Verhaeghe Duchesse De Bourgogne

Poured into a snifter at The Red in Santa Cruz. Color is a mix between quadrupel brown and cherry red. Decent head for a style characterized by acidity. Oak, brett, vinegar, cherry in the aroma. Nice red fruit sweetness is decapitated by an exquisite tartness and vinaigrette bite that puckers every corner of the mouth. Some oak and grape skin. Thin bodied, dry, effervescent, and smooth. The only fault is that the sharpness is best in small doses, reducing the drinkability to me.

From bottle : Pours very dark brown with red highlights. A half finger of nice white foamy head, that shows great retention. Aroma is sour tart cherries, and notes of spice. The taste is interesting. Not very sour or tart for a sour ale. It is sweet up front, then goes watery toward the end, and carbonated, much like im drinking selzer water, very weird. Aftertaste has some dark fruit notes to it. Body is thin, palate is smooth and watery toward the end. Not a very good sour imo.

Aroma is of tart cherries and the oak comes through with a hint of notes of vanilla. Has a brownish side of ruby tint with a bone colored head. Nice sour notes that linger on the back of the tongue forever. To me, it has the perfect balance with the oak and the solera type aging gives it excellent complexity.

Bottle. Aroma is that of sour cherries, spices. The flavor is initially a sweet tangy flavor which quickly delves into sour fruits. It’s not unlike eating something tart like a Granny Smith apple. The right balance is here to allow for both a sweet aftertaste as well as a nice sour punch.

Pours a really pretty amber color into the fluted glass. There was a nice off-white head and flickers of lacing. The scent was very sour with hints of cherries, vingegar, spices and some barnyard funkiness. A quick sweetness on the front of the tongue gives way quickly to a puckering sour flavor. A slight reminder of a sweet red wine. The finish is very clean with some sour notes. I was very fond of this beer, as I am finally warming to the sour ale stlye.

Red/burgundy color topped by a foamy head, great carbonation. Aroma of apples, cider, cherry, oak. Sweeter than I remembered, yet tart and bitterless, ends on iron notes. So refreshing. My mouth gets watery with each sip. I am not tired of this one, even after numerous times. My second favorite Brune des flandres after Rodenbach Grand Cru.

Bottle. Sample at Haket, Gothenburg. Red/light brown color with a small beige head. Aroma: Very sweet and lightly sour, cherries, perfume, wood, light vinegar and caramel. Flavor: The sweetest Sour Ale i tried this day. Notes of red wine, light vinegar, cherries, wood, caramel and bread. My favorite Sour Ale beeing a newbie to this beer style.

11.2 oz bottle redish brown color with a fruity scent. Fruity taste surpasses aroma. Carbonation more like a champagne than a beer. A pleasant surprise!