Verhaeghe Duchesse De Bourgogne

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

Acheté à la SAQ, avec une date d’expiration du 27 février 2010. Dégusté dans un verre trappiste de chimay. D’une couleur brun rouge orangé ayant une belle mousse et une bonne carbonation. Senteur de bois, de compote de pomme sûrette, de caramel, de fûmé avec une touche de vanille. Goût de rhubarbe, de pomme grenade, de canneberge, de boisé, de caramel avec un léger goût de cerise avec un peu d’amertume. Une sensation moelleuse, crémeuse avec une longue finition sec et collante.Je l’adore et je vie à chaque fois un moment de plénitude.

11.2 oz. bottle with "Best before: 05-12-09" into snifter. Pours rich dark ruby red with nice offwhite light tan head that settles pretty fast to a thin layer leaving a trace amount of lace. The aroma is solid with dark fruit (cherry, raisins, and prunes) notes, some barnyard funk, and a pleasant sourness that isn’t vinegary like some sour Flemish reds. There is a definite belgian candi sugar aroma at work here too, which is something I have never encountered in a sour before - but I am still a bit new to the style. The flavor is good, but strangely sweet - too sweet - a bit sugary like the belgians went over the top with the candi suagr, which often happens IMO. Behind the sweetness is a subtle and pleasing and funky tartness with a bit of a fruity profile. Bizarre mouth feel - starts of feeling medium body and explodes on the palate as you swallow and the carbonation fizzles and goes down thinner than it started -- overly carbonated in general. Overall: the appearance and aroma really got my hopes high, which fizzled out upon tasting and feeling the brew on my mouth. [EDIT after getting to last half of bottle] Now that this has warmed up, the sweetness has subsided quite a bit and allowed the fruity funky full flavor to come out. Not sure how the sweetness fell off as much as it did, but I have decided to up the score from a 3.4 to a 3.7.

I’ve had the Duchesse on tap and in the bottle. Tap is the way to go. I may have had a bad bottle but it doesn’t even compare to how good this beer is on draught. Smells like balsamic vinegar and tastes both sweet and sour. I love this beer.

2009.01.11 - From Bottle. I’m a fan of sour ales and found this one to be a welcome departure from the norm. The smell is tart fruits with malts, a very pleasant aroma. Color is reddish-brown (more brown) with little foaming and good lacing. I expected a bit more tartness when I tasted it, but it ends with a sweetness that was quite unexpected. The more I got into it, the more I enjoyed it. Though a bit more sourness would have been a welcome addition. In all, a very strong beer, and I’m glad I picked it up.

1/5/09 notes: my first Flemish Ale, on tap, Wurstkuche. Appears dark red with an interesting orange glow. Features primary flavors of sweet fruitiness and berries with a slightly tangy finish. However, the tangy finish was cast so far in the background that it was easily overridden by cloying sweetness. This brew is too one-sided, but drinkable.

Will have to try more sour ale, I find this interesting and wasn’t really sure what to make of it until I finished it. Bit like mermaid tears and angel piss, but in a good way. Brown with a slight red tint with a short lasting head. Damn this stuff is sweet. Figs and spicy type berries though I may have just made up a new breed of berry just to fit my waffling. Tastes a little like mild balsamic vinegar smells. Kind gift from my good lady, thank you dribbo.

Reddish color with a big beige foamy head. Clear in look. The smell is fruity with malts, yeast, tartness, raspberries, and slight funkiness going on. Slighty dry. Taste is fruity, malts, yeast, and raspberries. Decent beer.

Bière brown ale à 6,2%, disponible à la SAQ. Couleur très foncée et non brouillée. Faible mousse et fable gazéification. Un goût de cid de pomme se dégage dès le début. Goût acide et sûr, petit goût de chêne. Amêrtûme de pomme à la fin. Forte odeur de pomme. Bière très étrange lors de la première gorgée, mais forte intéressante par la suite.