The Brux Project – Orval

Orval is probably one of my most regularly consumed beers. It’s often the first thing I drink when I get off a plane in Belgium. When a beer menu isn’t too inspiring, it’s the safe choice that will always make me happy. Even in the US, if I see an Orval, the chances are pretty good that I’ll order it. When I first conceived of The Brux Project, I knew I wanted to include Orval in it one day. The problem was how? I’d have to find the right place at the right time in Belgium to get a fresh lot and then use up most of my beer case’s capacity to get it home.

Fortunately, I ran across a great beer shipping box that was designed for twelve small bottles. I filled it up with tasty American beer treats and sent them to my friend Kevin Desmet of Belgian Beer Geek fame. Kevin lives just outside of Brussels and had his finger on the pulse of the beer scene in Belgium. I gave him a simple mission: send me 12 Orval as fresh as he could get them. Finally, he caught a fresh batch at his local shop and sent them on their way.

Orval boasts a 5 year shelf life. Over that time, the beer changes immensely thanks to the addition of Brettanomyces Bruxellensis. I’ll be opening a bottle every 6 months to track its progress.

6/2/2017 – Bottle no. 1 (bottled 28/3/2017)

12/7/2017 – Bottle no. 2 (bottled 28/3/2017)

7/14/2018 – Bottle no. 3 (bottled 28/3/2017)