Orval Trappist Ale

Well, I still have some posts to update from when I was home.  And since I realize that everyone loves hearing from me, I'll throw the last one up here.  Before that, what happened to Mr. Why Do You Never Post?  But seriously, if you have left the internet then I am essentially talking to no one.  The internet can be so lonely.

Orval Trappist Ale

Appearance- A golden orange with a billowing egg shell white head.  The head is pillowy and resilient and a half finger sticks around.  It is slightly hazy and leaves behind a sticky lacing.

Smell- Tart fruits with a reasonable amount of lemon.  Some medicinal and phenolic smells with little underlying malt sweetness.  Some earthy, musty character as well.

Taste- The lemon and citrus flavors are not as pronounced in the taste although they are noticeable lingering in the background.  Medicinal and other phenolic flavors are apparent throughout the beer.  The earthy, musty, slightly barnyard-esque characteristics starts in the middle of the beer and carries through the finish.  Slightly tart, but certainly not mouth puckering and it is not off putting.  Slight hop bitterness in the finish.

Mouthfeel- Medium or possibly medium-light body.  Carbonation is slightly prickly on the tongue at first, but it has become more smooth as the beer has settled.  The finish is dry.

Overall and Notes- A great belgian beer as the earthy character makes this both different from others in the same style and it provides it with a little more character.  As a person who edges towards the funky/sour end of the beer chain, this is my type of beer.  That being said, it is not likely to offend others who do not prefer funk all that much.  So go get the beer or else.