i opened the short bottle with the new "old" white label and up spurted some head right to the top of the bottle, despite the fact that it had been at rest forever. You know why they built the duvel glass so big.
I pour the beer into a duvel glass. the huge head puffs up tremendously, looking like an unfinished sculpture. The beer itself is a straw yellow with an orangey hint when you look straight through the glass. its not a beautiful color, though it is amazingly clear, and when you see it with the monstrous head it looks like a work of art.
my first swoop through the beer's aroma brought out grassy and kumquat flavors, with a bit of that special funk one associates with belgian yeast. now that the head has fallen to a much smaller level--though still with a contorted shape--i stick my nose deep in the glass and reveal a bundle of fruit flavors--green apple skin, pear, peach, and key lime pie along with floral overtones much like hibiscus. though the detectors in my nostrals may be shot by now, there's also a deep bready flavor that pokes through at the end of the fruit and flower medley.
on to the taste. those bread flavors really start to come through in that first big sip--it's sweet and soft with a bit of fruit character on the middle of the tongue, though less than the nose. A sweet herbal taste descends into a dry, mineral-like finish. from what i understand this beer began its life long ago as an english or scottish ale, and the firm bready middle really recalls that region. the saaz hops and super pale malt (pilsner malt) bring it over to the belgian side.
i need to review a mediocre beer soon, because i feel like all my reviews are too laudatory. but duvel sits up there with some of the best. the complexity of the taste is not overwhelming, but the balance between sweet and dry is phenomenal. also, the 8.5% abv hides incredibly well in such an "open" beer-- the hops and malt are in almost perfect unity, one leading to the other, and the strength doesn't reveal itself at all in the flavor profile. the best indication that it's there, other than the bottle, is i just tried to write "halt and mops" rather than malt and hops.
as an end note, once the beer warms a bit a peppery alcohol taste steps in front of the warm bready flavors. in my opinion this is definitely a beer to enjoy on the cooler side of the temperature scale.
this is definitely a beer to enjoy on the cooler side of the temperature scale. [/b][/quote]
I agree with that and go as far as to say the colder the better. When i drink duvel or a knockoff of it like Golden Monkey or Luancy freezer chilling and a frosted glass is called for. You do lose some of the flavor and a bit of the aroma but thats madeup for by the mouthfeel!
I wouldn't go so far as the chilled glass, but I agree a cooler temprature than I normally drink at is called for.
Duvel is another one of those class of beers that I take for granted (there's a recent thread on this somewhere around here). It's certainly not a session beer in the normal sense, but many's the time I've been seduced by the wiles of the Duvel to have that one more that puts me in the trouble zone. That delightful gold and very pleasant crispness will trick you every time.
You are correct about the deceptiveness of the hidden alcohol in this one. and i agree that it has long been available and is often overlooked by me now. Too many beers too little time.
I was sitting at my favorite watering hole last night, and this thread crossed my mind. So I ordered up a Duvel. It had been a long time since I had one. The waitress, who was new, brought out a bottle and set it down on the table. No glass. She seemed kind of surprised when I asked for a glass. She stated that she "likes to drink beer from the bottle." D'oh!!!
Anyway, I had forgotten just how good a beer this is. I agree that it is certainly no session beer, but I really enjoyed this one as I sat out on the patio watching a storm roll in.
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Scott
Curiosity killed the cat, but for a while I was a suspect.
Originally posted by skahtboi IThe waitress, who was new, brought out a bottle and set it down on the table. No glass. She seemed kind of surprised when I asked for a glass.
See this is why firearms aren't allowed in bars.
Duvel is a great beer. Odd thing about it is it seems half lager / half ale. The main yeast is from Mc Ewans! Then it is stored at coole temperatures (lagered) and a second yeast used for conditioning.
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