Duvel - Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat NV

WaringYouOut

South Carolina

4.04/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

A - The pour is a hazy medium yellow, big head, small lacing
S - Strong yeast with sweet overtones
T - First taste is incredibly full and sweet, reminiscent of bananas. Herbs include mostly clove with a bit of nutmeg and vanilla
M - medium-light, a bit creamy towards the end, lots of lively carbonation
O - On tap, the beer lives up to the hype. I find that in the bottle, the first impact is a bit too heavy; give the beer a bit of time to breathe before partaking. When possible, find on tap, the effect is much better. By far one of my top choices among the Belgian beers. I prefer on tap a bit on the chilled side. Once warmed, the sweet flavored really stand out to the point where it's almost overpowering - a bit strong for my taste.

Serving type: on-tap

03-14-2013 01:47:20 | More by WaringYouOut

KYGunner

Kentucky

4/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

The single most carbonated ale I have ever seen the rush of bubbles created a telescopic off white head. The more the bubbles rushed to the surface the farther the head retreated from the top of the glass. The ale had a cloudy golden hue that was quite striking.

The scent is of yeast, cloves, honey and even a bit of lemon. Very complex.

A kind of mead like quality the taste is like a Bit O' Honey candy. There is an apple taste at the back and I'm impressed with the variance on the tongue. There's even a bit of citrus somewhere in there but it is lost quickly.

Despite the immense carbonation the feel is light and tangy. Very smooth it drinks easy and well.

These are not my favorite flavors, especially in beer, but I understand the high numbers this ale receives as it is very intricate in its tones.

Serving type: on-tap

01-19-2013 23:48:07 | More by KYGunner

HuskyinPDX

Washington

4.03/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A - Served a hazy light yellow with a thin off-white head. Good retention from the minimal head that was there.

S - Some subtle Belgian yeast, weather, lemon.

T - More Belgian style yeast, citrus lemon, wheat, corn. Pretty mild.

D - Good carbonation and a light body.

O - Light, citrusy and a Belgian delight.

Serving type: on-tap

12-11-2012 06:32:06 | More by HuskyinPDX

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev -17.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Where and when I first had this is lost forever in time. My last tasting was on tap at the Irish Pol, Philly, PA.

Straw yellow pour, clear and pale, a finger or two of foamy white head that recedes to a thin layer of bubbles; decent lacing. Pale malts in the nose, fruit esters, yeast, leafy hops. Similar taste, brready malts, Belgian yeast, apples, pears, light citrus twinge, grassy, leafy, bitter and can lean towards metallic. Medium body, medium carbonation, somewhat drying, and a boozy kick. Pretty standard fare here, often seen served in awkwardly large signature glasses with terrible artwork.

Serving type: on-tap

11-01-2012 05:41:45 | More by Rifugium

socon67

New York

4.05/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A - Poured into the Duvel Tulip, this is a golden pour with a cloying white foam. Foam retention is nice, and has a cloudy look.

S - Scent of citrus fruit, and belgian yeast. A bit of spice is also present.

T - Initial tartness has elements of spice and lemon. The belgian yeast gives this a tangy taste. The finish seemed to be sweeter and tasted like sugary fruit.

M - Very easy drinker and perfect to sit back and enjoy. Feels light for the style and ABV. Slight carbonation, but overall a very smooth belgian ale.

O - An iconic belgian pale. I'm finding I like other a bit more, but this is the poster-child for the style.

Serving type: on-tap

09-10-2012 01:33:52 | More by socon67

hagbergl

Massachusetts

4.41/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

About time I've reviewed this classic and classy Belgian ale. I had it on draft at the University of Chicago Pub in a Tripel Karmeliet tulip glass.

Appearance (4.25/5): Duvel has that class golden ale look–beautiful clear golden/pale yellow body with a massive three-finger head of pillowy white. Looks luxuriant.

Smell (4/5): Hoppy, very clean, crisp and beautiful light candy-like pale maltiness. Yeasty, though not strongly so. A subtle grassy/herbal noble hop presence is noticeable, though it is pretty subtle and combines well with the yeast and malt characters.

Taste (4.5/5): Clean hoppiness from the grassy, herbal, and lightly citric hops and lightly musty yeast dominate the flavor. This is certainly not a sweet Belgian pale ale. Very well balanced, Duvel is only modestly hop-forward. Its flavor is extremely refreshing and you don't notice any of the alcohol in the flavor, which is impressive considering this an 8.5% ABV beer. This is a sure sign of masterful brewing.

Mouthfeel (4.75/5): A nearly champagne-like medium-high carbonation gives this brew a really nice pop on the tongue. This beer is medium-light bodied, so the relatively high carbonation really adds a nice dimension to the beer. The mouthfeel on this beer is impeccably pulled off. The combination of hoppy-yeasty flavors with the champagne-like carbonation mesh really nicely.

Overall (4.5/5): Duvel is considered a classic for a reason. It has a wonderfully balanced sweet-bitter flavor profile that is boosted by the excellent mouthfeel and never reveals the high alcohol content. Here is a Belgian beer that is more accessible than most, but its accessibility does not make it any less of a class act. Excellent.

Serving type: on-tap

05-29-2012 23:12:25 | More by hagbergl

DrinkSlurm

Connecticut

4.22/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at the One Stop Beer Shop, Brooklyn, NY.
Poured into Duvel tulip glass.
Pours a healthy crisp golden with about one finger of foamy white head.
Smell is of grassy/earthy belgian yeasts and a bit of hops.
Taste is very earthy...grassy, yeast with a hop and slight malt balance.
This is a superb brew and a belgian classic. Every beer drinker should know what this tastes like.

Serving type: on-tap

01-09-2012 17:47:26 | More by DrinkSlurm

mactrail

California

3.6/5  rDev -16.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Briary and stickery. Really dry. Fairly tart, but mostly it's devoid of any malt sweetness. Maybe they have a special sugar-eating bacteria. Slight fruity taste is interesting and pleasant along with the yeasty Belgian flavor. Looks nice with classic lacing all around the tulip glass.

Rather sharp and austere like a Belgian Pilsener. On tap at Cueva on Adams Avenue in San Diego.

Serving type: on-tap

11-04-2011 06:15:25 | More by mactrail

codfeast

California

4.38/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

50th review, on tap at my work.

A: A hazy pale yellow, with a massive white head. a small island of foam stayed anchored in the middle of my glass all the way through.

S: Spicy, earthy yeast, fruits(apricot and apple).

T: Spicy and sweet fruits battle it out, with the fruits winning in the end. Only to be cleaned out by the alcohol.

M: Crisp and clean, with a dry almost tannic finish.

O: A real standard. Very easy to drink. Pour myself one 4 out of 5 nights while doing my closing work.

Serving type: on-tap

08-24-2011 03:14:14 | More by codfeast

dcook11

California

2.93/5  rDev -31.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 4

Poured into a snifter. Thick soapy, iceburg head...light straw colored body with a lot of carbonation and ample lacing. The smell is sweet..sugar, belgian yeast, some alcohol and solvent, and a touch of apple. The taste is of belgian yeast, alcohol, and hops (much more than in the smell). The mouthfeel is medium bodied. Overall a good beer but too much alcohol in the taste will lower the overall score.

Serving type: on-tap

07-03-2011 05:08:01 | More by dcook11

mjgooner13

New York

4.53/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A- Golden, straw color, very nice looking beer with a fluffy white head that stuck around for a while.

S- A lot going on in the nose, sweet honey and citrus hit me first followed by a clove spice scente and some belgium yeastiness.

T- Very similar to the smell and i'm really enjoying this. Great balance of sweetness, orange-grapefruit lemon and some spice...

M- One of the best mouthfeels a beer can have, the flavor coats all areas of the mouth, it is crisp, medium body and has fantastic carbonation...some welcomed dryness at the end which makes me want more

O- An exceptional beer, has a few quality flavors that work very well together. Great smell and fantastic mouth feel. I will certainly be seeking this out again in the near future

Serving type: on-tap

06-15-2011 18:35:36 | More by mjgooner13

Tucquan

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this on 2010-05-15 at the Ommegang tent at the Brewfest at Mount Hope Winery in Lancaster County, PA (from tasting notes)

A - Pale golden yellow with pillowy white head and some lacing.

S - Lemon, green apple, yeast and hop floral.

T - Yeasty biscut, lemon and apples, with spice and some alcohol. Finishes sour and mildly bitter. I liked the Ommegang Abbey a little better than this.

M - Light body, heavy carbonation. Very effervescent.

D - Definitely worth coming back for a second glass.

Serving type: on-tap

12-12-2010 18:29:32 | More by Tucquan

ThaCreep

Belgium

4.25/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

The head is very abundant and thick. The nose is powerful fresh hops but some also reveal the apple and pear. Beer is cool but it still remains very powerful and sparkling, we also feel a slight tingling pleasant and characteristic of language. And despite the undeniable taste of alcohol mild and dry, it remains mild in flavor and thus easier to digest. Archetype International and mother of all Devil beers, this beer is always pleasant at a terrace.

Serving type: on-tap

01-02-2010 13:35:10 | More by ThaCreep

rvdoorn

Netherlands

3.93/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this beer on tap in a pub in Utrecht. The beer had a nice golden yellow color, with a three finger thick fluffy bright-white head, that stayed there during the drinking.

Smell: fruity, spicy, alcoholic, and some smell I couldn't define, a bit like sour sewer water.

Taste: a mixture of apple cider and champagne, fresh taste! A bit sour-bitter hoppy after taste. Spicy and some hints of alcohol

Mouthfeel: thin and smooth. Medium high carbonation
.
Overall a nice refreshing beer. Not my favourite because of the smell, but will never refuse one.

Serving type: on-tap

08-03-2009 21:52:48 | More by rvdoorn

leighton

New York

4.75/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

As far as the 'standard' Belgian beers go, I like Duvel over Chimay or Hoegaarden. You can get it anywhere in Belgium and many places throughout Europe - as well as in the USA. Duvel has an attractive, thick and creamy head. The flavor is rich yet the beer itself, by my estimation, is relatively light. (The alcohol is hidden but it hits you. Hard.) This is a beer to be sipped slowly and appreciated.

Serving type: on-tap

06-25-2009 01:53:04 | More by leighton

smanders

Virginia

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

Enjoyed from the tap at Pub Concorde in Caen, France.

Appearance - Sediment-filled glass with cotton candy-like head.

Smell - Unbelievable. Fruit, spice, a little sugar.

Taste - Bubbles of sugar and spiciness all at the same time. Notes of fruit and grain. Fantastic!

Mouthfeel - almost creamy.

Drinkability - It's not one of the best beers on the planet for nothing. If you think you know a lot about beer but haven't had Duvel, stop and enjoy a pint right now. Your education (and enjoyment) level will increase to the nth degree.

In case you're wondering, it's still phenomenal from a bottle.

Serving type: on-tap

05-18-2009 20:30:47 | More by smanders

deanhead

Vermont

4.05/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Brilliant straw colored with an enormous dense frothy rocky
Aroma is yeasty and earthy, with hint of spice
Taste is warming and solventlike.
Mouthfeel is light to medium bodied.
Lingering astringency with this beer. Slight medicinal notes that overshadow the finish of the beer.

Serving type: on-tap

04-02-2009 01:35:41 | More by deanhead

BillyB

New Jersey

4.5/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This is an amazing beer!

Appearance alone is something to behold. Shaving cream thick white head that lasts and lasts. . .
When served in a Duvel glass the bubbles do a dance that I could stare at like a lava lamp.

Smell is sweet candi sugar, slight hops, lemony zest and sweet, sweet malt.

Mouthfeel is excellent and refreshingly light, tingly.

I could drink them all day and all night long. Just excellent.

Serving type: on-tap

06-03-2006 02:27:39 | More by BillyB

DogFood11

California

4.45/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

One of those beers I've enjoyed for years that I've never bothered to jot one single note down until now.

Pour this baby carefully or it could get away from ya, It's manageable especially when chilled down a bit below serving temp. Huge white head developes perfectly in a tulip, as it settles it leaves chunky lacing and forms mountain peaks in the frothy goodness. Tons of fine carbonation billow to the surface. A touch on the unfiltered side but I've read this is from the yeast.

Yeast is evident along with some candied sweetness, some spiceyness.

Taste: Whoa this is one carbonated pup. Extremely crisp and sweet. Fruity and malty are the main focus but it somehow finish clean and bitter with a nice alcohol finisher.

Notes: This is a monster of a beer. The best appearance I've seen in a pale and great taste to boot. This is hella easy to drink at 8.5%.

Serving type: on-tap

12-23-2005 22:06:29 | More by DogFood11

baugherlager

Indiana

4.47/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Sweet malty goodness. I first had this beer in Maarssen the Netherlands at a bar. Poured golden with a white large pure white head that lasted forever.

The taste is of sweet malt, pears, and fruity sweetness. just a hint of hops.

The mouthfeel has alot of body but the beer is well balanced. I get excited everytime this beer is spoke of. This beer will always have a place in my heart.

Definately a must for someone experiencing belgians for the first time.

A truely remarkable beer!

Serving type: on-tap

08-11-2005 05:57:06 | More by baugherlager

JerzDevl2000

New Jersey

4.16/5  rDev -3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Picked up this beer at Top Hops, having never tried this before. Although it packed quite a punch, this was a great Belgian Strong Pale Ale once I was able to get past the sweetness in the taste and the booze that was the undercurrent beneath everything else. It was never overtly present and the beautiful appearance and complex light fruit flavors hid it well, leading to the "Devil" in this beer that eventually made its presence felt!

The pour to this was wonderful, as the golden hue, strong head, and sheets of lacing combined for a pleasing effect. I even swirled in the yeast on the bottom, as it slowly settled into the beer like the downdraft during a thunderstorm. The aroma could have been a bit stronger, as the alcohol and sugar combined for a acrid sharpness. They weren't as strong in the taste, as apple, pear, grass, straw, and clove could all be felt in sip after sip. Banana and bubblegum were in the back as this almost reminded me of a Witbier as the aftertaste set in. This was too strong and without the wheat but the appearance and notes of that style were enough to take this beyond a typical Belgian Strong Pale Ale.

That stylistic moniker was appropriate for this, as this was quite strong and took a while to fully enjoy and savor. Because the carbonation was so persistent and easily discerned, this felt like a champagne squared by the time I finished it off. Although this isn't a type of beer that I prefer, there's no doubt that this is the standard by with all other beers of this style are measured up against. Dancing with the Devil may not be for everyone but all beer lovers out to give this a try to see if they're up for handling it , since this is one brew that deserves a try by all.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2013 12:57:29 | More by JerzDevl2000

CaptCleveland

Ohio

4.25/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

330ml bottle purchase for 1.79 Euro ($2.34) at G20 Supermarches in Paris (their "supermarket"). Best by date 4/15.

Golden, slightly hazy elixir poured into tulip. Huge two finger head of white foam, thick lacing.

Banana, cloves, vanilla, spice.

Tangy, tart citrus, spice, sweet fruit. Nice.

Medium to light body, highly carbonated, tart.

Nice Parisian "cheap" brew. Á votre santé!

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2013 18:18:41 | More by CaptCleveland

StoutHunter

Michigan

4.28/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

I picked up a bottle of Duvel a couple weeks ago for $4.29 at The Lager Mill. I have never had this beer before, I have always wanted to try it but the price put me off a little, but I decided it was time to try it, so lets see how it goes. Best before 02 2015. Poured from a stuby Belgian 11.2oz brown bottle into a Belgian tulip.

A- The label looks good, it's got a nice clean and classic look to it, I like it. It poured a slightly hazy pale straw yellow color that took on a bight golden yellow hue when held to the light with four fingers worth of rocky and fluffy white head that died down to a thin layer that stayed till the end and it left tons of lacing behind. This is a very good looking beer, it's pretty close to being perfect, I really like it.

S- The aroma starts off with a medium amount of sweetness followed by a nice citrus rind aroma with lemons seeming to stick out the most followed by lots of grassy, hay, earthy, and straw like aromas that are followed by a slight bit of biscuit malts. Up next I get some spicy yeast with cloves seeming to stick out the most followed by some lighter tart aromas towards the end. This beer had a pretty good aroma that I thought was very true to style, I enjoyed it.

T- The taste seems to be very similar to the aroma and it starts off with a medium amount of sweetness followed by a Some nice bready and slight biscuit like malts followed by some citrus rind with lemon still stickint out the most, it's similar to lemon grass and it's followed by some grassy, earthy, and straw like flavors with some banana flavors that are a little on the lighter side and are followed by some spicy yeast with cloves still sticking out the most. On the finish there's a lighter amount of bitterness with just a little bit of tartness to go with it, with an earthy, grassy, and citrus rind like aftertaste. This beer taste pretty good, it was very true to style and the flavors were very well balanced, I enjoyed it.

M- Smooth, crisp, refreshing, a little dry, medium bodied, with a higher amount of carbonation that was pretty prickly. The mouthfeel was pretty good, the higher prickly carbonation worked really nice with this beer.

Overall I thought this was a very nice beer and a very good example of the style, I've had more than of a few of this style and this beer seems to do the best job at showing what this style is really about and all the aspects of it seems to be balanced nicely. This beer had good drinkability, it was smooth, refreshing, not filling, and the flavors did a great job at holding my attention, it would be nice to drink a few of these during the summer, but the price prevents me from doing so. What I liked the most about this beer was how true to style and balanced it was and the appearance was also very good. What I liked the least about this beer was the price, it's a very high quality beer, but I still don't think it's worth the price, that's the only downfall with this beer. I would buy this beer again, but it wouldn't be often because of it's price, this would have to be a once in a while beer. I recommend this to anyone who likes Belgian Pale Ales, it's a very good and true example of the style. All in all I was pretty happy with this beer, I had some higher expectations for this beer since it's highly regarded and it met my expectations nicely and I think this beer gets all the respect it deserves. It made for a good fist impression and I will be on the look out for some different Duvel beers, great job guys. So far there is no doubt that is my favorite Belgian Strong Pale Ale.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2013 03:48:33 | More by StoutHunter

glenviewjeff

Illinois

2.3/5  rDev -46.4%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 2

I’m going to go out on a limb and say that this is the most overrated beer on beeradvocate.com. I’d never had Duvel before–I didn’t realize it was a Belgian. It has to be one of the worst Belgians I’ve ever tasted. It struck me immediately as skunkorama–a la Beck’s.

It did taste quite a bit better when drunk later while eating--with some spicy shrimp and grits. They tended to mask the skunk. Generally, I'd rather not have to worry about masking unpleasant flavors in my beer.

Generally I’m pretty much in agreement with beeradvocate.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2013 22:48:10 | More by glenviewjeff

arfenhouse

California

3.88/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

A: Hazy golden straw with large white head. Retention is good and has decent lacing.

S: Mix of sweet malt, sour apple, orange, and lemon. Slightly herbal. Yeast funk is present but low.

T: Very slightly sour lemon mixed with a light apple taste. Some sweetness comes in. Ends with lemon, herbs, and some spicy hop.

M: Medium bodied with medium-full carbonation. Prickly and semi-dry.

O: I usually don't like beers with funky yeast but this beer kept it low. Decently tasty, coming from a person who usually doesn't like these kinds of beers.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2013 07:45:56 | More by arfenhouse