Ommegang Duvel Rustica - Brewery Ommegang

Gmann

New York

4.3/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Compared against the original

Pours a near match to the namesake. The Rustica has a slightly more honey tone. The head is short and settles into a light ring. Does not compare to the Duvel which as a fantastic pure white head. Edge - Duvel (big)

The aroma is of a nice perfumey Belgian yeast that produced apple, pear, clove and bubblegum notes. Nice and floral and bright. The Duvel has more of a tart and over ripe apple scent. Edge - Rustica (slight) I enjoy the depth in the aroma.

The taste is of a peppery pale malt. Candi sugar and the malt provide a nice breakfast bread sweetness. The yeast gives a great bubblebum and clove flavor. Duvel is much drier and has a champagne white grape flavor. Edge - equal but different

The feel is moderate with soft carbonation. Has the body of a tripel, bigger malt presence. Duvel is much drier with the pils malt. I respect the dry body of the Duvel.

Great flavorful brew. Great Beligan flavors. Marked very well against the style. Tough to compare to Duvel though. Duvel is like a Belgian pils with awesome flavor. Both are great but different. I would drink either but for different reasons.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2012 05:01:35 | More by Gmann

kingmaker

Louisiana

3.88/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750 mL bomber poured into a pint glass

A: Its a very hazy blond color. Almost reminds me of a golden lager color. Little head with little retention leaving little to no lacing left behind. I was a little underwhelmed.

S: Very delicate notes of malts, some citrus, maybe spice

T: More malty, A good balance of the citrus and spices. Certainly sweet, but with a decent hop bitterness to round things out. Leaves a taste of a tripel on the tongue fighting for hold with peach and pear flavors. The alcohol is hidden well. As it warms, there isn't much change, except perhaps a bolder fruit flavoring at the aftertaste

M: A moderate to full body, decent carbonation which seems to lack just slightly for my tastes.

O: This beer seemed to try too hard. Perhaps its just confused, it looked like a lager, said it was a blonde, and left a tripel aftertaste. It's by no means bad, but left me unimpressed. I certainly enjoyed it, but couldn't really imagine myself going for another. Overall I'd recommend you try it at least once.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2012 05:57:15 | More by kingmaker

GilGarp

Colorado

4.38/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottled 8/30/12.

750ml corked and caged bottle with transparent label served cold into a goblet.

Duvel Rustica is a pale golden yellow color with a slight haze. The head is thick at first but settles quickly leaving no lace behind. It's maybe not very fair to compare with the original Duvel but lacking here.

Aroma is mild but full of depth with pale malts, lemon, and spices. A nice yeast character in there too.

Flavor is quite well done with great balance and depth. It's citrusy, spicy, tart, and funky without any of those elements overpowering the others. It makes each sip an opportunity to discover something new.

Mouthfeel is light in body, well carbonated, and balanced. The finish is dry and crisp.

Overall a really excellent Belgo-American ale with enough nuance to hold its own with the original.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2012 01:10:44 | More by GilGarp

Jimmys

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750mL all to myself. poured into snifter. packaged on 08/30/12. best by 08/2014.

A: a hazed blonde body. head is actually a bit disappointing. large white bubbles without good retention. lacing is meh.

S: cane sugar. sweet. some fruitiness that seems to come from the hop end of things rather than unfermented sugars.

T: some simple sugar sweetness lingers on. definitely has some sort of bubblegum flavor. enough bitterness to balance the sweet body, but it is definitely a belgian blonde. a little bit of peach and pear flavor in the finish.

M: moderate amount of carb. medium, almost full, body.

D: overall, im a little unimpressed. not a bad beer, as i feel that ommegang doesnt know how to make a bad beer, but not what i was expecting. indifferent.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2012 04:51:56 | More by Jimmys

jsanford

Georgia

4.05/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours cloudy gold with a solid white head that settles to a thin haze and dense ring, with a few spots of lacing. Big aromas of crisp grain, banana, Juicyfruit gum, citrus peel, and mildly funky yeast. Taste is close to the nose, quite similar to "regular" Duvel, but more fruit-forward. Just as dangerously drinkable as Duvel, with a medium mouthfeel, crisp carbonation, and a pleasantly dry finish. A nice take on a near-perfect beer. Nicely done.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2012 03:04:28 | More by jsanford

BEERchitect

Kentucky

4.23/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Devilish in taste and deceptively strong, Duvel Rustica straddles that line where wholesome goodness meets decadent strength in such a way that seduces the palate and soothes the soul.

Duvel Rustica pours with a strong straw appearance and a stratified haze of darkness toward the yeasty bottom and a brightness of the arid top. A frothy eggshell white head emerges from the liquid beneath and retains solidly and laces beautifully with iceberg patterns.

Fruit-centric aromas rise from the glass with notes of apples, lemon, melon, and pear. Spicy elements of white pepper, coriander, clove, and light fennel play into the mix and are soothed with a pillow of light baking bread, light dough and yeast.

Fruit sweetness and acid fuse together for an early palate of dry light fruit and spicy balances. The typical bready taste of freshly kilned barley and honeyish sweetness goes slightly drier in taste that you'd expect; thus delivering a more cracker-like taste. Wafts of honeysuckle floral taste mixes with lightly sulfur fruits of apple, pear, apricot, and sultans aid in the fruity/sweet interplay. Balanced by light grasses from hops but more because of the acidity of yeast, water minerals, and sulfur content- the beer just doesn't need the convolution from hops for satisfaction.

Medium-light in body, the rustic fruit, spice, and earth notes never hinder the malty-dry upstart that resonates through the beer and concluding with spicy warmth, mild acidity, fleeting malt dryness, and earthen grain character that exudes a genuine character of Belgian ales.

Duvel Rustica is a fantastic beer that delivers the dry light fruit taste that's so coveted in the classic Duvel strong pale ale, but also with the rustic taste of saisons but the malty sweet and hop forward components of Belgian tripels. It's a multi purpose ale that simply has no limits.

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2012 08:28:16 | More by BEERchitect

ngeunit1

California

4.33/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours a cloudy golden-yellow with a finger of frothy white head. The head fades down at a normal pace leaving behind some lacing.

S - Aroma is a mix of grainy and wheat malts with orange and lemon zest, coriander, Belgian yeast, banana, clove, pepper, and a bit of biscuit.

T - Starts off with a mix of sweet grainy and wheat malts with some lemon and orange zest, coriander, and pepper. Through the middle, some more Belgian yeast flavors come through with some clove, banana, and some other farmhouse flavors, with some grassy hops and mild bitterness. The finish is a mix of sweet grainy malts, Belgian yeast, coriander, pepper, and other spices, and some grassy hops.

M - Medium-plus bodied with heavy carbonation. Feels smooth with a dry, estery, and spicy finish.

D - Very drinkable. Nice bold but balanced BSPA. Good yeast character.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2012 05:39:50 | More by ngeunit1

flagmantho

Washington

3.35/5  rDev -14.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Poured from 750mL corked & caged bottle into a tulip.

Appearance: light golden hue with a very light haze and a moderate effervescence. Head is a finger of frothy white foam with a decent retention and a nice lace. Not bad.

Smell: sweet malt with a pear and apple character, along with a light chalkiness and a hint of phenolic bubblegum aroma. I like a BSPA with a little bit of character like this.

Taste: again, quite sweet; almost sickly sweet. That phenolic character sticks around a bit too much, bringing the experience down for me. It's not terrible, but I don't love this beer.

Mouthfeel: medium body and a good carbonation leave a nice, creamy mouthfeel. Good stuff.

Overall: something about the flavor here just doesn't work for me. The aroma was nice, but the balance goes out the window with the flavor. I like both Ommegang and Duvel, but this beer just didn't turn out quite right, at least for my palate.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2012 01:40:29 | More by flagmantho

Dope

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a hazy golden with a touch of orange in there. Big foamy white head. Fades slowly, leaving nice foamy islands behind. Decent tufts of fluffy lacing but nothing amazing.

S: Pretty wheaty aroma. Lots of lemons and oranges and bananas. Spicy black pepper as well. Has a nice grainy and yeasty aroma too.

T: Grassy with lots of citrus up front. Turns into a nice yeasty bread flavor with bananas. More grass and then quite spicy with black pepper towards the finish. Finishes very peppery.

M: Medium bodied, slick and spicy.

O: A nice BSPA, unfortunately I don't think it quite makes it up to normal Duvel standards. Still tasty, well balanced and complex. Just doesn't pull it all together quite as well as the original. Still, a unique variant that I was glad to have drank.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2012 04:26:17 | More by Dope

Gavage

New Jersey

4.05/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: golden yellow in color with a one finger head that falls to a spotty surface foam.

Smell: grass and some bitterness comes through to the nose.

Taste: grass, hay, some lemon zest, a hint of honey, and a bit of yeast flavors are the main flavor components.

Mouthfeel: medium bodied beer. Crisp from start to finish. Short lived aftertaste.

Overall: a very easy to drink beer. Nice flavors and very refreshing. You can get a sense of both Ommegang and Duvel presence in this beer. Worth finding this one.

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2012 18:49:14 | More by Gavage

avalon07

South Carolina

4/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Poured from a bottle to a tulip glass. Had a yellowish color and a cloudy consistency. There was an inch of foamy head that lasted a fair amount of time. Average lacing.

S: A sharp aroma of yeast, fruit, and a surprising amount of malt.

T: Tasted of light fruit (lemon, etc), a decent amount of malt, Belgian yeast, and fruity esters. This is one of those flavors that actually gets better as you go along. Well-balanced and tasty.

M: A highly carbonated beer with a smooth finish. Medium-bodied.

O: Duvel Rustica is a solid, likable, and ultimately drinkable beer. Slightly different (though I can't say exactly how) than your typical BSPA, but worth a shot.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2012 14:18:28 | More by avalon07

ColForbinBC

New Jersey

4.08/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

750mL bottle poured into a tulip

A golden yellow color with a fluffy white head that rose two+ fingers to fill the glass. A good amount of active carbonation. The nose is of soft floral hops, grass, and bubble gum. Light bready notes, hay, and honey round out the profile. On the palate, noble hops up front with bubble gum through the middle with a subtle spice. Doughy yeast sweeps in with grass and floral qualities before a semi-dry finish. Some hints of pear and apple skins poke through as it warms. Light bodied with sturdy carbonation. Dry finish, crisp with some lingering grass/earth notes. This is a fine golden ale reminiscent of its brother, but with obvious nods to American ingredients. Highly enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2012 02:43:13 | More by ColForbinBC

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.65/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This beer poured out as a slightly hazy yellow color with a white head on top. The retention is good and so is the lacing. The smell of the beer gives off aromas of yeast and corn. The taste of the beer is malty, some subtle corn flavors as well as some yeast in there too, not much bitterness at all. The mouthfeel of the beer is nicely carbonated but smooth and creamy. Overall his beer was pretty good, love the artwork on the bottle.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2012 02:01:32 | More by Knapp85

wvsabbath

West Virginia

4/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Serving Type - 22oz caged and corked bottle

Appearance - Light golden tan, pineapple juice color. 1/2 inch head with some decent lacing.

Smell - Light floral hops, belgium yeasts, pale malts, some spices. Perfumy and peppery, slight farmhouse aroma. Some grapefruit and orange.

Taste - Sweet floral hops mixed with pale malts start this beer off. Orange, grapefruit and even some pineapple are main flavors. Spices are peppery, yeasts are sweet and tart. SLight alcohol is masked well. Has a farmhouse/grassy feel in each sip. Has a crisp apple flavor at the finish.

Mouthfeel - Light, crisp and smooth. Hops and yeasts coat tounge with sweet fruits and sugars. Palate gets more of the same with some pale malts and peppery spices. The aftertaste is sweet, fruity and a little dry.

Overall - Honesty, this beer didnt remind me of duvel at all. Not Much carbination, not nearly as much pale malt profile. Its very fruity, sweet and hoppy. I dont get this beer at all. Its really a standard ommegang beer. Very nice and smooth, easy to drink and tastes great but, maybe putting duvel on the label can justify overcharging for this? Its a good beer, worth a drink but not what i was expecting. Take the duvel off the label, knock a few dollars off the price and id enjoy it more if that makes sense.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2012 00:56:34 | More by wvsabbath

MadScientist

New York

4.28/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: a slightly hazy golden beer with a creamy somewhat rocky white head, about a finger thick with good retention.

S: Peppery phenols and orange esters at moderate levels with the pepper note being a bit stronger than the fruit. There is a little bit of that floral hops aroma that combines with the alcohol to give it a low perfumey note. There is a moderately-low Pilsner malt aroma as well.

T: The taste is mostly spicey with some fruit, again peppery but a bit more lemon than orange for the fruit flavors. The hops seem to be giving it the citrus flavors but not that American style hops flavor. There is a touch of sweetness while the hops bitterness comes in at a moderate level making for a beer with a slight bitter balance. The finish is dry and the aftertaste is of citrus and a short lived hops bitterness. The spice sometimes seems a little clove-like but mostly black pepper.

M: Medium-light bodied with a moderately-high level of carbonation.

O: A very peppery Belgian Ale with a nice citrus influence.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2012 02:43:44 | More by MadScientist

Halcyondays

California

4.3/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at Beachwood I,

A: Pours golden with a medium white head, some soft lace, solid head retention.

S: Bready malt, floral grassy hops, earth.

T: Good overall pale malt flavour. Great earthy dry grassy hop character. Definitely has an American flair. Nice mix of flavours.

M: Medium-bodied, crisp biting carbonation, nice long hoppy aftertaste for the style.

O: Like a hoppy Duvel, great direct flavour. This is just a really good beer. Don't know why the 750 has to be $14 though.

Serving type: on-tap

11-11-2012 01:12:08 | More by Halcyondays

ThePorterSorter

New York

4/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer pours a hazy golden yellow with a fluffy white head that laces. The nose is yeasty, slightly alcoholic and sweet. Drinking the beer is initially upsetting because it's not what I had expected, but as it warms up a touch....and the alcohol sets in a touch... the beer drinks just like it's Belgian counterpart. It's slightly watery, finishes dry, and kicks up the yeast and sweetness to the max in the mouthfeel. The hops are definitely in harmony with the beer's sweet, malty profile. It's definitely a drinkable beer and a bit of a creeper given how much you're feeling the 8.5%abv by the end of the bomber. Honestly, this is an enjoyable beer that requires a healthy sampling to fully appreciate. I'm proud that this beer originates so close to home?

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2012 00:58:56 | More by ThePorterSorter

VelvetExtract

Massachusetts

3.48/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A-Pours a foggy honey color. Head is big and Belgian. Dense and semi-solid. Doesn't lace too much because the head adheres to itself with impeccable strength.

S-Yeasty before anything else. Pale fruits and honeycomb. A bit of straw and/or hay. The yeast strain is (confirmed) blatantly Ommegang's. Not as elegant as Duvel's in my opinion. Lemon zest too.

T-Rides alongside the nose. Signature Ommegang yeasty flavor. I find this to be far more Ommegang than Duvel. A touch of noble hops. Semi-dry with modest spiciness. Not overly complex. It just has all of what you're used to experiencing.

M-Medium bodied with some creaminess. Moderate-to-subtle carbonation. Not overly bitter, but the yeast hangs upon the palate.

O/D-I personally don't think its anywhere near the same level of deliciousness as the traditional Duvel. Denser, less drinkable, and less complex. One glass was enough.

Serving type: on-tap

11-09-2012 15:37:23 | More by VelvetExtract

fmccormi

New York

4.35/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Straight pour from 1pt 9.4oz / 750ml cork-and-cage bottle to a 25cl Duvel Single tulip; bottling date of August 30, 2012 / freshness date of August, 2014 printed in black ink on the neck of the bottle (“PKG ON 08/30/2012 BEST BY 08/2014”), making this nine weeks and two days old at the time of opening.

Appearance (3.5): Pours two good fingers of creamy white head that slowly dies down, into the just-barely hazy, 24ct golden body. Not a lot of retention, just a thin collar on the edge of the glass and a couple of suds here and there on the sides.

Smell (4.0): Straw and spice come along first in the nose, an even mix of white pepper, coriander, and a little clove, along with a very nice fruit component—white grapes, pears, and some sweet lemon, which smooth out the space between the warm, mildly spicy hay and the typical Belgian spice component (pepper, clove, etc.)

Taste (4.5): The taste is tremendously fruity compared to the nose, a nice mix of sweet pear juice, oranges, and a bit of lemon juice. The spice comes along, but smoothly—it never outshines the fruit side of it. The malt is very biscuity, crackery, blonde and simple, but substantial enough to root the fruity esters from the yeast—any sweetness it adds just fills out those esters. The beer finishes with a nice tartness, a nice mix of lemon juice and grassy hops, which dries it out a bit at the end; that nice little tartness lingers for a while. No trace of alcohol on the palate.

Mouthfeel (4.5): The carbonation is modest and foams smoothly, fully and lushly, and tingles mildly on the way down. The body is medium-weight and somewhat viscous but not syrupy, but lightens up substantially with that lemony finish and the way the beer foams on the way down. Really nice feel, matches the substance and character of the palate well.

Overall (4.5): This is a very, very nice beer. Flavor-wise, it flips the “regular” Duvel in some ways, putting the spiciness in the backseat to the fruit component, which clearly is Ommegang’s biggest contribution, thanks to their yeast strain. I can always use a more aromatic nose, more lacing and better retention on basically any beer (the sole exception being Orval, maybe, where the head is actually stiff and almost gets in the way). But the nose is great, the flavor is excellent and the feel matches. Overally, I think this is a well-above average BSPA, and definitely worth seeking out.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2012 01:41:21 | More by fmccormi

Greywulfken

New York

4.35/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: hazy golden body with an off-white head about a finger or two thick; settles into a foamy collar with some drapes of lace

S: fruity yeasts and citrusy hops overlaying a malty base

T: some herbal and medicinal notes; a bright and herbal/floral, distinctively Ommegang yeast and hop profile; fruity undertones and grainy malt flavors round it off. Sweetness is subtle, with some orange and coriander (?) hints.

M: farmhouse fresh and crisp, nicely carbonated and slightly astringent bitterness; fairly creamy on the back of the tongue. Some wine-like characteristics during the dry finish.

O: very saison-like, and tastes like Ommegang's Hennepin meets Duvel - a very satisfying drink - lacks some of the Duvel spiciness, focusing instead on a wild yeasty - and yes, rustic - essence. Good drinking.

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2012 20:23:06 | More by Greywulfken

gatornation

Minnesota

4.23/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

corked caged 750ml bottle

A- pours a golden yellow color with a 2 finger white head that recedes to a fresh collar adequate lacing

S- light white fruits with spice and a skight wet hay funk smell

T- very nice white fruits like apples a dose of spice and some hops ,pale malts slight funk like hay or grass in the mix

M- medium/low carbonation with spice and hops on the palate

O- very Tasty easy to drink nice combo of fruit spice ,malt ad hops good stuff

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2012 21:40:35 | More by gatornation

Kendo

New York

4.33/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

750 ml caged-and-corked bottle, says it was packaged on 8/30/12. Consumed on 10/20/12.

A: Cork is removed with a soft "pop." Poured into a (what else?) Duvel tulip. Body is golden but then in natural light it turns more pale yellow. Small white head on top leaves some splotchy lace on the glass.

S: Bread-doughy malt, some spice and fruit - think ripe green apples - in the nose. Hint of lemon. Some funkiness becoming more evident as it warms.

T: Nicely balanced between what seems to be yeasty fruitiness, spice and bitterness. Finishes with a touch of peppery spice and then alcohol heat. Lemony bitterness coats the palate and lingers into the aftertaste, offsetting the otherwise malty, yeasty and spicy flavors.

M: Slightly less than medium in heft. Not as softly or fizzily (is that a word?) carbonated as the better Belgians, but the carbonation is far from harsh - in fact, it's possibly a bit too modest; it gives a slightly oily impression, though the fine-bubbled carbonation is noted on the lips.

D: Very good. Would like to do the "Pepsi Challenge" with this beer and "regular" Duvel to see what differences there are. Going from memory, this one seems to be a solid approximation of Duvel.

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2012 21:42:30 | More by Kendo