Lucifer - Brouwerij Het Anker

number1bum

Pennsylvania

4.53/5  rDev +18.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a Duvel tulip, it's a slightly hazed bright golden color with a massive white head that makes for a slow pour. It's big and rocky leaving a mess of stick on the sides, as lots of bubbles rapidly shoot upwards from the base of the glass.

Smell is bright and floral, with a grassy hop aroma that seems dry hopped to me, some spicy black pepper and just a hint of swaeet tree fruits.

Taste just bursts with flavor and is exceptionally smooth. Lots of grassy, spicy and fruity flavor, with a dry hop sort of quality to the grassiness like the smell. I don't know if it's actually dry hopped but that's what I'm thinking based on what I'm tasting/smelling. There is a very subtle sweetness of pale malt and pears. Some black pepper as well. I am marveling at how flavorful and smooth this is.

Mouthfeel is very crisp yet smooth, with a light creaminess to it as well. Finishes dry and clean, and the crispness is very refreshing.

As I was drinking this I found myself saying 'man, this is better than Duvel,' but I almost didn't want to believe what I was thinking. I happened to have a few bottles of Duvel in the cellar, so I cracked one for a side by side. Duvel smells a bit sweeter while Lucifer has a bigger grassy hop nose and is a bit more floral I think. Taste wise, Duvel is again a bit sweeter, while the grassy and spicy characters of Lucifer jump out more. I stand by my original assessment; this is better than Duvel. It even keeps more stick than Duvel. I never had the old version of Lucifer brewed by Riva, and there are very few reviews of this new one so far, but in my opinion this is an absolutely exceptional beer. I enjoyed it immensely.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2010 03:07:21 | More by number1bum

MrHassellYaHurd

Louisiana

4.45/5  rDev +16.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Lucifer pours a slightly cloudy golden-orange with a lofty head of dense, pure white bubbles.

The smells are of spices and slightly sweet grains. I get a hint of tart cherries, as well.

The tastes are initially slightly tart and with a sharp carbonic acid tinge. The tart cherries from the nose make their way to the middle of my tongue, as well as the grainy bite of freshly malted barley. A gentle alcoholic warming balances the flavor profile.

Lucifer is a deciptively easy-drinking Belgian ale; light-bodied with the light fizz of a high carbonation level. This slightly grainy textured beer had excellent drinkability.
Recommended if available.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2011 05:58:27 | More by MrHassellYaHurd

AgentMunky

California

4.45/5  rDev +16.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Poured from a 750mL bottle into a St Bernardus goblet.

A: Big, white, billowing head. Small amounts of bubbles within a straw-yellow, if brilliant, beer. Backlighting results in a gorgeous glow. Some scattered lace.

S: Subdued, if pleasant. Yeast, grassy/floral hops, and a tinge of spice.

T: Nice BSPA. I especially enjoy the clean, floral-hopped aftertaste. The maintaste is spicy, a bit tart (lemons), and yeastily typical. Pretty great in every way, if we're being honest. Not exceptional, mind, but an exemplar of the style.

M: Titillating, drying, and always interesting.

O: I was apprehensive, as a lover of Gouden Carolus, that this beer would let me down, but I am not disappointed. A superlative Belgian Strong Pale Ale -- one of the finest -- and highly recommended. Will drink again.

Serving type: bottle

07-29-2011 23:18:30 | More by AgentMunky

plfahey

Minnesota

4.3/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

11.2 oz. bottle poured into a tulip glass.

Appearance-Perfect. Pale gold in color, and brilliantly clear. Huge rocky white head with good retention and gorgeous belgian lace.

Aroma-Perfumy, huge light fruit esters (strong pear and golden raisin, hint of apple, trace of lemon/orange). Smells sweet. Light floral hops, slight grainy aroma as well. Some perfumy, roselike alcohols in the background.

Flavor-Extremely dry and well attenuated-very slight sweetness up front is followed quickly by a very dry finish. Still some of the pear esters here, but they're lighter, overtaken by a much greater alcohol presence in the flavor. The alcohols present themselves as rosewater and pepper. Some herbal, spicy hop flavors as well. The alcohol, high attenuation, and moderate hop bitterness make for a sharp, crisp, and somewhat bitter finish.

Mouthfeel-Medium body with high carbonation. Effervescent. Slight alcohol warmth.

This beer is phenomenal-my only complaint is that the alcohols stick out in the flavor a bit, especially as it warms. That said, it is so dry and crisp, you could certainly drink a ton of this-at least enough of this to knock you on your ass.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2011 03:27:13 | More by plfahey

gatornation

Minnesota

4.25/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

pours a perfect beautiful slightly hazy peach color with a 2 finger head that slowly recedes..smell is great also it starts with belgian yeast then apples,pears and bananas a little clove and some sweet bread in the background mmm!!..taste is superb its crisp and pure with belgian yeast lots of fresh fruits a little pepper some clove and sweet baked bread it is perfectly balanced..a treat.. mouth feel is super fresh not overpowering just full of belgian goodness..imo this is a superb bspa.that drinks like a golden..you dont notice the 8% abv..try this one

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2010 23:03:00 | More by gatornation

OlRasputin989

Arkansas

4.2/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured into snifter

A: hazy, old gold color with a huge, fluffy head that fades very slowly, turning into rolling mounds of foam. leaves fuzzy lacing around the glass

S: candylike aroma, a bouqet of tropical fruits and floral aromas, along with a dusty, earthy smell.

T: a wheat bread and peach flavor up front, fades to an earthy, lemon grass, and bitter hop flavor, with a white clay and peach skin finish

M: light-medium body with a refreshing carbonation and a dry, astringent finish

Overall, a deceptive and easy drinking ale with more of a hop display than I had expected. Very good, however not world class, such as its counterpart Duvel.

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2010 03:04:37 | More by OlRasputin989

nycbeerfreak

New York

4.2/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - Poured a straw color with a white head that leaves lacing behind, good stuff

S - Is of sweet malt some citrus and alcohol

T - Starts off a little sweet with some lemon citrus finishes with a touch of alcohol

M - This beer has a nice body with medium carbonation to it

D - Overall this is a great belgian pale to enjoy

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2011 04:43:28 | More by nycbeerfreak

StephenRich

Ontario (Canada)

4.18/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I brought this bottle along to a northyorksammy's (thanks for having me!). I love what Het Anker does, so I was really looking forward to this beer. It is essentially their answer to Duvel, hence the name...

The pour was smooth and lively building pretty white foam that ended up puffed on top of the beer like a tightly packed cloud. The beer shone through nicely below adding sunshine to the fluffy sky. It was clean and golden yellow with hints of haze, but overall a straw and lemon yellow beer.

The nose was just as pretty as the beer looked. It showed clean and proper malt aromas that hint at fresh pale malts, soft bread, and a whiff of honey. Hops brought light spice and fresh herbs along with an appetizing floral sweetness. I was really enjoying this. There is also a fresh and lightly spicy nose that edges on farmhouse, but it not nearly tart or funky enough to be.. ore along the lines of a saison. Definitely a richer more earthy nose than Duvel.

The flavour all wraps up the same way. The first sips are smooth and creamy - actually, its a wicked combo of creamy and effervescent. Texture is gently carbonated with a champagne like viscosity - but still very smooth and elegant. I get warm pale malt, honeycomb, and sweet flowers right in the centre of my tongue. Its so nice! Light trickles and belgian yeast show up with spice, fresh herbs, and a hint of estery must. It is so close to the Duvel is many ways, but is a bit more brash and upfront with its profile.. I am going to have to have another and compare it head to head with Duvel.

The finish is smooth and again, lightly effervescent. It leaves a clean sweetness on my tongue and totally quenched my cheeks. Good stuff Het Anker!

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2011 04:20:38 | More by StephenRich

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

4.18/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.75

Ah, the pleasure(s) of The CANQuest (TM)! I was visiting the Foodery (N. Liberties) in PHL (where else?) when I spotted this gem in the cooler. I moved a little too slowly to be the first to review it from a CAN, but this is a real serving type for this beer.

From the CAN: "Classic Belgian Ale"; "A fiery specialty from Belgium, Lucifer is a gold-yellow ale with a delicate bitterness, fruity aroma and complex finish."; "Brewed by Het Anker 'Brewers of Gouden Carolus'".

The Crack had a nice snap to it and I once again employed the Inverted Glug to create more than two fingers of dense, foamy, bone-white head with great retention. "Fruity aroma"?!? It smelled like somebody was chewing an entire pack of Juicyfruit gum! Color was a slightly-hazy sunshine-yellow. I leaned in for a better sniff and caught not only mixed fruit, but also a yeasty mustiness. Oh my! Mouthfeel was soft, caressing on the tongue with a very fruity flavor in the mouth. "Delicate bitterness"? Too delicate to register on my palate, apparently, but I am not usually drinking this style for its associated IBUs. Finish was semi-dry with the yeast causing a dryness in my throat on the extreme finish. This is most impressive in a CAN and while I would not want a whole bunch, it would probably play pretty big among both initiates and those in the know if if I brought some in a cooler.

Serving type: can

04-07-2013 19:31:47 | More by woodychandler

Nerudamann

Oregon

4.15/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a bottle into an over sized wine glass.

Look - light amber in color, a little murky, with about 4 fingers of frothy off-white foam that dissipates slowly.

Smell - malty fruitiness to the smell. It smells like a blonde cider, to be honest.

Taste and Mouthfeel - upon the taste, it's more of strong ale type of taste, like a Chimay. Smokey, but in a fruity, hookah-like way, leaving an acrid metallic taste behind. Texture is very well balanced, leaning a little more toward the watery side.

Overall - would be a WONDERFUL beer for hookah smoking. Very interesting in taste!

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2011 07:43:20 | More by Nerudamann

Tone

Missouri

4.13/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a hazy, gold color. Two inch head of a white color. Great retention and great lacing. Smells of sweet malt, slight alcohol, hint of pale malt, hint of citrus hops, hint of spice, and a hint of dough. Fits the style of a Belgian Strong Pale Ale. Mouth feel is smooth and clean, with an average carbonation level. Tastes of sweet malt, pale malt, hint of citrus hops, slight spice, and a hint of alcohol. Overall, good blend, appearance, aroma, and body.

Serving type: on-tap

08-22-2011 21:15:55 | More by Tone

beerman240

Alabama

4.13/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 25.4oz bottle into mug. First glass had a strong head.

A. Golden honey. A transparent apple juice with a strong head and laced well.

S. Smells like belgian. Fruity, malts and hops are there too. Carbonation tickles

T. Starts out American, but sweeter. Leaves hoppy..burps are tastey with the sweet and bitter.

M. Nice carbonation. Refreshing... if I had more than one bottle I would guzzle.

O. I like this one! It ads a distinct belgian taste to the PBR that I would drink everyday. Not watery though. But still refreshing. The lite warmth of the 8% ABV cuddles me into bed and sings me a lullaby. Seriously...will buy again

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2012 03:16:32 | More by beerman240

Meerkey

Virginia

4.1/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Big, white, foamy head. Pale, dull gold. Few bubbles.

S: Spices - cloves, yeast. Some fruit - bananas.

T: Tart, spicy. Citrus hops. Yeast and grains. Kind of tastes like a tripel, but not as sweet.

M: Carbonation, sweet, drying.

O: A nice beer. Tastes good. Will drink again. Recommend.

Serving type: bottle

07-29-2011 23:22:33 | More by Meerkey

ksimons

New York

4.1/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A-a hazy yellow gold with two fingers worth of white head

S-pale malts, yeast, slight bitterness, and spices

T-similar to the smell, mix of pale malts and bitter hops, light fruits, yeast, and a spicy finish. Abv is well hidden

M-medium body, high carbonation

Another solid beer from Het Anker, very drinkable as the alcohol isn't too apparent, and great mix of malts and hops

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2011 22:46:56 | More by ksimons

srandycarter

California

4.1/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Murky straw, Near white head that leaves to disk fast, some small cling lace.

S - Slightly pungent, tart, malty.

T - Grainy, malty, fruity, nice blend of flavors.

M - Medium body, great carb, good balance.

D - Higher than average abv, but very drinkable. I recommend.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2012 02:27:01 | More by srandycarter

brentk56

North Carolina

4.08/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pours a slightly hazy goldenrod with a suitably impressive head; clumps of lace stick to the sides of the chalice

Smell: Green apple/pear, spicy yeast and a hint of bubblegum

Taste: Bready, up front, with a grainy character that merges into the sweet but spicy, green apple/pear fruit, bubblegum and white pepper flavors; by mid-palate, more spicy phenols arrive and then, after the swallow, the sweeter fruit flavors step it up a notch

Mouthfeel: Light to medium body with a effervescent carbonation

Drinkability: A very nice example of the Belgian Blonde style, with a lightness of touch but plenty of flavor

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2010 00:01:12 | More by brentk56

artcurtis

Colorado

4.08/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Served in a Great Divide Tulip
A - Pours a nice, light golden color with a huge, bubbly head. A bit cloudy, very bubbly.
S - Not a huge nose, but I'm getting so light Belgian yeast and some generally fruitiness.
T - Nice and fruity, the label doesn't lie. A nice dryness as well. Tasty, but nothing too complex, but then I don't really think they were going for complex. This is nice, exactly what I was expecting and hoping for.
M - Really nice. Super bubbly, almost champagne like. But a bit of heaviness to it as well, similar to a tripel.
D - Pretty good drinkability, I had no problem putting the 750 away by myself. It is a bit heaving and filling. Probably best with a friend.

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2010 21:39:41 | More by artcurtis

rand

California

4.08/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

From tap to Palm tulip glass

Pours straw-yellow in color, hazy, almost creamy in appearance, forms a crafted, tightly bubbled head. Notes of freshly baked bread, lemon and ripe banana float from the glass. The tastes follow suit as a combination of pastries and lemon pepper coats the palate. Chewy but carbonated, the brew delivers a satisfying complexion without weighing down the palate. Eminently drinkable, could work as a session brew if it wasn't for the sneaky 8% ABV.

Serving type: on-tap

10-24-2011 03:36:51 | More by rand

Thehuntmaster

South Africa

4.06/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

330ml bottle 8,0% Abv.
Served lightly chilled in an over sized wine glass.
Best Before: 21/06/2015

Appearance: Lucifer pours a lightly hazed golden orange, with a gentle pour yielding a massive white head. The head lasts reasonably well and leaves some nice patchy lacing as it recedes.

Smell: Wow, this smells quite a lot better than I expected. The standard pale fruits (apple, banana and pear), Belgian spicing (clove and a touch of white pepper) and bready malts combine with a very interesting sweet citrus character. As the beer begins to warm the citrus character increases and the faintest hint of hops becomes apparent.

Taste: As with the nose, the flavor is better than I expected and offers a great combination of fruity and spicy characters. Notes include: Bready malt, some banana, a little citrus zest, pear, green apple, coriander, clove and a little pepper. The finish is lightly dry and the 8% is very well hidden.

Mouthfeel: Based on the size of the head, I was expecting the carbonation to be way too much for my tastes; happily however this is not the case. Of course there is a high level of carbonation (as in all BSPA), but it is smooth enough to aid drinkability rather than hinder it. The body is a solid medium.

Overall: BSPAs are not my favorite style, but Lucifer is a really solid example and one I would quite like to have again.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2013 16:20:16 | More by Thehuntmaster

flagmantho

Washington

4.05/5  rDev +6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from 11.2oz bottle into a tulip. The bottle is dated 11/6/12, so I'm guessing that's a best-by date.

Appearance: poured with a gigantic tightly-packed white head. Light yellow-golden hue with a bit of haze and apparent effervescence.

Smell: malty and a little grainy; there is a little bit of pear and apple and just a hint of cherry. Nice, but not terribly refined.

Taste: mild but tasty. Less graininess than the aroma; just a nice, mild malt with little hints of fruit here and there. Not my favorite BSPA, but it's a relatively solid entry.

Mouthfeel: very high carbonation teams up with a medium body to make for a super creamy, smooth mouthfeel. Good stuff.

Drinkability: tasty enough; with the good mouthfeel it's incredibly drinkable. The ABV is undetectable.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2009 02:22:59 | More by flagmantho

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.03/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A rather odd choice for Easter when you think about it, but who really thinks about these things anyway. I cracked this one first thing along with a couple others to get the afternoon rolling along. Served chilled and poured into a 6 ounce tasting glass, this one was consumed on 04/04/2010.

Near perfect pour starts out the day with a bang. Huge head of white foam caps a bright golden and cloudy body that eventually clears and settles out to a solid light layer of golden perfection. Lots of carbonation could be seen streaming up from the bottom of the glass throughout the session that continually reinforced the already impressive look of it. Light bready notes lead the charge before some peach and pear notes start to filter in. A light note of spice is picked up as well, almost pepper like but not quite it really comes through quite nicely. First sip is again light, with a definite herbal quality to it before the light fruit notes start to percolate in and mix it up quite well. Light grasses, a touch of honey and a definite pear and apple flavor round it out quite well leaving me very happy and looking for a another sip quite readily, even before the first finishes drying out.

Overall a very solid and very well rounded pale. I had no problems putting this one down and could see it being a nice intro into the bigger styles. Really a solid offering here for sure.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2010 03:00:17 | More by mikesgroove

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

4/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

From a freshly tapped keg, into an awesome brandy snifter-like Lucifer glass.

Hazy golden coloration, outsized eggwhite head, slowly simmers, leaving lace. Lovely.

Aroma: Sweet, sharp, spicy. Candi sugar and golden grains. Citrus fruit.

Drinking it: Light bodied, smooth, and supple. Some harshness up front, some shapness, sweet grains, some slight sugar, slips easily down the tongue. Alcohol becomes noticeable after a bit. Water, just a little, but deeee-licious.

Seven and a half years ago, a beer under this name got a thumbs down from me, as produced by Riva. Since Het Anker has been brewing it, I can't find a flaw. Though I don't normally prefer blondes, this is one I'll reach for now and then.

Serving type: on-tap

11-24-2010 03:38:26 | More by feloniousmonk

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Lucifer is obviously named to compete with Duvel. It's not Duvel, and it can't compete. It is, however, quite good. It's not as clean, and obviously doesn't get quite the cold-conditioning that Duvel does, but it's not nearly as hot as some others in the category (not that there's an actual category in Belgium... just the wide ranging strength categories).

It pours a clear golden body beneath a full-sized head of bright white foam that holds fairly well given the strength, and leaves some nice splashes and spots of lace behind.

The nose is clean with a sweetish, just slightly candyish malt that dominates, backed by lightly herbal, floral, and spicy hops.

In the mouth it's initially bristling and then soft as it opens up, allowing the fine-bubbles to release and becomes airy in the mouth. The medium-light body, however, anchors it, and it never becomes cottony or fluffy.

The flavor is as the nose suggests, and to be honest, I'd swear this beer was a little bit more on the aggressive side before... alas, this is fairly smooth and easy drinking, and the alcohol never shows. It's delicately fruity (apples, pear), and sweetish without becoming candyish, honeyish, or cloying. There's some malty graininess to it, and there's just enough hop character and yeasty spice threaded through to give it some guts. It's well rounded, well balanced, and clean with just enough character to keep you coming back for more.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2011 14:06:03 | More by NeroFiddled

peensteen

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a pale golden colour, thick white head, slight lace on the glass. Smells of yeast, hops, malt, slightly fruity, green apple, vibrant and lively smelling. Taste is of citrus fuit, malt, slight hop presence, green apple, green fruit and a slight white grape tannic property. Nice lush mouthfeel, good use of carbonation and nice weight overall. Drinks very well, smooth and a great example of the style. Solid brew and would certainly have again,

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2011 02:20:46 | More by peensteen

zaphodchak

Virginia

4/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Straw colored and translucent with a massive (3-finger) foamy white head. Laces nicely.

Light citrus and apricot nose, some apple.

Taste is very appley, balanced by carbonation and a hint of hops for a clean, dry finish. Very balanced for something that on the surface would seem very sweet.

Not sold on the mouthfeel (in bottles, at least), too coarse in carbonation, and foams like crazy.

Quite nice; fruity, but a solid gateway Belgian for someone more used to American beers.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2011 02:55:31 | More by zaphodchak