Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat, known prominently as Duvel, was founded in 1871 by Jan-Leonard Moortgat, who was descended from a family of brewers that lived in Steenhuffel, Belgium. Their Belgian Strong Pale Ale is one of the most recognized beers in the world. This is essentially a special edition brew, which creates a Belgian Style IPA that is strikingly similar to the Pale. Normally quite expensive and a rare find, I picked this up for a relatively good price and held onto it for a while before it simply looked too good to hold on to for any longer.
Brewed on 18 May 2010, best before 18 May 2013. Poured into my trusty Duvel Tulip, this beer pours extremely similarly to Duvel. A huge bubbly, thick, ice cream like head rises quickly from the pale yellow brew. It almost looks like champagne when you pour it. Bubbles race from the etched bottom of the glass. The smell is of piney sweet hops mixed with the familiar candied sugar and Belgian yeasty smells of Duvel and make this truly a unique smell. The hops are without a doubt the focus here. The taste is not as big as I thought it would be. The front is hoppy, but certainly not a hop bomb. The middle is very Belgian, much like a Tripel or Strong Pale. The end is a bit boozy. Crisp, refreshing, everything you need for a hot summer day. I got this at a decent price, $15, for which I say this beer is probably worth it. For the $30+ I saw it for, definitely not. A good beer indeed, but not $30 for 750ml good.
Week 26: Duvel Tripel Hop, originally uploaded by RussWbeck.
