Name: Duvel Belgian Pale Ale

Brewer: Duvel

Style: Belgian Pale Ale (Duh!)

Vintage: 2008

Cellared On: April 25th, 2008

Original Tasting: June 15th, 2008

Many of us beer geeks consider Duvel to be a world-class beverage fresh, and rumor is that it ages pretty well, too. Simply put, Duvel’s Pale Ale is one of those brews that every serious cellaring enthusiast needs to stash away at some point

Duvel is very pale and slightly murky in color. It’s pretty to look at, but nothing too out of the ordinary. However, the thing that really stands out with this brew is the incredible head - it’s just completely out of control. Instead of a beer I could be looking at the foam on a cappuccino or a big heap of whip cream on an ice cream sundae. It’s huge and clingy, and just doesn’t go away until you slurp it down. You can probably imagine the amazing lacing that this foam left as I drank this beer down.

Moving on, there’s a very complex smell to this brew, just as I would expect. It’s dry and malty, with an grassy straw-like quality which I assume is from the hops. Fruity esters are floating around in the background, maybe with a slight cherry quality.

Tasting Duvel, you quickly understand that understated, cereal malt flavors are the backbone of this brew. These pilsner malts are smooth and dry, with a slightly grainy quality to them. They provide a perfect tapestry for the array of other flavors floating in this beer. You’ll be sure to taste the slightly bitter hops which provide an earthy/grassy quality to the taste. This earthiness is balanced out by some zesty Belgian esters, giving Duvel with a light fruitiness and a great deal of complexity.

Very few beers can pull of this combo of light malts, fruitiness, and earthy flavors without becoming muddled in the process. The balance of this brew is a testament to its world-class reputation.

Cellar Outlook: Strong and bottle-conditioned, it’s been known to cellar well. I’m not sure it’ll get better, but I’m sure it’ll still be fun to drink.

Next Tasting: October 2008

Jason

jason@brewbasement.com

www.brewbasement.com