Duvel Tasting: January 27-29

Ok, for this morning's breakfast beer(s) while listening to music with the final round replay of the Farmer's Insurance Open I decided to follow up on my previous post comparing regular Duvel with the 6.66% version. I poured about half a bottle of each into Duvel-esque glasses, noting that this third bottle of classic Duvel was not as over-carbonated as the previous two, though some foam did breach the bottle's containment (similar but slightly more than what you see in @beergoot's photo near the top of the page).

Notes from this comparison:

• Regular Duvel is more "white" in both body and head, 6.66% is a little more golden and less "matte" looking to me; both have a light haze with 6.66% being a little more light-obscuring.
  
• Regular Duvel smells more fruity and less earthy than I perceived yesterday. This holds when compared to 6.66%, which has the grassy note I got in my first review for this thread.
• Regular Duvel is still a bit more prickly in carbonation; it also feel lighter to me by a skosh; I can't decide which is drier, so I'll call that equal.
• Regular Duvel is providing much less pine and more citrus peel to me compared to yesterday. The 6.66% version is pretty consistent with yesterday's tasting notes.

Overall, I am enjoying this less explosive, decanted regular Duvel considerably more than yesterday's version. I'd probably take the 6.66% just ahead of it if offered the choice, but wouldn't mind much if I had to leave the choice to someone else. The GF, having them blind, said, "I think I like the [6.66%] more, though they pretty much them same."

 

Well I got to enjoy multiple Belgian beers this weekend (pale , strong , dark)
this is the updated re-review
Brouwerij Moortgat NV 'Duvel' @ 8.5% , served from a 330 ml bottle
A-pour is a light pale gold from the bottle to a hazy pale gold in the glass with a medium size fluffy white head leaving a streaky lace along the chalice/goblet
S-Belgium yeast
T-classic strong Belgian golden ale with a spicy/bitter swallow
MF-mild carbonation , feels full bodied
Ov-original review (April20/2016) ok/good beer , not my favourite in the style
prost LampertLand

 

Unexpectedly had to work this weekend, but sneaking in a Duvel. Cheers!

 

Triple Hop Citra - “Devilish Citra IPA”



The head is nothing like the OG, or the Pail Ale. Color, clarity, and the column of carbonation rising from the nucleation etching are similar to the OG. The initial aroma was disappointing, however, after a few minutes it takes on perfumed hops and the yeasty aroma that is a hallmark of Duvel. The flavor is more bitter and clearly more hop forward than the OG. Again, this is of the same lineage in other flavor respects. A long finish that holds one’s attention, slightly astringent, slightly citrus, lots of celery. Medium body, and highly effervescent, it has the texture acrylic batting. The presence o& alcohol is as expected.

The other three bottles of these beers (OG, Pale Ale, BIPA) will all be enjoyed while decompressing after work. However, HANDS DOWN, the OG reigns supreme in my mind.

A big thanks to @FBarber, for this tasting event (and all the work you put n for BA), and to everyone who shared along.

***EDIT ***
@beergoot “Duvel Barrel Aged Irish Whiskey Edition”. That is one I was hoping to snag. Me yes are open for it in the future. (Said with not my best Irish accent) ;-)

 

I picked up Duvel 666 for the tasting, didn't see any other interesting variations.



I poured the beer into the standard Duvel glass, the pour yields a big white head that reaches the top of the oversized glass, the color is a light yellow. The smell is Belgian yeast, apple and aromatic hops. The taste is of apple and a familiar Belgian yeast, none of which is very strong. The mouthfeel is light carbonation, which may be produced by the heavy pour. Overall this is a tasty variation of the original. that's easier drinking but still satisfying.

4.28/5 rDev +6.2% | Average: 4.03
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

 

What a wonderful beer.

 

Duvel Tripel Hop Citra ~ Belgian IPA

I am not much up for reviewing at the moment BA but since I have this here Duvel beer on hand and ye ol' Duvel glass we shall improvise. The brewery describes this beer as being deliciously aromatic and refreshing with notes of agrum. Now after doing some searching on wth agrum exactly is I would have to agree. There is a very perfume like grapefruit essence to this beer that makes it unique from any other. To me this showcases the Citra hop with a very fine lens.

"In 2007 the brewers at Duvel started innovating with a third hop variety to give Duvel a surprising twist and some extra bitterness. Six Tripel Hops later, in 2016, Duvel went in search of the ultimate Duvel Tripel Hop. More than 5,000 fans tasted and voted, and Citra was clearly the favorite. The Duvel Tripel Hop with citra not only won a gold medal at the Brussels Beer Challenge, it was also awarded the consumer trophy at the Zythos Beer Festival."

Cheers

 

Joining the party at the last minute. I was inspired by another strong Belgian blond ale in the fridge and decided to do a little side by side.

The home team - classic Duvel vs the combatively labeled outsider - K-O Blond Ale


Going into this, I don't actually expect these two beers to be especially similar. But I think it will be a fun experience of how flippantly Belgian brewers treat "styles".

Duvel is a sleeper favorite of mine, I don't grab it often but whenever I do I am amazed at how crisp and bright it is.

K-O is the jewel of the lockdowns for me. I supported my favorite bottle shop by having him fill me up a box of $100 worth of beer once a month. I tried lots of cool stuff i wouldn't usually reach for, but this bad ass blond ale was the standout and one that I still revisit from time to time.

Out of the gate, they look much different. Firstly, the duvel appears to be so metallic that it is nearly a mirror finish! I kid, I kid. I figured we had enough pics of the beer on this thread and I only have two goblets and one is mirrored. That said, the KO is a deeper amber and the Duvel has a much more impressive head.

My family is just coming through a congestion type head cold thing and my nose is pretty much useless right now. So we'll call it a wash.

Flavor wise, these beers are more similar than I expected. I can actually see them easily as family members. Cousins easily, maybe even siblings. Duvel is bright, with a lemony note and some sage. KO is fuller and softer, there's a similar herbaceous note that leads itself into a rich yeasty Belgian character.

There's a phenolic character they have in common, there's a savory herbaceous note they have in common, there's a wonderful soft white bread malt note they have in common. The dna of a "Belgian blond" are unmistakably present in these two beers. While Duvel takes that back bone and drives it into the bright, citrus peel realm, almost reminding me of a modern American hoppy beer. K-O goes the other way and drives that framework into union with the rich malt flavors that European brewers seem to have a real knack for drawing out in their beers.

I was inspired by that last paragraph to blend the last bits of these two beers together. There's a nice balance to the blend (nearish to 50/50) but the aftertaste ends up harshly bitter. In the end, they're two beautifully made Belgian blonds. I think that duvel might be the one I'll reach for more often, but KO scratches an itch that I do get from time to time.

Thanks for the inspiration @FBarber! Always nice to revisit Duvel. And this side by side was a nice treat.