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Sunday, 1 May 2011

a big bottle of Duvel.

Both the missus and i have been busy completing assignments for work courses, and this has eaten a bit into my posting time. As a nurse you'd think i've been learning about new wound dressings, medications, or care pathways but it was business improvement, root cause analysis and cost/benefit analysis all the way. Modern NHS huh!!


I did though manage to do a little beer shopping and quoff a few decent beers.

I think most beer people now about Duvel, either they've drunk it, read about it or seen it on a supermarket shelf somewhere. Certainly people are drinking it, the company recorded profits up a fifth last year, mostly exports.
I have had it before, but saw a tantilising 75cl bottle, corked top, it looked majestic. Sold to the man who should know better.

Its 8.5%, a golden strong Belgium beer, and pours with a lovely huge frothy white head. By the time I'd finished faffing around with my camera this had diminished a bit in this shot, but it still looks enticing i feel.

Quite carbonated but it fills your mouth smoothly and fully. Golden yellow in colour, its aroma is apple, yeast, and spicy. Its taste is citrus, a powerful but not overly powerful alcohol kick, pear too. It dries your mouth nicely, its so drinkable, and its one you should definitely try if you've never drunk one.
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4 comments:

  1. Baron Orm1 May 2011 at 22:41

    Interesting that you used the word "yeast" in the aroma as I mentioned that in mine last week and a few well-qualified guys said it should be yeasty.

    I'm wondering if there's something that I've not picked up on yet and so I place the smell with yeast where it's actually something else.

    What do you think?

    Great looking bottle BTW, was it pricey?

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  2. arn2 May 2011 at 21:23

    I sort of remember a 'yeast' aroma from my dads home brew, and we use a bread machine, so i think i can recognise it, but i could be wrong!

    I sometimes look at other reviews and wonder where people pick up aroma/flavours from, we can only say what we pick up though. I've not done any brewery tours and had the chance to smell hops or malts either.

    I saw your Vedett Extra Blond post, did you also review the normal Duvel?
    Some people criticize when others (including me) say 'bitter/hoppy/malty' rather than being really specific but if your not sure what else can you say?

    The bottle? Well it was from Waitrose so yes it was!!!
    seriously though i think it as about £4.20 but i think that was fair value for what it was.

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  3. Baron Orm2 May 2011 at 21:48

    I have reviewed normal Duvel but not posted it yet (it's in my rather full notebook at the moment).

    As for the bitter/malty/hoppy tasting notes all I can say is that most of my first years worth of baron ratings pretty much just used those words!

    Now after tasting over 500 bottled ales I can start to pick out more flavours but it's still limited to a number of words.

    All I can say is that as time goes by and you taste more and more beers your taste buds will get used to picking out certain flavours. Maybe if you are ever over in West Lancs you could pop round for a baron rating evening with Chris and I?

    I'd like to try a bottle of Duvel with someone with a much better palette than I so that they can 'walk me through' the flavours.

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  4. arn2 May 2011 at 22:15

    "I'd like to try a bottle of Duvel with someone with a much better palette than I so that they can 'walk me through' the flavours. "
    that would be ideal so many times, so many beers!

    West Lancs huh? (goes to google maps, i never took to geography you know) all the way up there! love to visit the Baron Towers if i'm ever up there! same goes for you if your down here in this welsh corner)

    (btw listening to your stout reviews as i type!)

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