Duchesse De Bourgogne - Brouwerij Verhaeghe

HappyHourHero

Indiana

3.95/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

An easy pour produced a giant, fine bubbled, brownish tan head sits atop the deep, dark burgandy colored beer. Good, solid lacing when the head finally subsides. Sour, vinegar aroma along with some spicy mustard in the background. Tart, sour apple and cherry flavor, along with a very metalic taste. I hate vinegar and the aroma is killing me, but the flavor is pretty damn good, as long as I hold my nose. It kind of reminds me of a kriek version of Quelque Chose. Medium to light body, soft mouthfeel, and an impressingly clean aftertaste. I don't like the smell, but after a while you get used to it. I probably wouldn't drink this beer all that often, but I will drink again.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2004 02:51:25 | More by HappyHourHero

waughbrew

Massachusetts

4.55/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

What a beautiful beer in a style that is currently far too rare!

Very nice deep red/light brown with some blackness. Small off-white head stays a bit as lace but mostly as a small ring around the beer. Great up-front sourness in the aroma with vinegar. Bright and alive, an earthiness with acidity. Flavor is very well-balanced. The malt flavors come out as it warms. Light and crisp, wonderful bubbles. Very drinkable - I could have a few.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2004 02:04:26 | More by waughbrew

beergeek279

Pennsylvania

4.22/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Served in the 11.2 oz. bottle, into a St. Bernardus goblet. The color is a very dark amber, with a very slight bit of white head. The smell is almost vinegar sour. The taste is a very citrusy/limeish sourness. Mouthfeel is very well-carbonated. As for drinkability, one or two is fantastic, but it would be very tough to go much beyond that.

With Rodenbach off the market, I was told that this is the best substitute. I personally couldn't compare the two of them (though I do have an Alexander waiting for another day), but on its own this is a nicely sour taste that's well-balanced and doesn't pucker my mouth. Quite good, and one I'd have on another day.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2004 04:50:35 | More by beergeek279

bobinverted

Michigan

2.05/5  rDev -50.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

My wife found this at AJ's in Ahwatukee, Arizona. She's been getting into Belgian beers, which is cool, but she didn't like this one and gave it to me to finish. I'd just finished a Stone IPA when she handed this to me, what a contrast. I guess I'm not sophisticated enough to enjoy a glassful of balsamic vinegar. That's what Duchesse de Bourgogne smells like, tastes like and looks like. Apparently this is suited to the style, but certainly not suited to my taste.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2004 02:19:19 | More by bobinverted

WVbeergeek

Ohio

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

Appearance: Ruby red brown with a nice caramel tan head leaves appitent amount of head leaves lacing that's beyond my belief. Aroma: Clear caramel malt with massive amounts of amber tones that left me in a frenzy solid looking flemish ale. Taste: Sharp cherry taste with an incredible amount of sourness that is somehow still enjoyable sets your spirit free excellent taste that can'e be let go. Tart fruit flavor that brings any oud bruin competition. Mouthfeel: Heavy carbonation medium bodied ale nice. Drinkability: Excellent solid array of flavors that proves this is a classic staple of the oud bruin or flemish style ale tradition good stuff.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2004 08:49:28 | More by WVbeergeek

silenius

Illinois

4.53/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Served at slightly warmer than fridge temperature in a tulip glass.

Reddish brown appearance with a uniformly light beige head containing medium sized bubbles in the foam. The head dissipated quickly. This beer has a sour cherry and red wine vinegar smell with a background of brown sugar and a hint of vanilla (possibly from the oak barrels).

A bit of a bite on the attack, but that quickly segues into a round, mellow, dried cherry sweetness with a tart backbone. A complex, wine-like beer. At the end it reverts to a slightly tart, but eminently enjoyable, tinge that lasts in the mouth for a good 20 seconds.

Very enjoyable. When drinking this, I sip it slowly and savor it like a dessert wine. This is not a beer I would use to quench a thirst. I would drink it at the the end of meal instead of dessert. The other three bottles I purchased in the four-pack will be gone within the week I am sure!

I would definitely drink it again.

Purchased on 1/17/04. Best before date is 07/04/05.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2004 19:43:21 | More by silenius

RoyalT

Ohio

4/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance - The body was nothing special, brown and clear with orangish-red tints, but the head was magnificent. It rose up mightily and lasted a lifetime. It came down lacing on the sides first while the middle held fast, so that in a few minutes I had a glass that was half beer half head, and the head was big but had pulled away from the edges while leaving a thick film. Awesome!

Smell - The light malt is dominated by a strong (but not sharp) sour aroma. The smell is very sophisticated and complex, though, and is mixed with clove and some cinnamon.

Taste - This is more balanced at the taste. The mild malt flavor stands a little firmer here, and the tartness is still strong but not as dominant. There's also a light sweet taste here and a tea-like quality that was very nice.

Mouthfeel - Medium-bodied and mild in its sweetness, this one was great to hold in the cheeks for a while.

Drinkability - I'm not a huge fan of the style, but this was great to sip on during the day.

Update - My original review was written off a 2003 vintage so I thought I'd delve into this delicacy again in 2009. The head didn't come up the way it did before but otherwise it was pretty much spot on. I am always taken aback when drinking this ale as to the sophisticated manner in which they bring in the cloves. They are not small, but the flavor and aroma both manage to sneak in unnoticed at first then halfway through the bottle you pick it up.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2003 19:16:08 | More by RoyalT

GCBrewingCo

North Carolina

4.45/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a clear dark amber brown with an off-white head which lingers and clings to the glass. Aroma of sour lactobacillus and other lambic type bacteria. Slight oak aroma and deep fruity aromas are present. Flavor is unbelievably good. Complex flavors of fruit, malt, subtle sour nature, deep fruit and a lasting slightly sour fruity finish. The body is med-light and very refreshing.

11.2 ounce bottle, best before date of 04/05/04.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2003 01:14:48 | More by GCBrewingCo

ADR

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Very dark mahogany color with red highlights. Brown head starts at 1/4 of an inch, fades in 20 seconds. Wide looping laces. Smells like a Manhatten, candied fruit and slightly boozy. Starts bright and weakly astringent, like an unripe anjou pear with some lime juice. Lightish mouthfeel, spritzy texture. Turns somewhat leafy late, but keeps the brightness and finishes with an excellently timed fade in the throat. Aftertaste is a lot like sweet bing cherries, the slight sourness is gone as the beer shifts gears and shows complexity. This bottle was nice enough, though not the gutsiest Flanders Red...

Source: Liquid Solutions

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2003 16:14:34 | More by ADR

byrd

Virginia

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

Pours with a good sized light tan head that is fizzy for a moment, then slowly recedes to a thick lace. The color is a clear dark-reddish brown. Aroma has lots of sour vinous notes along side notes of dark fruits. Hints of oak are also apparent. The start is quite sweet and fruity. Prunes, raisins, and cherry notes are all present. Not much hop bitterness, but there is a nice sourness that comes in towards the end to balance things out. There’s a dry oaky finish. Carbonation is fairly light, and more noticeable towards the end. Very drinkable brew that I enjoyed quite a bit. Reminded me somewhat of a fruit lambic, and would make for a good desert beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2003 19:57:21 | More by byrd

inebrius

Michigan

4.83/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Chinotto! Fermented, of course, with a raw fruit kind of sour pear gig going on. Nose of sweat and licorice and pungent weeds amongst sill laden four berry pies and cotton under garments hung in the soft Autumn air. Tart and sweet like the most quality of Chinese dipping sauce. Flow is frothy and bold. Me like, Todd like. More.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2003 07:40:28 | More by inebrius

crookedhalo

Pennsylvania

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

Translucent ruby color with thick beige head that leaves intricate lace in the glass. 33 cl bottle dated best before 10/13/03. Slightly vinegary and sweet aromas blended with the complexity of a Flanders red. Oaky and rich on the tongue. Epitomizes the standard of a Flanders red. Again slightly red wine vinegary taste complemented with a thorough malt sweetness and a sour cherry finish not unlike something like Liefmans Kriek. Absolutely drinkable; a fine example of a substitute for a red wine from a culinary perspective in dishes that complement red wines.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2003 07:52:25 | More by crookedhalo

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

4/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Dark red brew with a medium head. Sour taste with a distinct cherry flavor which is coming from the oak. Very impressive control of the flemish style. Alcohol taste is not evident at all. I could drink this at any point in time. One of the best flemish sour ales that I've had the chance to taste.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2003 19:11:06 | More by Phyl21ca

DagFishHead

New York

4.53/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Burnt-amber, ruby pour. Thin, tightly-bubbled, tan head hangs in with minimal lace.
Smell: Red wine tanins, oak, butter, wine vinegar. Earthy, roasted malt, with faint hops in the background. An olfactory onslaught. I could sniff this all afternoon!
Taste: Like a port wine fortified scottish ale. Sweet cherry, followed by wine/vinegar acidity... all supported by a sweet, slightly-roasted malt, ripe plum/raisin fruit tones and an acidic-citrus/dry-hop finish.
Mouthfeel: Tingly champagne carbonation, puckery acidity, smooth middling malt fullness. There's a lot going on in your mouth with this one.
Drinkability: Never would have thought I would enjoy something of this style this much... please be open to trying this one.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2003 00:19:24 | More by DagFishHead

Popsinc

Ontario (Canada)

3.38/5  rDev -18.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Appearance: A dark ruby-brownish pour. Thin tan head.

Smell: A very fruity and sour nose. Ripe grape is prominent and there is also a hint of balsamic vinegar.

Taste: The taste here is much sweeter and more mild then the nose might suggest. A nice cherry sweetness creeps through and balances nicely with the tart nose.

Mouthfeel: Smooth and fresh...little sweet n dry on the finish.

Drinkability: The beer was decent but i would only question the how often would i actually sit down to drink this beer? I aprreciate it but i don't love it.

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2003 02:19:39 | More by Popsinc

hotstuff

Indiana

3.5/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

This is beer?? It tasted and smelled more like a wine than it did a beer and therefore it was very much not to my liking. It poured a large sized tan frothy head that consisted of fine-small bubbles. The body was opaque and carbonated with a red hue. The nose reminded me of pure wine as did the flavor. The mouthfeel was tingly, tangy, bitey and medium bodied. There was a fair amount of lacing with this beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2003 23:27:48 | More by hotstuff

TheLongBeachBum

California

4.83/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Presentation: I have been in the US just over two years & never had this here, so when I spied a 4-Pack of this at a beer store weekend I was excited. I elected to cut down my beer expenditure though & just picked up a single – it was $3.79 for the 11.2 fl.oz bottle.

I noticed that the beer looked slightly different somehow, and then I realized that I was used to seeing a simple dark purple crown cap – my example had a black crown cap with the Verhaeghe coat of arms in gold on it.

Appearance: A filtered chestnut brown, dirty tan head comprised of incredibly small bubbles, fantastic smooth layered head. Excellent conditioning.

Nose: Rather delicate sour pong at first, with some aged port aspects.

Taste: Benefits immensely from the 18 months that this spends in maturation in the Brewery, often in large Oak Vats or smaller Casks. Fantastic zippy sour-sharp feel at first. It assaults you & punishes your acceptance of bland beer with a “WTF??” if you are not used to Flanders Reds. How this beer encapsulates diametrically opposed flavor profiles and yet remains incredibly well balanced is the work of masters - Awesome.

Mouthfeel: The beer dissolves on the tongue; lots of conditioning, velvety feel to the cheeks, sour & fruity cheek puller. Excellent.

Drinkability: Immense, you will want to drown in this spritzy sour baby, or throw up after the first mouthful. Has all the Drinkability of a traditional lambic, if you know what I mean.

Overall: I first came across this fine beer in 1994 during my first ever trip to Belgium & was completely blown away by its immense character. Our party was so impressed; we ended up arranging to visit the Brewery in 1995, where we had a guided tour & when I bought my first 24 bottle crate of this fine West Flanders Red. I drank the last of this in August 2001 when I came to the US – all I can say is that this beer is to Flanders Reds what Cantillon & Girardin are to lambics.

It is as good now, as it was in 1995, which is something the likes of comparable beers from Rodenbach cannot claim.

A Classic & @ $3.79 – It’s a Steal. WELL WORTH IT.

F**K! What a tight-wad I am,
I knew I should have purchased the 4-pack when I saw it.

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2003 03:53:24 | More by TheLongBeachBum

Jon

Illinois

4.45/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Comparative tasting with a 2001 Liefmans Goudenband 10/17/03.

Reddish brown color with a khaki head that becomes frothy after agitation. Some nice trails of lace remain on the glass. Nose is oaky and buttery with some subdued fruity esters. The nose, to me, screams California Chardonnay with that big buttery, oaky profile (and this is just on aroma). Taste-wise, this doesn't deviate too far from that California Chardonnay once again. Buttery, oaky, and vanilla notes give way to a tart green apple finish with notes of vinegar and funkiness. A wonderful interplay of sweet and sour. One of the most vinous beers I've consumed. The mouthfeel is pleasantly carbonated, yet quite smooth. This is an extraordinarily crafted Oud Bruin. Not quite as quenching as the Goudenband, but it seemed to be more flavorful with a fuller finish. Wonderful stuff.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2003 01:35:12 | More by Jon

beerguy101

California

4.43/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Deep ruby color. Medium head. Aroma is slightly vinegar and malts. This is DEFINITELY a Flemish Sour Ale. A big bold sour tartness up front, gives way to a nice vinous fruitiness somewhere in the middle. Fruity and sour and vinegar and sweet all at the same time. Very reminiscent of a Rodenbach Grand Cru. Very complex flavors. Nice beer. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed this style. Mouthfeel is full and round. Finish is clean and smooth. Aftertaste is vinous and slightly bitter . WARNING::QUALITY CAN VARY FROM BOTTLE TO BOTTLE

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2003 02:07:21 | More by beerguy101

Bighuge

Minnesota

4.55/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

This beer is muy bonita. Lovely deep and clear burgandy tone. A creamy and dense beige head decorates the surface. Great retention is noted. I love the aroma: brown sugar, molasses, leather, sour cherry and ginger. The taste is up to the task as well. Great flavors at work. A bit of a battle of sweet and sour with the sweet actually winning out. No make that a draw. Pretty balanced in that area. A little sour cherry. A little sweet cookie dough. A little sour lemon. A little sweet brown sugar. Some subtle spicing I note as well includes ginger, cinamon and corriander. (Although I'm not sure that this beer is purposely spiced.) There are also some oaky and smokey qualities. A really nice blend of flavors. Body is light and the mouthfeel is on the lighter side of the carbonation spectrum. Wow. I do like this bruin.

Thanks marc77. Once again you've picked a winner for me.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2003 03:22:47 | More by Bighuge

Gueuzedude

Arizona

3.78/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A nice burgundy color, quite clear and pours with almost no head. Tastes lightly sour, with a hint of sweetness. Smells lightly woody and a bit sour as well. This beer tastes tart with a hint of cherry. A much more everyday, easy drinking version of Rodenbach Grand Cru. Maybe some hints of vanilla in the taste, followed by a bit of tannic background. No bitterness just a wonderful marriage of tart and sweet flavors. A hint of alcohol in the finish.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2003 16:37:45 | More by Gueuzedude

clvand0

Kentucky

4/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This is one strange beer that doesn't really fit into what I normally call beer. Came in a bottle like a beer, looked like a beer, but nothing else. Anyway, to the review! Pours a dark red/brown color with very little head that dies off quickly and leaves a tiny bit of lacing on the glass. The aroma was very sweet and was full of apples (or possibly grapes?). Smelled just like a very fruity red wine. I saw where someone else who rated this one said it smelled of apples - I'm not sure - I thought it was grapes at the time, but I can't go back and re-smell it to find out for sure. :-) The taste was very much like the aroma - sweet and full of apple (or grape) flavors. Tasted like a wine with a carbonation bite and a little beer-malt. Gotta say that I enjoyed drinking this beer as the drinkabily was very good and the mouthfeel was the same. Very wierd, but enjoyable at the same time.

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2003 14:26:43 | More by clvand0

Darkale

Virginia

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

REVISITED BEER ON JULY 11, 2011

Few things make me more hopeful about beer than the fact that I gave the Duchesse a C or so rating 8 years ago, when I first reviewed it, and now it is one of my favorites. Eight years ago, it seemed over the top; now, it seems almost sedate, and "pleasant" is how I would describe it today. It is juicy and thirst-quenching, with a bright, woodsy, summer's-day combination of flavors and mouthfeel. Great stuff.

If you let your palate grow, oh the places it will take you.

FOR HUMOR AND HUMILITY PURPOSES, ORIGINAL REVIEW BELOW...

Um... I, uh, don't really know what to say about this beer. It certainly pushes the envelope open further than any other beer I've ever had.

Clear, red-brown body with a thick tan head. Powerful apple-vinegar aroma. Somewhere in the back of it, holding its nose, is some sweet malt.

How to describe the taste? "Interesting and different" does not seem to be enough. It's thick and chewy, but overpowered by massive, slick apple vinegar. There is also some oak and pure green apple mixed in.

I am impressed by the depth and quality of this beer; surely it is no easy task to put all of those tastes together. I wish I liked this beer. If I bought twelve bottles in January, and opened one per month for a year, by December I might be able to finish one. Still, I am not sure that I would be able to say that I enjoyed it.

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2003 13:23:16 | More by Darkale

SetarconeX

Florida

4.43/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Appearance: A wonderful dark red color, with an agressive brown head on it. Careful pouring this one, this head doesn't go away as quickly as you might think.

Smell: There's malt, and wine, and citrus, and the alcohol's definately there too. Don't think I've ever had anything that smelled quite like this before.

Taste: Sweet up front, and sour in the back. Very heavy apple flavor all around, with wine-like undertones. Don't think I've ever tasted a beer quite like this before.

Mouthfeel: Very smooth and thick. Very good considering the unique tang the beer has.

What a unique little brew! Much too sweet for everyday use, but with completely unmatched complexities to the taste. I'd sell my soul for an exact ingredients list. I've never tasted anything like it.

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2003 03:12:16 | More by SetarconeX

mickeymac

California

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

Charging out of the bottle with champagne-like carbonation, it's a very eye-pleasing brown with garnet highlights. A fine tan head full of little bubbles lays on top of the beer to the end. The smell is somewhat musty, with hints of ripe fruit and an overriding sourness. One sip immediately causes the mouth to pucker, but that's not the end of the story. Raisiny sweetness balances the sour aspect of the beer, making for a very nice drinking experience. For a fairly sour beer, this one is surprisingly drinkable, and I found myself having to resist the urge to throw down big gulps of it. Nice.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2003 01:21:03 | More by mickeymac