The Beeriety team is all about discovering new types of beer. That’s why we’re telling you all what we’re drinking and what we’re thinking in our new weekly segment: Beer of the Week! We’ll cover a wide variety of styles, the first of which we’re talking about today: the Duvel Belgian golden ale.

About the beer:

Brewed for the first time just after the World War I, Duvel was known at first as ‘Victory Ale’. Following its devilish nature as a Belgian strong ale (8.5% ABV), it soon became ‘Duvel’ (Dutch for devil) and has been known under that name ever since.

Brewed by the Duvel Moortgat Brewery and exported all over the world, Duvel has become a reference point for Belgian beer. It’s best served from its unique stemware, and there are good reasons behind this. The traditional tulip glass designed to release flavor, and as it narrows towards the top, it helps preserve the carbon-dioxide and the fluffy white head. To improve the glass even further, the manufacturers  engraved a ‘D’ into the inner circle of the bottom of the glass which enables further carbonation. We’ve talked about proper glassware for your beer before and it’s evident as you enjoy this beer that proper stemware plays a big part in the experience.

In 140 Characters:

Duvel is a classic Belgian style golden ale that doesn’t have too much going on, just classic flavor. Beeriety 5 out of 5: Drinker’s Choice!

Beeriety Review:

Visually, Duvel is one of the most stunning beers I’ve ever seen. The beer is pure gold with tons of carbonation and heady with clouds of foam on top. The taste is warm and definitely gets stronger as the beer goes down. It’s not overly complex, and behind the fruitiness you get in most classic Belgian styles beers is a sour taste that encourages you to drink sensibly. It’s a sipper for sure and made a great choice on a cold November night.

The look, the smell and the great mouth feel (mostly attributed to the high levels of the carbonation) all make this beer fantastic without being overcomplicated in flavor. What’s not to love about this classic Belgian? I’ve tasted more than a few Belgian beers and Duvel is indeed in a class of its own.

Beeriety Rating:

5 out of 5: Drinker’s Choice

What are you drinking? Toast a Duvel this week and tell us what else you’re drinking. Tag your Twitter updates, Tumblr posts and Flickr photos of your Beer of the Week with the #mybeer hashtag to tell us what you’re drinking!