Verhaeghe Duchesse De Bourgogne

Brewed by Verhaeghe
Style: Sour Ale
Vichte, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium

This was the only rating I ever deleted. I had this, well probably just about 5 years ago. At that time I could have sworn I had my first experience with a spoiled beer. Straight up I though there is no way in the world a beer is meant to taste the way that one did. And I rated it accordingly, really badly. A little while afterwords I erased the rating thinking it was unfair to rate a bad bottle (whether it was actually bad or not is hard to say at this point). Well, now I am back. I have had Duchesse many times since then, bottles and tap and well I still can’t really get into it. I love a good Flanders red but this has never done it for me. At one time the regular Rodenbach was in that category as well but eventually I loved it, yet this I have not become the biggest fan of. This rating is from tap the Foundry, a good beer bar in KC. Poured into a DdB glass, has a dark, dark red color, clear once you get past the darkness. Has a medium sized head that fades and leaves a sticky lacing. It has a really thick dark cherry sweetness with a barely aceto balsamic vinegar. Oh, just too sweet and balsamic without the sour and acidic parts of a Flanders Red. Taste has that same sweet cherry and a sugary sweet balsamic. Eh, just can’t do it, too sweet and doesn’t have the sour aspects I want from my Flanders Red.

25cl bottle. Dark ruby, beige head with little lacing. Midly oaky, sourish nose, cherry, even funk, some earthy liquorice herbs later on. Great candi sugar, cherries and tartness mixed in the flavor, rosé style vinous notes, loads of sour cherries, mild oak and even leather. Loong earthy, herbal and dark sugary finish. Nothing attacking like Rodenbach GC, more on the sweet side, but perfectly balanced. Almost medium bodied, a bit fizzy palate, nothing disturbing thou. A really beautiful sweet dessert beer.

Pours a thick tan sudsy head. The nose is full of floral hops, you can smell the sour grapes and other dark fruits. The initial sip is amazing and full of caramel and a sour bitter finish. It lacks a lot of yeast funk but has a lot of caramel and grape in the finish. Overall the carbonation is good and has a sticky finish that tastes like a sour patch kid that has been left in you mouth for a long period of time.

The pour was clear and lighter brown with some ruby highlights. Effervescent bubble stream upwards. The head is tan in color, short lived and there was no lacing. The aroma was sour cherry, vinegar, wood, and malt. The sour comes out strong in the flavor but quickly gives way to the malt and woody flavors. Ends up more sweet than sour. The mouthfeel was nice, light to medium in body.

0.75l bottle shared with heavy (thanks!). Poured a dark red-brown body with a small but lasting beige head. Vinuous (more wine than vinegar), yeasty nose, vanilla, cork, some alcohol maaaybe. The taste is sweetish, malty and nice. Soft, fruity maltiness, berries, not all that acidic, almost at all. Slightly vinuous, some light bitterness near the end. Corky again. Extremely balanced, not as flashy as it’s tasty. A damn tasty beer.

Bottle. Dark brown with a little bit of a burgundy tinge and a tan head, leaving slight lacing. Intriguing aroma, vinegary sour with sweetness and some oak. Creamy and smooth in the mouth, with a lot less sourness than I predicted from the aroma, though it does still dominate the flavor overall. Enough sweetness to balance everything out. Reminds me of an overly tart apple. Good beer. I wonder if the labels are always angled on the bottle..

Deep red pour with a nice lace. Strong plum and prune aroma with light notes of oak, vanilla, and caramel. Very well balanced. Had a somewhat lighter plum flavor but had more cherries, sweet malt, and a light sour character. Everything well well blended and complex. Another Great brew.

Date: 8/1/09 Beer info: Bottled in brown 250ml bottle 6.2% abv BB 10-12-09 Sampling Notes: Served chilled in chalice. Beautiful deep amber body with dense offwhite foam that coats the glass well on the journey down. Rich, complex aroma; treacle/golden syrup-like malt sweetness, oaky vanilla and cinamon, caramalised balsamic vinegar, all in prominant and in great balance. Velvet-smooth body, sticky texture, carbonation is creamy. Acetic acidity kicks in but is blended very well with the overall sweetness. Riciculously complex flavour; treacle, dark brown sugar, toasted oak, vanilla, cinamon and clove, sherry, raisin, vinous plum and dark berry, caramalised balsamic vinegar. Finishes with a sharp acidity, touch of alcohol, but oh so smooooth. Awesome beer, very similiar to a big oaky red yet with a sweetness to balance it all. Probably not for everyone, but once you get into it, ’normal’ beers seem boring in comparison. Definately gives Rodenbach a run for its money.