Import Friday – Duvel

Duvel is kinda of a famous beer. For all the right reasons too.

Following the first World War Scottish styled beers were popular in Belgium. Brouwerij Moortgat (now Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat) was brewing a scotch style ale with yeast bought from McEwans, in Scotland. At the same time the Pilsnerfication of Belgium was starting to happen. To combat it Moortgat decided to brew a strong golden ale with their they bought from McEwans. During the first tasting of it someone described the beer as “nen echten duvel” (a real devil in Brabantian). Duvel was born.

I saw the glass and four pack for sale at the Jasper Liquor Store and I had to have it. The glass is large and beautiful, much like the beer. It’s bright golden, with the stylized etched ‘D’ on the bottom of the glass providing a constant stream of bubbles to feed to the bright white, monsterous, chunky, clinging head. The nose is floral hops mingled with bready malt and yeast with light spices poking through. On the tongue you get an extremely well balanced beer. Bready malt, banana, yeasty, sweet, light spices poking at the tongue, all while the hops whisper sweet nothings to your uvula. This effervescent beer is deceptively drinkable for 8.5%. The whole four pack would have been gone if I wasn’t so careful.

Rating: Great.
Style: Belgian Golden Ale
ABV: 8.5%
Serving Temp: 6ºC
Website: http://www.duvel.be
BCL: N/A