Duvel 'Tripel Hop' Special Edition Belgian Golden Ale 2014. 9.5% abv. Pale lemon color. Hazy. Two fingers of bubbly head. Good retention, fair lace. Nose of bright tropical, pineapple, grapefruit, floral spice notes. Front taste of pine, abundant floral hops, bitter citrus rind. Aftertaste is tall bitter floral hops, grapefruit, white bread, white wine, dry finish. Medium body. Mouthfeel is warm-hot, juicy, resiny, tangy, hop sting on the back of the tongue.
This is a wonderful little big beer, a golden ale with a bushel of floral citrus hops in every sip. The aroma is an overflowing garden of flowers, tropical fruits, and fresh hops. The taste is juicy and bittersweet throughout, with the hop bill leading you every moment.
I had the 2014 special edition, a full two years from its bottling. Hoppy brews are normally not meant to be aged, and so I'm curious how this would taste closer to birth. Nevertheless, it was an excellent beer all around, one that makes me want to try the younger years. Highly recommended.
From the brewery:
"For this 2014 edition, our brewers have selected Mosaic. This new U.S. hop variety enhances the beer with a tangerine sweetness, hints of tropical fruit, and an interesting blueberry flavor."
[source: bottle]
"Duvel is traditionally brewed with two hop varieties. Duvel Tripel Hop is brewed with three hop varieties and each year the third hop is changed to provide its own unique taste and aroma. This keeps the final flavor profile surprisingly exciting for any true beer lover. For 2016 our brewers selected HBC 291 from the Yakima Valley in the USA. By using three instead of two hop varieties to brew, we obtain additional hop aromas and an increased bitterness. The typical Duvel palate is enriched with HBC 291 hops providing fresh notes of citrus, black pepper, lavender and roses. HBC 291 hops are added again during ‘dry-hopping’, extracting additional hop aromas into the beer. The higher aromatic intensity rounds out the beer, backing the final alcohol content of 9.5%."
[source: duvel.com]
Nice write-up...Cheers!
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