Orval Beer question

[JBrady]

Hello I just bought my first orval beer and I noticed that it was bottled in 2008, is that too long for a trappist beer age, or should this thing taste awesome? thanks

 

[carnevoodoo]

Hello I just bought my first orval beer and I noticed that it was bottled in 2008, is that too long for a trappist beer age, or should this thing taste awesome? thanks

You should have some nice brett character in there at this point. I think 2-3 years on Orval is about right.

 

[JBrady]

what is brett character?

 

[IrregularPulse]

The sourness from the Brett. Orval is bottled with Brettamyces. A souring bug. I had a 2007 bottle I believe this past year. It wasn't as good as fresher stuff.

 

[carnevoodoo]

The sourness from the Brett. Orval is bottled with Brettamyces. A souring bug. I had a 2007 bottle I believe this past year. It wasn't as good as fresher stuff.

Brettanomyces. A different strain of yeast from your typical Saccharomyces that you normally ferment with. Usually considered a wild strain, but it is added intentionally.

 

[JBrady]

I really like the sourness that I find in alot of belgian beers, so I'll probaly like it. thanks for the info

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brettanomyces

 

[JBrady]

well the verdict is in, the year and a half old orval was awesome. I definitely picked up on the sour brett taste, it was very very good, I've now had beers from rochefort, orval, westmalle, and chimay. Just three more trappist monastaries to drink beer from, but i hear that one of them i will have to make the trip to belgium to taste.

 

[Edcculus]

FWIW, brett doesn't do any souring. It adds a different yeast character mostly described as horse blanket, earthy, stone fruit or barnyard. Sourness in an Orval comes moetly from the high carbonation. Sourness in other Blegians (like Lambic) comes from the bacteria lactobacillus and acetobacter.

 

[JBrady]

FWIW, brett doesn't do any souring. It adds a different yeast character mostly described as horse blanket, earthy, stone fruit or barnyard. Sourness in an Orval comes moetly from the high carbonation. Sourness in other Blegians (like Lambic) comes from the bacteria lactobacillus and acetobacter.

Thanks for clearing that up, I was under the impression that brett made the sour taste. With belgian beers I am finding that I like trippels the best, most of which have strong sour notes in them, this sour taste that I detect in most of these beers is a product of the yeast right? or is it also lactobacillus and acetobacter?

 

[Edcculus]

The sourness you are perceiving in Tripels is more than likely not souring bacteria. Those are usually exclusive to Lambics, Gueuze and Flanders Red/Brown. Belgian yeast throw out a lot of very interesting phenols and esters though. I wouldn't call them sour however. What brands/names are you trying? I'm guessing its the high carbonation. High carbonation creates a kind of scrubbing effect on the tounge. I'm pretty sure I've read somewhere that humans actually perceive carbonation as somewhat sour.

 

[JBrady]

Well I perceive them as a little sour but my girlfriend calls it sweet if that helps. The beers I can mostly relate these flavors to are: Delirium Tremens, Leffe Blonde, and Chimay Cinq Cents Triple. I have really thought these flavors are a product of belgium yeast, if not please help me learn why the belgian beers have these tart flavors to them, as they are quickly becoming my favorite style of beers.

 

[ChshreCat]

You inspired me. When I got home tonight I had to crack open one of the bottles of Orval I have squirreled away in my beer fridge. It was bottled in February 2008 and is wonderful. fyi, on the bottle next to the bottling date it says it's best by February of 2013 so I don't think you have any problems with Orval that's a couple years old.

 

[SumnerH]

Most tripels aren't really sour. Try an Orval, a good tripel, and a Duchess de Bourgoin back-to-back--the latter will show you what a true sour beer tastes like.

Orval has the typical Brett notes, which are leather/barnyard/rustic flavors, but not sour. Absolutely great beer, though.

 

[Cliff897]

it was bottled in 2008, is that too long for a trappist beer age,

Not too long at all.

 

[JBrady]

thanks for all the info, but I still have yet to figure out where the tart flavors come from with beers like delirium tremens, chimay cinq cents, and leffe blonde.

 

[Cliff897]

thanks for all the info, but I still have yet to figure out where the tart flavors come from with beers like delirium tremens, chimay cinq cents, and leffe blonde.

Get a copy of Stan Hieronymus' book"Brew Like a Monk."
He got many of them to surrender up recipes and discuss adjuncts and yeast manipulation.

 

[remilard]

The tartness, as it were, is likely from carbonation. Tripels are effervescent and carbonation in beer exists largely as carbonic acid.

ETA: Do you perceive a similar tartness in domestic light colored lagers? In sparkling white wine? In club soda?

 

[user 22118]

+1 to Remilard. The three beers you described "delirium tremens, chimay cinq cents, and leffe blonde" aren't sour. They are carbed really highly though and I think that you are getting the carbonic acid twang. If anything, your GF is more correct in taste (though not technically) because there is an extreme amount of malty mouthfeel from Belgian yeasts, even though they ferment damn dry. I just had a Tripel that went from 1.100 to 1.004 and was sweet tasting from the amount of malty goodness. That was a beast.

 

[arturo7]

mmmm, horse blanket!!