Duchesse De Bourgogne - Brouwerij Verhaeghe

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

RaulMondesi

California

3.81/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Raulsky was pumped. Sat down at da joint: Hopscotch in Downtown Fullerton, and all the fly honey's were at his table. One, two, three, and to the four; 5 honey's vs 3 dudes? Yep! Here goes Raul!

Pumped up like Kobe during a visit to Colorado pre thang thang. Ordered the Duchess and was ready to go. Hints of vinegar, but at the same time, something good was going on. Sipped it, n yeah: just straight solid. I wouldn't pop it for my lil soldierettes quinceañera, but just to get freaky, yep!

Serving type: on-tap

01-16-2013 10:23:24 | More by RaulMondesi

bobhits

Kentucky

4.21/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 4.25

As expected a rather clear reddish orange body with a nice thick creamy dark cream head. Pretty nice presentation all and all.

Sour cherries, sugar, and hints of vinegar.

This is a great beer. The cherries give balance to a very nice puckering sour beer. A good amount of vinegar and tartness.

The carbonation seem a touch off to me. It's perhaps just a bit to explosive on the tongue. Still a minor complaint that doesn't hurt this beer much.

This isn't Rodenbock but this is a must try and the beer is priced extremely well.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2013 03:59:08 | More by bobhits

CloudStrife

New York

4.23/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

11.2 oz bottle poured into a snifter. Best by 14/06/2014

A: Pours a clear dark rube with a one finger slightly tan head. Lots of visible carbonation in the body. Head sticks around as a thin covering for quite a while. Leaves some good lacing on the glass.

S: Hits your nose with a sweet, fruity, sour blend of malts and yeast. Vinegar and oakiness permeates as it warms. Cherry comes through as well as dark fruity malts.

T: This is a tart and sour beer with a great sweetness and fruit. Strong cherry and some real good oak. On the sweeter side of the spectrum.

M: Very crisp, lots of carbonation combined with a fairly thick mouthfeel with a bit of a syrup feel. Dry feel, alcohol is lost in the flavor.

Overall this is a phenomenal beer, very easy to drink and an amazing flavor. Would love to drink this all the time.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2013 00:48:46 | More by CloudStrife

spoony

Colorado

4.23/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From a 750 ml bottle into a wine glass.

A-The beer is dark brown with ruby highlights. A normal pour produced about one finger of dirty, light brown head that faded into a cap pretty quickly. The cap hung around until the end.

S-I love the smell of this stuff; a real highlight. I get bright, tart cherries, acidic vinegar, sour apples, toasty oak, and a bit of earth. The whole thing melds together just right for me.

T-The taste is sweeter and simpler than the smell. Still, the flavors are tart cherries, apples, pears, and a little kick of funky earth. The sweet taste overpowers some of the oak and acid that make the smell so great.

M-The beer has a fine carbonation with a medium body. A touch watery feeling.

O-Disclosure: Years ago, this was one of the first sour beers I ever had, so I'm sure there is some nostalgia coming in here. Anyway, I really enjoy the Duchesse. In particular, I could smell this beer all day long. The taste is a little sweet and the feel was merely good (not great), so perhaps this beer lacks the balance and complexity of the best sour red ales (Rodenbach Grand Cru, for example), but the Duchesse is still a great example of the style.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2012 19:05:11 | More by spoony

devlishdamsel

Washington

4.3/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

S: Single 11.2 ounce bottle from shelve of local beer section in natural market. It was the last bottle. I thought about picking it up last week during a haul, but hesitated due to the price tag. Luckily she was still there when I returned and a friend of mine who is a local distributor sang her praises.

Appearance: Darkish red ( sadly the tulip style glasses i used were a very dark glass, its possible my perception of the color could be off due to this.) Very frothy voluminous white head.

Smell: As this was aged in oak casks for a bit i could definitely smell notes of that.

Taste: Exceptionally complex, with a very mild bitterness and slight sour acidity. I sipped on this with dinner and finished off with pairing it with fruit later. This beer pairs amazing with fruit, especially pineapple.

Mouthfeel: slightly carbonated in texture, but almost smooth like a cider. the froth on the head is composed of very fine bubbles.

Overall: Definitely a win! I will definitely add this beer to my rotation of Belgians as it deserves no less.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2012 02:35:50 | More by devlishdamsel