Duvel - Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat NV

BKotch

Texas

5/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

What can I possibly say? This is a world classic, one of the greatest beers brewed, bar none. You've got to drink this one in the proper glass if you want to contain the massive head. Fruity and complex in a clean, delicate way. More than 750 ml and I'm down for the count.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2001 14:43:11 | More by BKotch

esprit

United States

5/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Even if you don't like Belgians or appreciate the style, if you love beer (I do!) you cannot help but exclaim that this is one of the world's truly brilliant concoctions. Flavour, flavour , flavour, aroma, aroma, aroma, head, head, head and finish, finish, finish....without question one of the world's most perfect brews!

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2002 16:34:57 | More by esprit

frank4sail

New Jersey

5/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Lot 04 09 04

Don't forget to smell the cork! The brew is just bursting with fruit/yeast/lemon smells. Bright pale look with a slight haze. There is a thick rich white head with lots of action and a fluffy lace.. It just looks deliciously evil. The lace sticks to your glass (chimay gobletin this case) and lips like frothed milk.

There is some special yeast in store for you upon tasting. You are enveloped in smooth yeasty richness. The balence is helped along by hints of fruit and hop bitterness. This beer is not for the timid, but at the same time it slides down effortlessly. The look of this brew is hypnotic. Why on the bottle would they tell you "not to drink the yeast" is beyond me! Drink it.... drink it all!

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2002 09:40:15 | More by frank4sail

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

5/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Huge, billowing lacey, white-as-the -driven-snow head that must be properly poured into it's own glass, or the closest equivalent. You know, I've seen people gulp Duvel out of the bottle, and I didn't have my gun on me? Their loss! This is a golden beauty whose aroma has to savored and worshipped. Spicey, fragrant, floral, angelic. Pours clear and golden like a lager or a pils, but, buddy, it ain't!
Letting the yeast in with the pour gives an extra amber/ orange haze: go ahead, drink the yeast, it's good for you! Flavor floods the tongue, Saaz hops jitterbug along the taste buds, and the finish will not quit the mouth. Overwhelmingly pleasant! Head settles some, but remains as a 1/2" ring. Excellent with the Thai ginger & curry noodles I'm having. The flavor, the spark, the spice, it all lingers on and on. Is there any greater delight? Do five stars mean anything at all if they are not applied to a brew so fine and lovely?

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2002 20:12:39 | More by feloniousmonk

Morris729

Texas

5/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Saved for my 100th Review.
Pours a slightly hazy beautiful golden color with perhaps the most magnificent head I have ever seen on a beer—thick, rocky, and creamy white that you can have billowing out of the top of your glass with no spillage. It also has an outstanding retention and laces the sides of your glass as the head eventually dissipates. Nose is clean and fruity with notes of citrus, sweet malts, pepper, and spice. A light fruitiness of orange and lemon come through in the taste upfront with a nice blend of sweet malts and bitter and spicy hops. Smooth and creamy in the mouth with a very nice carbonation. This is one of the finest beers on the planet. Simply delicious.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2002 19:34:05 | More by Morris729

bog

New York

5/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

There's not too much to say about this beer, and yet there's so much to say. It is perfection. Each time I taste it, I can taste a different aspect: it's sweet, yet not overpoweringly sweet while a little bitter; it's spicy, but not so much to hide its flavors; it tastes light on the tongue, but it has depth (it feels like no other beer I've had). It's as though someone took an excellent Pilsner and slapped an amazing brew on top of it. At 8.5% alcohol, you'd think that you could taste the alcohol, but the flavors all work together to leave no hint of alcohol, making it that much more dangerous. This only bad thing I have to say about this beer is that my local beer stores often run out of it leaving me to desire it almost all the time.

Serving Note:
While I don't buy into the Belgian ideal that every beer deserves its own glass, there's something satisfying about pouring Duvel into its glass and letting the head almost overflow taking up half the glass. It's a beautiful glass of beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2003 07:11:58 | More by bog

nomad

Kansas

5/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Pours a clear light gold color with tons of carbonation. Has a fluffy bulbous head at first, settling to a soft one. Nice lace and stain. In the proper glass, its a beaut.

Nose is a delicate and amazing mix of malt, wheat, and hops, embodying the definition of clear and crisp, yet still complex. Sweet, soft, and inviting, as it opens it has phenols of banana and pear with a slight vinuous edge.

Taste is creamy and malty with a hops tinge at the end. Also has a strong sweet nectar side to it, a light fruitiness akin to a version of green apples or white grapes decreased in strength (not a negative). Nice blend of stinging hops and crisp wheat underneath it all. Dry hoppy and chewy wheat-like finish, slides down your tongue with too much ease of a smooth moderate mouthfeel.

Way too drinkable considering its completely invisible alcohol content. A seemingly moderate beer yet undeniably edible. Simple, elegant, but complex, plus one of the best glass designs. It started a revolution in Belgian brew styling and continues to be a true classic. The scion of its own style.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2003 19:55:26 | More by nomad

vitesse

Georgia

5/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

served in the famous little 12 oz. black stubby bottle...
this beer lived up to every bit of the hype. truly a world class beer. maybe the single greatest all-around beer i've ever tasted. every bit deserving of its huge reputation.
perfectly complex and balanced belgian beer flavor. balances sweetness and acidity perfectly. beautiful pale golden color and great thick fluffy head. lots of lace on the glass.
just perfect. worth every cent.

Serving type: bottle

06-30-2003 12:12:47 | More by vitesse

lackenhauser

Maryland

5/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I first had Duvel years ago after a store owner told me about it. I have to admit I was intrigued by the high alcohol at first. The taste was so far out there and unique I loved it immediately. I dont have regular access to it so when I saw the gift pack of 4 bottles and a glass I jumped on it.

Pours a gorgeous golden color with a head so thick you need a spoon. You could even float a bottle cap on it Jim Koch!!! Great lacing all the way down the glass. If it wasnt for the huge head I would think BUD-really!!!

Wonderful aroma. Sulphury. Phenolic. Earthy. Woody. Spicy. Extremely complex. Black pepper essence.

Extremely citrusy flavor. Spicy notes. Yeasty. Malty with a tart finish.

Body is extremely complex as well. The beer is very "bright" on the tongue. Somewhat sweet at first but dries out quickly.

An amazing brew. My first all 5s. I have had this over the years and it ranged from "eh" to wow!!! This is a great beer all around. I wish I could find it more often. Truely a classic.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2004 23:55:44 | More by lackenhauser

Frozensoul327

Michigan

5/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

From the 750ml bottle. Even better than the 4 packs. What can I say? This is the ultimate of beers. Poured out to an amazing clear and beautiful golden color with a white cloud like foamy head. Dream like aroma of sweet spice and crisp herbs. The taste is heavenly, with the carbonation demanding attention from your tastebuds to savor every drop of this brew. Flavors of citrus, sweetness and bitterness were most noted, but this beer is almost beyond words. Finished crisp and clean, like it was daring me to not take the glass from my lips. The ulitimate beer in my opinion. Well worth the price tag of the big bottle. Highly recommended. This is the end all be all of world class beers in my opinion. The only brew that has every earned all 5's in my reviews. This is beer from Heaven. Grace be to GOD, this brew is the ultimate.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2005 01:18:32 | More by Frozensoul327

FenwaySquid

Virginia

5/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Presentation: 330ml bottle (BBD January, 2008) poured into a proper Duvel tulip glass.

Appearance: Poured a bright golden color (deceiving if you know nothing of Belgian ales) with a head that took up about half of the glass. Both the color and head are exquisite.

Aroma: Pepper, some spiciness and malt as well.

Taste: Crisp and refreshing, a clean malt flavor is present throughout. You get a little bit of the alcohol in the finish, but for a 8.5% ABV beer it certaintly goes down easy.

Mouthfeel: Smooth and creamy, the carbonation is also excellent.

Overall: This beer is perfection in a bottle; one of, if not the best that I have ever tasted. If you've never tried it, do so immediately.

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2005 02:40:39 | More by FenwaySquid

soultrain

New York

5/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Poured lovingly into a Duvel Tulip.

A-The Perfect head: the most magnificent head in beerdom. If it was possible, i'd give appearance a 10, as this beer is one of the finest visions in the world to behold. The most fun beer to watch, ever. I've been hip-mo-tized.
S-Heaven smells like Duvel, Duvel smells like heaven.
T-Citruc twang, fruity and hoppy with an ever so slight alcohol zip, then dry finish: deliciousness! Refreshing! Can I have another?
M-Once the massive head had settles down, drinks like a pilsner or something, but more warming, of course. Light/medium mouthfeel.
D-Supreme drinkability. I was gonna dock it 1/2 point for the alcohol level, but nah, but this beer really is perfect. Pure delight.

CRUX: SIMPLY A MASTERPIECE.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2006 21:47:29 | More by soultrain

ultralarry2006

Illinois

5/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Poured from an 11.2 oz' er into a Duvel tulip glass. First, let me say that this left the most amazing head and lacing that I have ever seen - simply amazing !! The foamy creamy white head was two fingers deep and, it never receded, it was two fingers all the way down. It left the thickest lacing I've ever seen, all the way from the top to the bottom. The color was a clear medium yellow gold, like a lager.

Aroma - fruity and estery, slightly spicy, and sweet, bready pale malt.

Taste - exactly as promised by the nose. Fruity esters, slightly sweet bready pale malts, and all balanced with subtle spiciness from both the laid back hop profile and the yeast, and even possibly, the high abv. The alcohol in this was totally not detectable in the taste, except, as noted to lend a subtle spice note, and this, to me is excellence in brewing a high abv brew. All the components are harmoniously balanced, and they finished together in a clean, crisp, refreshing way. I completely savored every sip.

Mouthfeel - a delicious fullness, with moderate cabonation. Clean finish. Ever so slight hop slickness.

Drinkability - this goes down so very easy and is completely satifying that you have to have the next one one. The high abv is totally not evident from the taste, and only after you've had a few does that fact sink in. Still, if you don't have to drive, or be to work in the morning.. well, try not to get carried away, the hangover's a b&%#$ if you do. This is excellent beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2006 20:31:14 | More by ultralarry2006

sewald

Brazil

5/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

If only I could buy this beer often. Simply put, one of the best beers I've ever had, if not the one. Citrus aromas, with a complex sweet and citrus taste. Carbonation and alcohol mouthfeel, a very heavy beer (which is what one should expect when drinking a strong pale ale, right). I could drink this forever...

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2006 00:56:00 | More by sewald

TheDragonTony

Pennsylvania

5/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

330 ml Bottle says it is best before January 2010. Opening the bottle I could feel the pressure release and even with a gentle pour I got 3/4 of a glass full of head, cloudy white head that would be absolutely wonderful if it wasn't dominating my glass completely.

Appearance: Wonderfully golden and clear with exceptional carbonation bubbles flowing freely up my glass, and the aforementioned beautiful white head.

Smell: Yeast and some hops are present, but mostly I smell apples and pears.

Taste & Mouthfeel: Silky smooth and very creamy. The active carbonation makes this ambrosia quite crisp as well. Hop bitterness up front, very fruity in the middle with spicy malt and esters as well. Finishes with a nice dry note.

Note: This is easily one of the best beers that I've ever had. Beyond that if the name (Devil) is anything to go by it is a compelling reason for me to sin more. Hmm... maybe I will take the label's advice and try to drink the rest of this four pack with "good-looking strangers."

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2007 03:37:21 | More by TheDragonTony

Maracuja

Massachusetts

5/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This beer poured perfectly clear until the end of the bottle when the yeast was roused. A perfect decant was not possible as the head was literally rising out of the glass! Hazy yellow-gold body with an orange-cast topped by a dense, rocky bright-white head that holds extremely well - buoyed by a tight-beaded effervescent carbonation - and leaves some exceptional
lace. Aroma is quite fragrant: fruity, yeasty, candy sweet and malty, lightly peppery with a touch of spicy hops. The body is light/medium with an extremely fine and highly effervescent carbonation that is pillowy soft and velvety smooth in the mouth.
The flavor is surprisingly full and rich, starting with a candyish malty sweetness, becoming dryish in the middle with some earthy and lightly spicy hop flavors, and finishing long and malty with some more distinct Saaz notes and touches of bitterness. The alcohol is amazingly well hidden. Impressively balanced with a fresh hop presence and bitterness that dances amongst such sweet malt character. Amazing. As Michael Jackson notes, Duvel is equally impressive served chilled, or as it warms toward cellar temperature. This makes it quite drinkable, and enjoyable, as a glass can be savored over a period of time. One of my favorite beers in the world, and absolutely recommended.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2007 19:55:25 | More by Maracuja

tlinner

New York

5/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

My absolute favorite beer of all time. There's nothing I can say that hasn't been said about Duvel (it's complex fruity taste, accompanying hoppiness and perfect mouthfeel are legendary) so I'll just reinorce the mass consensus that this is a brew that must be in one's repertoire if one is to consider themselves a beer lover. It's remarkably drinkable for a 9% ABV, so watch out not to treat it lightly; and with its distinctive taste and massive head it really separates itself from the pack. There's no doubt in my mind that Duvel is the greatest-tasting readily available beer on the planet, and if you've never had one, you're in for a treat. There's no greater pleasure for me than when I go to the local English Pub with a friend and introduce them to Duvel.

p.s. A word of advice: pour with the utmost care and only ever in a proper Duvel tulip glass, otherwise you'll literally be overwhelmed by the head.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2007 04:49:49 | More by tlinner

SeaBiscuiT

Vermont

5/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This is the best beer I've ever tried in my entire life.
I first tried it about 9 years ago on an Irish Pub in Buenos Aires. I instantly fell in love. I friend of mine told me, one of his friends was always reluctant to try this beer, every time his uncle was offering him one. He uncle always said to him "You have to try a Duvel, you have to try a Duvel", and this guys was always negative about giving Duvel a try. So finally at a wedding, his uncle brought one for him to his table and he said "Here you go, now try it". And this guys said to my friend, that that was a magical moment in his life. The moment he tried it, everything around him changed to a better color almost with a background magical music like the ones you see on fantasy movies. That was life changing for him, and since that day; Duvel became his favorite beer.

When my friend told me that story, I remember that that was pretty much how I felt about 9 years ago at that Irish pub in Buenos Aires.

Since then, Duvel became 'my beer' and I wasn't able to find another beer that taste as good as Duvel. I tried many beers, including Trappist Westvleteren 12, which is ranked #1 here in BA.
I like many other ones, and even though I can say La Fin Du Monde is my #2 favorite beer on earth, no other beer came even close to my mouth's soul as Duvel.

The only not positive think I can say about the bottle of Duvel (1 Pint 9.4 fl. oz. / 750 ml) is: it has too much foam when you first open it and you first serve it. You have to wait to your second glass until the foam 'calmed'.

A total pleasure to me is a cold Duvel with salty peanuts. Highly recommended.

Appearance: handsome label
Smell: like an expensive perfume without being perfume
Taste: like Duvel. No other way to describe it. It's unique.
Drinkability: Drink with a lot of respect.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2007 03:16:16 | More by SeaBiscuiT

hustlesworth

Ohio

5/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

"pour unhurriedly"

it's been a long time comin.

A- most ridiculously excellent looking snow-white head forms with no effort at all. it's light, airy, and nerf-like and it rises out of the tulip glass and blooms into the shape of a fully blossomed rose. and that's only half the bottle. how can this beautiful thing be the devil? the pour with this beer is a process, and i respect that greatly. this head morphs in a psychedelic fashion into something that resembles the matterhorn, or the K-13 in asspen (for any south park fans) and as the foam sets, it becomes rigid and resilient and rubbery to the touch and leaves groovy geometric fractal patters of lace. body is a pale golden and clear initially, with many streams of tiny champagne bubbles replenishing what the laws of physics take away, then by the end of the bottle we have a beautiful hazy banana peel yellow, still with rising bubblies.

* a dented ping-pong ball size clump of lace is still clinging to the inside of my glass about 1/2in down from the lip...and i finished the beer 1/2 hour ago. i took digital photos, i wish i could post them somehow. i'd give duvel a 5.5 if it was possible.

S- sour belgian yeast and tart citrus, lemony candy, sour apple, pear, sour cherry candy, all in all a very aromatic citric acid. wildflowers, gardenia, and a tropical beach come to mind when taking in the spicy floral hops. pale malt and raw barley also, it is my understanding that the malt is steamed to retain the beer's pale golden color. white wine (reisling, spatlese), oranges and the smallest hint of clove become apparent as the devil warms.

T- ahh where to begin...bubblegum/banana and white pepper spiciness, alcohol hides well but can't escape my olfactory sensors! i know you're there. fine champagne, candied citrus, again almost unnoticeable clove, maybe some mace or nutmeg flavors as well, i'm not sure about anything right now. very belgian, very unique yeast taste is pungent but cleaner in the smell taste and feel than others such as orval. green apple, unripe pear, white grape, all sitting on a very pale, very light malt background. delicious. mildly bitter grassy floral hop finish fades away like a lucid dream.

MF- light, crisp, refreshing feels so much like a pils but most def is not! damn! ranges from tart and puckering to powdery to prickly, to juicy, transitioning flawlessly into an ultra clean finish. finnish! hah! it's beyond my conception at this time how a beer so light can be packed with so much flavor and alcohol.

D- i need to go get a snack and lay down. and then have another devil. i might have to edit this tomorrow with a fresh review. unless all 5's really is possible...it can't be.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2008 06:46:04 | More by hustlesworth

rodcom

Pennsylvania

5/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This is my favorite beer in the whole world! From the minute you open it you know it is different - huge carbonation (if you are not careful it will explode when you open it). You then have to carefully pour it into a glass or it will overhead and spill out the top. You then look at it and it will be a golden color bubbling up much like champagne.

Then the real fun comes with the taste. It is a perfect tasting beer with a bit of citrus flavor and goes down so smooth. Just remember with the large head you will get a beer mustache!

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2008 19:01:03 | More by rodcom

thekevlarkid

Maryland

5/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Poured out of the bottle with a tremendous creamy head. Fantastic retention of the thick cap; clumps of it stick to the glass. Hazy pale straw gold. Aromas of light yeast, green apples, assorted spices. Very, very drinkable and the 8.5% is almost impossible to taste. Medium/high carbonation, medium body, creamy mouthfeel. Refreshing. Clean and crisp, slightly bitter and lacking the in-your-face sweetness of other high ALC% beers. Some fruity malt esters in the middle. Great balance. Amazingly quaffable for as potent as it is. Each sip makes you want another. Complex yet a beer I would recommend to any beer drinker. Stunning. This is deserving of its reputation of being one of the worlds best. I have to say, It lacks nothing and has everything. One of the best beers I have ever had if not the.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2008 15:35:26 | More by thekevlarkid

prsguitarsr4me

New York

5/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Wow. What a fantastic beer. Poured into a North Coast snifter. Its a clear as day gold with a frothy white head. The aroma is subtle but sweet - not too revealing. It is still mysterious at this point. The taste is just awesome - clear, fresh, refined - it goes down like love in a glass. Nice carbonation, too. Totally drinkable - tastes like heaven and the alcohol is masked remarkably well. This may be my favorite lighter beer (I'm usually a fan of imperial stouts and IPAs). I'm about to drink a Chimay after this one to compare. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2008 19:47:46 | More by prsguitarsr4me

cdizinno

South Carolina

5/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

330 ml stubby brown bottle with a best before date. Quick tips on how to pour the beer as well as "Bottle Conditioned" on the label.
Appearance: golden yellow with a firm white head.
Smell: strong spiciness with a fruity aroma
Taste&mouthfeel: medium bodied crispness with a slightly sweet taste. Very dry.
I have to give this "5's" accross the board. I had my 2nd one today(one per day that is). Fruity smell, great appearance, tastes excellent all around. Less expensive at the national chain "Total Wine & More" compared to a local discount store. Go figure. $12.99/4 pk. Drinking from a Duvel glass ($14.99/4pk and glass!) Let me know if you find it cheaper elsewhere.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2009 22:51:23 | More by cdizinno

OlRasputin989

Arkansas

5/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Enjoyed in the official Duvel glass that I have just recently aquired....BALLIN'!

A: beautiful, golden color. huge marshmallow-ish head. leaves beautiful lacing

S: Exceptionally clean pilsner malts. you can smell the freshness with every bottle. nothing too complex. I'm not even gonna try to say it smells like freaky deaky shit.

T: sweet, sugary, pilsner-like tastes. slight yeast taste

M: perfect carbonation. doesn't leave mouth feeling too tingly, nor does it feel flat.

Overall, my favorite beer. It's one of those things that hasn't seem to got old yet. I went through alot to get my favorite beer stop to order it. It's one of those rarities you can't expect to find around here.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2009 07:25:46 | More by OlRasputin989

Frosty80

Michigan

5/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Color: poured out the yeast (ill try again without it). perfect cloudy, pure gold. two-finger head with constant replenishment

Smell: crisp, yeasty, slightly malty. typical belgian spices.

Taste: very crisp, citrusy (somewhat tart), yeasty and alcoholic combo. very clean finish with only a hint of malt and yeast and just a tich of bitterness

Mouthfeel: very sparkly. very light, crisp and smooth. high carbonation

Notes: what a gorgeous beer! totally lives up to its reputation. extremely easy drinking, despite the carbonation. delicious fruitiness. totally disappears from your mouth once you swallow. i know i gave it all 5's, but i just didnt know where to compromise, and this is a perfect example of what a strong golden should be

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2009 05:37:19 | More by Frosty80