Duchesse De Bourgogne - Brouwerij Verhaeghe

Titans77

Maryland

4.38/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Bottle poured into an oversized snifter.

A - Very very dark brown with hints of red where the light hits the glass. Half finger of khaki head that sticks around for a bit. Good looking beer.

S - sour cherry and dark fruits. very pungent.

T - big sour dark fruits with a dominant cherry flavor. A great example of Flanders Red style.

M - Puckering sour from start to finish. Mild carbonation and medium bodied. One of my favorite sours so far.

O - I feel that this is slightly better than Rodenbach Grand Cru. A very good entry sour, which is what I am into right now. Good stuff.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2013 18:50:12 | More by Titans77

JuliusCaesar

New Hampshire

4.3/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A: Pours a deep red with an inch tall white head

S: Aroma of Belgian yeast and fruit

T: Not overly sour but has a good bite to it. Fruit and candy. Sweet but balanced

M: Good carbonation

Overall: This is candy not beer. The Duchesse is one fine lady

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2013 00:51:00 | More by JuliusCaesar

Hoppsbabo

United Kingdom (England)

4.29/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

A: Dark copper, not particularly red. Nice though. Can almost see through it. Small but sustained off-white head comprising bubbles of various sizes.

S: The typical components of a Belgian dark ale with vinegar added.

T: Oh, my. Very complex. It's fairly sweet but balanced with sourness but not as sour as I was expecting. There's strong balsamic vinegar at the forefront then chocolate, cola and some coriander seed. In the aftertaste there's plum tea and a delicate green grape flavour that lingers for a long time afterwards, quite reminiscent of Remy Martin VSOP. Alcohol is completely imperceptible. From the dregs I get a touch of ginger beer.

M: A soft effervescence. Sort of foamy but not saturated with air. Ever so slightly sticky.

O: A quality beer but not something I'd drink often.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 12:08:00 | More by Hoppsbabo

Steamer

Missouri

4.25/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured into a tulip. Deep, dark plum color with a beige head. The aroma is unique, sour fruit but a bit medicinal. Fruity, sweet and tart, cherries, ripe grapes, with a mild sour sting on the end. Medium carbonation and overall mouthfeel, An excellent and well blended sour ale that doesn't overpower.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2013 03:06:03 | More by Steamer

superspak

Michigan

4.1/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

750 ml bottle into tulip glass, best before 5/2014. Pours crystal clear dark reddish brown color with a 2 finger fairly dense and fluffy cream colored with with fantastic retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Nice dense foamy lacing clings on the glass, with plenty of streaming carbonation retaining the head. Aromas of green apple, cherry, raspberry, pear, apple skin, floral, hay, grass, oak, light vinegar, light red wine, funk, and grassy earthiness. Very nice aromas with good balance and complexity of fruity notes; with moderate malt sweetness and good strength. Taste of lightly tart cherry, raspberry, apple, pear, hay, grass, pepper, light vinegar, oak, light red wine, light funk, and grassy earthiness. Slight fruity and earthy tartness on the finish; with lingering notes of dark and light fruits, hay, grass, floral, light vinegar, light red wine, oak, and grassy earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Very nice balance and complexity of fruity and spicy notes; with a moderate malt balance and zero cloying sweetness present after the finish. Medium-high carbonation and medium bodied; with a smooth, crisp, and lightly prickly mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with zero warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is an excellent Flanders red ale. Very nice complexity and balance of flavors; and very smooth and crisp to sip on. A very enjoyable offering.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2013 03:55:55 | More by superspak

NODAK

Tennessee

4.65/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Poured a nice ruby red in my Belgian glass at an awesome beer bar...head was pretty nice, about a finger thick. Decent staying power and lacing.

Smell has the typical lactic, typical vinegar smell of a sour there, but it isn't overpowering and it is also met with a sweet berry fruit aroma as well in tandem. Very inviting. Soft on the nose.

The taste....ah, really a thing of beauty. In fact, if I were to introduce somebody to sours, this is likely what I'd give them. That is not necessarily because it's a beginner beer persay, but because it has such a wonderful balance to it that some other sours really just don't have. While some sours are like drinking straight vinegar, this has more complexity and balance to it, which makes it an incredibly easy drink. I get a nice sweet fruitiness, perhaps of cherries predominately and maybe a hint of cranberry in there, upfront....along with a lactic tartness that I'd describe as perhaps half as sour as many of the new sours I've had that I think are going out of their way to be as sour as possible. Again, easy going. Never makes me grimace, always whets my palate for the next drink. That mix between the sweet berries/cherries and the lactic tartness is so well done, I really can't say enough.

Serving type: on-tap

04-03-2013 02:39:11 | More by NODAK

StJamesGate

New York

3.83/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Deep chestnut with creamy beige head that fades to film.
Balsamic, cranberry, wood and dark candy sugar.
Raspberry vinagrette, a speck of chocolate, a vanilla oak hit and berry jam.
Winey finish and tart cherry skin linger.
Medium, chewy, creamy but clean.

Surprisingly sweet, some vinegar and wood but lots of red fruit sugar. Expected Brett or at least some big yeast but there's no funk at all. Oud Bruin more than Flanders Red.

Nice, just not so interesting.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2013 01:02:03 | More by StJamesGate

FLima

Brazil

4.16/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured a dark brown ruby color with a thick head with long retention and leaving laces.
Sour aroma with a good hint of red wine, vinegar and wood.
Delicious taste of bubbling red wine with some notes of Belgian yeast, condiments, a hint of earthy hops and raspberries. Mildly dry aftertaste with its residual grape. Very refreshing.
Light body with medium carbonation and tiny bubbles. Alcohol is in complete harmony with the other ingredients, more so than real wine.
Extreme well balanced beer, combining drinkability with flavor. Not too sour, perfect level (unless you dig a lot sour beers). Excellent. I am now curious to try it even more aged. I have the impression will continue to evolve.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2013 19:19:14 | More by FLima

Falcon91Wolvrn03

California

4.41/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Appearance – Pours a very dark ruby color, with some brown and purple. Has a very thick head and nice lacing.

Smell –Vinegar, red wine, raspberry, oak, a hint of black cherry, and sugar.

Taste – Sweet yet sour raspberry and grape flavors. A little like Sour Patch Kids. But it also complemented with oak, vinegar, and black cherry. Lots of tastes in this.

Mouthfeel – Starts off sweet, but leaves a sour aftertaste. Nicely carbonated.

Drinkability – A very good sour. Goes down very easily, although it is only 6%.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2013 06:30:34 | More by Falcon91Wolvrn03

eandersen

Massachusetts

4.46/5  rDev +8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Nice deep ruby with a 2 finger off white head. Dissipates quickly. Leaves some really impressive, thick lacing.

S - Balsamic vinegar upfront followed by deep wine like berry smells; dark raspberry, elderberry. Maybe a little bready malt. Slight oakiness.

T - The deep dark berry tastes come through much more than the nose would suggest. Definitely more ripe cherry than is detectable on the nose. Tartness at the front of the mouth, but not necessarily a balsamic tart, almost more of a lactic acid tart. Very nice sour. Super easy drinking.

M - Very smooth. Carbonation is somewhat less than I expected for the style leading to a slicker mouthfeel than many sours. But I'm totally OK with that.

O - Really excellent sour, will absolutely return to this. I could see this aging exceptionally well.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2013 03:40:01 | More by eandersen

JokineAugustus

Manitoba (Canada)

5/5  rDev +21.1%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I love this beer. It has a pleasant sour fruit smell of Cherries, Cranberry, and Raspberry. Taste is quite similar. Has a slight bready and sour fruit aftertaste that blends well. Look is beautiful bright ruby red in a glass which I absolutely adore. One of my favourites atm.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2013 00:27:16 | More by JokineAugustus

Sam21

Connecticut

4.4/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A- Deep dark ruby red body with a fluffy off-white head that clings and sticks around. Really appealing!

S- Winey fruit. Cherries. Raspberry balsamic.

T- Wonderfully sweet at the onset. Heavy sugared cherry flavor. This is soon joined by acidic puckering notes that are reminiscent of cranberries. It's a perfect balance of sweet and sour.
MF- Light body held up by very tingly and fluffy carbonation. Leaves you with a juicy sticky palate - think about the post- lemonade feeling.

O- Simple, complex, and extremely refreshing. It's a perfect balance of sweet and sour. This beer is outstanding. If only it wasn't so expensive.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2013 01:57:38 | More by Sam21

merc7186

New York

4.33/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

12oz bottle into a snifter glass. (How in the hell have I never ticked this beer, been drinking it for like 2 years)

A: Amber/Brownish Hue, Passes Mild Light, Thick Off White Head, Decent Lacing

S: Cranberry, Cherry, Sweet Malts

T: Cranberry, Mildly Tart Cherry, Sweet Bread, Boysenberry

M: Great Carbonation, Medium Bodied, Mildly Sweet, Mildly Tart

Overall, this beer sets the bar for a Flanders Red Ale, consistant every time I have ever drank it.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2013 03:37:12 | More by merc7186

tubeyes

Texas

4.35/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A Very dark reddish, min head, great lacing.
S some pretty wild fruity, mushroom, oaky smokey goodness
T very sweet tropical citrus fruit upfront but mellows to a more carmelly grapefruit end
M very delicious and easily drinkable, great even carbonation and a fruity caramel aftertaste
O very enjoyable and complex. Flavors swirl and emerge and play around on tongue and cheeks. Had on tap in a squat tulip glass at OSDH in a presidents day special for FDR.

Serving type: on-tap

02-19-2013 01:24:34 | More by tubeyes

macrosmatic

Florida

4.2/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Reviewed from notes. Had on-tap at The Stein & Vine, served into a tulip glass.

A: Dark brown with hints of red, and one finger's worth of white head on top. Low visible carbonation.

S: Tart, barnyard funky, and a bit fruity - sweet & sour overall.

T: Follows the nose - tart, and more fruity than the smell suggests (cherry, lime, strawberry?). Dry, almost woody finish. Pretty tasty.

M: Medium body, middle-of-the-road carbonation. The alcohol is noticeable but doesn't detract.

O: I've never had this one tap before. It's quite tasty, and an easy drink...but it doesn't blow me away - doesn't rise to the complexity of other sours. Still, I will enjoy more in the future.

Serving type: on-tap

02-17-2013 15:09:57 | More by macrosmatic

weonfire

Kentucky

4.15/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

S - Cherries, Vanilla, Ripe fruit and sourness.

T - Real sweet at first and then the Sour takes over. cherries and Peach. Great balance. Carbonation hits as it goes down the throat.

M - light and fruity. lots of carbonation.

O - too sweet and sour to have more than maybe 2 of these. But the one is very good. I would certainly drink it. But for $8 - I will not order this again. Unless...Its for a desert beer. This would be perfect. But, this one was certainly a pleasure to have.

Serving type: on-tap

02-15-2013 05:04:47 | More by weonfire

damndirtyape

Ohio

4.24/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4

11.2 oz bottle (best before 14/06/2014) poured into a Tulip glass.

Appearance: Clear deep red-brown with a thick rocky light tan head. Lots of persistent lacing (strands and islands) all over the glass.

Smell: Sour & tart cherry. A hint of mustiness.

Taste: Tart/sour fruit up front (a combination of cherry with maybe a splash of citrus), then a sweet middle that was a clean sugary flavor, then a tart/sour finish, again fruity. This may be one of the most well balanced beers I've ever had - with the flavors complimenting each other just right.

Mouthfeel: Airy, soft, dry. It's there and then it's gone - it's almost like it evaporates away after the swallow.

Overall / Drinkability: A very interesting full flavor beer. Full of contrasts, but balanced and not overpowering despite being sour. Complimented a full-flavor dinner (Chicken + 40 cloves) very nicely and was good to savor after the meal. A very nice beer overall but for me a one and done. It's good, but one glass is enough. Another bottle or another glass would be too much - one per evening is enough. I could easily have this again though, just not in one sitting.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2013 23:46:06 | More by damndirtyape

Fattmatt73

Georgia

4.76/5  rDev +15.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

An absolutely incredible beer. The balance of fruit, floral and sour is incredible. Usually a beer this sweet would be way out of my zone, but the balance of the sour accentuates the fruit and floral notes. Love it, one of my favorite beers. Anyone who has not ventured into the land of sours should make this one of their first.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2013 06:23:14 | More by Fattmatt73

patre_tim

China

4.7/5  rDev +13.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

A: Clear filtered dark reddish brown, little carbonation, half finger beige head. Cool lacing.

S: Balsamic vinegar, dark earthy malt, must, a bit of caramel. Very acidic.

T: A balance of sweet and sour, slight metallic end on the first sip, but not after. Malty caramel quality. Dark malts evident. Acidic is vinegar on the end, but is more of a fruit like sour without a fruitiness. Some bitter linger at the end, but minimal.

M: Medium body, medium high carbonation. Acidity clings to the tongue.

O: Love this beer. Certainly up there in my favourites. The best of the sour reds I’ve had. Its balanced for a sour and complex. Keeps me wanting more.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2013 02:31:48 | More by patre_tim

Beer-A-Lot

Virginia

4.25/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A - Elegant dark-amber color, showing very little light. Not a huge head. I drank this at a wine bar where it was served in a bowl-shaped water glass, so maybe it was not the most ideal.

S - Lots of floral smells, hints of tartness.

T - A very smooth and subtle sour taste, with flavors of berries, and hints of yeast. Well balanced.

M - Again, smooth, medium bodied.

O - Although not as bold as some sours, its flavors are well balanced and satisfying. This beer is pretty unique in its flavor profiles, and its quality is undeniable. Always a joy.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2013 04:23:10 | More by Beer-A-Lot

mick303

Ontario (Canada)

4.41/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a wine glass, produced a nice tan reddish head that has really solid retention. Colour is a dark ruddy brown, essentially opaque. It has a great lacing and film.

Smell has a pleasant tartness, vinegary fruitiness. A pervasive sourness, red wine cask. A really interesting interplay of flavours, balanced and complex, with a supporting malt body, not much bitterness, and a sour prickle.

Taste has a wonderful, floral and tart opening. Quite a bit of sourness initially but this is countered with more developing slightly sweet malt. Hop character is restrained, but a really nice earthiness comes through. Finish is delicate, and really smooth and dry, subtle red wine tannins and oak. Continues to combine and blend seamlessly, sourness isn't too strong, really complex flavours.

Mouthfeel is moderate bodied, but with a ton of richness, just on the cusp of being syrupy on the palate but without much sweetness. Carbonation is pretty light, but suits nicely. Finishes nicely crisply, definetly pleasant, and highly enjoyable as a sipper but without too much body to be too heavy.

A very excellent beer. Hard to find faults here, and its really tasty. As far as the take on the style, it isnt as in your face sour as others, and seems to have a more balanced approach and flavour, with a slight roast malt sweetness on the palate that brings it all together really well. A great beer with a ton of flavour worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2013 21:04:38 | More by mick303

Ryan011235

Ohio

4.5/5  rDev +9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a Peculier Pub tulip on 1/29/13

Best Before: 05/01/2014

Dark copper color with ruby highlights. One and a half inch head fills the upper portion of the glass. Billowy, uneven retention and raised patches of lace.

Acidic aromas, dark cherry, damp oak, hints of blackberry jam, herbal hops and notions of spiced bread. With each sip, sourness and dark fruit juice wash o'er the palate. The sourness falls away pretty quickly leaving a robust, jammy fruit middle which, by some stroke of talent or luck, isn't very sweet. Undercurrents of jam-ready bread notions. Musty oak lingers at down times in flavor. The feel is brisk what with the shot of sour and ample carbonation, despite the body being of moderate heft. Clean, slightly oaky finish.

I am not the most eloquent or well versed on such beers; this is just mighty tasty.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2013 02:51:36 | More by Ryan011235

brewsclues

Pennsylvania

4.34/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

On-tap at Sharp Edge (Pittsburgh, PA) on 1/19/2013. Thanks for the brews, JJ.

One word: balsamic vinegar! (OK, two words.) Not the type of vinegar you slug when you're sick, or the type that makes your intestines pucker, or the type that you un-clog drains with. No, this is the sweet, complex, slightly tangy, and medium-acidic balsamic vinegar that you let age and import it from Italy for $40/bottle. The nose screamed it from the very start, and while I might say that Flemish Reds won't be everyone's bag, if you are looking for a great intro to the style, The Duchesse is a great place to start.

Duchesse is really quite complex, rich, and malty for a sour. Plus points for balance and a not-too-overbearing pucker-taste. But let me re-iterate: this is a big, bold, and tangy Flemish Red. Drier than I was expecting - quite sessionable.

Flanders!

Serving type: on-tap

01-26-2013 05:51:29 | More by brewsclues

Bouleboubier

Pennsylvania

4.66/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: effervescent, beige-pink head, mousse-y texture - ruby red liquid with a brownish tinge, dark glow, great clarity - actually some thick, chunky bands of lace - looks like a red wine with foam

S: fruit-juicy (raspberry, strawberry) - fruit n' creme - lightly floral (rose) - vinous, sangria-like, possibly a touch of port - granola-like malt in the background

T: intense malty/berry - wonderful balance with its lactic sourness - no predominant tartness or "infected" tingle - perhaps a little on the sweet side, but not quite cloyingly so - I couldn't offer anything in the way of desirable improvements - hits the spot, for my taste

M: fullish body, but not syrupy - nearly silky-smooth - enough carbonation to offset, balance - feels like you're drinking something with nutritional substance - so satisfying

O: one of my favorite beers - ridiculously delicious and satisfying - while I have lots of love for Rodenbach Grand Cru and the Cuvee de Jacobins Rouge (and this would compare closer to the Cuvee), it offers me what the other do not...a much more lip-smacking, berry-nectary intensity (but not overbearing sugary sweetness) - this wouldn't be something I would drink all the time...I revel in the excitement and anticipation, though, each time we cross paths...

Serving type: on-tap

01-25-2013 21:54:07 | More by Bouleboubier

TheRealBigC

Nevada

3.75/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

This is definitely a good beer, but I've had other Flanders ales that were better and, most importantly, more sour. The sourness is what I love about the style and Duchesse De Bourgogne doesn't deliver quite as well as others. Even the bext most prevalant Flanders, Rodenbach's Grand Cru, does. So you're not going too far out of your way to get that extra goodness. I feel like I'm underscoring a bit, but for the price, I'm going to make sure I reach for Rodenback over this every time.

Serving type: on-tap

01-23-2013 01:22:05 | More by TheRealBigC