Thursday, April 12, 2012

Duvel – Belgian Golden Ale

If there are three things I know about Duvel, they are

1. Duvel is a Belgian beer

2. Duvel is expensive

3. I still owe me brother $20 for picking me up a 4 pack with the glass

Duvel was started back in 1871, at this time there were over 3000 breweries in Belgium. Think of that number in 1871!!! Today in the US there are just over 1700 breweries, and that goes all the way from the big guys to the local brewpubs. So I guess that’s why Belgians are widely considered superior beer makers to the rest of the world, they’ve just been doing it, and doing it right for so long.

Over the years Duvel has changed the recipe and used trial and error to produce what they feel is the best product they could come up with. Fast forward to the 90’s and we have what they sell today, a bottle conditioned light ale, that uses a strain yeast dating back to 1918, currently in over 60 countries worldwide.

So this one is pricey if you get it at a bar, but I got it for $5 and a free Duvel glass, so not too shabby. Pours to a nice golden color and a lot of white soapy head that spiders nicely through the whole glass. The aroma is sweet and crisp, so much carbonation that it goes up the nostrils like drinking 7up. The taste is complex, dry malt, crisp hops and a velvety texture. I for one can’t stand touching velvet, chills me to the bone, and its drinking texture it might be even worse. But this was so subtle that I could bare it. At 8.5% ABV, any beer is worth a try and its overall a good to great beer.

Drinkability: 7/10

Taste: 8/10

Value: 5/10

Curb Appeal: 7/10

Overall: 6.75/10

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