About the Orval Trappist Brewery

Brewed and bottle-conditioned at Notre Dame d'Orval monastery, founded around 1070 AD in the pastoral Belgian countryside. Three different malts, two types of hops, Belgian candi sugar, complex fermentation with multiple yeasts, dry-hopping and bottle conditioning all contibute to great character and complexity. This vintage-dated and unique beer can be cellared up to five years.

According to legend, Princess Matilda was passing through this region in about 1070 with her retinue. She stopped at a clear spring and trailed her hand in the water - and her wedding ring, a gift of her recently-deceased husband, slipped off her finger and sank. Distraught, she knelt and prayed fervantly for its return . . . and a trout swam to the surface with the ring in its mouth, returning it to her. She is said to have claimed "Truly, this is a golden valley!" (French: Or = gold; val = valley) She gave the land to the church, and the trout with the gold ring can be seen to this day in the Orval logo.

Here's a video tour of Orval:

Orval Trappist Ale

Orval Trappist Ale Sunset-orange color; a fruity and slightly acidic bouquet, firm body, profound hop bitterness, and long, dry finish.