Duvel Belgian Ale - buy the Red Letter version!
Jul 26 '01
The Bottom Line An affordable and not so hard-to-find ale from Belgian. Top quality and excellent flavor. Highly Recommended.
One of the most frustrating categories to post in at Epinions is the "Hard To Find Beer" category. This is because it is a hidden category that is not linked to on any page at Epinions. It is a hard to find category and usually only beer enthusiasts will post here... people who drink beer -- as Advisor and published author beerfly says -- "outside the American mainstream."
Yesterday, I drank a Belgian ale that stands as a giant in the world of beers outside of the American mainstream: Duvel. I thought I had written a review of this beer before, but I see that, indeed, no reviews are listed under my ID.
For those unfamiliar with this hidden beer category at Epinions, here are the links:
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Duvel Speciale Ale
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This is a big 8.5% alcohol by volume "top fermented" ale brewed by Duvel Moortgat N.V. in Breendonk, Belgium. This is a pure beer product that is made without chemical additives. Secondary fermentation occurs in the bottle (this is a "bottle aged" product), so you will find some yeast sediment at the bottom of the bottle.
This ale is typically packaged in a large 750 ml bottle featuring a cork stopper and a wire cage, very much like a Champagne bottle. There is considerable pressure within the bottle, so you should take precautions and exercise a proper measure of care when opening the bottle. This ale pours with a bright yellow-gold color and a considerable amount of carbonation. Do take care to pour slowly, because a huge, creamy head of white foam can erupt from your glass if you pour with haste. Also, pour gently to insure that the deposit of yeast sediments don't all get dumped into your beer, making for a cloudy (but still drinkable) beer.
Duvel has a slightly spicy banana cream and butter nose. It is a delight to smell, but it is a greater pleasure to drink this beer. Despite having a high alcohol content, this beer does not taste too heavy. Interestingly, this beer was first made in 1923, when the Moortgat brewers were attempting to create a new beer similar to a Scottish ale. By using McEwan's yeast (the strain used by McEwan to produce ale in Edinburgh, Scotland), the first Duvel was born... after tasters proclaimed it to be a "devil of a brew." (Yes, Duvel is the Flemish word for devil.) The pale, gold colored version of this ale was first produced in 1968. This beer is a complex blend of fruit and hop flavors, and a surprisingly subtle measure of hop bitterness hide under the sweet, banana and citric flavors one experiences mid-mouth and in the finish.
Price and Availability
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I purchased a 750 ml (25.4 ounce) bottle of this beer at Trader Joe's Market for about $5. That's a very good price for a beer of this quality. Duvel is a very popular Belgian ale, and is available at most well-stocked liquor retailers.
Recommendations
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This ale could stand to be served slightly chilled. The brewer recommends a temperature of between 45º to 50ºF.
This is a great dessert beverage. Be sure to buy the bottle-conditioned beer, which has a red-lettered label. Avoid the weaker, filtered version of this beer, which is bottled with a green-lettered label.
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Epinions.com ID:
4-1-1
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 - Top 50 |
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Member: Tom Carr
Location: Southern California
Reviews written: 1091
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