Georgia’s Wild Heaven Beer released its Valley of Gold recently, a Belgian-style pale ale that the brewery created as an homage to Orval, calling it (not inaccurately) “one of the greatest beers ever brewed.” The description from the email sent to me said:

This Belgian Pale boasts a cloud-like head that rests on a straw-gold body. In the old-world tradition, it is dry-hopped with whole cone Crystal hops for a particularly vibrant and expressive hop profile. Each bottle and keg undergo a secondary fermentation with Brettanomyces brux, which adds layers of complexity and a farmhouse quality that makes this beer intricate and amazing.

Wild Heaven sent me a bottle to review, and included a handwritten note with a bit more backstory:

Valley of Gold is 6.5% ABV and inoculated with Brettanomyces, going for that classic Orval character. It’s frankly been awhile (too long!) since I’ve had an Orval so I can’t speak to how well of an homage this is—but read my notes, it’s quite a nice beer.

Appearance: Hazy/unfiltered gold color, with lively carbonation feeding an ample and pillowy (cloud-like) fine head.

Smell: Earthy, funky brett character with notes of stone fruit (apricot) and earthy-spicy hops. Barnyard, forest floor, some citrus notes. Nicely Belgian-y (slightly phenolic) with some brett complexity.

Taste: Same notes as for the aroma—earthy, funky, and fruity, with stewed apricots, a hint of rose hips, under ripe pear, light acidity, and some spicy-earthy phenolics fronting some luscious malt character. Hops are subtle and herbal. There’s a moderate level of brett funk with some mulch and graininess.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied, dry, and well-attenuated. Moderately high carbonation leaves it a bit gassy.

Overall: Quite lovely and enjoyable.

Pick up a bottle or two of this if you see it.