Duvel Beer

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Duvel is One of my favorite beers

When I lived in Holland I used to drink Amstel beer just because I liked it better than Heineken.
Although Heineken is a huge brand in Holland and all over the world, and if I remember correctly it was the first beer I ever drank, it has never been my favorite.
Amstel and Heineken are owned by the same company but have totally different tastes.

What I think is strange is that people still call this beer although it actually is pilsner as far as I know.
Pilsner originates from the city of Pilsen in Czechia and you can still find some great pilsner there.

Okay back to the subject of what are my favorite beers.

There are so many great beers that it is hard to name one as my all-time favorite, but since I have to name one it will be Duvel.

Duvel is a beer brewed in Belgium in the Moortgat brewery since 1871.

The brewing process takes 90 days in total. You can read the whole process here.

 

90 days to brew Duvel

Duvel is a natural beer with a subtle bitterness, a refined flavor and a distinctive hop character. The unique brewing process, which takes about 90 days, guarantees a pure character, delicate effervescence and a pleasant sweet taste of alcohol.

Apart from pure spring water, which is the main ingredient of beer, barley is the most important raw material. Barley must germinate for five days in the malt house, after which malt remains. The color of the malt and as a consequence also of the beer is determined by the temperature. Duvel obtains its typical bitterness by adding various varieties of aromatic Slovenian and Czech hops. We use only exclusive hops that are renowned for their constant, outstanding quality.

Duvel ferments for the first time in tanks at 20 to 26°C. The brewer uses his own culture for this. The original yeast strain, which Victor Moortgat himself selected in the 1920’s, originates from Scotland. After maturing in storage tanks in which the beer is cooled down to -2°C, the drink is ready for bottling. Thanks to the addition of extra sugars and yeast, the beer ferments again in the bottle. This occurs in warm cellars (24°C) and takes two weeks. Then the beer is moved to cold cellars, where it continues to mature and stabilize for a further six weeks. This extra-long maturation period is unique and contributes to the refined flavour and pure taste of Duvel.

A team of beer specialists checks the process daily by means of taste analyses. It is only after 90 days, when it has achieved its rich range of flavors, that Duvel may leave the brewery.
Thanks to its surprisingly high alcohol content (8.5 %), enormous head, fine effervescence and silky smooth feel in the mouth, Duvel stands out clearly from other Belgian beers.

There are 2 Duvel beers and to be honest, I have only tasted the original

Duvel basic.

duvel-basis

Duvel triple hop

duvel-tripel-hop

On my next visit to Holland, I will try the triple hop and let you know what they taste like.
There are many other beers I like to drink and it all depends on my mood or the people I am with at that moment.
Some of my other favorite brands I will write about in another post.

Eddie McVay

Eddie McVay is a passionate home brewer and an enthusiastic amateur connoisseur, He has been crafting his beers and wines for over a decade. His journey began with a simple home brewing kit and has since evolved into a deep understanding of the intricacies of brewing. With a knack for making complex brewing techniques accessible to beginners, his articles offer a blend of practical advice, DIY tips, and insights into the art of fermentation. Read more about Eddie Mcvay here.

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