Did you know Dorval is the oldest city west of Montreal? It was initially founded by the Sulpician Order as the mission of Gentilly in 1667 and later took the name of “La Présentation-de-la-Vierge-Marie”. In 1691, however, it took on its modern name after the land was purchased by Jean-Baptiste Bouchard, dit “d’Orval.” ⛪️ 📚

Bouchard was the eldest son of Claude Bouchard, a surgeon in Quebec, and had pursued a career as a fur trader and voyageur. His father had adopted the D’Orval part of their name in the mid-17th century to differentiate himself from another local Claude Bouchard, a tailor.

The addition referred to their home village of Orval, one of eleven which composed the community of Montigny-Lengrain near Soissons. It then stuck, over time becoming the name of the West Island community that was incorporated as a village in 1892, a town in 1903, and a city in 1956.

Of course, the Orval that was home to the Bouchards was not the same as the Orval that hosts the famous Trappist monk community that brews one of the world’s most recognised Belgian beer. However that didn’t stop us at 4origins paying homage to both the founders of the town we now call our second home and the iconic brew. 😇

D’Orval Belgian Blonde Ale Beer Review

Our version, however, is not a funky Belgian Pale Ale, but rather a Belgian Blonde using the Cervisiae Divina yeast strain from Lelabo Solutions Brassicoles, which itself was extracted from Trappist beers.

It’s a sweet comforting winter blonde ale, boasting plenty of Belgian esters including clove and coriander as well as some very subtle banana, pear and plum. There’s more fruitiness on the sip which goes well with the base sweetness of the brew and the pear and banana come out nicely, backed by plenty of spice. Despite the strength and sweetness, it finishes dry with no hint of booziness making it a great warming tipple in these darker months. 🍐 🌿 🤤

Originally from England, Mike Davis came to Quebec ten years ago to study history. During this time he fell in love with the microbreweries of Quebec, which reminded him of English pubs. Now, he holds a Ph.D in History from McGill University, but works in the beer world as the Brand Ambassador for Microbrasserie 4 Origines.

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