905. Sierra Nevada / Duvel – Hoppy Belgian-Style Golden Ale

904. Sierra Nevada / Duvel - Hoppy Belgian-Style Golden AleIt’s Sunday of Labor Day weekend and it’s sunny and hot outside. I went out to get the lawn water sprinklers ready for this evening and was ready to cool down with a beer after a little bit. This beer was part of the Beer Camp Across the World pack I received from Sierra Nevada. It’s their collaboration beer with Duvel, and the bottle says, “We’re combining elements of Duvel’s classic golden ale with Sierra Nevada’s hop-forward fanaticism to create a new beer that highlights both. The complex and fruity nature of Duvel’s signature yeast is the first thing that greets you, followed shortly by a blast of bright, citrusy hops. The beer also has a touch of lemon peel for a pop that greets the palate right at the finish of this deceptively drinkable and complex beer.”

Location: Poured from the bottle into a goblet style pint glass at my home in Bloomington, IL.

Numbers: 8% ABV, 35 IBUs, ~240 Calories

Appearance & Aroma: It is super bright golden in color, and extremely clear, with a ton of carbonation – giving it a fluffy bright white head with great retention. The aroma is a bright and floral-lemony smell.

Taste & Feel: The body was surprisingly light for such a big beer, and the mouthfeel was pretty crisp from the hops and carbonation. Up front it was a little malty with some honey sweetness and bready maltiness. In the middle, it became a little bit lemony with some floral-lemony juiciness. Those flavors grew a bit in the finish, and were joined by some bright floral-grassy and lightly spicy hop bitterness. The lemony-bitterness lasted briefly in the finish.

Food Pairing: This is a bright, light beer with a fair amount of lemony-floral hop flavors and a good bready malty base. Therefore, I think it would be good to pair with a fish dish or salad, although it might outweigh it a bit. Although it would also be great to pair with burgers or brats on the grill as well.

Overall Impression: Although this was a pretty big beer, it was light, and bright, and although it was hoppy, the hops were bright and had a great, refreshing floral-lemony flavor and bitterness. On a hot day like today, it was very easy drinking. I really enjoyed this beer and thought it was a great beer for sitting out on the deck or by the beach.

My Rating: ★★★½☆

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Author: kkozlen

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