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Duvel
 scrapes in
 decent
 good
 excellent
 sublime
Duvel, Golden Ale (Belgium) 
This was the big 75cl, Champagne-style corked bottle of Duvel. It pours a bright gold with a steady stream of bubbles. Thanks to secondary fermentation in the bottle, it has one of the most dense, lathering white heads of any beer. The nose is lovely: a crisp and fruity melange of Asian pear, cloves and wheatbeer-like yeastiness with a hint of caramel and some floral aspects. On the palate it is dense and creamy, with a strapping, hoppy bitterness and a full-bodied, chewy complexity. It has sweetness, but it does not cloy, as the full, ripe pear fruit and green streak of hops dominates. Long and carrying it's heady 8.5% ABV well, this is a delightful beer. This big bottle is �3.55 from Sainsbury's, but the 33cl size is widely available. 8.5% ABV, 33cl, �1.50 - �1.90, Asda, Booth's, Luvians, Majestic, Sainsbury's, Surf4beer, Waitrose.  |  |
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