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Londorval & Landlorval

Last night, we blended funky Trappist pale ale Orval with two classic British best bitters, Fuller’s London Pride and Timothy Taylor’s Landlord.

Our thinking was that mixing beers with somewhat similar characteristics — pale malts, old-school European hop varieties –would add complexity through subtly harmonies.

We poured around three-quarters of a pint of each British beer and topped up to a pint with Orval.

First impressions were not good. Both blends gained a Granny Smith character that was most pronounced in ‘Londorval’. That is a component of Orval’s flavour, yes, but, watered down, as it were, it became a grating, insistent irritation.

Bottled Landlord isn’t a favourite of ours but, of the two, ‘Landlorval’ was the better blend. Still, as the pint progressed, it began to seem ever more thinned out and gutted like… This might sound silly, but like a pint of Worthington Cream Flow from a keg that’s been sitting around for months in a hotel bar.

So, there you go: Orval doesn’t improve every beer to which you add it after all.

We can’t promise that this will be the last time we blend beers with Orval but it will probably be the last such experiment we bother writing up. If you come across a good combo, let us know.

4 replies on “Londorval & Landlorval”

If you do find an outstanding blend do please blog again otherwise I agree we prob dont need a set of ‘nope that one didnt work either ‘ blogs. If I get chance a few oral blends do sound fun but needs right pub – looking for somewhere with cask op that sells orval.

Interesting. I think quite possibly the pasteurized British beers (after all, a form of keg) just won’t work with a bottle-conditioned beer. I would do the same but with White Shield or any other available “live” British bottled pale.

Gary

Please continue to post as you like. Beer people have issues with analysis. I do not want to predetermine what is interesting to you. We only learn through failure. The grass is always greener. My brain hurts.

Agreed and another idea, if you can bring a can (growler) of draught in from a pub or off-license, pour in some Orval. Then tip into two pint glasses.

Carbonation will only help, and possibly the very light brett will enhance the beer without significantly changing it.

Gary

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