The Dog, The Devil, The Stones

Beer #356 Duvel / Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat, Breendonk, Belgium
Beers to go: 10

Great day today, and not just because it was Friday.  Today, we went shopping for toys, clothes, books, and other fun presents for the three kids my co-workers and I "adopted" through the Sponsor a Child holiday gift program at work.  If you're ever having a bad day, do something nice for someone else.  You'll feel better immediately.  Trust me on this one, please.  Despite having an otherwise great day, I did have a strange moment this afternoon.  Went to the grocery store and on the way in, I felt someone staring at me.  Not unusual, I'm incredibly handsome, so people are always looking at me to see what's up.  But this time, it felt.... different.

I'M LOOKING AT YOU....

Right, that explains things.  There was a giant black dog hanging out the sunroof of a Volvo, giving me the eyeball.  When you're as good looking as I am, everyone wants some, I guess.

Enough silliness, as tonight's review is Duvel, a fantastic Belgian Golden Ale from Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat. This beer shows off a pale straw color, with a white dissipating head.  The aroma is a great mix of yeast, spice, bread, and citrus, and the flavor is a wonderful concoction of green apple, spice, biscuit, yeast, and fruit.  Great dry, spicy finish.  One of the better beers I've run across this year, and quite frankly, I've run across quite a few.  Fun fact: this beer was originally known as 'Victory Ale' to commemorate the end of World War I, but was renamed 'Duvel' after a loyal drinker called the beer "a real devil", possibly due to the sneaky high 8.5% ABV.  Tastes so good, you don't even notice the high alcohol.  Marci's take on this beer can be found here, and I'm going ahead and putting this beer on the coveted Top 25 list.

Devilishly good

This brewery traces its roots back to 1871, and was family owned and operated until 1999, at which time it went public (note to self: buy some shares).  At the start of the 20th century, this brewery was one of about 4,000 in Belgium.  That may not mean much to you, until you learn that Belgium is roughly the size of the state of Maryland.  MARYLAND.  Damn, that's a lot of breweries!  Did you know that Duvel Moortgat was an original investor in Brewery Ommegang, and has since taken complete control of that operation?  Look, I usually complain about mergers and takeovers in the craft beer space, as I think it dilutes the product and takes away some of the regional significance of certain beers.  However, if mergers crank out beers such as this one and the great things Ommegang produces?  Merge and acquire away, my friends.  Merge and acquire away.

Thing to Think About Today:
Tonight we have a beer name that translates to Devil in English, so you're expecting something Hell, Satan, or underworld related to wrap this post up today.  I am nothing if not a slave to your wishes, as I'm wrapping up with Sympathy for the Devil.  And if we're doing it, we're doing it right and going back to a 1969 Hyde Park show.  And while we're on the subject - a very happy 50th Anniversary to Mick and Keith and the boys!  Yeah, the sound quality of this video isn't exactly up to modern standards, but just sit back and soak in the World's Greatest Rock and Roll Band" at the zenith of their power.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iogu_WIMUA8

"Pleased to meet you!"