Good evening all. Tonight's beer is a bona fide Belgian classic in the form of Duvel from Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat. Duvel was probably my first experience with Belgian beer, and I distinctly remember finding the new flavours and higher alcohol content to be a bit too "out there" for my tastes at the time. Fast forward a year and a number of perception-changing beer experiences, and I'm in the mood to properly evaluate this highly-revered classic that could easily be considered the benchmark by which Belgian Strong Pale Ales are measured. Also, it counts as another notch on my 2012 Belgian beer quest, so it's a multifaceted success. Review after the pic....
Duvel (8.5% ABV) pours a pale golden colour with a gorgeous thick white head that retains itself very well. The pic doesn't do it enough justice, it's an amazing thing to behold! As expected, there's some lacing present during consumption, but this diminishes towards the latter stages of the drink. Unfortunately I don't own a Duvel tulip glass, so I opted to serve this beer in my BrewDog Teku glass instead- beer geeks of the world, please forgive me. The aroma is very rich in spice and phenols, with oranges/citrus fruits, some honey-like sweetness and a slight awareness of the alcohol content coming through in the background. The taste is phenolic. fruity (both citrus fruits and dark fruits) and malty, with some floral hop character in the finish. There is a slight bite on the palette during drinking, but no excessive bitterness in the finish itself. The mouthfeel is thick, aerated and well carbonated. Overall, this is a great Belgian Strong Pale Ale that is packed with rich Belgian flavours but still manages to remain well-balanced and not overly cloying on the palette. Couldn't recommend it enough, and the best thing is it's so easily available!
Until next time....
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