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

Oranjeboom Lager

Oranjeboom "Original Dutch Recipe" Premium Lager was first brewed in Rotterdam, Holland (aka the Netherlands) in 1671. That's right, 16-f'in-71. That's a helluva long time ago. Want to know what was going on in the world in 1671? On May 9, 1671, this dude named Thomas Blood attempted to steal the Crown Jewels from the Tower of London. He got the jewels out of the tower, but was immediately caught because he was too drunk to run with all of the jewels. I read this on wikipedia and have a feeling that it was totally made up by some yahoo. Or maybe that is what the Brits did in 1671, get drunk and rob towers. This has nothing to do with Oranjeboom Lager, but did occur the same year that it was first brewed. This story did have to do with alcohol, so it's kind of related. Cut me some slack already. Translated to English, Oranjeboom means "Orange Tree" and symbolizes the Dutch Royal Family Tree, which began with the patriarch of the Dutch family. In 2004, the Oranjeboom brewery was closed, the brand was sold to InBev, and Oranjeboom is now currently brewed in Dommelsch, Germany. So much for a 333 year-run, Oranjeboom. Good times, good times.

This beer is OK. When I cracked opened the can (isn't that a wonderful sound, that of a can of beer being cracked open? It's as if angels are singing and rewarding you for a hard day's work, or a day of Halo, cheez whiz, and masturbation), I actually said out loud "ohhhh nasty" because the smell was just that, kind of strong and nasty. But it didn't taste nasty, but it didn't taste tasty either though. It had a strong malty taste, as well as a little tinge of hops and spice. I didn't like the taste overall though, hence the low score in that department. It was super easy to drink - I kept reaching for that can and before I knew it it was all gone, only to be replaced by a mild buzz and a bitchy headache. You can pick up a 500 ml (16.9oz for you non-metric system users) can at Trader Joe's for the whopping low price of $1.25 (you can't even get a slice of Plaza Pizza for that low cost anymore!) making this Dutch beer a steal. It clocks in at an average 5.0% ABV, but combined with the low price and the easy drinkability, you'll be wasted on the cheap in no time, which, given the economy, is definitely a good thing.

If you want to try something out of the ordinary that rivals traditional domestic lagers (read: nasty American beers) and save some money while you are at it, give Oranjeboom a try. Why the f not?

Drinkability: 7/10

Taste: 4/10

Value: 8/10

Curb Appeal: 5/10

Overall: 6/10