in its mouth prompting her to proclaim “this place really is a ‘val d’or’” meaning “golden valley.” Hence the name Orval and the image of the trout with a ring that graces every bottle. Orval is one of Belgium’s six Trappist breweries, therefore, any excess income after maintenance of the brewery and sustenance of the order is taken out is donated to charity. The brewery only makes two beers and only one of those ever leaves the grounds. Orval Trappist Ale is possibly the most uncharacteristic of Belgian ales in that brewers employ techniques unusual to most abbey styles: dry-hopping and bottle conditioning with Brettanomyces. The beer itself is relatively low ABV (6.2% ABV) and boasts a ton of hop character not found in other abbey beers. It is dry-hopped with Styrian Goldings, Hallertau, and French Strisselspalt hops, aged in horizontal tanks, and then bottle conditioned with the wild yeast Brettanomyces. The fresh product is bright and full of intense hop flavor but once aged for at least 6 months in the bottle the phenolic qualities of Brett become apparent (think horse blanket or farmhouse funk.) Therefore, the longer it ages, the more complex it may become. It may even pick up a full percentage more alcohol as it conditions in the bottle | |
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| First Seen: | 2025-12-11 | |
| Last Seen: | 2025-12-13 | |
| Available at: | Raleigh since 2025-12-11 | |
| Style Traits: |