We're going to cut to the chase on this one, it's good, really good. We'll be honest, we often pass over the regular Duvel bottles. When we're out we tend to get something on draught and when we go to the store it's generally just not on our radar. Duvel Green is a totally new beer though. Think of Duvel Green as the cousin of Duvel, while related there's a lot of differences. Duvel Green was made specifically for the US market. Now many times we hear that we get scared, but there's no need in this case. Duvel green is a draught only product with a lower abv (6.8%).
We went to Sunset Grill and Tap in Allston, MA for a special release party for this beer. In addition to having Duvel Green on tap they also had a special menu prepared for us to sample. Anyone who follows us knows we're huge fans of beer pairing. This was a great way to really see what this beer had to offer. We tried the Duvel Green on it's own first. It was hot outside and we really wanted something refreshing...this fit that bill. While 6.8% is not a low ABV the beer drinks like it's less and the alcohol does not come through. The mouthfeel is light and the malts are delicate and not a bit heavy or cloying. Subtle hop notes finish the beer with a nice bitterness that doesn't wear on the pallet. In short it's pretty delicious.
We decided to do a side by side comparison of Duvel and Duvel Green. Just smelling each beer you can tell there's a difference. Duvel packed a sweet belgian aroma with hints of alcohol while Duvel Green released spicy hints of the yeast and hop notes. On taste the Duvel has a much slicker mouthfeel which coats your tongue. Prominent sweet malts combine with a bit of booze and yeast.
Sunset is offering a wide range of foods but we'd recommend a couple dishes to try these beers with. There's a great appetizer of mussels that pairs perfectly with the Duvel Green. The sweetness of the mussels combines perfectly with the light hops of the beer. We could eat/drink this combo all night. On the entree side of things there was a ravioli stuffed with goat cheese, ham and caramelized onions. While this dish was supposed to pair with Duvel Green we found Duvel a much better fit. This dish has a rich cream sauce and sweet filing from the caramelized onion. While the Duvel Green helps cut some of the heaviness and sweetness regular Duvel creates a rich amazing sweetness. The malts sweeten the cream sauce while bringing out subtle flavors in the onions and goat cheese. The fat in the cream sauce helps balance the alcohol and create and extremely balanced pairing.
We'd definitely recommend giving this beer a try. When you do let us know what you think!
Very nice write up, like the comparisons with Duval, which I agree isn't something I'm usually thinking of buying. Sounds like a nice event with the food and all.!!