Updated notes 01/18/23 (pictured)

The 2022/23 version is advertised as 10% on the bottle, the original being 11. The appearance is exactly as notes below. Great golden clarity with a fizzy head that fades to nothing very quickly.

The nose is VERY strong immediately – noticeably so. Plenty of alcoholic, Belgian yeast based fruit and sweetness. I do still like this beer, but it seems a little one-dimensional to me now. The tastes are similar to what I remember, but the body now seems thinner to me, and it definitely lacks much presence in the mouth. The flavor profile remains intensely Belgian Strong Pale. Ester based yeasty, fruit notes everywhere.

I have no idea if this was ever supposed to be a Duvel-like/Duvel-clone and of course it’s too high an ABV for that, but one of the easiest ways to describe this would be as a amped up version with a thinner mouthfeel that is quite a bit sweeter.

Original notes 03/08/2008

Thanks to BA Rustydiamond for sharing his recent South Bay Drugs shipment and allowing me to piggyback on his order. 750 mL capped bottle with some thick, red foil on the neck.

Poured this bad boy into the Duvel tulip. Golden body with a decent head. The head was not huge, nor did it last a long time or produce much lace, but considering the ABV not that surprising. ABV means I still score it high for look.

Aroma and taste match very well. Belgian yeast notes, candied sugar, alcohol and spice. A touch of citrus and a sweetness that is really quite high – luckily I love that. Alcohol is superbly balanced. It kicks in and does the job, but is VERY balanced considering the 11%. Very well made brew. Coriander is beautifully balanced and gives a sweet and sour effect to the brew.

A special beer. Hits a number of my sweet spots. It won’t be for everyone, but for me this is close to perfect.