Duvel
Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat NV

DuvelDuvel
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From:
Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat NV
 
Belgium
Style:
Belgian Pale Strong Ale
Ranked #1
ABV:
8.5%
Score:
94
Ranked #1,923
Avg:
4.25 | pDev: 11.53%
Reviews:
3,015
Ratings:
8,526
Status:
Active
Rated:
Mar 09, 2024
Added:
Dec 06, 2000
Wants:
  544
Gots:
  1,845
A Duvel is still seen as the reference among strong golden ales. Its bouquet is lively and tickles the nose with an element of citrus which even tends towards grapefruit thanks to the use of only the highest-quality hop varieties. This is also reflected in the flavour, which is beautifully balanced with a hint of spiciness. Thanks to its high CO2 content, this beer has a wonderful roundness in the mouth. A Duvel is both the perfect thirst quencher and the ideal aperitif.
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Ratings by asabreed:
Photo of asabreed
Reviewed by asabreed from New York

4.67/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5
33 cl. bottle, purchased and enjoyed with mustard crusted rabbit at Can Can in Richmond. I figured there was no better time to try it.

Appearance: Huge head that slowly dissipates at a crawling pace down the glass. It wasn't going anywhere. Nice champagne-like color, though this was a pretty gorgeous lemon yellow color with tons of bubbles climbing their way up.

Smell: It was nice to have this chilled and keep getting my nose in the glass as it warmed. The alcohol is present, but it melds perfectly with the banana and candi sugar aromas. Some citrus, yeasty bread. Some pepper, spice, and lemon peel. I suppose this is what a Belgian Strong Pale Ale should smell like, but this is one of the best aromas I've ever gotten from the style, from chilled to room temperature.

Taste: Does justice to the aromas for sure. Sweetness is balanced with the yeasty flavors, and a slight hop bitterness at the end. Banana, alchol, and candi sugar are at the forefront, but there's certainly a near-perfect balance going on.

Mouthfeel: What I was hoping for with the taste and aromas. Light to medium body, perfect carbonation. I don't think this could be better.

Drinkability: Duvel's fairly expensive, yes, but it's definitely worth it. I think rather than a corked and caged, I'd know prefer the 4-packs, which I certainly will make a staple since I know I can get them around here.

This is an all around exceptional example of the style, and surely one of the best. I'd recommend, if you haven't had many, trying some from some other breweries, then trying Duvel to see what you think. Either way, it's a great beer, and one worthy of celebration.
Aug 12, 2005
More User Ratings:
 
Photo of brianstrong2
Rated by brianstrong2 from Tennessee

4.23/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Great beer.
Feb 16, 2024
Photo of MrOH
Reviewed by MrOH from Maryland

4.58/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5
Clear gold, big, fluffy white head, amazing retention, exquisite lacing. Absolutely beautiful beer
Pear and banana, slight spice (white pepper/clove) aroma
The spice hits first, then the pear, spicy, dry finish
Light bodied, well carbonated, and very drinkable
Surprised I hadn't reviewed this one yet, I've had it a number of times over the years, mainly just to get the glass. I never really liked it before, but maybe my palette has finally matured enough to appreciate it.
Feb 15, 2024
 
Rated: 4.5 by MeIquiades from Illinois

Feb 14, 2024
Photo of Lanoke12
Reviewed by Lanoke12 from Michigan

4.48/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Look is light beautiful blonde. Smell is sweet Belgian ale yeast. Taste is sweet with full flavored blonde malt. Feel is thick and full bodied. The original strong Belgian Blonde. A usual for Belgian lovers.
Feb 12, 2024
 
Rated: 4.05 by Supper1

Jan 30, 2024
 
Rated: 4.73 by SeanP99 from North Carolina

Jan 11, 2024
 
Rated: 4.27 by Iggy88 from Ohio

Dec 31, 2023
Photo of SLeffler27
Reviewed by SLeffler27 from New York

4.33/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
A huge, fluffy white head holds 3" for a long while before gradually turning rocky and forming a large dens pillow. This Belgian Lace coats the Duvel tulip glass. The Strong Ale itself glows with pail gold while a wide column of fine bubbles vigorously flows in an upwards plume to reinforce the head. The head never comes close to dissipating.

The quintessential Belgian funk of spice, banana, fallen apple and sourdough bread is unmistakable and elegantly potent. Faint pine needles follow with sweetness. Warmth brings light celery and perfume.

The flavors are less pronounced than I recall from earlier bottles. Never the less, flavor follows aroma, adding pear. A quick sharp bitterness bookends sweetness in each sip. Lemmon and banana just before a long spicy finish which included alcohol and watercress.

The body is light to medium with a raspy texture, that likely has more to do with the tremendous carbonation than the body itself. Alcohol is as expected.

This is rightfully an iconic beer and one that ought to be more regular in the line-up. I love to sip this while sitting quietly and think it would serve equally well as an accompaniment to casual conversation.
Dec 30, 2023
 
Rated: 4.32 by Ox8840bo from Illinois

Dec 28, 2023
Photo of Thankin_Hank
Reviewed by Thankin_Hank from Texas

4.5/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
The Blond poured into a St. Bernardus glass, is a clean, golden yellow color, with a very nice head and well carbonated. The smell is of sweet fruit and deliciousness. The taste is so fine and sweet. The mouthfeel luxurious and a bit fizzy. Lacing will be pretty. Overall a fine specimen of a Great Belgian Beer.
Dec 24, 2023
 
Rated: 4.03 by charger88 from Texas

Dec 19, 2023
Photo of Amoien
Rated by Amoien from Texas

4.06/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Strong.
Dec 18, 2023
 
Rated: 4.34 by KeithGreatNorth from Canada (BC)

Dec 07, 2023
 
Rated: 3.5 by AbeO

Nov 29, 2023
 
Rated: 4.5 by Nyoder

Nov 26, 2023
 
Rated: 3.28 by rexdeopp from Texas

Nov 19, 2023
Photo of Hephaistos
Reviewed by Hephaistos from Netherlands

4.48/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
330ml bottle, 8.5% abv. Poured ar 5 degrees celcius in a grand Duvel Tullip.
Nice gold-yellow little hazey yellow colour.
Big foamy persistent white head.
Amazing lacing. Sticks a long time.
No signs of yeast untill you smell.
Smell: top quality yeast. nothing more nothing less.
Taste, top quality yeast.
This beer is all about pure ingrediënt with the best yeast.
For me also a sentimental beer. As I drunk this long time ago with my grandpa, And I walked 11 times the Bornhem Deathmarch.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dodentocht
Always passing through the Moortgat (i.e. Murderhole) brewery.
Top quality and 100% consistent over time.
Even if a brewer makes a better beer. Can it maintain this kind of quality so long over time?
I do not think so.
Nov 17, 2023
Photo of solok
Reviewed by solok from California

4.23/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25
I can certainly see why this is the archetype for Belgian strong pale ales.
Hardly a bad word to say about the look. Just a hair greener than perfect yellow gold color. Extremely clear. Good head: strong but not effusive, sticking around for a good while. Very mild smell is clean and hoppy.
Flavor is very clean. Clean malt flavor with hop at the end. Just a hint of coriander spice. Fairly effervescent, disguising some of the alcohol.
In a word, clean.
Nov 12, 2023
Duvel from Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat NV
Beer rating: 94 out of 100 with 8526 ratings