Belgian Blond Strong Ale Brewed by: Duvel MoortgatCountry: BelgiumStyle: Belgian Strong AleColor: GoldenABV: 8.5%Ratebeer.com rating: 97BeerAdvocate.com rating: 94 The flagship of the Duvel Moortgat Brewery, Duvel ("Devil" in English) is a Belgian Strong Blond Ale top fermented with a distinctive yeast strain selected originally in the 1920s and still cultured and used today.Uniquely bottle conditioned in a process that takes three months, the brew is pale golden in color with a full creamy head.Aromas include citrus, apple, bananas and hops with refreshing and robust flavor notes of pale malts, fruity esters and subtle spice.A silky smooth mouth-feel and dry finish help conceal a truly "devilish" 8.5% ABV. Brewery Information: The Duvel Moortgat Brewery was founded in 1871 by husband and wife Jan-Leonard Moortgat and Maria de Bock. Their brewery farm joined an already crowded brewers market (some 4000 distinct breweries existed in Belgium at the time) but hard work, tenacity, and the brewer's craft evident in their top-fermented ales enabled them to build a loyal customer base.By the turn of the 20th century, the brewery's reputation for quality was firmly established and it had become a family enterprise as sons Albert and Victor joined the business.The end of the First World War saw the introduction of "Victory Ale," a beer whose recipe was modeled after great English ales of the time; soon renamed "Duvel," the brew became a sensation locally and then internationally, and remains to this day the brewery's flagship ale.Still overseen by a fourth generation of the Moortgat clan, Duvel Moortgat today is an international brand with presences in Belgium, the Czech Republic, and the United States, and distribution worldwide.
