Beautiful Beer Labels #1: Orval

Hi Steemians,

In this series I am looking for the most beautiful, arty, smart or interesting beer labels. We all know beers taste great, but quite often we don't pay enough attention to the label design. That's a shame, because a good label can really make the beer experience more complete.

I want to start with a label that I really like for the story behind it.

Orval Trappist Ale

Orval is the best trappist ale in the world in my personal opinion. Brewed in the abbey of Villers-devant-Orval in the heart of the Ardennes region, it has reached an iconic status. In fact, the brewery can't keep up with the huge demand anymore.

If you have an Orval anywhere in a Belgian bar today. The chance is quite big that the beer was bottled less than two months before it ends up in your glass.

About the label

Apart from that. I love the label it has. The blue background and letters in gold colour just breathe the tradition behind the beer. And along with that, you have the trout with the ring which is almost as iconic as the beer itself.

The legend says that the monastery was actually built there because of the trout.

Matilde of Tuscany was a widow, but she still had her wedding from her husband. Until she dropped ring into the fountain at the location by accident.

She was devastated for losing the ring and started praying to God if he could just bring it back. Some time later, a trout came to the surface with the wedding ring in its mouth.

In her joy of getting her ring back, the countess called the fountain a "Val d'Or !", which means as much as fountain of gold. As a token of gratitude to the Lord, she decided to establish a monastery over there.

I guess you can figure out the rest of the story from this point.

About the beer

Orval is a less heavy trappist ale, compared to many of the others. It is a pale ale with 6,2% alcohol. It is an excellent beer to keep because of the yeast that's being used. I can also say that an old Orval tastes even better than a young one. So you might want to store a reasonable part of your supply in your cellar for a year or two, or even longer, before drinking. I am very confident that you won't regret it.

The taste is refreshing, with tones of citrus and wheat. It really differs from what you would normally expect from a Belgian beer, which are mostly heavier and sweeter. So I would recommend Orval, even when you don't like our usual beers.

Brewery: Brasserie d'Orval
Beer style: Belgian Pale Ale
Alcohol: 6,2%

What is your favourite beer label? Comment below.

PS: Upvote, Follow & Resteem as you please. You know the drill. :-D

More of my posts:
https://steemit.com/beer/@davenumero6/bizarre-beer-of-the-week-1
https://steemit.com/beer/@davenumero6/bizarre-beer-of-the-week-2
https://steemit.com/beer/@davenumero6/5-beers-that-will-fool-you-at-the-bar
https://steemit.com/beer/@davenumero6/this-beer-is-one-of-the-best-in-the-world-and-you-don-t-know-it-yet
https://steemit.com/introduceyourself/@davenumero6/i-m-a-belgian-so-thank-you-very-much