Duvel Tasting: January 27-29

Bought a case of various Belgiun beers back in Sept. Still have a couple left. Pulled out the Duvel glass for this.

 

And Happy Birthday, Emperor!

 

Bought a pack of the O.G. today and my glass is ready. Look forward to drinking it tomorrow. I reviewed Duvel years ago and anticipate just enjoying a couple of bottles! Thank you, @FBarber for organizing this extravaganza!

 

To be clear, I specifically stated the 2016 thread was the most recent I could find in terms of date coding and freshness on Beer Advocate, and that 30 month mark was quoted within the 2016 thread from a direct response received from the brewery (linked post in my original post quoted below). So they must have altered the best by date of 30 months to 18 months between 2016 and now.

Would still be curious as to a definitive coding explanation for the last line of my two Duval bottles:

Duvel: https://www.duvel.com/en-us/the-beer/duvel

Best Before
09 2023
L01407 0919


Duvel 666: https://www.duvel.com/en-us/the-beer/duvel-666

Best Before
08 2023
L20708 1951

Also, unlike the Duvel webpage, the Duvel 666 page does not list a shelf life (both linked above).

 

Yes, I was fully aware of the qualifying statements and the fact that I was not having the exact beer being discussed. I actually assumed 30 was not likely right for 666 or regular Duvel given my bottle dates (9 2023 and 11 2023, respectively) given it would mean they were 22 and 20 months old (and my TW isn’t that slow to turn over their Belgians).

I noticed no shelf life for 666 as well when verifying @zid’s information, but I’d assume 666 and was either the same or less (but I’d guess probably still a year); I’d think this would hold true of the triple hopped versions as well, but guessing is way easier than actually tracking down the information

 

Nice! Yeah, I gotta coupla of these as well - some of my favorite glassware.....sadly, will have to wait until next week to pur a nice Duvel, as I am still in "dry January" mode....





oh yeah, forgot about this one - the gf gave me the Duvel gift set for Christmas - not my fav design

 

I only have Duvel's 150th anniversary glass. So, I am filled with envy for your Duvel collection. But... I'd still rather have the bug in your avatar.

 

For round two, I opened the classic Duvel, which would apparently be about eight months in the bottle. And boy, was it ready to be free of such confinement.


Both bottles overflowed upon opening, so I lost a couple ounces of beer. Maybe it saw I was going to do a side-by-side and figured I'd make up the volume from Duvel 6.66, which I guess is somewhat true.

The pour of the first regular Duvel was a bit less attractive than the second (for the GF), and in this comparison, Duvel 6.66 kept its head and handled things better. It seems full pours of both would yield similarly hazy bodies, but for my pair, regular Duvel blocks more light, while the GF's pair has Duvel 6.66 being hazier (she has the glasses pictured below, although the regular got a little bit more from the second half of a bottle to haze it up slightly)


In my previous review of 6.66, I postulated that regular Duvel would be a bit sweeter. In looking at my review of 5 years ago, I noted many things that mirrored what I got in 6.66, so I'm not so confident they'll be too different. But let's see...

Today, I'm getting a little more orchard fruit in the 6.66 nose than I did yesterday. For whatever reason, it is much more aromatic than regular Duvel this morning. In fact, I'm getting almost nothing from regular Duvel - general earthiness and a hint of green banana. Pretty disappointing first impression.

The lower ABV beer is starting like yesterday, more dry and bitter, but there isn't much sweetness following it up like yesterday. Regular Duvel is similar, but with a hint of pine. Relatively, regular Duvel has a slight fruit sweetness 6.66 isn't showing, but it's not a huge differentiation. I think I'll let them warm a bit, talk amongst yourselves...

---

Ok, I'm back. The 6.66 continues to be a little more dry and more earthy than yesterday. I did have a slightly spicy breakfast about a half hour before starting this tasting (versus having the beer before dinner last night), but also cleansed my palate with a glass of water in between. Either way, using the 6.66 as a control, my earthy perception of regular Duvel has a little context.

Warmth has opened up the nose of regular Duvel, and I am getting some banana with allusions to citrus rinds. This is definitely more to my liking. The taste continues to stay closer to the earth - dirt, wood, clove, green bell pepper, and pine needles. Carbonation is more prickly than 6.66, and its bite gives me a little white pepper vibe leading into the aftertaste.

---

I must admit, I believe I was erroneously thinking a bit more tripel-ish in my recollection of Duvel. Reading my old review and having the 6.66 yesterday sort of reset my expectations, but not as far as to meet the Belgian strong ale in my glass today. To wit, the reverse of my prediction actually ended up being today's truth - the 6.66 is perceived as a bit sweeter / less dry than regular Duvel.

That said, I think I might try this again with equally decanted beers and see if the results shift in any way. Between her two pours, the GF preferred the regular by a little bit, and knowing her, I think she'd prefer one she perceived to be the sweeter or more fruity of the two.

 

What is so special about their proprietary tap system?
Higher volume Co²?
I guess I can just look it up, but was wondering if anyone here knew.

 

Found this, it’s an interesting read: https://www.the-buyer.net/opinion/pressure-behind-duvel-on-tap/

 

Finally I'm having a Duvel. One of my favorite classics.
Not even sharing this with the the wife, since she is on dry January.


Meanwhile messing around wit ChatGPT (AI). Asked it for its notes on Duvel. Not too bad for a computer that never had a beer.

Duvel is a Belgian Strong Golden Ale with a complex and unique flavor profile. It has a golden color with a hazy appearance, and a thick and creamy white head. The aroma is a combination of fruity and spicy notes, with hints of banana and clove. The taste is crisp, dry and effervescent, with a balance of sweet and bitter flavors. The finish is long, dry and slightly warming, with a subtle alcohol presence. Duvel is a high-strength beer, it has a 8.5% ABV and should be enjoyed in moderation. It is a beer that pairs well with rich and spicy food, and it's best served in a chalice or tulip glass at around 45-50F. Overall, Duvel is an elegant, complex, and well-balanced beer that is perfect for those who enjoy a unique and satisfying taste experience.



Love the thick and long lasting head on Duvel.

Cheers

 

just checking in to say cheers! and enjoying a duvel. thanks to @FBarber for hosting.

i’ve never seen any other variants around my parts so this is it for me.

 

Love this! <3

OG Duvel in an OG glass (i think?)



appearance is slightly hazy straw yellow with tons of bubbles streaming up from the etching at the bottom. huge 3-4 finger rocky vibrant white head

smell is classic. lemon, lemongrass, and barnyard funk upfront. sweet grass and grains behind that with green apple skin and pear. huge Belgian yeast spice in here - clove and cardamom galore. earthy, herbal sweet grass and huge dry crackery notes. big esthers and yeast in this

taste = big punch of flavor upfront. green apple skin, sweet grains, and alcohol upfront. a slight funk with cloves behind that. lemongrass, pepper, and a mild earthy hoppy bitterness. sweet biscuits and red peppers behind that. the finish on this is some sweetness, along with more green apple and Belgian yeast

mouthfeel is the stronger side of medium with tonsss of carbonation

i pretty much ctrl+v'd this from my BA review because i think i still agree with it. great stuff, classic beer. cheers!

 

First time with this. A 4 pack of bottles for 16$. Seems a little pricy but the single larger bottle was 14$ so I went this route.

I’ve been chasing around local Belgian styles lately as I’ve really noticed how much I’m starting to like them so I’m excited to see how this stacks up as I’m aware this is a “classic” where this style is concerned.

Pours a cloudy straw gold. A huge white foam head emerges and stacks up almost like cappuccino foam. Lots of sticky lacing and streaming carb. Nose is lemon rind, baked white bread, some grassy notes and what seems to be a lingering bitterness. Taste starts out tart lemon with some herbal notes and transitions to a honey sweetness and finishes a baked bread/cracker. Feel is soft and nearly chewy with a good carb bite. Overall I’m very pleased with this.

As a “newb” to Belgian beers, I’m aware there is quite a range of styles that are all typically referred to under an umbrella of “Belgians”. This beer falls under the less sweet and obviously paler, easier drinking category for me despite is moderate ABV. I would say I prefer a maltier, darker, more sweet “Belgian”. Maybe in the neighborhood of a tripel or quad? Although they vary in strength and characteristics as well.

I found this an enjoyable experience nonetheless. Cheers.