A new Duvel to celebrate a birthday
The Duvel Moortgat brewery in Breendonk, in the province of Antwerp, was founded in 1871. To make sure that this 150th anniversary does not go unnoticed, the brewer has decided to mark the occasion by launching a new blond beer that is aromatic, sweet, balanced and diabolical... with an alcohol content of 6.66%.
The lower alcohol content is not the only difference between the newcomer and its older counterpart launched in 1923, which is 8.5% and famous for its bitterness. The 666 is smooth, expressive and very easy to drink. No fewer than six different hop varieties are used in its preparation. As with the classic Duvel, the noble and exclusive Saaz and Styrian Golding hop varieties form its basis and are balanced by four other hop varieties selected carefully, including by using the dry-hopping technique. Since 666 is considered to be the “number of the Beast” in the Book of Revelation of John, there is probably no reason to believe that it is a coincidence when considering that Duvel means devil.
Let's hope the newcomer is as successful as the classic Duvel, which was voted best beer from among 2,200 competitors from over fifty countries at the prestigious World Beer Awards 2020.