We’re taking a deep breath on the WILK Friday BeerBuzz as we launch into 2013. It’s been a crazy holiday season and we’re ready to think late-winter and spring beer. Keep in mind we’ve featured 10 different holiday beers in the last 4 weeks so it’s time to make a change.
For the first show of the new year, I wanted to feature a beer that is worthy of that New year’s honor. I also wanted to start the new year with a really special beer that is readily available, affordable, full of flavor and a historically significant beer as well. Finally, I simply wanted to switch gears and get away from the traditionally dark and spicy holiday ales.
Each January, to launch the new year, I like to feature a true Trappist beer on the Friday BeerBuzz. For 2012 we featured Rochefort 10 as a way to support the brewery after the tragic fire just weeks earlier. For 2013 I decided to keep up our tradition and feature a Trappist beer once again…so today’s beer was Orval Trappist Ale.
Coming to us from Villers-Devant-Orval in Belgium, Orval is not only a classic Belgian beer, but also a beer brewed by one of 8 certified Trappist breweries around the world. Chimay, Orval, Rochefort, Westmalle, Westvleteren, Achel, La Trappe, and Stift Engelszell are among the worlds most sought after beers…however Orval is readily available in the U.S. and one of my favorites.
Orval Abbey dates back to 1132, and while historical accounts say there has been a brewery & hop fields on the site for hundreds of years, the Orval Brewery officially dates to 1931. The brewery uses a logo featuring a trout with a ring in it’s mouth, and legend has it that Mathilda of Tuscany lost her wedding ring on the site and after praying for it’s return, a trout sprung from the lake with her ring in it’s mouth. Upon finding the ring Mathilda declared it to be a “Val d’ Or” or Golden Valley from which the Orval name was derived.
Orval makes only one beer and we were excited to sample it on the show. Orval Trappist Ale is a Belgian Pale Ale that is bottle conditioned and it comes in at an easy drinking 6.2% ABV. With notes of yeast, fruit & of course hops (thanks in part to their extensive use of dry-hopping) this is a classic Belgian beer.
We’re also lucky enough to be just a few hours from an official Orval Ambassador bar. With only 5 in the United States, Orval Ambassador bars are certified by Orval and not only include proper serving vessels and methods, but some even feature the famous Orval cheeses to pair with your Orval. So get your butt down to Monks Café in Philadelphia and try one for yourself. Or better yet, simply run up to Krugel’s Georgetown Deli and buy a bottle to enjoy at home.
Thank you to Nancy, John & Joe for yet another
fun Friday.
The Friday BeerBuzz…bringing good beers and good people together. As always you can check out the video on-line at the WILK Friday BeerBuzz page by clicking HERE.
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Always fun buzzers! I think you should to a memory lane beer show sometime. Just invite me on.
ReplyDeleteRyan W
I like Orval but I haven't been able to find it. Where did you get it? Eric
ReplyDeleteToday's beer came from Krugel's Georgetown Deli. It's sold by the bottle and I believe they were $5.99.
ReplyDeleteI laughed through the entire 3 hours today. The beer buzz was the perfect punctuation mark to a really fun show. Thank you WILK.
ReplyDeleteJerry (Dupont)
I'll be your next beer guest OK? Amy
ReplyDeleteIt is that easy Amy. Just declare it in comments and you're as good as in! ;)
ReplyDeleteI want to be a guest too! Kim Gee
ReplyDeleteYou're on the list Kim. ;)
ReplyDeleteWhere's the video? TJ
ReplyDeleteA great start to a new Friday Beer Buzz year!
ReplyDeleteSome tasty Orval Trappist Ale to sample plus our Vocabulary Builder Word for the Day, 'monkery'!
Great job as always to Bill from MyBeerBuzz.com!
Thanks also to Karel Zubris who handles our video AND more often than not our catering!
And of course, thanks to you for listening.
Best,
John
webster@wilknewsradio.com
We had a little camera snafu late in the show that split the video out. I suspect John is busy laboring to repair it and get it out to you. It will be up on wilknewsradio.com, mybeerbuzz.com and fridaybeerbuzz.com the moment it is ready.
ReplyDeleteYou always make me laugh and your show is my favorite. Today was a great topic and then beer. That has win written all over it. I plan to try this Orval out and see. The history lesson made it sound good to me. Cheers. Mike
ReplyDeleteIf I get a bonus score for listening to every show I should get to be a guest. I have listened live to every single beer buzz from the beginning. I even setup my video camera to record a few of them before I figured out you record and post them. Invite me on the show! I love beer and I'm great at beer buzz trivia too. Jared in Scranton.
ReplyDeleteWow Jared! I'm pretty sure even Mrs. BeerBuzz hasn't heard every show! So what was our first beer and who was our first in-studio guest?
ReplyDeleteI know! Troegs Hopback was the first beer. I don't know the guest. Now I get on the show right?
ReplyDeleteAmy
Correct Amy. You're one step closer.
ReplyDeleteWas it Spike Buckowski from Terrapin? Matt
ReplyDeleteIncorrect Matt...well sort of incorrect. Spike was our first PHONE guest.
ReplyDeleteWas it Breaker Brewing?
ReplyDeleteJerry
No but Mark & Chris were a very early guest on the show. Come on people.....where's Jared?>
ReplyDeleteWas it Berwick Brewing? Jenna
ReplyDeleteNope...sorry Jenna.
ReplyDeleteOld Forge?
ReplyDeleteTim K
Sorry Tim. Damien Malfara was also an early guest but not our first.
ReplyDeleteI love Orval!
ReplyDeleteAha! I win. It was Mike Hiller from Bavarian Barbarian!
ReplyDeleteJared
Jared wins! It was Mike Hiller, although at the time he didn't realize he was our fist EVER guest.
ReplyDeleteOK Jared (and all) who was on our show the MOST~! (very easy one)??
Mike Hiller?
ReplyDeleteJared
No..sorry Jared. He's actually 3rd or 4th now.
ReplyDeleteI planned to guess Mitch Steel but I think that's probably wrong. Jan
ReplyDeleteMitch Steele is also a close call, probably 2nd or 3rd in the list. Any more guesses??
ReplyDeleteJared?
ReplyDeleteI love Hopslam & Nugget Nectar Too. Thanks for the update. Joe
ReplyDeleteOK the guest with the MOST appearances on the WILK Friday BeerBuzz is.......................................................................... .......................................... ............................... ............................ ................................. ........................................ ............................
ReplyDeleteChuck Yarmey from the Wyoming Valley Homebrewers!
YAY!!! I love being on the show. We've turned a lot of people on to homebrewing through the Friday BeerBuzz!! 2013 is an extra special year for homebrewing in Pennsylvania so hopefully I'll see you all again sometime soon!
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Chuck Yarmey,
Wyoming Valley Homebrewers Club