How to serve Orval

Dear Fans of Orval,

Serving an Orval is an art.

Below are a few practical tips.  Open the bottle by using a good bottle opener securely held in the hand. Never use another object for this such as a lighter, a knife, etc.  When opening, apply some pressure to the cap so that it stays on the bottle. You will hear the pressure escaping from the bottle. When removing the cap, you will notice that it stays on the open bottle.

Slowly pour the beer into a special Orval glass without shaking the bottle. Hold the bottle horizontally and slightly tilt the glass. In a flowing movement, slowly straighten it until only one cm is left in the bottle.

Enjoy !

CONSERVATION

It will bring pleasure to those who drink it if they observe the following rules :
Beer, a refined drink for the same reasons as wine, must be stored away from light, at a temperature between 10° and 15°C (46° and 56°F). It should be served at this same temperature and in its special glass, and its sediment should be tasted separately.

AGE OF THE BEER

The gustative sensations will gain in nuance depending on the age of the beer. Young beer is characterised by a bouquet of fresh hops, with a fruity note and pronounced bitterness, light on the palate and a less firm collar than a beer of six months. The latter will feature a bouquet consisting of a blend of fragrances of yeast and old-fashioned hop. The bitterness is more diffuse and the taste has moved to a slight touch of acidity accompanying yeast and caramel flavours. Served without its sediments, a beer of six months or more, has a particularly bright appearance. It will be less so, if it is served at a temperature below 7°C to 8°C (44° - 45°F).

The brewery indicates the bottling and best-by dates directly on the label. Every consumer can thus easily know the age of an Orval beer, and whether it should be consumed rapidly or less so, depending on whether one likes this beer young, or after a few months or years in the cellar.