Andelot Cuvee Diabolique
De Proefbrouwerij (bvba Andelot)

Andelot Cuvee DiaboliqueAndelot Cuvee Diabolique
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From:
De Proefbrouwerij (bvba Andelot)
 
Belgium
Style:
Tripel
ABV:
8.5%
Score:
88
Avg:
3.94 | pDev: 9.14%
Reviews:
63
Ratings:
71
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Nov 20, 2015
Added:
Aug 15, 2004
Wants:
  3
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
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Ratings by woemad:
Photo of woemad
Reviewed by woemad from Washington

3.83/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Huge-ass 750ml bottle I picked up at the Cheese Monger's Shoppe in Leavenworth, WA for $8.99 back in June. According to the label, it's "Brewed and bottled for SB Northwest" by the brewery in Belgium listed here as the brewers. WTF? A contract brewed Belgian? I'm glad this site agrees with my assessment that this is a tripel, seeing as how the bottle is rather uninformative as to style. It describes the contents as being a "Belgian Ale." Thanks for the hot tip! Personally, I had already gathered that by the "Product of Belgium" that is perched above the beer's name on the label. The bottle was caged and corked, and I had to use a wine bottle opener to remove the cork (god damned arthritis).

This poured a cloudy, lemon yellow color, with a HUGE white head that took forever to dissipate. Lots of lace was left behind in my Duvel glass. A very attractive beer. Once the head had seemed to dissipate, a slight agitation of the glass was all that was needed to bring back a finger of foam (and I have thick fingers - arthritic, but thick).

The smell of this is citrus and spices - coriander, I suppose (coriander is one of those spices I see mentioned a lot in reviews of beers of this type, but is one I have little experience with. Someday I'm gonna buy some just to snort it and know exactly what the hell the stuff is like). It's rather tart smelling, like smelling a grapefruit someone has dumped a bunch of spices onto - in a good way.

The taste is pretty much what was foretold in the smell. This is a tartly citrusy, spicy tasting tripel. I have to grade it down, however, because there is a somewhat nebulous raw grainy taste that is a tad off-putting. It makes this beer seem a little bit less refined than other tripels I have known. I suppose this is the difference between a good beer and a great beer, but it's still noticeable to me. Nonetheless this is a fine tasting beer, just not of the first rank.

The mouthfeel is just about right for a Belgian tripel. This is medium bodied, alnmost full bodied, but with the heavy carbonation that is normal for the style, it's not a burden to drink at all, and goes down rather easy. Certainly the rather high abv is well hidden.

For a decent price, this is a perfectly good tripel. What I paid for it was a little above what most reviewers have, due, probably, to the fact that I bought this in a store located in a town best described as a tourist trap. However, if I could get this at around $5.99, I'd consider this a good tripel to have on-hand. While not a session beer (8.5% ABV), this is an easy enough beer to drink if you don't mind the drier citrusy aspects of a Belgian beer. This would probably be too tart and dry for a newcommer to craft beer, however.
Nov 06, 2005
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 2.75 by jrob21 from North Carolina

Nov 20, 2015
 
Rated: 3.25 by dgherm from Pennsylvania

Aug 04, 2013
 
Rated: 4.25 by KimenTshom from California

Jul 10, 2013
 
Rated: 3.75 by WOLFGANG from South Carolina

Jul 05, 2013
 
Rated: 4 by Slatetank from Pennsylvania

May 21, 2013
 
Rated: 4 by cliff1066 from Virginia

Jan 04, 2013
 
Rated: 4 by EvanWilliams from Illinois

Dec 23, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by Rochefort10nh from New Hampshire

Nov 26, 2011
Photo of PatrickJR
Reviewed by PatrickJR from North Carolina

4.15/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured from a 750ml bottle into red wine glass.

A - Light golden with a very slight haze. Three fingers of white head rise with great retention and moderate to high lacing.

S - Lots of granny smith apples in the aroma with pear and banana as well. A cinnamon-like spiciness rides over the fruit. Faint phenols dance in the background. Great synthesis of fruit and spice aroma; the most apple/pear-like tripel I've smelled thus far.

T - Exactly what the nose would suggest. At the forefront is something between a big bite from a slightly sour pear and a granny smith apple, and on some sips, I even detect a modest hint of vanilla. Moderate sweetness leads into fleeting notes of lemon zest, cinnamon, lavender, and mint. Diabolique dries out even more late palate with some quick but sharp lemony notes, a medicinal bitterness, and a smidge of alcohol. Aftertaste is rich with cinnamon and lemon juice covered pear slices, with even a touch of salt. Though the brew moves from sweet to less sweet, this remains on the sweet side for the style throughout.

M - Light to medium bodied with a moderate to high carbonation. While I enjoy the crispness, the fruit flavors would have been top notch with a solid medium body.

D - Another excellent beer from De Proef's "-que" line. A definite improvement over Lunatique. Alcohol is well hidden. Though the phenols may be more hidden than a lot of tripels, the fruit character is amazing.
May 18, 2009
Photo of FatCaster
Reviewed by FatCaster from Washington

3.93/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Rung in the new year with this nice caged bottle of joy. A nice way to spend a quiet holiday for me and the female.

A--Very pretty in my opinion. Poured into a mug, creating a fluffy, foamy head that would not die over top of a very cloudy corn yellow with a touch of orange. Tiny little bubbles streamed up the sides.

S--Sweet grains, and fruit with a touch of grassiness. Pleasant and inviting.

T--Starts sweet and fruity, with apples and pears, fades to french bread and finishes with a tingling, effervescent touch of alcohol bitterness.

M--Thick in the mouth initially, but the bubbles break up the show and hide most of the alcohol. Watch out.

D--Basic lack of bitterness makes this very drinkable, but thickness made me pretty full after half the bottle.

This beer was exactly what I was looking for: a substitute for champagne. If one seeks a more in your face, dense, or exciting beer, look elsewhere. But for a bottle of fun and a fruity complex taste, this was very satisfying.
Jan 01, 2009
Photo of Portertime
Reviewed by Portertime from Florida

3.87/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
I didn't know the devil could be so sweet! I enjoyed this one in my Chimay goblet. Poured a reddish orange color with a monster head. Smelled like a fruit basket, malty and sweet, a far cry from Bezelbuth and Old Nick barley wine. Taste was of apples, ginger ale, pear, banana, butterscotch, a little tropical and very viscous. I couldn't stand more than one bottle at a time.
May 20, 2008
Photo of scruffwhor
Reviewed by scruffwhor from Illinois

3.87/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Liquid lemon merengue splashed with a little orange. Pretty hazaey, yet bright when held to the light. Had a very hard time seeing the bubbles. Had to sqint my eyes and press my nose to the glass in order to look at the par bubbling. The aroma is a light candied fruit. Peaches, pears, apples. Very fruity smelling beer. But not overpowering. The light hops and a hint of spices help out the overall aroma. The taste is a fluffy apple splash mixed with afew spices and a flash of hops. Thebackbone is all dry, pale malts. You can feel the bubbles more than you can see them. Slight warmth to go along the finish of the beer. Great looking bottle and a pretty good tasting beer inside of it.
Mar 31, 2008
Photo of saintwarrick
Reviewed by saintwarrick from South Carolina

3.52/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5
This brew pours a pale and very cloudy orange with a big white lacy head that never leaves. The aroma is funky to the nth degree, sugar cane, very sweet smell with some tropical fruits, mango, pears and champagne-soaked strawberries. Flavor is a little too funky for my tastes. Very sweet with a light passion fruity sweetness to it that tries to balance it. A tad bit of bitterness at the end does little to offset the sweetness, which leads to a noticeable alcohol warming.

This brew just tastes overly sweet to me, too much like champagne with two scoops of sugar. I'll go for something with a little less funk (and more balance) next time.
Feb 28, 2008
Photo of JackWeizen
Reviewed by JackWeizen from Rhode Island

3.93/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
This beer comes in a corked 750 ml with very little on the label. It pours a nice straw yellowish color with a great frothy lasting head, and a slight haze. There is some incredible lacing.

A light citrusy aroma pours from the head, and I really enjoy sticking my nose in this beer. There is hint of spicyness in the flavor. Malt profile is strong but not too complex. The hops are there, but only to balance the malt it seems. I also get hints of champagne, liqorice, caramel and banana.

This beer had a high carbonation, a good crisp character, and isn't too boozy. Its a really good triple for the price. I'll probably try the other offering I saw, Angelique.

This bottle is either going to put me to bed, or send me out on a rampage later.
Feb 21, 2008
Photo of NoLiberty
Reviewed by NoLiberty from Pennsylvania

4.23/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5
App: Pours a true golden color. Incredibly clear and clean with a nice big white head that settles into a solid cap for the full beer. Nice head retention and good coverage all around. Really quite beautiful. Says "golden" all over it.

Aroma: Nice big, sweet, bready, estery fruits and yeast. Wheat, malt and freshness. Good overall but the aromas are almost stronger than the flavor.

Taste: Sparkling apple juice. Earthy with slightly sweet esters. Has a nice undertone taste of apple cider fresh after the pressing with a mild cedar bite. Slight earthy funkiness in the front.

Mouth: Velvety good. Nice water. Sweet, full, but not thick. Medium to full bodied. Just right. Nice, nice, very present, soft but not biting carbonation.

Drink: Wonderful drinkability. Would be perfect with an appetizer course.
Feb 07, 2008
Photo of Jwale73
Reviewed by Jwale73 from Rhode Island

3.88/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured into my Maudite chalice. Presented with a thick fluffy white head that dissipated into a thin consistent layer of foam. Decent amount of lacing throughout the tasting. Orange-gold and cloudy in appearance. Scents of yeast and citrus. Taste similar to nose with the addition of a mild banana flavor, clove and possibly coriander; reminded me a little of a witte in some regards. Very lively in the mouth; carbonation left a clean crisp sensation at the finish. A really nice brew, but as with the Angelique, not what I expected, but a pleasant experience nonetheless.
Dec 14, 2007
Photo of MiguelMandingo
Reviewed by MiguelMandingo from Texas

3.61/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
I picked this bottle up from Total Wine in Jacksonville Florida. It isn't a bad triple, but it isn't even close to being the best. But, hey, still better than Golden Monkey.

Poured part of a 750ml bottle into a snifter.

Appearance - It produced a solid 1 finger sea-foam head. Lots of lacing, looks pretty good. It has a hazy translucent golden orange/yellow color.

Smell - I get mostly fruit scents from this one - raisin, banana, pear. I also get notes of clove or allspice, and a slight peppery note. There is a heavy sweet smell highly reminiscent of honey - most likely from the candi sugar. Alcohol makes its presence known as the drink warms.

Taste - The taste is very similar to the scent, only certain characteristics are more pronounced. It is very sweet - lots of candi sugar. The sweetness is closely tied to the fruit flavors - I get lots of orangey citrus with banana and pear. There is a biscuity quality from the malt. The end of the flavor is where I can taste the hops (which are a little too thin) and the spices - clove and pepper. Alcohol makes its presence known as the drink warms. My one complaint with this tripel is that the sweetness dominates too much. It causes the flavor balance to be a little out of whack.

Mouthfeel - On the lighter side of medium bodied. There is a good level of carbonation - lots of prickly sensations across the tongue , but it doesn't do enough to cut through the sweetness. The carbonation dies towards the end of the mouthful. However, it does go down very smoothly.

Drinkability - This wasn't a terrible beer. I know that tripels have a high level of sweetness to them, but this one was a little over the top. It caused the overall flavor to be slightly unbalanced and that detracted from the overall enjoyment of the beer. It was okay to drink, and I am glad that I bought it, but I won't cross anymore state lines to buy this one. If I see it again somewhere along my travels, I might pick it up. Since they sell Westmalle and St. Bernardus here, I won't be missing Diabolique anytime soon.
Dec 04, 2007
Photo of blakesell
Reviewed by blakesell from Ohio

4.17/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Caged and corked 750ml bottle poured into a tasting/pilsner glass.

Appearance- Sparkling golden with a pillowy white head and slight lacing.

Smell- Saaz hops and Hallertau? With spices. Corriander, Cardamom, Allspice? A lot of questionable scents on this one, pine, and pale malts.

Taste- Sweet and light, candi sugars are not at all noticable, hops are high but balanced, and the malt is very subdued.

Mouthfeel- Light and effervescant, high-carbonated and light bodied. Not warming and a big suprise that this one is 8.5.

Drinkability- Very smooth and easy to drink. An excellent precursor to some post tasting beer shopping, which is just what I did. Huzzah to more upcoming beer reviewing!
Nov 07, 2007
Photo of peabody
Reviewed by peabody from Kentucky

3.85/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Pours out a straw yellow with an orange tint. Two fingers of white suds.
Smell is sweet yeast and alcohol. Plum or grapeskin with caramel sugars.
Taste is a little thin but has a dirty flavor followed by sugary caramel with a bitterness like lemon zest or apple core.
Mouthfeel is pretty clean with a slightly oily residue that makes the mouth water and crave another drink.
8.5% makes this a nice all around beer. Worth drinking the whole thing all at once.
Nov 04, 2007
Andelot Cuvee Diabolique from De Proefbrouwerij (bvba Andelot)
Beer rating: 88 out of 100 with 71 ratings