What the Devil?  Maybe you said this when you drank it.  Maybe you said, “What the deuce?”  Either way, we hope you said, “Yum!”  Here is what I thought of the beer.  When pouring the beer one cannot help but be struck by how pale and soft it looks.  It has a light/pale blond color, yet the haze in this beer makes it appear to be hiding something.  Indeed it is.  Behind its foam laced creamy white head, its constantly churning (almost shivering) body, and delicate appearance lies something heinous.

It almost had some of the “skunky” aromas that one might attribute to Heineken, but Henieken it is not.  Its 8.5% ABV eclipses the beer from Holland.  There was also a notable smell of ripe fruit, hoppy odors, and a powerful floral aroma.  One could even notice the candy sugar so typically used in Belgian beers.  Beyond this was a delicate yeast smell, which was maybe more on the nose than the lips.

When drinking the brew there is a slight but immediate bite that is a presage of things to come.  Duvel’s sweet maltiness and dryness seems to hang on for an eternity.  It is a long finish that is indicative of the long brewing process that Duvel incorporates.  If I sound over enthusiastic about this beer, it’s because I am.  I can imagine some poor and unsuspecting fool sitting down to drink this a session beer, never to be heard from again.  For all the beer’s subtleties it is crafty.  I don’t know of a drink whose appellation fits better than Duvel.  I’ve even been inspired to wax poetic (don’t take it for real or good poetry).

It is soft spoken and tricky,

Tricky to catch you in its snare,

A snare to leave you sickly,

Drinkers must beware.

Although soft and subtle,

subtlety deceives,

Watch words you may muddle,

And how much you receive.