It occurs to me i didn't answer our friend from the spooky elevator's question though, so here goes
DavidSPumpkins
Older Orval (90's to early oughts) has an exceptionally balanced character. The Brett is farmhousey and super rich, rather than the almost-sour way modern day folks are making mixed culture saisons...well blended aromas and flavors (barnyard, orchard fruit, etc) but dictated by carbonation, e.g. you need the liveliness to bring it all home. I've had some flatter bottles that just didn't pan out.
Mid-aughts to Recipe Change tend to be a bit more funky for some reason. I don't know why....the last 05 i opened was a super Brett bomb, and had a tea-like quality to it i wasn't expecting...i think i have one or two others from this era lying around, i'll dig them out and open them and report back.
07 and onward tends to age a bit drier..maybe crisp is the word i'm looking for....or like, fresh apricot vs. dried apricot kinda thing. The Brett is a touch more subdued and the beer is just overall more attenuated, which i attribute to the centrifuging/conditioning more than the recipe change. Anyway, for this era i don't like to let them go past 3-4 years (though i absolutely have bunch laying down for the **** of it.) At Binny's i started stashing cases in earnest in...i think 2011 or 2012, i don't really remember, ask the FIB war room or dig up my old BeerAdvocate posts about cellaring it, and i would release every 12-15 months or so.
Merchant du Vin is now cellaring cases themselves and releasing to the market targeting high-end accounts too, which is pretty cool in my opinion, so snap them up when you see them. Nice to see people appreciating it.
deserves more than a 'like'
Heh, thanks. If you ever find yourself around me in person ask to see the pics, i keep them on my phone.