Orval a Lambic?

[Wilson]

This weekend I tried one of my bottles of Oude Beersel Oude Geuze and immediatley noticed a similarity between it and a bottle of Orval I had recently. This was not side by side but I swear there is a common thread between them. I think it was a slight sourness or funkiness. Do the monks do something unique to Orval or did I just drink an off bottle?

On a side note, I really liked the Oude Geuze. I'm not a huge fan of Lambics but this was very tasty. Glad I have another bottle.

[Beertracker]

Your taste buds do not deceive you! Orval is unique among the Trappist breweries in the fact that they introduce a Brettanomyces strain during the secondary fermentation process along with a "dry hop" charge of Styrian Goldings. Orval continues to age & gets "funkier" with age.

[stronk]

That's some nose you have there!

[Cloakndagger]

Originally posted by Wilson
This weekend I tried one of my bottles of Oude Beersel Oude Geuze and immediatley noticed a similarity between it and a bottle of Orval I had recently. This was not side by side but I swear there is a common thread between them. I think it was a slight sourness or funkiness. Do the monks do something unique to Orval or did I just drink an off bottle?

On a side note, I really liked the Oude Geuze. I'm not a huge fan of Lambics but this was very tasty. Glad I have another bottle.

The Oude Beersel Gueuze and Kriek are wonderful beers. But any bottles left are several years old now. The brewery ceased operations about 2 years ago. Wonderful beers. Great loss to the beer world.

[beerking]

Two years ago, I got some Oude Beersel at the Belle Vue brewery. Seems they acquired the stock (guy took me into a cellar of nothing but old lambic bottles) of Beersel when they shut down.

[chazwicke]

I can vouch for Oude Beersel Beers. They were excellent beers. I still have some but am not certain of thier current condition. I believe there was a petition circulating on the internet to try to keep the brewery open. Very sad news about their closing. I purchased a case of both the Gueuze and Kriek when I heard of their demise.

[Wilson]

Glad to know I wasnt just dreaming stuff up. I'd like to taste a fresh Orval vs. an aged one and see the difference. Oude Beersel must have had quite a stock pile saved up, because my local boozery has just put out about 5 bottles of the Geuze to sell. In my market thats crazy.

[JorisP]

Originally posted by Wilson
Oud Beersel must have had quite a stock pile saved up, because my local boozery has just put out about 5 bottles of the Geuze to sell. In my market thats crazy.

I'm afraid there is another explanation. The original Oud Beersel brewery at Beersel-Lot is closed, more than probably forever. However, both remaining stocks (not only bottled gueuze/kriek, but also the last pipes of lambic) have been taken over by F. Boon, as was the recipe. The right to the name has been acquired by Armand Debelder (of 3 Fonteinen fame). So at this moment (and at urgent behest of the American importer, who is trying to move mountains to claim Oud Beersel still exists, to the extend of threatening people claiming otherwise), Frank Boon is still making Oud Beersel Lambic, following the Vandervelden (=Oud Beersel) recipe, and sells this beer to Armand, who sells the bottles to the world.
This is of course much better than Oud Beersel going away for ever, but goes a bit easy over the fact that the main characteristic of one lambic/gueuze compared to another is the endemic characteristic microbiological life - the specific bugs in the pipes and hogsheads that created thàt specific lambic. Of course, some of those Vandervelden ones will have gone to the Boon brewery. But they will have to adapt, one way or another.

Cheers, Joristhebug

[chazwicke]

Thanks for that information. I guess any Oude Beersel is probably better than no Oude Beersel. Frank Boon also makes decent beers.

[eppie]

Originally posted by Wilson
Glad to know I wasnt just dreaming stuff up. I'd like to taste a fresh Orval vs. an aged one and see the difference.

One of my fovorite hobbys there. Orval is certainly one of my favorites and the speed at which it changes (partially due to the lambic related yeast) makes drinking it a a hit and miss proposition. I think Orval between 6 months and 1 year old is the best beer in the world. Be sure to serve it just below or at room temp. Early, it's a bit rough, and too old it loses it's creamy balance. The oldest I've tried was 2 years and that only because we had to get rid of it. Anything over one year is definatly declining (unlike Westveteren 12 were after one year it begins to be drinkable).
I'm really glad to find another Orval lover, and I hope you enjoy the other Belgian wonders like Trippels and West Flemmish reds too.

[newportstorm]

Local discount liquor store has plenty of Orval - bottled in Feb '05 - for $3/bottle. About half the usual going price of it around here ($5-6). Good find.

Cheers!

[JorisP]

Originally posted by eppie
One of my fovorite hobbys there. Orval is certainly one of my favorites and the speed at which it changes (partially due to the lambic related yeast) makes drinking it a a hit and miss proposition. I think Orval between 6 months and 1 year old is the best beer in the world. Be sure to serve it just below or at room temp. Early, it's a bit rough, and too old it loses it's creamy balance. The oldest I've tried was 2 years and that only because we had to get rid of it. Anything over one year is definatly declining (unlike Westveteren 12 were after one year it begins to be drinkable).
I'm really glad to find another Orval lover, and I hope you enjoy the other Belgian wonders like Trippels and West Flemmish reds too.

De gustibus et coloribus...
I've drank Orval that was 30+ years old, and I found it great. Personally, I leave my Orval for about... 2 years before drinking it; it is exactly one of the few beers that are great both young and old. IMO.
Joris