Duvel Rustica Launches w/Meet The Brewer Event 11/14 (Phil Leinhart)

Duvel Rustica is 8.5% ABV brewed with fine pils malts and noble Styrian Golding hops from Slovenia. This collaboration captures the delicate balance of the classic Duvel Belgian Golden Ale – one of the world’s most exalted beers – and adds a touch of the typical rustic fruitiness enhancing every Ommegang ale. This distinctive touch is created by using Ommegang’s proprietary yeast for primary fermentation. The secondary fermentation yeast is also quite interesting, but remains secret.

“In Belgium, Duvel is brewed with simple ingredients, yet is a marvelously complex beer that’s never been convincingly duplicated. So, instead of trying to duplicate it, we imagined a charmingly rustic Duvel, brewed in our farmstead brewery in upstate New York,” says Phil. “Our idea was to embrace all the distinctive qualities of Duvel, yet bring our own craft-brewing skills to the beer. We honored Duvel’s essence while adding a light touch of Ommegang’s signature yeast-driven fruitiness to the flavors and aromas. To our taste, Duvel Rustica is the ultimate of brewing collaborations.”

Hedwig Neven, brew master of Duvel in Belgium, says, “Phil and I dreamed, talked and tasted together all along the way…and I’m proud and delighted with Duvel Rustica, the new American cousin of Duvel.”