Duchesse De Bourgogne - Brouwerij Verhaeghe

avaldivia

California

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

I have a soft spot in my heart for this beer, as it is the beer that got me into sours. On Tap, poured into a Duchesse De Bourgogne glass.

A: Nice light reddish color. Almost pink when held up to the light. Decent head but that disappears fairly quickly.

S: Tart black cherries. Nice tingle of the nose. A lot of people say vinegar, but I just don't get vinegar in this.

T: This is where this brew shines. Tart upfront and lingers for a bit before giving way to to a crisp smooth finish. Tastes linger on the palate, which I really enjoy.

M: Very well carbonated. Light body. about what you would expect. Not overly tart to make your mouth pucker.

O: it is thanks to this beer that I like sours, and it is still probably the one I buy most often.

Serving type: on-tap

07-27-2011 15:38:30 | More by avaldivia

Klym

California

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

Had on-tap at The Rake in London. Review from notes.

A: Pours a malt-vinegar esque deep red/brown with a respectable head. Appearance is complex and intriguing.

S: Smells of grape and cherry sweetness with a vinegary sting to it. Smells like it might be rather biting.

T: Wow. I've had Duchesse a couple of times from the bottle before and this is just totally different. In my previous experiences the vinegar dominated and the sweetness was a little hard to dig out. This time, the highest quality of sweet grapeskins beautifully layered the taste throughout, with small hints of other fruits like rich cherry. A vinegarish bite came toward the end but added a sort of crispness and fighting spirit to the taste. Really lovely.

M: Great mouthfeel; an excited carbonation with a viscocity that makes it run throughout your mouth at the appropriate rate and with just the right feel for the proper taste experience.

O: Having this on tap really caught me off guard and made me realize the dangers posed by getting this post international shipping. This is an awesome beer and already well worth getting in a bottle-- getting it on tap is a must if its available to you. Hats off to the Duchesse de Bourgogne.

Serving type: on-tap

06-26-2011 22:54:44 | More by Klym

broken22

California

4.05/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Oh Duchesse. She is a beer that I had kept playing hard to get with. I would see her at the beer store and think about but never acted. I even held here a couple of times to only put her back. So when I finally had the chance to get a glass on tap I decided it was time to meet her.

This beer is a nice red amber color. The head on this beer is very tight little micro bubbles and white. This beer is very fragrant. Taking a sniff an you will know right away that this is going to be a sour beer. I'm not an expert on sour beers so I cannot really elaborate on smell other than sour. The taste really surprised me. I was totally expecting something awful. This beer has a really nice flavor that is only exemplified by the sourness. It has a very nice fruity taste. The brewery describes it as passion fruit and I will just agree to that. The overall mouthfeel is nice and light with a dry finish.

I am not a sour chaser and I really thought I would never find a sour beer that I really liked. Duchesse won me over on the first sip. Its complex flavor is completely masked by the smell. It's like the durian fruit of beer. While I'm sure its still not for everyone I think if your curious you should try a glass.

Serving type: on-tap

06-19-2011 04:37:39 | More by broken22

WeezyBoPeep

Florida

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

Enjoyed a little goblet of this on tap at The Imperial on Orange, Orlando FL.

A: Deep crimson with a smooth, excellent tan head.

S: Red wine vinegar, cherry juice and fresh dough.

T: Follows the smell exactly with a welcome sweetness and a tart finish. Hints of cane juice and sour apples.

D: I don't see how anyone could call this undrinkable.

Serving type: on-tap

05-18-2011 01:48:28 | More by WeezyBoPeep

Tucquan

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Had this on 2011-04-20 in Lititz, PA at the Bull's Head and 2013-06-14 at Minnesota Town Hall Tap.

A - Dark, ruby red that is transparent enough for light to wrap around the edges. It has a 1-finger light tan head and good lacing. Just beautiful.

S - Characteristic lactic-sour yeast, dried cherry and mild malt.

T - Sweet cherry and sour of course with a wine/oak-barrel flavor. Oak. Funk. Not like a Russian River Supplication but quite nice.

M - Medium body and light carbonation. Syrupy.

O - A beginner's sour IMHO. Not as sweet as a Lindemans by any means. Good variety of flavors with decent balancing sourness. Sue liked it at Minnesota Town Hall Tap.

Serving type: on-tap

04-21-2011 14:56:39 | More by Tucquan

TagOnlyForNow

Texas

4.43/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

I wish that I liked wine. But I will be more than happy settling on being a beer snob. This beer tastes like what I wish a good wine would taste like. Fruity with the sour flavor. Does not produce a head which makes it feel more like a wine or specialty mead or barley wine.

I love this beer. It is my new vice. It has removed me from all of the Belgian Heffes/Whites.

Serving type: on-tap

04-04-2011 04:16:56 | More by TagOnlyForNow

Brabander

Netherlands

3.65/5  rDev -11.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

I drank this beer purely by coincidence this evening. I went for a walk in the town where i live and i saw my cousin Barry in a bar. Went in and got this beer from him.

From tap in the original glass the beer does not look spectacular. A deep darkred colour and the head disappears very fast. No carbonation visible.

Smell has some sourness but not unpleasant. The taste is like a sour ale, not my style but reasonable drinkable.

Serving type: on-tap

03-30-2011 20:24:39 | More by Brabander

BeerForMuscle

New Jersey

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

A - Medium brown toned body with a foamy beige one finger head.

S - Tangy and tart, also fruity and fresh. Some grainy scents are there too.

T - Alot of fruit tartness like cherries and possible red grape/apple. This beer is also acidic and has wine like qualities. The alcohol is smooth and crisp. The back of the tongue gets some wood aftertaste and the beer has some sour dryness to it as well.

M - Very effervescent and clean mouthfeel. The beer has a lighter-medium body and is very smooth and refreshing.

Notes - I enjoy sours and this is one of my favorites of the type. Its always good, easy to drink and just an overall quality choice.

Serving type: on-tap

03-08-2011 05:23:44 | More by BeerForMuscle

Chizoad

California

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

Interesting and happy I tried this. Cool bartender gave me a half glass on the house as the keg kicked.

Red, clear, very pretty in the glass. Decent head with good retention on the lacing.

The first thing that I picked up was some funk, then maybe cherries and sugar. But primarily musty funk and ... salt?

Tastes quite different than it smells. Sweet up front, cherries and a little tartness to finish. Some weed on the exhalation out of the nose. Grew on me throughout the glass. Not a crisp beer by any stretch.

Light body, not overly carbonated. Quite drinkable but a sipper nonetheless.

Serving type: on-tap

03-06-2011 03:19:51 | More by Chizoad

GilGarp

Colorado

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

Served on-tap at the Cheeky Monk. As with all beers at CM, it's served in branded glassware which, in this case, is basically a simple red wine glass.

Aroma is musky and funky with some slight fruit character.

Flavor is surprisingly enjoyable and much better than the aroma would suggest. Lots of ripe red fruit, grapes and cherries, with some mild sour/tart flavors. The sweetness is perfectly balanced with the other tart fruit.

Mouthfeel is medium-light bodied and nicely carbonated.

Overall a really nice, warm weather, easy drinking sour ale. This is the perfect introduction to sours.

Serving type: on-tap

03-03-2011 04:21:38 | More by GilGarp

generallee

New York

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

Presentation: It was served on tap at the Blue Monk in Buffalo NY and presented in a tulip glass.

Appearance: The Duchesse De Bourgogne comes to the table sporting a small creamy off white head over a dark and hazy reddish brown body. It is full of lively carbonation rushing up to the head which has great retention and leaves perfect lace ring after each sip.

Smell: The aroma has lots of delicate tart fruit and wine like character with light woody and nutty nuances and some mellow malt sweetness.

Taste/Palate: Like the aroma its flavor displays notes of sour cherry, tart raspberry, browned apple peel and red wine backed by dry woody oak and some light yeast funk. This is balanced by some bready malt with mild sweetness. Everything is nicely balanced and slowly fades into a smooth dry finish. The palate has a lively well carbonated medium feel with tons of complexity and a mild sour pucker.

Notes: The wonderful balance of flavor and body works to give it lots of complex character and drinkability. I would highly recommend to both wine and beer drinkers who like sours.

Serving type: on-tap

02-09-2011 13:57:40 | More by generallee

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

WildRage

New York

3.8/5  rDev -8%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I had 2 of these at the Tap Room in Warren, NJ last night. The brew looks gorgeous when poured into the chalice I drank it in - almost a ruby color.

There wasn't much of a strong smell - a little vinegery, and a bit fruity. I really liked the taste, although definitely more sweet than sour. A little more sourness and a little more alcohol would make this beer nearly perfect. I'm reminded of Rodenbach when drinking this, but as said before, a bit more sweet.

I would definitely order this beer again if I ever see it. Would also be a good introductory beer if you're not used to this style.

Serving type: on-tap

11-13-2010 14:21:36 | More by WildRage

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

4.47/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Pours a clean orange-ish brown color with a light tan head. In the aroma, sour cherry and oaky hints. In the taste, sweet to sour dark cherry and a small oaky hint. A smooth and sour medium to light bodied mouthfeel, with a small dry oaky and cherry aftertaste. Nice oaky hints, with a nice cherry sourness.

Serving type: on-tap

10-22-2010 21:20:58 | More by OWSLEY069

OneDropSoup

Pennsylvania

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

Very excited to see this on tap at House of 1000 Beers in New Kensington, PA.

Poured into a stemmed tulip: Dark reddish-brown, kind of burgundy, with deep plum highlights & a finger of khaki, loose head. Great color, big crown of lacing.

Smells of balsamic vinegar, tart, dark cherries, vanilla, green apple, a little leather, a little sawdust. Very complex & nicely integrated.

Taste follows aroma very closely, with some amplified acidity & more pronounced cherry & apple, wrapped up well. Wish I could say more, but it's pretty much already been said.

Full-bodied, smooth, a little viscous but with that moderate acidic bite. Very engaging.

This is one great beer. Flavorful, complex, but doesn't overwhelm or knock you out. That said, two is probably my limit. Maybe I had expectation bias, but I went in prepared to love this & I loved it, so there you go.

Serving type: on-tap

09-27-2010 16:17:00 | More by OneDropSoup

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

4.58/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Dark ruby colored brew which sports a rocky, pillowy, off white head that seems to breathe as if the beer was alive (which it is). Craters opening up, the head finally dies down a little and leaves alot of lace. Just a beauty of a beer.

Smell: Apple cider, vinegar. A bit musty and sour smelling. Perfumy.

Taste: Tart and sweet with a lingering sour/metallic edge. This ale was matured in wooden vats, providing an oaky/woodsy dryness. As it warms, more complexity develops, fruits that do not exist like a mixture of cherry, granny smith apple and citrus with some acidity. This is one hell of a beverage.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with a semi dry finish and a lingering sourness of the palate.

Drinkability: A very desirable sour that is a pleasure to partake. Highly recommended.

Serving type: on-tap

09-08-2010 15:38:10 | More by Stinkypuss

kbutler1

Minnesota

2.95/5  rDev -28.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

On draft. Short review as I am at the bar and in a rush. Sour fruit aromas. Acidic taste. Notes of nail polish remover and acetone. The acetone mixed with the sweetness of this beer really is a turn off to me. Reddish color with a tan head. Not terribly good but ok for the style. Light/medium mouthfeel.

Serving type: on-tap

08-20-2010 19:54:15 | More by kbutler1

jampics2

Ohio

4.03/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On tap @ the Beer Engine. This is my sweetheart's go-to beer for kegs and eggs! Gotta love that!!

Looks decent - reddish color with a nice small head. Just nothing outstanding.

Smell is good - for the style, I find this to be one of the more appetizing noses as some Flanders reds are rather putrid. This smells of vinegar, cherries, and oak.

Taste is also quite nice. Really sweet, with the balsamic vinegar and cherry notes dominating. I get a touch of belgian malt and some oak, also a hint of lemon - otherwise, it's a straight-ahead sour vinegary cherry fest of a beer.

Mouthfeel is this beer's strongest suit IMO. Light, crisp, and perfectly carbonated. The finish is rather remarkable as well.

Overall, I dig this beer, it's everything a Flanders Red should be. A touch too sweet for revisiting a few times in a sitting. But a nice sour and something that has served as a bridge into the genre for many.

Serving type: on-tap

07-26-2010 12:57:06 | More by jampics2

snogglethorpe

Japan

3.55/5  rDev -14%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A lovely deep burgundy color, with a huge creamy head. Smell is interesting, woody/fruity/musty. Taste doesn't really live up to the smell though -- it's sour, fruity, and refreshing, but not complex, and the woody notes in the smell are barely evident in the taste.

Serving type: on-tap

05-30-2010 05:37:18 | More by snogglethorpe

dqrull

Sweden

4.05/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Clear red, deep poppy-red, crisp lightly pink coloured head that receeds and leaves no lacing, but a fine pink ring on the liquid.

Smells fresh and nice! Tart berries and green grapes, slightly unripe strawberries, without the bitter stringiness to it. Lightly funky, there's a light maltiness behind it all as well.

Taste is lightly acidic, with a oh so small, but refreshing hint of vinegar and citric acid, but at the same time it is pretty sweet. Lots of red berries, a b it riper than in the nose, but not fully ripe, still contributing with a light bittterness. Finishes with a funky white breadiness and a faint bitterness.

Slightly cloying in the mouth, but still manages to stay pretty fresh thanks to the acidity.

Serving type: on-tap

04-21-2010 20:49:21 | More by dqrull

BillyBoysPie

Kentucky

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

On tap in the appropriate glassware at the (soon to be if it isn't already) legendary Sergio's World Beers in Louisville, KY. Go. Now.

Reddish-brownish-purple with a dense white foam on top. Near perfect lacing with decent retention.

Tart and sour flavors dominate the nose. Well fruited, mostly cassis (currant) and raspberry combined with tart rhubarb like acidity. Some malt comes through, but the slight buttery is far more interesting.

Grape bubblegum and tart raspberry are in the front with some of the oaky, woody characteristics filling out the beer. It's very delicate, but really clean. Well balanced and very enjoyable.

Light, not too viscous. Enough carbonation to accentuate the tart without overpowering the sour.

Easy to drink - if you like the style, which I do. It's really fun and deep.

Serving type: on-tap

03-13-2010 01:27:39 | More by BillyBoysPie

wd40

New York

3.5/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Beautiful burgundy appearance. Deep dark red, fairly clear. Smells like a fantastic sour beer mixed with red wine. I really liked the aroma except there was a faint hint of metal. The tast up front is fantastic. Great sour bite that quickly fades into an almost soda-like sweetness. The finish of the beer is very sweet, more like wine than beer. The mouthfeel is soft. Subtle carbonation. The beer is very well-crafted but the drinkability is negatively affected by the sweetness in the finish.

Serving type: on-tap

01-01-2010 07:09:43 | More by wd40

Hawthorne

Maine

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

I had this on tap and thought it was brilliant!! After having this beer I became aware of how biased I was toward American craft beers. This beer pours a beautiful deep chestnut with limited head. The nose has sun dried fruit with a flavor that has a nice maltyness with raisin. mmmm!

Serving type: on-tap

12-29-2009 02:17:35 | More by Hawthorne

drabmuh

Maryland

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

Beer served on draft at a beer bar in FL. Beer served in a Duchess De Bourgogne wine glass. Beer is hazy brown and has a broken brown head with very little carbonation. The tiny head manages to leave some lacing on the glass.

Aroma is citric and lactic sour in nature. Not too much complexity but for this style its dead on. Time to drink.

Beer is sweet and sour, the sweetness comes first but its quickly overtaken by the sour nature of the beer. Beer is smooth and has a thin body. The drinkability is high and the midpalate is where the majority of the flavor is noticed. Its a good example of a sour beer.

Serving type: on-tap

12-28-2009 16:54:43 | More by drabmuh

Katahdin

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 2 | overall: 4

I was suspiciou at first of this beer. I am not generally a fan of Sours, but this one won me over. Very smooth and crisp. Has a nice sour taste and a full body but without the tartness of many sours. This is a beer that will not pucker your mouth with its tartness. it has a surprisingly sweet finish to it and is imminently drinkable. Even more the aroma is not overwhelming like many other sours.

Serving type: on-tap

12-07-2009 20:10:05 | More by Katahdin