DUVEL TRIPLE HOP (2012)
Origin: Belgium
Type: Golden Ale
Color: Straw colored
Alcohol content: 9,5%
Recommended serving temperature: 10ºC/50ºF
Brewery: Duvel Moortgat
Webpage: http://www.duvel.be/#/us/en/duvel_tripel_hop
I will start by saying that if you have not tried the original Duvel, I heartily recommend that you do (although for now, reading the post on it is a good start of course) as this post is written largely by comparison to the original.
I only tried this beer about a month ago (for this I am extremely ashamed), long after the 2012 edition, brewed with the beautifully aromatic Citra hops, first came out.
It was the first of a pretty long succession of beers I had with some friends, and the only one we all ordered... and we all quickly fell in love with it.
The first thing that struck me in its appearance was the difference in color as compared to the original Duvel. The Tripel Hop is much paler, a straw color with a little bit of haze that reminds of witbiers. On closer inspection, the foam is also a bit different. It still has an impressive amount of it, and it is still dense, but I feel like it is softer and more creamy than the slightly champagney foam of the original.
However, the thing that you notice the most overall upon opening the bottle, and even more when pouring it, is the incredibly hoppy smell it gives out. I do not think I am exaggerating if I say it is probably the smelliest beer I have ever poured. Of course, not in a bad way at all. If it shocks you less, let me change the term "smelly" for "aromatic". It is the most aromatic beer I have ever had the pleasure of pouring.
It is very hoppy, but still pleasantly citrusy and bitter (albeit maybe not as overpoweringly, maybe a bit more fruity), making the aroma more dense and complete.
The taste is, in short, (I am sorry for the less descriptive and more unabashedly celebratory terminology, but I do feel it is warranted) just divine. It is less bitter than one would expect from the smell it gives out, it is more full-bodied than the original and is mostly dominated by herbs, citrus... and peach, passion fruit or some other juicy tropical fruit, which I cannot really put my finger on exactly. This makes it a very refreshing beer to drink, fantastic in moments of deep thirst, and almost ideal for the hot weather... were it not for the fact that, yes, it is 9.5% ABV.
In the way of a true deity, as if it were an omnipotent being which controls your destiny and designs, the freshness it giveth, it taketh away. At least I'm guessing, as I have not yet been able to test it as fearlessly as I did with the original. I will say this, it does look to have potential.
From mere observation of the scene, it does not seem to be a beer to be taken lightly. I have said that it was the first beer of several rounds. What I have not said is that this is a group of reasonably heavy beer drinkers, who enjoy the stronger brews. The fact is that were it because of the haste at which we drank it, joyfully and enamored by its taste, or because of its strength, we all felt the freshness leaving us and, out of a bit of a sense of (I concede) panic, some snacks started appearing here and there ahead of the remaining rounds.
It may very well be that we are getting older, that we do not have the same resilience as we once had, that we turn and run shrieking at the sight of alcohol like a young school girl at the sight of a naked school boy... but I wish I had had the experience and presence of mind years ago to order a snack or two with the original Duvel. Might have been able to have a couple more that night.
Precisely more is exactly what the fantastic Tripel Hop leaves you craving, none of the beers I had after it that day being able to quite match such discovery. I am already secretly plotting a large order before this limited edition runs out, and I would suggest you do the same.
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