Duchesse De Bourgogne - Brouwerij Verhaeghe

cabsandking

Ohio

4.85/5  rDev +17.4%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Mahogany red color and a fair sized tan head with good retention. The nose is pungent with notes of acidic tannin, alcoholic esters, sweet and tart plum, and oaky. Flavors are much more mellow than the nose leads to believe...mild dark cherries, oaky vanilla, maple syrup, apple, plum, white grapes, and bigger caramel notes as it warms. Mouthfeel is delicately smooth creaminess with some slight crisp fizz at the end. Now this is a flanders that I could drink more of, perfectly blended and all the flavors meld together so well.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2007 07:06:19 | More by cabsandking

PatrickJR

North Carolina

4.85/5  rDev +17.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Poured from an 11.2 oz bottle into red wine glass. My bottle lists the ABV at 6%.

A - A very deep reddish brown, nearly opaque. A quarter inch of head rises and settles quickly to a thin collar, minimal lace.

S - Vinegar, fruit, and brown sugar. Very appealing.

T - This shit is amazing. A moderate sour burst of apple cider vinegar with a touch of citrus comes in early palate. Huge brown sugar/berry-like sweetness kicks in, making this taste like some sort of raspberry vinegarette salad dressing. Finish is of apples, slight sourness, and a chunk of sweetness. Very reminiscent of a port, sweet sherry, or madeira.

M - Moderate to high carbonation with a medium body. Excellent for the flavors being conveyed.

D - Amazing stuff. Great balance between sweet and sour, I could drink this all day. Very good.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2008 07:58:08 | More by PatrickJR

bonsreeb85

Colorado

4.85/5  rDev +17.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A - nice sustaining head atop this burgundy colored beauty.

S - lots of cherries, also some red wine and vinegar. is tart a smell??

T - much sweeter than the nose leads on. I get a mouthful of cherries that initialy begin sweet, but then turn towards the tart side, but not overly so. This is a very complex brew. I also taste oak and wine with that a nutty flavor comes through and displays an earth-like quality. Excellent balance is acheived. never cloyingly sweet or overly sour.

MF - full and chewy with buttloads of spritzer like carbonation. makes my mouth tingle with joy.

D - exceptional. I easily finished the 750.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2009 18:46:07 | More by bonsreeb85

BillHilly

Washington

4.85/5  rDev +17.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Had this in Praha (Prague) at the Pivovarsky Klub (Beer Club).

A: Absolutey the best of the best of the Flanders when on tap. Beautiful dark red, like a balsamic.

S: Sweet & Sour, citrus fruit, vinegar

T: Like a cranberry vinegar with little to no hoppiness, very unique.

M: Thick, pleasant carbonation

D: Have had it both on tap and in bottle, the tap is far superior to the bottles you will get at the local bottle shop...might have to travel abroad to get it on tap, but worth the trip, espcially if you are in Europe enjoying the vacation as well.

Serving type: on-tap

01-06-2011 06:37:16 | More by BillHilly

MadeInOregon

California

4.85/5  rDev +17.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Well, here goes another review that will have absolutely no impact whatsoever on the overall score of a beer! Oh well!...

THE APPEARANCE of the Duchesse De Bourgogne was great. The off-white, oily suds of foam atop the body instantly reveal its cask-aged nature. The head diminishes a little, but never dissipates and leaves massive lacing for the duration of drinking, as any barrel-aged brew should. The body is good but not great. It is a medium-deep brown with red hues, similar to Dr. Pepper or root beer. I was disappointed to see that this beer is highly filtered leaving no sediment anywhere. Strikes me as odd for something that is aged and so complex.

THE SMELL of this beer is of vinegary, fermented fruit--oranges and strawberries to be exact. There is also ripe banana and caramel. It's quite unusual but not offensive. It's very pungent and strong, and, honestly, pretty incredible...just a little weird.

THE TASTE literally blew me away. Never have I had a beer like this. Upon reflection it actually tastes very similar to kombucha. There is banana and bubble gum at the tip of the tongue and the same fermented oranges and strawberries (a little mango too) in the smell are at the back of the tongue. This is a very bright, sharp, and crisp beer and tastes something like a fruit soda mixed with bourbon barrel ale. The incredibly sour fruit qualities are very similar to a good lambic beer. Overall, the flavors could also be compared to a tart, hard apple cider. This really is amazing stuff. If this is a blend, as the label says, I would think this flavor would be tough to duplicate from batch to batch(?).

THE FEEL, for all the reasons described above, is amazing. It's very carbonated and has a lot of alcohol burn for a 6.0%'er. Your tongue will tingle like it's going numb with this one. Very entertaining to drink!

CONCLUSION: This is my first Flanders Red Ale but will definitely not be my last. Hopefully others can stand up to this one. Incredible stuff.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2011 06:00:57 | More by MadeInOregon

lsummers

California

4.85/5  rDev +17.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Not sure when I first got into sours, but this beer doesn't dissapoint.

The Overall look of the beer is a satisfying deep red brown with a great tan head and lacing to match.

The smell is that of sour apples mixed slightly with wood.

The taste is fantastic, the sour notes hit first, the apple flavors come alive and bounce around the taste buds. It's a very tart beer.

The mouthfeel is great, the carbonation helps the beer feel light on the tongue and lets the sour notes float around the mouth. After the first sip, I can't wait to take another.

Overall, I've had this beer many times, I plan on having it again. It's currently my favorite sour.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2012 02:05:03 | More by lsummers

Andreji

Colombia

4.88/5  rDev +18.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

WOW. I won't try to describe this beer to perfection because words just won't be enough. I invited a few friends (among which owner of Ozy Pub Camilo Ospina) to try this beauty out. I'd aged it for about a year.

The pour is just mystical. you seem like you're indulging in a frambozen sort of- as in, the pour is very dark, almost purplish-brown, and the head is clearly white with a medium consistency.

The smell....well, it wasn't all that strong, but as you acknowledge it you find all sorts of blends (screw it, I won't step into this) ranging through cocktails, fruits, wines....

The taste and mouthfeel....OMG (I don't like this sort of acronym but it seems suitable). It's just beautiful, you feel like you've blended a lambic with a kir royale, and the offspring is just bliss. wonderful in soooo many senses!

I downed the drinkability and mouthfeel just for the sake of it that is, just that I absolutely was enchanted by this beer but it's not perfect (in my de leckere standards) but this IS A MUST for any beer lover. bless you, madame la duchesse.

Serving type: bottle

07-29-2005 07:23:38 | More by Andreji

TheEclecticGent

Georgia

4.88/5  rDev +18.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A very dark red-amber flemish (Flanders) red ale w/moderate to loose carbonation. The smell is sharp and sour but has overtones of mellow fermented fruit. The taste is extremely complex dominated by a fermented fruit flavor ranging from berry to banana spice, a wonderful range of sharp to mellow flavors. It has a moderately heavy mouthfeel with a very fizzy and full feeling. This is my favorite beer in the world (period).

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2005 04:02:22 | More by TheEclecticGent

Reinheitsgebot71

Ontario (Canada)

4.88/5  rDev +18.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A friend of mine and myself went down to the beer bistro earlier in the week and tried a few new beers each of which I'll review in turn.

A: It poured very dark brown almost completely opaque with a mocha
brown half inch head and minimal lace.

B: Immediately upon first sniff mincemeat pie came to mind followed by a slight hint of pine. The more subtle hits then manifested themselves, namely raisins and rock sugar. I didn't detect any hit of alcohol whatsoever, unsurprisingly as it is a lower percentage compared to some of its other Belgian counterparts.

T: Right off the bat raisins again followed by, lemon, iron rust, honey, hints of curry powder, cardamom in conjunction with the more prevalent lemon sapidity. Hidden at the very bottom of the taste spectrum were nice finishing touches of allspice, cinnamon and soothing caramel.

M: Uber smooth, very sparse effervescence, but what little there is tingles the mouth nicely in conjunction with the magnificent flavors abound in the beer. Overall quit silky smooth almost marshmellowy feel in the mouth.

D: A very very nice beer; goes down very well. After I finished it I immediately craved another. I don't think I could ever get sick of this beer, just excellent. I recommend it to any true lover of beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2007 21:10:31 | More by Reinheitsgebot71

clickpush

Pennsylvania

4.88/5  rDev +18.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Pour: 33cl bottle to Duchesse glass. Half finger tan head over red/brown body. Ruby hues abound. Head tapers quickly to very nice lacing and halo.

Nose: Bret and bread. Very tart aroma, some grain and yeast as well. Sour cherries, an autumn day, overripe grapes, puckering. Oak and vanilla.

Mouth: Juicy, sour tasting immediately upon entering but sweetens as it moves back, grapes, raisins, plums. Some grain, a resinous aftertaste. Vinous, lingering juiciness. Nice malt body. Caramel, toffee. Mouth feel is sharp tingling carbonation that gets creamier as it moves back, smooth swallow. Is both rich and dry in the finish. Easy drinking. Loooove it!

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2007 18:59:07 | More by clickpush

insaneshow

Minnesota

4.88/5  rDev +18.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I love this beer, I want to drink more of it and it has opened up a whole new style of beer to me; Sour Beer / Flander's Red Ale.

The beer was sweet with rich malt flavors, I remember noticing some cherry. It was not over carbonated and tasted like it was almost half wine and half beer. The mouth feel was thick and sweet, but not grainy. The appearance in the glass was a deep dark rich red with a nice creamy head.

I would strongly suggest this beer.

Serving type: on-tap

12-10-2007 18:26:14 | More by insaneshow

phirleh

Ontario (Canada)

4.88/5  rDev +18.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This is the first of this style that I've really tried, I bought it in January in Quebec. Poured an amber red colour, and the head was minimal but very long lasting. The first taste was very sour and almost wine like, further drinking revealed a much more complex flavour profile, sweet and sour, almost like grape juice with hints of green apple and cherry. The carbonation is slightly prickly, very Belgian. Very drinkable and well deserved of its high rating. I have another bottle in my basement. Always buy 2 to avoid disappointment!

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2009 03:05:01 | More by phirleh

Honza

Czech Republic

4.88/5  rDev +18.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Great beer, sour sweet balance. Enjoyable for a long drink. Best in Vichte where it comes from. Verhaeghe brewery is very lovely little building, family business...just great! I was lucky enough to visit it several times. I liked their other beers too, but this is one is exceptional. i saw more beers from wooden casks lately in the US, but this is a bit different...

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2009 17:48:02 | More by Honza

danielofthedale

Georgia

4.88/5  rDev +18.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A-A dark red color. Nice foamy head that retains well. A good amount of carbonation bubbles streaming up to the head.

S-Vinegar smell is what I got fist but also tart apples. The funky aroma that one would expect from a Belgian beer.

T-An upfront tartness. Good blend of sour and sweet. Pleasant apple taste. And just when you think the sweetness is over powering you get a good and lighting fast bitterness that leaves just as fast to cut through the sweetness.

M-Very foamy and full of zest from the carbonation. Slightly chew but still light.

D-Extremely drinkable. I think it would be perfect to have on a nice summer day sitting out on the deck or proch to end the day.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2011 03:14:38 | More by danielofthedale

SundaySour

California

4.88/5  rDev +18.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A: A misty deep red like the skies above Mordor with a thin white head and some fabulous lacing. You know this beer is about to get real.

S: The smell is distinctly a cherry covered in dust. It sounds gross, but it isn't. Think of all the highly romantic and yummy smelling dusty places; like a haunted house or the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland. You love that smell.

T: By far the most delicious, life-changing sour I've ever had. Tart cherries blowing up in my mouth like the Grand Finale on the 4th of July. Uncooked pie dough crust, raspberries, and pomegranate all come through. It has a lightly sweet finish, and things got a little weird when I tasted angel kisses and sunbeams. HOW CAN BEER TASTE LIKE THIS? O wild yeast, my Lord and Master!

M: Crisp and tart, like new money.

O: This is currently my favorite pick for a sour, beer, AND a beverage. It never lets me down with it's crispy tart holiness and mouth-watering goody goodness. Sometimes I wake up in the night and cry out for a glass of Duchesse, screaming until the dawn. "Duchesse! Duchesse!" It must be tasted to be believed.

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2011 02:45:20 | More by SundaySour

tlazaroff

Virginia

4.88/5  rDev +18.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A: This pours a very deep deep and ultra clear burgundy red. It's head is a slight off-white color. This beer is breathtaking to look at.

S: As I opened and poured the beer a huge almost cherry-like aroma almost over-took me. Upon closer inspection I was able to confirm this. There are many different dark fruits on the nose, but cherry takes the cake here. There is a noticeable sourness to the smell.

T: Huge sour cherry notes here in a background of light plum. The sourness is there, but not extreme and not subtle either. This beer tastes perfect and it is quite a religious experience.

M: This is so smooth, with low carbonation and a nice medium body. The sourness doesn't detract from the mouthfeel either.

D: To me, this has such low drinkability because I want to enjoy it. That said, it's extremely drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2011 00:33:56 | More by tlazaroff

lastauss

Washington

4.9/5  rDev +18.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Tart, tangy, gorgeous to look at, this has got to be one of my all-time favorites. Notes of sour, sour cherry interlude to delicate oakiness. My only [minor] complaint is that its faint smell totally belies the explosive flavor of this beauty. Truly, a sexy beer, by all counts.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2004 04:05:30 | More by lastauss

soulgrowl

United Kingdom (England)

4.9/5  rDev +18.6%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Appearance: Very deep, dark, cola red-brown. Decent-sized head with mediocre retention.

Smell: Oaky barrels of red wine, bursting with blackberry-esque tartness and undercurrents of of tobacco, burnt sugar, and slight lactic acid. Unique and extremely sumptuous, an aroma that really enlivens the senses and gets the old salivary glands a-pumpin'.

Taste: Beautifully tart through-and-through but not at all puckering, a sourness of juicy green apples and green strawberries. Well-balanced and refreshing with a tart and bittersweet finish; very vinous, complex, and delicious.

Mouthfeel: Zippy and sharp to match the sourness, but smooth and silky at the same time.

Drinkability: This is just so damn good, I could drink it all night.

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2006 23:06:24 | More by soulgrowl

donotknowme

Pennsylvania

4.9/5  rDev +18.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This poured a deep reddish-brown with a thin lacy head that quickly faded. The nose was dominated by a sour smell with hints of berries and maybe some oak. One of the best mouthfeels I have ever had in a beer. At the end it got a little thick and sticky from the sweetness but the tartness cleared it up nicely. Easily my favorite beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2006 21:58:10 | More by donotknowme

AleDrinkToThat

Tennessee

4.9/5  rDev +18.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Appearance: Beautiful burgundy hue under a perfect creamy beige head.

Smell: Oh, such a delicious smell of cherries and malt. I can tell just by the smell that there's more going on here.

Taste: Good thing I'm only typing about this, 'cause my mouth just exploded. Seriously, wow. This is excellent. The tart cherry is much more subtle than, say, a Kriek Lambic, and is so well balanced with delicious roasted malt.

Mouthfeel: Smooth, devilishly so, and the tartness danced all over my mouth, puckering all inner surfaces in its path (I'll leave you to picture that). The malt definitely rounded things back out, and the result is a heavenly complexity.

Drinkability: Go get one. Now.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2008 05:37:09 | More by AleDrinkToThat

ironarrow42

Ohio

4.9/5  rDev +18.6%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Pure joy finding this on tap! It was served in the appropriate stemware and appeared deep red with slight cloudiness and a dense off-white head. The aroma was tart, fruity, and quite appetizing, with a hint of balsamic vinegar.

Very fine carboination tingle on the tongue. The head adds some creamy texture to the mouthfeel. Lots of tart fruit with a sour lactic character. Notes of cherry and gooseberry. Great apperitif; refreshing and drinkable. Went great with a salad of spring greens and grape tomatoes with a balsamic vinaigrette dressing.

Left some nice Belgian lace on the glass.

Serving type: on-tap

03-11-2009 03:29:16 | More by ironarrow42

bnieman

Wisconsin

4.9/5  rDev +18.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

750 ml
Expiration Date 08/2012

A - Delicate small bubble Belgian lace. Red orange glow.

S - Sour apple and grapes. Akin to a fine dry white wine. Faint oak aroma.

T - Sour with a perfect balance of sweet sensation. White grapes. Delicious delicious funk.

M - Perfectly carbonated. Decadent.

D - Brilliant. I could drink this for hours until I succumb to a happiness comatose state.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2011 22:25:15 | More by bnieman

AronVietti

California

4.9/5  rDev +18.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

From a bottle that has a best by date of 29/10/2012 poured into a wine glass. Gave a nice hiss when the bottle was opened at 48 degrees.

Appearance: White puffy billowing head with a mixture of small and large bottles. Head dies down to half the hight quickly with strong lacing on the glass but the rest remains intact. Deep brownish red hue and absolute clear, like an aged Pinot Noir.

Smell: Fruity with a strong smell of Sour Cherries or unripe plums, new leather and a subtle amount of malt. The aroma is strong but not over powering.

Taste: Starts with a fruity sweetness that is soon balanced by a slight acidity and nice Plum flavor with a hint of spice. The acidity lingers with a bit of bitterness that further helps the balance with the original sweetness and carries the spice notes.

Mouthfeel: The carbonation is balanced for the style, and the body of the beer is very full though not heavy. The finish is long, and the taste overall is as reminiscent of wine as the color was, which is perfectly within the style.

Drinkability: This beer is extremely drinkable, at only 6% there are no hints of alcohol for me, and though the mouthfeel is full the beer doesn't seem heavy. I would have one of these with a rich meal, relying on the acidity to cut through cream or cheese heavy dishes and the fruitiness to add to the experience. And afterwards I would have one with a cheese plate for the sheer enjoyment of it.

I would like to try a bottle of this just before the 'Best Before' date to see if there is a difference

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2011 04:12:45 | More by AronVietti

SirWalkAbout

Texas

4.9/5  rDev +18.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Poured into a snifter. Very dark red color, almost black. Nice head, 1/4" - 1/2", which stays around nicely.

Smells fruity like a champagin. Smells a bit tart and dry.

Taste is very pleasant. Very fruity, grapes. Good, strong carbonation. Nice and light.

Leaves the pallet quickly without any aftertaste, which I like.

I try not throw out a high score without justification, but I don't know how this beer can be improved for what it is. I find the look, lightness, and taste spot on. Not a beer I would drink all night, but used in place of a dessert wine or a sweet treat, look no further.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2012 03:47:46 | More by SirWalkAbout

Shultzerdugen

Missouri

4.93/5  rDev +19.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

11.2 oz. bottle with best before date of 22-4-06.

Pours a deep red- dark copper with a large tan head comprised of big bubbles that quickly dissipates.

The aroma is very complex, very tempting. Fresh tart cherries, musty earth tones, bourbon.

Easily one of the most complex brews I've drank. Cherry juice. At first light and refreshing, I had a hard time not slamming this down. Very tangy, very sour. Even at 6.2% abv the alchohol is warming down the gullet. Slight metallic taste, but it adds rather than distracts to the beer's awsomeness. Lime. Hershey's cocoa from the tin towards the end. The finish doesn't finish, with sour malt going and going.

I could easily drink this every day, but it would be like eating steak and lobster every day. Speaking of which this beer begs to tried with a wide range of food. Say thankya!

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2005 14:19:25 | More by Shultzerdugen