Orval means Valle de Oro, this can give us an idea of how privileged the area where the Abbey of Orval is located.
In 1529 Emperor Charles V gave permission to the monks of Orval to produce beer, in this way they obtained extra income, during the Napoleonic invasions the Abbey was destroyed and it was not until 1931 that the necessary financing was obtained to build a new Abbey and brewery, Art Deco style the architectural ensemble is of great beauty. From that time is the current recipe, the mixture of types of fermentation and the yeast used result a beer far removed from the Trapist tradition, being considered one of the best beers in the world.
Abbye Orval is associated with the International Trappist Association (ITA) which regulates and ensures the quality of beer and other trappian products, such as cheeses, biscuits, wafers, natural hygiene products, honey, jams and preserves, wine and spirits. Only Trappian beers can produce the abbeys of this religious order that comply with the 3 main precepts, currently there are 14 Trappist abbeys in the world licensed to produce beer under the name Authentic Product Trappist.
The precepts are:
- Beer must be produced within the Abbey or in its immediate surroundings.
- Monks supervise and control the production of beer.
- The benefits should be directed to the needs of the entire monastic community, solidarity with other Trappian Abbeys, development projects and charitable works
- Only Authentic Trapist Product certified beers feature this logo on their tags.
Orval