Verhaeghe Duchesse De Bourgogne

330ml, j’aime beaucoup les bières rouges des flandres, comme cette superbe duchesse de bourgogne, une belle initiation au genre..

Dark brown with a dense head. It smells like a geuze or raspberry lambic with notes of grape and rosé wine. The flavour is somewhat surprising being less sour and acidity than I would ecpect from the aroma. Instead it is sweet and suggarish with wood like contours and a bit of acidity.

Don’t try this at a beer festival in the midst of sweet stouts, hoppy IPAs, or complex Abbeys. You won’t like it and you’ll give it a bad grade, simply because it’s so different from everything else. Sort of like drinking a strong Cabernet-Zinfandel blend with palak paneer and chicken jal frazie -- you’ll end up thinking that the wine is bad. Rather, this beer, a remarkable example of Flemish Red Ale, should be experienced on its own, or better yet, with dinner. It is matured in oak casks, giving it a rich depth. It has a sourness reminiscent of Gueuze or unfruited Lambic, but has much more to offer than the Gueuze that I’ve tasted. There is a mild fruity (applish) acidity to the finish giving it a wine-like quality: not for nothing is it called the “Burgundy of Beers.” It is this acidity coupled with the pleasant sourness and wine-like dryness that makes it go so well with a variety of foods, from artisan cheese to seafood (I expect – I’m dying to try it with mussels and frites) to venison (I had it with a savory meat pie loaded with cardamom and other spices), and I’m sure there are other wonderful pairings lurking out there to be found. Definitely a keeper. It’s also not nearly as high in alcohol (about 6.2% ABV) as other Belgians, so it won’t knock you out for the rest of the evening.

Pours a dark brownish red with brown head. Lots of sweet cherries and some nuttiness, caramel malt, apple, oak, and berries. Finishes off sour. Quite nice, I always seem to like flemish sours.

Bottled. Pours black or dark brown with a medium brown head. Aroma is a stale sour cherry. Not overly strong in the sourness with the cherry only being slightly detectable. Flavor is very sweet and I definately taste cherry. The sourness comes in towards the end and isn’t that much. Almost cloying it is so sweet. The fruit comes through at the finish with the sourness being an after thought. Super smooth body, but just too much sugar.

Pours dark brown with red accents. One finger of thick tan head. Aroma is intense sour with Worcestershire. Very satisfying full mouthfeel . Very sour...cherries...hint of soy. Sour/bitterness lingers for a bit, then finishes clean. Incredible! The first time I had this I couldn’t stand it. Now I can’t get enough! Thanks to Boboski for turning me on to this one.

Pours a clear dark mohageny color with a thin amount of fizzy offwhite head. Aroma is tart and burbony,dark cherries, and sour apple. Flavor is much smoother than I had imagined. A bit heavy on palate, silky and smooth, sweet rumminess and slight tartness. Balance is exceptional. Great beer.

Bottle. Pours a clear dark red-brown colour. No head. Aroma of roasted malt, caramel, some sourness and dark fruits. Good mouthfeel. The flavour is sour, roasty and sweet with well ripe fruits, spices, wood (oak), red berries and some yeast. Sour bit dry finish. Nice one this Duchesse.