Lucifer Belgian Golden Ale
Posted by simonpo on June 16, 2008
Not quite as devilish as one would hope for, but the first mouthful of Brouwerij Riva‘s Lucifer has a spicy kick that catches at the back of your throat and lets you know this is one decent bottle of beer. In the glass it’s a vivacious little thing, a dirty blonde ale with a whallop of carbonation from the secondary fermentation that really tickles at first but soon settles down as you work your way through it.
Winner of a World Beer Cup Gold in 2004, it’s pretty yeasty on the nose (in a good way) and served very cold it manages to hide some of the high ABV so the alcohol doesn’t overpower the light notes of fruit (apples?) and a certain spicy hoppiness that gets stronger as it warms up. Refreshing and strong, it’s a good combination and one I’ll be back to in the future.
Of coruse, the obvious question is “how does this stack up against Duvel?” – and right now, I really don’t have an answer. I like them both, but in different ways… perhaps that’s another idea for a comparative tasting 
JBB6 Rating: Will Buy Again
