Verhaeghe Duchesse De Bourgogne

Location: Bottle from Markt in NYC, 6/27/09

Aroma: Dark fruits and vinegar mostly, grape (almost wine-like), some cherry, a little oak
Appearance: A nice looking dark red color, with a nice foamy beige head
Flavor: Much sweeter then anticipated from the nose, definitely more sweet then sour, but pretty nicely balanced
Palate: Has a good mouthfeel to it, a nice body
Overall Impression: A different kind of beer for me, this one almost struck me as wine-like in its nose and sweetness. I was expecting actually something a little more sour, but it was a pretty decent ale. I haven’t had many of this style, so I don’t have a plethora of comparative beers in my repertoire, but I thought this one was pretty solid, if maybe a tad overly sweet for my tastes.

330 ml bottle from a trade with hobbersr. best before 27-02-10. slow gusher. pours clear reddish brown with a lingering tan head. aromas of sour dark fruits, wood, vinegar. the flavour starts with sour fruits which leads to some woody funk. there is some dryness mid palate with a touch of sweetness near the end. not very sour and not huge in flavour. a beginner sour ale IMO. thx for the bottle hobbersr.

Bottle pours deep red with a khaki colored head. The aroma is heavily influenced by vinegar, cherries, and a slight amount of cheese funk. As for the flavor, there is definately a lot going on. Tart cherries and apples, brown sugar, toffee, oak and under-ripened strawberry. Nice balance of sweet and sour, moderate body, and relatively mellow carbonation. May not be my style, but I can definately appreciate how well made it is.

250 ml bottle. Clear, deep red with an impressive beige head. Complex aroma of ripe fruit, raisins, spices and vinegar. Flavor is complex as well, Sweet and sour, malt, acid, brown sugar, oak and vinous. This is simply a masterpiece of a beer, so complex its difficult to describe and all the way so balanced no particular flavor dominates. One of my all time favorites.

Earthy aroma with some yeast and cheese. A huge foamy head. I drank this as I was trying to get a campfire started, and somehow the natural surroundings heightened this ale’s good qualities. This was tangy and fruity, with herbal notes. I did not know it was a sour ale - it seemed more like a strong saison or farmhouse ale to me. Excellent!

On draft at Twains in Decatur. Reddish brown in color, nice frothy tannish head. Aroma pleasantly of sour dark cherries, hints of vinegar and slight wood. Flavor moderately sour, not overly assertive--underlying dark fruit and sugar sweetness that you don’t always find in a sour. Mild tartness, vinegar. Finishes slightly sweet, not really with the dryness I would prefer. Still, nice sour--probably the most accessible I’ve had.

This is probably only the fourth or fifth sour ale I’ve ever tasted, but it is definitely the best so far. The aroma is very strong fermented grape sourness...and maybe some vinegar. It comes off as a little intimidating, but the flavor is fantastic. Much more smooth and drinkable than you might think. An excellent combination of sweet and sour flavors along with malts and fruits. Also has a bit of a red wine taste as well. Great carbonation, dry finish. This beer might just make me explore more sours that I usually overlook.

bottle 25 cl, dark amber with small head. i’ve been eager to rate this. excellently balanced fruit flavored, a bit souer. the best of its kind as far as i know.