Duvel
Date: Friday, January 21, 2011
Brewery: Duvel
Beer: Duvel
Category: Belgian Golden Strong Ale
ABV: 8.50%
Brewed in: Belgium
Pours a cloudy yellow with a bit of an orange tint. The head develops rapidly and reaches four fingers of thickness. It is white and very fluffy. The head retention is insane. It literally doesn’t recede until you drink it.
The aroma is earthy and a little grassy with some sweet malts. The hop smell is amazing and screams quality ingredients. There are some light fruit notes – maybe bananas and oranges. Quite understated but adds a bit of complexity.
The taste echoes the aroma with added elements of lemon and some spice – cloves maybe? The taste is sweet from the malts but balances with the floral hops and the funky belgian yeast. The alcohol becomes increasingly more apparent as it warms but is never overpowering or unwanted.
The beer has a moderate body and medium to high carbonation with a dry finish. The beer is very effervescent and is mesmerizing to just watch through the bottom of your tulip glass.
Rating:
beerisseur 
I have had friends who tried to “contain” the head during the pour. Basically impossible.
January 24, 2011 at 10:18 AM
Yeah – even if you tried the old “pucker and suck” technique I don’t think you could suck fast enough to stop it.
Some people pour aggressive with some beer to create a good head – if you tried that with Duvel you would be in for a mess!
Even a dainty pour gives you four fingers.
January 24, 2011 at 10:31 AM
I love the photo. You captured Duvel in all of its glory.
January 24, 2011 at 1:19 PM
I guess this is the part where I confess I didn’t take that Duvel photo because my camera battery is dead and charging haha.
I do have my own Duvel photo I will post later today. So I guess for now – thank you – but the credit has to go to google images.
January 24, 2011 at 1:32 PM