Duvel - Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat NV

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

Popsinc

Ontario (Canada)

4.6/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Golden in colour, large white head. Nicely hopped nose. This beer goes down like a champagne, well carbonated, with a dry finish. A nice balance of hops and an alcohol kick that is hidden in the wonderful mouthfeel of this classic. be careful, this one will sneak up on you!

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2002 08:33:53 | More by Popsinc

mjohn27603

Michigan

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

11.2 fluid oz. bottle best before 4/04 served right out of the refrigerator. Poured very slowly as recommed by the bottle and fellow BA'ers. I got a fizzy carbonation like a seltzer. Aroma reminds me of cider. First impressions of taste indicate dry flavor with a hint of spiciness. Fizzy carbonation leaves light impression in mouth. High alcohol kicks in by stealth - deceptively drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2002 20:20:20 | More by mjohn27603

RBorsato

Virginia

4.95/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Hazy pale yellow with a full white head and good carbonation throughout. Spicy hop aroma (Saaz and Styrian Goldings) with a light fruitiness. Fruity flavors dominate (orange zest, pears) and alcohol is evident as it warms. Medium bodied but a very light impression for the strength. Also, very effervescent (a bit airy for me) with a smooth and dry finish.

Best Before: 05/2004 Tasted 11/11/02 [11.2 oz bottle]

Note: this beer was #4 in Stuart Kallen's "The 50 Greatest Beers in the World". Hard to argue with that one !

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2002 11:48:39 | More by RBorsato

bditty187

Nebraska

4.78/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Golden hue with a slight haziness from the yeast, the white head is magical in its fluffy nature, a soft pour can easily produce three fingers in height of a pillow head. This is an outstanding looking beverage, even more so if you serve it in the Duvel glass. The nose is lemon, pepper, spice, yeast, and sweet malt. The bouquet is delicate but alluring. The flavors on the palate are remarkable with a wonderful blend of citrusy grapefruit and lemon, pepper, intermediate hints of sweetness and full-blown hoppy bitterness. The beer finishes dry yet fruity and spicy. Good acidity. There is a creaminess and liveliness produced by the massive carbonation on the tongue. This is more than beer, it is magic in a bottle. Obviously the high alcohol content makes this a devil of a drink, mainly because you can’t detect it, and, well, it is so damn pleasant to quaff it is impossible to be satisfied with one glass. It’s like champagne but far more sophisticated. Duvel is flawless. It is worth every penny. I’d say this is my favorite beer all-time.

In Omaha four-packs run $12.00, however in Kansas City they run $8.00, a good buy!

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2002 14:11:42 | More by bditty187

TheLongBeachBum

California

4.68/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Pours a very pale golden color, totally translucent at first but can resemble a wheat beer if the yeast is mistakenly decanted into your Glass. Carbonation is very high, resulting in a very stiff “egg-white” head that is both rocky and extremely uneven, and rises VERY quickly when poured – first time drinkers, you have been warned!. Yeast resided firmly in the bottom of the bottle I had, and a swirl was required with some reverse decanted beer back into the bottle to extract it.
Nose was incredibly spicy, with some light peppery traits, a citric fruity presence, and a definite alcohol aroma with some malt-sweetness in the back. Introduction starts with some alcohol, a light spicy Saaz hop bitterness coupled with a little malt-sweetness is detectable. Citric, fruity lemon tinges were also perceptible as the beer warmed. A powerful beer, whose mouthfeel is totally solid and can be quite dominant at times. Aftertaste is quite short lived I noticed, something I have never paid particular attention to before, but noticed for the first time when I did this Review. This does not detract from the beer at all. The finish is astringent and bitter, with a feint alcoholic kick right at the death. Extremely clean drinking beer that is, despite its heavyweight 8.5% ABV, very easily and dangerously imbibed.
A highly accomplished Belgium Golden Strong Ale. For me, this beer is THE definitive example of this oft mis-aligned style, and one that I hope to continue enjoying for many years to come.
If Trappist beers are indeed Godly, then this is definitely the Devils Beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2002 14:44:17 | More by TheLongBeachBum

aracauna

Georgia

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

Pours pale gold with a massive crown of stiff white foam. The foam fades unevenly, leaving peaks and crags. It actually looks fairly dry and sticky. I had expected the body to be cloudy from yeast, but it was clear. The yeast was firmly attached to the bottom and I had not left any beer in the bottle to swirl with thinking that enough yeast would come out that I wouldn't have too since I wasn't wanting a lot of yeast in the beer. The aroma was typical spiciness of the style, with a little of the spicy noble hops (saaz) complimenting the yeast spice. Lemon and a faint sweetness were also present. Duvel seems a bit maltier than other belgian strong pales. Besides the malt and typical yeasty flavors, there was a very faint hint of vanilla and cantaloupe melon. There was also a very faint cheese flavor in the finish. The flavor leaves the palate quickly and is rather dry. I was expecting more spice from this beer, but it's actually quite balanced (possibly because the yeast was stuck in the bottle).

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2002 23:09:42 | More by aracauna

Anonmatel

Australia

4.13/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Love it, My experience was dimmed the first time however, The Barmaid poured it improperly. Having said that, i still enjoyed it immensly.
The wide variety of tastes and smells in this brew alone,
peppery, fruity etc. I couldn't tatse the alcohol in it that much.

A wonderful beer that i can never get enough of.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2002 00:06:57 | More by Anonmatel

DerKaiser

California

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

This sure is a pretty beer. Nice and golden with a huge white, lumpy head that hangs around forever.

The taste is nice and peppery, with hints of apple cider and clove in there as well. Finishes abruptly. However, I wasn't quite as impressed, overall, as most of the other reviewers have been. I even purchased the proper Duval glass the second time around (which I love), to make sure I wasn't missing anything. I mean it's a very good beer and I'll certainly never turn one down, but I'm much more impressed by La Fin du Monde, which seems all lot more complex. Bottom line is Duval is definetly a must try for every BA.

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2002 19:11:39 | More by DerKaiser

Lupe

New York

4.85/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Pours absolutely beautiful: hazy pale-golden color with a creamy-chunky head that leaves woderful lace. The aroma is fruity and sweet, some yeast, and spicy notes. Light to medim body with a soft, smooth mouthfeel - carbonation works nicely. Full, rich flavor with a malt-candylike sweetness. Next comes some bitterness and spiciness. A lemon rind-like taste pulls it all together with great balance. great either chilled or after warming a bit. Alcohol stays hidden, making it very easy to drink. A temptation from the Devil. A -class beer!!

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2002 18:27:53 | More by Lupe

hyuga

North Carolina

4.9/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

When poured slowly into a Duvel glass, this beer is beautifully presented. Half of the glass is filled with the pale golden elixir, which is only slightly hazy since I left about 2cm in the bottle to keep the yeast out. This is topped off with a huge, rocky, pure white head that leaves a generous amount of lace, yet stays very well. A steady stream of bubbles rises from the very bottom of the glass, helping the head's wonderful staying power. Spicy aroma of pepper and fruit esters, along with some malt presence in the background. On the palate, delicate yet spicy pepper tickles at the tongue, creating a tingly yet smooth mouthfeel. Slightly fruity sweetness is the major player here, and goes perfectly with the spiciness. Very slight hop character shows itself in a rind-like bitterness around the middle and in the finish. The finish is otherwise sweet, but is dominated by the aforementioned hop bitterness. The high alcohol content is not at all noticeable, making this dangerously drinkable! This is a god among beers, truly a masterpiece and worthy of its high esteem. One of the wonders of the beer world.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2002 10:37:09 | More by hyuga

sponberg

New York

4.4/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bright gold with a huge white rocky head that lasts forever. Bottle said "best before 6/2005."

A fruity sweet (pear/apple) nose leads to a sweet, malty, fruit estery (banana, green apple, pear, pineapple? clove?) flavor with a wonderfully mouth-filling character. The finish is remarkably like a granny smith apple dipped in malt. Vastly drinkable for its strength.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2002 02:21:43 | More by sponberg

Gusler

Arizona

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

The pour produces a stupendous white, foamy head, heaps of lace. The beer is straw in color, clear, with a splendiferous nose, citrus, bubble gum, malt, hints of ripe pineapple, "Quite Sniffable". Front is malt, sweet, the top light, the finish acerbic, dry, sparingly hopped. A good beer, but I will take an "Orval" over this beer anytime. Ranks #494 on my current 1000 beer master list.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2002 17:28:03 | More by Gusler

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

4.68/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | 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 . The 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

10-11-2002 19:39:21 | More by NeroFiddled

jmatthew

Pennsylvania

4.83/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A classic in every right. An intricately crafted, perfectly-balanced, golden yellow champagne of a beer under a lacy mountain of foam that dances perilously close to an avalanche when poured. With sweet fruit and spice, this beer packs a warm alcoholic kick in the arse without a threatening taste or mouthfeel. Smooth and beautiful.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2002 07:19:37 | More by jmatthew

mzwolinski

California

4.58/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Beautiful light gold color, with a thick foamy head that won't quit. Slightly hazy from bottle refermentation.

Aroma reminded me a bit of a hefeweisen, though a bit spicier, hoppier and with a stronger nose of alcohol. Cloves and bananas seemed evident.

Taste is champagne-like. Slightly yeast with. Spicy hop flavor with a medium-light malt body. Somewhat dry finish -- very smooth. Quite a nice beer, and very drinkable in spite of the alcohol.

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2002 08:12:33 | More by mzwolinski

beerluvr

New Jersey

4.88/5  rDev +13.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

This classic pours with the "patented" massive and huge pillowy white rocky head. Slightly hazy liquid gold with vigorous carbonation in the glass. Nose is crisp, fresh hops, clean maltiness with a hint of pears evident. Taste is also crisp, slightly acidic and hoppy...very lively, with light-bodied maltiness to mellow things out a bit. Finishes long, dry and bitter. A classic, easy-to-drink golden ale...the 8% alcohol is hardly noticable, imbiber beware!

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2002 08:46:56 | More by beerluvr

yen157

New Jersey

4.58/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

One of the greats. A slightly cloudy, yellow brew with a rocky, perfectly white head. Banana and cloves in the nose, very nice. The spice in the beer, which comes out first, was accentuated by the carbonation. Next came the alcohol along with the hops, slightly bitter and warming, followed by the malt. The only aftertaste is a little tartness and vanilla. This is one of the beers that started my love affair with the nectar of the gods, or in this case, the devil.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2002 18:02:33 | More by yen157

beernut7

Massachusetts

4.33/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours into the goblet with a heavy frothy white head. The head sticks around for the whole trip. The very pale golden color is enhanced by the thin ascending bubble trails that permeate the brew. The very fragrant aroma has scents of Belgian yeast and lemon with hints of alcohol. The bold flavor is tart with a strong yeast character and a huge alcoholic warming quality. This beer beats out any good wine I have tried. A very tasty libation with a kick and a half.

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2002 19:17:47 | More by beernut7

garymuchow

Minnesota

4.4/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured slowly as suggested on the bottle. Looked like water as poured, but noted the fizzy sound. Huge head that settled very slowly with big bubbles. Later much laciness on the glass. Aroma changed over time. Initially light malt with fruitiness and spice that turned to clove. Pale yellow color and clear. Taste has complexity. Starts off light, moves to spiciness (cloves and some fruitiness) with malt, then a shot of alcohol (that stays to the finish), and concludes with mild lingering somewhat bitter dryness. Thinner mouthfeel and despite the huge head the carbonation while evident doesn't seem excessive (yet there is some experience of fullness). Very interesting beer. Seems worthy of its higher ranking amongst all beers. I will try this again.

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2002 19:56:58 | More by garymuchow

zerk

California

4.6/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance is a nice gold-yellow with a very impressive head. Head lasted for 15 or more minutes, and settled to a very nice lace. Quite a bit of carbonation as well.

Aroma was very pleasant, yeasty and clove-like.

Flavor was very balanced, not too much hop or malt, and a dry clove finish. It's light and crisp, with a high amount of carbonation.

You have to watch out... this beer is quite strong, but doesn't taste like it is. It'll sneak up on you if your not careful (as I can attest.)

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2002 16:16:08 | More by zerk

Bighuge

Minnesota

3.15/5  rDev -26.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

The beer pours similar to champagne as you can here a fizzle as you pour. The beer is a slghtly hazy light golden. Head is bubbly, fizzy and white. Nice bready yeastiness on the nose with some subtle fruitiness making an appearance also. The beer is somewhat jacked up with carbonation. A bit gaseous in the mouth. The taste is pleasant. That's about it. There's a bready yeast characteristic on the palate as well. Some slight accents of alcohol. And fruitiness. Orange comes to mind. The beer's light to medium in body.

For some reason, I just can not get as hyped as a lot of beer lovers do over Belgians. Maybe there is an anti-belgian beer chromosone in my family's gene pool (as my brother ZAP feels the same way about Belgians).

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2002 20:20:34 | More by Bighuge

beertravel

New Jersey

4.8/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Probably one of the best beers in the world, this foamy, golden Belgian Ale is meticulously crafted and not allowed to leave the brewery until ready. The distinctive large white head and the mouth-watering smell of spices on the nose rewards the drinker with a burst of spice on the tongue that one will never forget. Again, the drinkability does not belie the fact that it is a high gravity brew, so be prepared to savor the experience responsibly.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2002 15:07:44 | More by beertravel

budgood1

Minnesota

4.43/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

the devil finally caught up with me, and i sold my soul. bright pale with a huge frothy head. the massive carbonation made it very easy to inhale the fruit and spice in the nose. very bubbly/prickly on the tongue, like a sparkling wine. a much lighter body than i expected. the unique taste of the fruity yeast and pale malts makes for a moderately spicy, delicious brew. the hop bitterness gets twisted up in the carbonation, and lingers on the tongue. the 8.5 abv is lost in all the sweet, spritzy, effervescent action. way too refreshing for so much alcohol, so be careful. the only drawback i could find is the way the carbonation gets in the way of deciphering flavors on the tongue, making for an odd mouthfeel (the bubbles just dance in my mouth!). nonetheless, a great brew worthy of the hype. i think the devil is telling me to go buy more....

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2002 10:32:45 | More by budgood1

goindownsouth

South Carolina

4.85/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

You never forget your first...Belgian. And what a winner this one is. It is smooth, drinkable, and has a very fruitful aroma. With a slight bit of hoppiness and a good ABV kick, this is one of the top brews in the world, bar none.

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2002 15:52:36 | More by goindownsouth