Iconic Duvel

In 1871, Jan Leonard Moortgat founded Brouwerij Moortgat in the village of Breendonk, Belgium. The brewery has been owned and operated by the Moortgat family ever since, and is known today as Duvel-Moortgat, and it produces one of the most iconic beers in Belgium.

In 1918, Moortgat produced a dark strong ale called Victory Ale, to celebrate the end of World War One. The beer’s name was changed to Duvel in 1923. The Duvel name is Flemish for “Devil” and it is pronounced “DOO-vul” not “Doo-VELLE. Apparently, a beer taster at an event remarked “This is a real Devil of a beer” and the name stuck.

Why “The Devil?”

While the beer looks like a mild-mannered Pilsner, Duvel comes in at a substantial 8.5% ABV. What really makes it devilish, though, is how well it hides its alcohol. It is easy drinking and quite deceptive in strength, which catches many drinkers unawares.

Evolution

The Duvel we know today is a far cry from Victory Ale. Until the 1960s, Duvel was a darker beer. Around that time, the brewery hired renowned beer scientist Jean De Clerk to refine the Duvel yeast to be cleaner and purer. As paler beers were in fashion at the time, De Clerk also re-engineered Duvel to be a blonde beer and the version we know today was introduced in 1970. It became the first Belgian Strong Golden Ale – combining the fermentation character and maltiness of a Tripel with the dryness and drinkability of a Pilsner. Duvel also introduced its iconic tulip-shaped glass at the same time. The style took off. By the 1990s, Duvel was experiencing considerable growth and was starting to attain icon status.

During that time, Duvel-Moortgat began to diversify its portfolio of beers so that it would be less dependent on the Duvel brand. It had acquired the Maredsous line of Abbey ales in the early sixties and proceeded over the next two decades to acquire Achouffe, De Koninck and Liefmans in Belgium, Bernard in the Czech Republic, Birrificio del Ducato in Italy, and Ommegang, Boulevard and Firestone Walker in the United States. These acquisitions, combined with an aggressive international strategy, have made Duvel Moortgat the global powerhouse it is today. By 2019, Duvel Moortgat had consolidated sales of $553 million, production of 2.2 million hectoliters, and employed over 2,000 people.

Duvel – The Beer

Duvel has three defining characteristics: 1) It is very pale, 2) It has a unique fermentation and flavor profile and 3) It is highly carbonated. The pale blonde color is attractive to beer drinkers and Duvel works hard to keep it as pale as possible (only 3 SRM) by reducing the time the beer sits at higher temperatures, which can darken it. The fermentation profile makes Duvel one of the driest beers in its alcohol range (finishing at just 1.2 degrees Plato), contributing to its superb drinkability. Duvel is often described as clean, pure or neutral, and fermentation/conditioning techniques enable this. Its high carbonation (4.3 volumes of CO2) gives the beer a distinct carbonic “bite,” a huge rocky head of foam, and a refreshing Champagne-like sparkling quality. It is naturally carbonated in the bottle, which produces a more pleasing style of carbonation that is less bloating than force-carbonated beers.

Simplicity

Duvel is made from basic ingredients: fermentables are Pilsner malt and liquid dextrose (corn sugar) which is added as the beer is pumped into the primary fermenter. Hops are Saaz and Styrian Goldings, and the yeast is a proprietary strain that is said to have originated in William McEwan’s Fountain Brewery in Edinburgh, Scotland. Despite the simplicity of the ingredients, Duvel’s uniqueness comes from its fermentation, re-fermentation and conditioning techniques.

Fermentation and Conditioning

After Duvel is brewed, it gets four days of primary fermentation at 69, 75 and 79 degrees Fahrenheit. Then the brew is dropped to just below freezing (30ºF) for three weeks to mature. After this, it is centrifuged and primed with sugar and the original yeast before bottling. After bottling, it is stored at 72ºF for two weeks, where it re-ferments in the bottle, which carbonates the beer. Finally, it is cold conditioned at around 40ºF for six weeks before its release. The whole process takes about 90 days start-to-finish. This is considerably longer than most Belgian ales. On the side of the Duvel brewery, the inscription reads “SSST . . . Hier Rupt Den Duvel” (Shhh . . . Here Rests the Devil), an allusion to the beer’s long conditioning period. Duvel is sold fresh and many aficionados age it further at home for three to four months. It is best served at 45ºF or at cellar temperature (55ºF).

Duvel’s crisp spiciness, subtle complexity and massive white head are the trademarks of one of the world’s truly great beers. It has a firm body, a dry fresh crispness, high carbonation, distinctive grassy hop aromas and flavors, and citrus, honey, herbal and fruity yeast notes that are reminiscent of apples and pears. It is a beautifully balanced and finely crafted beer that does a very good job of hiding it 8.5% alcohol.

The Duvel Product Line

While Duvel (8.5% ABV) remains the brewery’s flagship beer, there are now other beers in the product line. Duvel Triple Hop (9.5% ABV) was introduced in 2010 and, in addition to the Saaz and Styrian Goldings hops, it was dry-hopped with American Amarillo hops. Popular demand resulted in it being brewed again in 2012, this time with Citra hops. Since then, it has been brewed with Sorachi Ace (2013), Mosaic (2014), Equinox (2015), HBC 291 (2016), Citra (2017-2021), and Cashmere (2019-2021). These beers can be considered Belgian IPAs. In 2018 Duvel introduced its Single-Fermented Belgian Golden Ale (6.8%) and in 2021, to celebrate its 150th anniversary, Duvel 666 (6.66% ABV), brewed with six different hops, was released. And, since 2017, Duvel has released a barrel-aged ale (11.5% ABV), finished in bourbon or rum casks. Overall, a pretty impressive lineup!

Bruz Diablo Colorado

Strong Golden Ales in general have become the “bad boys” of Belgian beers. With the style’s originator named “Devil,” other breweries making similar beers typically name their brews after demons, pirates and various wicked entities to associate themselves with the style and to reinforce their “badass” images. Some good examples of Belgian Strong Golden Ales include: Satan, Lucifer, Judas, Piraat (pirate), Brigand (highwayman), Omer, Deugniet (Rascal), Sloeber (Joker), Delirium Tremens (complete with pink elephants) and Hapkin.

While Trappist and Abbey Tripels have a religious persona, Strong Golden ales have a more wicked image. That has carried over to a number of American craft breweries that are making Strong Golden Ales in the Belgian tradition. At Bruz, our Diablo Colorado (“Colorful Devil” in Spanish) is one of our flagship brands and a fan favorite. It is made with all Colorado ingredients and is the base beer for specialties like Diablope (Rocky Ford cantaloupes), Diablo Fuego (Pueblo chile peppers) and Diablo Mandarina (tangerines).

For many (myself included), Belgian-style Strong Golden Ales represent the perfect combination of flavor, drinkability, balance and complexity that Belgian beers are famous for. For us, Duvel remains the standard we all shoot for!