Duvel Tasting: January 27-29

@FBarber - Here's a conveniently optional and completely inconvenient mission for you. (Those are the best kind.) If you somehow find yourself at Firkin in Libertyville before the 29th, it appears that they have regular Duvel on tap there waiting for your imbibement, investigation and consideration. I was at first skeptical of the claim since I couldn't recall if anyone in the USA had the specially developed draft setup capable of accommodating regular Duvel, but it looks like it's legit (and unlike the bars serving Duvel Green, or Single, etc. and simply calling it "Duvel").

In Oct 2019, there was a news story that Taste of Belgium in Cincinnati (OTR location) became the 5th US bar with the draft system. A current look at their beer list has Duvel in bottles and not on draft. Did they retire the draft system? Maybe it wasn't worth the effort. If anybody has a list of the US bars with the system (current or former), please share it here.

@steveh

 

Who you suppose investigated for him?

But alas, it's January.

*And I just checked -- no growler fills of Duvel.

Prolly that tapper @zid

 

Chris, I do not have a "list" but...

Do you ever travel to Brooklyn? According to the Beer Menus website Duvel is available on draft at the Bean Post Pub.

https://www.beermenus.com/places/1269-bean-post-pub

If you get a draft glass of Duvel please let us know what you think.

Cheers!

 

Jack, there are an infinite number of things I don't understand... and your trust in the accuracy of BeerMenus will forever be one of those things. (I mean that in a friendly way of course - just teasing you.) I bet it's Duvel Single and I am not going to visit them to find out.

 

And in communication with you I am always clear, ergo: "According to..."

Cheers!

P.S. And there is no absolute need for you to "visit". I am confident that you own a phone and know how to place phone calls.

 

Great timing my last beer haul included a 4 pack of "regular" Duvel, mostly for my wife. Don't get me wrong, I love Duvel too, but I have plenty of other brews to enjoy that she is not that found of. Happy wife...

 

IIRC, my first beer in Ghent was a Duvel — at an outdoor cafe on a sunny afternoon. I choose to believe the light struck beer added a special skunkiness. Very enjoyable.

I have a past best-by bottle or two in the cellar I’ll finish off during this tasting in some PGW.

 

Thanks for organizing the tasting @FBarber ! Will attempt to pick up three singles from Beer on the Wall tomorrow. And thanks @thebeers for mentioning the best by date Duvel uses, so people do not get confused at the store (hey, this beer (32 month old beer) is only two months old!).

Based on the latest thread I could locate (2016), Duvel uses a 30 month window for their best buy dating on their standard release.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/duvel-expiry-date.229015/#post-2991226

 

Why 3 singles instead of a 4 pack?

 

I should have clarified, three different Duvel beers.

I am trying to avoid buying more 4-6 packs until I am able to work through a good portion of the beer I have in the refrigerator and cellar. Assuming they are within code, the three planned singles are:

https://wehavegreatbeer.square.site/s/search?q=duvel

• Friday: Duvel
• Saturday: Duvel Vedett Extra White
• Sunday: Duvel 6.66%

The planned Saturday and Sunday beers are new to me. The Beer Temple is my backup plan if any of the three are past best buy dates, but I'll have to buy a four pack going that route. The Beer Temple also has the single fermented version and Duvel's Triple Hop offering.

 

Good excuse to revisit this classic

 

Got myself a pack of the OG, this will be my first time in 15 years with this one.

 

Out here in the sticks "this weekend" would be the 21st and 22nd. What am I missing?

 

Whew! I was planning to head out this weekend to find some bottles of these beers and thought maybe I suddenly had no time to shop. Thanks.

 

Thanks to @slander 's help, it looks like BXL Zoute in New York City has genuine draft (pun unintended ) Duvel.

 

That's surprising.

 

I feel like I often have to remind myself about the Citra. From the brewer:

 

Whoa!

This is the first I heard about this version. From web searching:

“Duvel Barrel Aged Irish Whiskey Edition will be available from the end of October 2022. And because the experience and the beer are so unique, the beer comes in a special gift box.”



I have not seen this beer at any of my local beer retailers.

I look forward to reading your thoughts on this beer.

Cheers!

 

...got the plain Jane Duvel, have a bottle of the Irish Whiskey barrel aged, so looking forward to this weekend...

 

One of my favourite beers but alas, they are all old and sitting on warm shelves. I found out the hard way.

 

Lucky you!

Duvel is very pricey at my local beer retailers.

Cheers!

 

I too can find it at my local Supermarket (Wegmans):




$17.99 /ea
4 x 11.2 fl oz ($4.50/ea)

Needless to say but $4.50 > 2€ (unfortunately ).

Cheers!

 

I may snag one for the weekend. It's not a style I reach for often, but that doesn't stop me from recognizing it's near perfection whenever I go for it.

I think it's about $5 for a single, maybe cheaper if you go for one of the 4 packs. But considering what it is, and what else is available in that ~45cent/oz range, it always strikes me as a decent deal.

 

OK, OK !
My New Years Resolution was not to buy any ales until after Valentines Day.
But since you've started a thread to commemorate Duvel's leadership, I have to participate. My major obstacle is my cellar is empty of Duvel and have only a few from its subsidiary brewers. Such is the price of being a fan of Duvel's management style.
However to support my good friend FBarber (whom I know only via BA despite living in the same town for decades), I will go out and buy some Duvel just so I can participate.
In the meantime, see you on the 27th !