Beer Styles

What beer style is Orval? Strictly speaking, none. The abbey's beer has so many distinctive traits of its own that judges and beer lovers usually treat it as a special case: Trappist beer is a mark of origin, and Orval doesn't fit neatly into any standard competition category. It's top-fermented, orange-gold, dry, hoppy, features Brettanomyces, and is bottle-conditioned.

For comparison, the Saison is helpful — a beer from French-speaking Wallonia. It too is top-fermented, dry, and spicy, but was originally brewed as a thirst-quencher for farmhands during harvest. A Saison typically matures with standard yeast, while in Orval it's the wild yeast that makes the difference. The two beers are related but aren't interchangeable.

The difference from a Tripel is also clear. A Tripel like Westmalle's is golden, full-bodied, and round with fruity sweetness, whereas Orval is lean, bitter, and austere. Dubbel and Quadrupel are dark, malty, and sweet, while Orval is pale and feels almost severe by comparison.

A word on strength: the brewery states Orval's alcohol content at 6.2 percent. That's lower than classic Tripels, yet the dryness makes the beer feel stronger than the number suggests. As a point of reference, the profile below shows the related style, Saison.

The profile shows the competition standard for Saison, not Orval's actual figures. Individual beers may deviate from it, and Orval, too, falls within the range for alcohol content but is clearly distinct in terms of yeast and character. To really understand Orval, you simply have to try it — and keep the yeast explanation in mind.