Duvel 6.66

6.66 is a fine Belgian blond ale if you like the style. I am not a big fan.

Brewer's Notes: The Duvel Moortgat family brewery is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year, with a new variant of Duvel, a new mild, full-bodied blond Duvel with the alcohol percentage of 6.66%.

This Duvel is mild, expressive and deliciously drinkable. No fewer than 6 different hop varieties are used for Duvel 6.66%: just like the classic Duvel, it’s based on the noble and exclusive hop varieties Saaz and Styrian Golding. The flavour is then balanced by adding four expertly selected hop varieties to the mix, which also involves the dry-hopping method.

BeerAdvocate

Tasting Notes
November 2023: As noted, 6.66 is a fine Belgian blond ale.

Rating = 2.5 glasses.

RAGBRAI

Here are some quick notes about beers I sampled while biking with RAGBRAI, the Register Annual Great Ride Across Iowa.

New Glarus Spotted Cow
A decent saison. It was a gift from Nancy and I would have drunk a second one if it was on the table.
Rating = 3 glasses

Cross Plains Esser's Best
A decent Helles. Another gift.
Rating = 2.5 glasses

Big Grove Tailwind
Notes: Tailwind is a celebration of all things RAGBRAI® and Big Grove Brewery. We brewed this light, refreshing golden ale for the “oldest, largest, and longest recreational bicycle touring event in the world.” Relax and embrace the Tailwind.
Rating = 1.5 glasses

Big Grove Easy Eddy
Notes: Easy Eddy showcases big tropical aromatics of pineapple and mango. Flaked wheat and oats make for a brilliant golden haze in this Unfiltered IPA. Hopped with Citra, Mosaic, and Simcoe.
The other RAGBRIA beer. A decent NE IPA.
Rating = 2.5 glasses

Thanksgiving

I enjoyed three beers on Thanksgiving day: St. George Golden Ale, Southampton Saison Deluxe, and Bell's Expedition Stout. The Saison and Stout are two of my favorite beers. The Golden Ale was new. My Dad and Mom both bought beer for the meal in hopes of finding something that was new and that I would enjoy.

The Golden Ale is flavorful Blonde Ale. The body is thick and the taste is pleasant,malty, biscuity. A faint background of hops gives balance. This could be a wonderful beer to use to introduce people to craft beer. It is different but not too different from a macro lager.

The Southampton Saison was a delight but not the fantastic experience I remembered or anticipated. Maybe I rushed too quickly from the Golden Ale. The Saison is a world-class beer. It pours with a massive head. The taste is a complex medley of spices, citrus, and light hops. I think that I need to examine another bottle soon to learn more about the cause of my slight disappointment.

The Stout WAS fantastic. Sweet malt and milk and bittersweet chocolate predominate. Traces of alcohol peeked out: the alcohol clocks in at 11.5% by volume. The beer accompanied perfectly chocolate pecan pie, chocolate chess pie, and a chocolate roll that MW made. (I was eating a Thanksgiving meal.) It was also a delightful sipper after dinner.

Expedition Stout is an outstanding example of Imperial Stout. One description of Expedition Stout is that it is a black as used motor oil and twice as thick. The alcohol clocks in at 11.5% by volume. I think it is a hop monster but the hop bitterness was buried by the sweet malt in this tasting.