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Duvel Triple Hop by Willard Clarke, 12/07 Belgian brewer Duvel has broken the �10 barrier for a bottle of beer by launching limited offering of 1,500 bottles of 'Duvel Triple Hop' in the UK. This 9.5% abv limited edition ale is a high-hopped variant of Duvel's regular 8.5% brew, and will be available exclusively to Sainsbury's from as long as stocks last, priced at �12.99 per 75cl bottle. Brewed on the 1st August 2007, Duvel's Chief Executive Officer, Michel Moortgat, says "We were inspired by an old advert for 'Moortgat Hop Beer', and the latest hop beer from our sister brewery Chouffe, so we experimented with adding more hops to Duvel. We liked the beer so much that we decided to bottle it as a one-off so that we could share that moment of enjoyment with real beer-lovers."      Hedwig Neven, Master Brewer at Duvel Moortgat, says: "The hops impart their specific aroma and flavours to the beer. For the brewing of Duvel Triple Hop, we selected three prestigious varieties of hops: Saaz from the Czech Republic, Styrian Golding from Slovenia and Amarillo from the United States. We also use the 'dry-hopping' technique, which consists, in addition to conventional hopping, of adding additional hop cones at a later stage. That makes the character of the beer very special: a rich range of impressions on the palate, additional hop flavours and - the most perceptible characteristic - a pervasive zesty bitterness." Duvel, Triple Hop (Belgium) Presented in a very smart box as a 75cl Champagne-style bottle, the beer bears a 'best before' date of June 2010. The beer is very much being touted as a collector's item, and I see there's already one on ebay with bids standing at �22! And the beer? It pours a fairly light golden colour with a huge, high rise white head. The nose is extremely powerful, soaring from the glass with plenty of clove and coriander seed spice, touches of banana and spearmint, and a grassy background note. It strikes the palate in a thick, creamy stream, with an initial burst of sweetness quickly swept aside by a powerful, bitter hop presence. On the mid-palate this is really chewy and dense, with citrus and spice notes and that sweetness lying just beneath. This is a very substantial beer, but the hops regain control of the finish adding a cleansing bitterness. Very fine stuff this, and worth seeking out. 9.5% ABV, 75cl, �12.99, Sainsbury's.

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