Duchesse De Bourgogne - Brouwerij Verhaeghe

ThomasMetal75

Massachusetts

3.78/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 2 | overall: 4

A- Black like stout with red tints throughout the entire glass. Had a thick head at first, but died quickly.

S- WOW! Estery dark fruits and red wine yest. Very malty and very inviting!

T- God damn! This has the carbination of a champagne, but with a taste of red wine! Just like the smell, It has a dark fruity/estery quality to it. It's very chewy! The finish is somewhat sweet before it changes to dry. Unlike any beer I've ever had in my lifetime!!!

M- The beer's downfall is It's too carbonated. Full bodied like red wine, but fizzy.

Overall it through me a curve ball, but in a good way. I've never had a beer like it. Itwas just like red wine. I want to try this with steak or lamb chops sometime in the future! An A rated beer for sure!

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2012 07:52:47 | More by ThomasMetal75

chugalug06

Colorado

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

Large straw colored bubbly head. Lacing is spotty. Brew has is a nice clear burgundy color.

Light green apple tartness. Some light peach and apricot.

Smoothly (heavy) carbonated, surprising judging by the head. Flavors are intricate and blend well. Lots of peach, apple, and pear. Bitterness is slight, burn is none, and bite is slender.

A bit all over the board, but recommended. A nice well distributed Sour. Relaxing and unique for a Friday after a busy week.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2012 03:01:32 | More by chugalug06

rangerred

Tennessee

4.2/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

330ml bottle into a goblet.

Pours a nearly clear medium brown with a smallish half finger tan head. Ok head retention with pretty good lacing.

Aroma has quite a bit of tartness and cherries along with some vinegar. Barnyard in the background along with yeast. Of all these aromas, however, tart dark fruit really dominates.

The flavor really has a lot going on. Lots of tartness and dark fruit up front but there is a solid powdered cocoa flavor underneath that surprised me a little bit. Barnyard rises quickly next but it remains restrained. Quite acidic all the way through but has a slightly sticky finish. Carbonation is soft and high.

Overall, a tasty but not over the top complex brew. It would make a good introduction into the expansive world of wild Belgian beers.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2012 02:46:16 | More by rangerred

sapper1252

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

Poured from a 750 mL bottle. Good carbonation. Mild barnyard smell, definitely some cherries.

Taste was mildly sour, with cherry sweetness. I was expecting more sour.

A good Flanders Red, but I've definitely had better. I did find it pleasant, however.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2012 00:39:03 | More by sapper1252

TwelveOunces

Kentucky

4.18/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

11.2 oz bottle poured into a snifter
Best before 03-03-2012

A- Dark orange maroon color. A two finger of an off tan head. A nice looking beer.

S- Wheat, grass, dark fruit, Hay, a slight twang.

T- A nice dark fruit up first. Sweeps over with a grape, wine type taste. A lot of hay and lemon grass. A sour tang, A slight spiciness.

M- This beer has a great feel to it. Smooth and silky. High carbonation. Spicy and sour.

O- Absolutely fantastic. This is my first Flanders Red. A fantastic sour.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2012 00:27:23 | More by TwelveOunces

Maltmaiden

Alabama

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

Beautiful burgundy. Medium carbonation. Clear. Small head that goes away quickly and leaves a tiny bit of film and lacing.

Smell sour cherries. Toasted malts. Molases. Lemon.

Taste sour black cherries. Toasted malts and finishes with some breadiness (which I really like). Ruby red grapefruit. Winey. Green apple.

Mouthfeel it sticky. Nice carbonation.

Overall: I guess I am just new to this style but I was just not a huge fan of the tart/sweet taste. I am waiting for a headache to kick in from the sugar.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2012 04:54:31 | More by Maltmaiden

BhamBeerLover

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

Oh the dutchess... Shall I compare the to a summer's day? Seriously though, this beer is phenomenal. For one expecting a good sour ale this beer cannot be beat, though potentially tied. I got exactly what I expected and would not wish for this beer to change at all. I hope to be able to share this beer with my children, when they are old enough of course. (At least not until they hit double digits.) Thanks to all those Flemish folks for this amazing contribution to the world beer community.

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2012 03:36:14 | More by BhamBeerLover

Danny1217

Florida

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

Dark brownish red, with some bubbly carbonation. Nice off-white head, with excellent retention. A half hour into it and there's still a little layer of foam.
Smells of sweet and sour fruits. Berries and some caramel like sweetness. Not as pungent as a lot of sours beers, and that works to its benefit.
The sourness is mild, but it's definitely there. Nice berry taste. Strawberry, cherry, some grape. A bit of a bread like character. Medium body, not too thin, but not overpowering either. Delicious.

The sour beers are winning me over. Duchesse is one of my favorites now.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2012 03:57:36 | More by Danny1217

homebrew311

Illinois

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

Poured into Goose Island silver goose glass. Appearance is a deep brownish red with a thin layer of white head. A moderate amount of clarity and minimal lacing. Nose is oaky with a bit of funk. Lactic acid comes through with cherries and vanilla. The taste starts off with a touch of fruity sweetness. This is quickly countered with a healthy dose of vinegar followed by funk. This all gives way quickly back to a candied fruit quality. Notes of oak finish this off. Mouthfeel is light with light carbonation. Overall, this sour isn't as sour as I'd hope, but it does have decent balance.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2012 07:25:01 | More by homebrew311

Tone

Missouri

3.88/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a clear, dark amber color. 1/2 inch head of an off-white color. Great retention and great lacing. Smells of sweet malt, yeast, citrus, hint of alcohol, hint of grass, and tartness/sourness. Fits the style of a Flanders Red Ale. Mouth feel is sharp and crisp, with an average carbonation level. Tastes of tart cherry, slight wheat, slight sweet malt, sugar, and slight hop. Overall, great appearance, good aroma, and good blend.

Serving type: on-tap

10-12-2012 16:01:50 | More by Tone

BarryMFBurton

Indiana

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

Apparently this beer is a classic Flanders Red; to be honest, though, I hadn’t heard of it until I saw a small bottle hiding in the back of a liquor store shelf. Good to know that what I randomly picked out has a general “thumbs-up” from the community.

Good for another year (“Best before: 09/11/2013” is printed on the label).

A: A deep red color pours from the bottle, striking in its darkness, though it exudes a ruby shimmer when held up to the light. Head is creamy, but not very lofty – it’s settling at about a half-inch, showing a couple small hills of beige cream (especially over the nucleation site). Stringy lacing here and there.

S: The sours run as deep as the color, sinking the nose into a cheesy, syrupy, lactic warmth. It’s rich, not bright, and it’s absolutely engaging. Some lighter notes of raspberry and blackcurrant do play out, yes, but they merely drizzle over the layered toffee and nutty sweets beneath (thick malts, no doubt, acting as the bedrock of this brew). An olive oil note hovers over it all, too, likely extracted from the clean smoothness of the sour character.

T: A soft sweet-and-sour palate, nothing like what I was expecting; this may be the most interesting beer I’ve had in a while. Swells first with sweet fruit, reminiscent of overripe cherries, strawberry preserves, and baked apple, all with a lightly sour balsamic vinegar note accompanying – and all this ends up in a convergence of crisp spiciness (like a bell pepper) with metallic tinges. Wonderfully complex. Soon after, it shows a moment of grains – earthy tannins and mild almond – with flashes of barnyard flavors – smooth, savory funk, like you’d find in a creamy goat cheese. In all, it really is just beautiful balance between sweets and sours, and a nose-dive into complexity, at that. Light cherry syrup on the aftertaste and that’s it – a mild, mild finish.

M: There’s a very sophisticated smoothness to this one, making it all the more like a wine. It doesn’t have that fire on the way down, but it does lie full on the palate without much weight in the aftertaste.

O: Never had a beer like this – I’m blown away. Though staggering on the first sip (and not necessarily in a good way), Duchesse De Bourgogne has confirmed something to me that I seem to have experienced a few times already: beer is art. Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2012 22:16:29 | More by BarryMFBurton

Flounder57

Massachusetts

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

11.2 oz was poured into a snifter.

Appearance: This beer poured a one finger head that has reduced a little to a puffy white head. It is a reddish/amber/crimson color with some clarity and signs of carbonation coming up through the glass. Lots of carbonation too.

Smell: Tart, sour, oak, bready notes, and sweetness from the fruits use in this beer. Smells good.

Taste: tart flavors galore and sweetness. Cherries and raspberries, a little sourness, bready malts, and truly a tasty beer.

Mouthfeel: A bit dry, medium to high carbonation, a little chewy, tasty, and medium bodied.

Overall: bottle or draft, you can't go wrong. Such a cornerstone of a beer for this style.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2012 06:16:49 | More by Flounder57

Fatehunter

Oregon

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

Into a snifter. Ruby colored with a two solid fingers of head.
Smells like cider vinegar, cherry and pear.
Fruity taste: cherry and pear again. A little malty sweet at the end with some lemon.
Champagne texture, lots of bubbles but not overly carbonated. Light body.
The vinegar smell actually fit well and thankfully didn't transfer into the taste. Top shelf here. An excellent all-around drink.

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2012 17:51:27 | More by Fatehunter

goodbeerallday

Australia

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

A: appearance is a dark royal cherry red with a with a nice amount of carbonation bubbling to meet an off white film of head consisting of about 1 fingers depth.

S: large sour notes. again cherry, some raspberry maybe and also a slight detection of a grassy characteristic. extremely sweet. aged woody oak character as imagined.

T: really complex! sour, dark, nutty, fruitful. almost like putting a sugar cube into your mouth, residing into cherries, grapes and a woody note that splinters onto your lips and across your tongue. maybe the minor detection of alcohol.

M: very sticky, covering teeth and all sides of mouth. an extremely dry finish resulting in a line of excess sugar across lips.

O: a different outcome than expected of this beer. something i could sit and have with a home cooked meal for sure but not something to have more than one bottle of i feel. loving the woody characters arising and as always the dark fruits. recommend to try

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2012 21:24:13 | More by goodbeerallday

Jamesthebrit

Michigan

4.15/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A: Ruby red with lots of bubbles. Good lacing.

S: A good sweet and sour but also some woody cinnamon note or so. Maybe like fig and grape as well. It's a little hard to decipher.

T: As the smell a good sweet and sour. Great fruit notes and a good musty finish. A little bitterness helps on the finish. Very complex and defined.

M: Musty bitterness comes through and the large amount of carbonation really makes it difficult to rest on the palate. It seems like the mustyness is really brought out while it rests on the palate.... Mmmmm quite...

O: A very nice beer. Great fruit notes but still has some malty and hoppy notes. I would recommend it.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2012 22:55:55 | More by Jamesthebrit

heygeebee

Australia

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

BB 2013. From Platinum.

Pours a deep brown mahogany. Lovely fluffy head looks like it wil stay but doesn't. Spotty lace.

Aromas of balsamic vinegar, sour cherries.

Taste is tart, sour cherries, malt backbone. Some vinegar on back palate to finish dry. Very refreshing, but not in a hot-summer-day beer kind of way.

Mouthfeel light. Lightly but definitely carbonated.

Well made beer, and nicely complex without being a flavour bomb.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2012 10:39:47 | More by heygeebee

TrappistJohnMD

Mississippi

3.93/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Pours a very dark mahogany with white head. Dissipates to ring around edge of glass.

Smell is peppery, worchestire sauce, tart fruits, ripe plums.

Taste is very tart up front. Ripe fruit (plums and banana) belgian character comes through. Very mild bitterness. Dry.

Mouthfeel is light to medium bodied and dry.

Overall this was weird but enjoyable. I would definitely try again. A very slow sipper for me.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2012 22:39:45 | More by TrappistJohnMD

spokeydonkey

New York

3.85/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Served in a snifter.
A-A deep, clear red. Some very light head on the beer.
S - Vinegar and cherry.
T - sweet and tart up front, but in good balance. Nicely effervescent. Finishes with a lingering spicy bitterness that lasts.
M - medium bodied. Sweet, but the acidity and carbonation keeps it from being syrupy.
O - a nicely balanced and drinkable sour.

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2012 03:24:37 | More by spokeydonkey

Spilly09

4.63/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Served in a snifter and left to settle for a few minutes.
Pours a dark cola color--a reddish brown. Highly carbonated, with a head that settles into a thin layer soon after pouring but maintains a nice lacing.
Nose is a pungent vinegar and a bit of cola. You know what you're about to taste when you smell this one.
Mouthfeel is big and smooth. So much going on here. Terrific.
Initially there is a huge hit of carbonation and sourness on the front of the tongue. It then moves into a big hit of balsamic vinegar, finishing with an awesome "Dr. Pepper-esque" cherry sweetness and a long, residual aftertaste. Just lovely.
This one is not for everyone, but if you would buy a balsamic flavored cola, this one’s for you. Excellent beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-05-2012 01:42:07 | More by Spilly09

SHODriver

California

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

A: poured into a champagne flute. pours a nice reddish brown with a three finger light tan head with decent retention
S: smells of sour cherries, acetic acid and some nice woody oak and vanilla
T: tart cherry, a bit of oak and vanilla, residual sugary sweetness, vinegar sourness. swallow brings more oak and vanilla with a bit of tartness toward the end
M: medium with soft carbonation, very nice in the mouth but slightly chalky and a little drying on the swallow
O: a very nice and tasty beer. good complexity, true to style and very well made. well worth the money and quite enjoyable

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2012 00:31:49 | More by SHODriver

srandycarter

California

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

Was happy to find this one at the Main Tap Tavern in El Cajon.

A - Clear ruby, nice liw white head, some lace.

S - Sour, tart fruit. Bright sour cherry.

T - Wonderful cooked and sour cherry. Nice malt aspect.

M - Medium body, good balance. Clean finish.

D - Would drink this one all night.

Serving type: on-tap

08-25-2012 17:37:44 | More by srandycarter

axeman9182

New Jersey

4.15/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Served on tap in a wine glass at Burp Castle.

Duchesse de Bourgogne pours a deep chestnut brown, with a few scant ruby highlights apparent when the beer is backlit. There's a smattering of khaki colored foam atop the beer. Not enough for any real lacing or head retention though. The nose is very nice, with aromas of sweet cherry acidic tartness, and a bit of woody oak all intermingling and taking turns standing out. The flavor profile manages to be even more complex. Cherries and a definite vinous sour note are what immediately make an impression. The farther I get down the glass, the more some of background notes begin to come through. In addition to the oak, some biscuit and light caramel maltiness add another layer to the beer. The mouthfeel isn't quite to the same level as the aroma and flavor. Tje.body is alright, but the carbonation dies off at the front of the palate, leaving the rest of the sip to coat my palate a little too much. Still, Duchesse is a great beer, and I'm almost embarrassed it took me this long to try it.

Serving type: on-tap

08-21-2012 23:49:37 | More by axeman9182

rudzud

Massachusetts

4.18/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Picked this up at Julio's a long time ago, poured into my Dogfish Head chalice.

A - Pours a cherry amber hue with a large, off-white, 2 finger head with a good retention and a light lacing.

S - Light sourness with some faint vinegar notes along with some slight earthyness qualities.

T - Lots of nice oak barrel with this, quite prominant and mingles nicely with the good sour vinegar notes and faint cherries. Nicely complex as well.

M - Nice carbonation for this style, keeps it up off the tongue.

O - Super refreshing and delicious. Quite enjoyable and a solid brew for the style.

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2012 22:05:57 | More by rudzud

danieelol

Australia

3.4/5  rDev -17.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle from Leura.

Pours brown-red with nice head and ok lacing.

Smell is nice. Huge amounts of cherry syrup, very vinous also. Big, big charred oak/tar flavour. Like a very aromatic red. Balanced and subtle vinegar note. Some rainforest character, just smells alive.

Taste has more of that charred Jack Daniel's like character. Unfortunately this beer carries a lot of sweetness with it and it's a little bit too much for my tastes in sours. I can see why it comes in a 250mL. The charred aftertaste isn't quite enough to counteract all that sweet taste-bud stimulation when it's in the mouth. Some rose character but really just more Jack Daniel's.

Sweet, sweet mouthfeel with highly carbed body.

Overall an enjoyable and unique beer which could do with less sweetness and Jack Daniel's in its profile.

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2012 14:01:28 | More by danieelol

LiquidAmber

Washington

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

Review from 8/2010 notes. Poured into a Gulden Draak tulip. Pours a dark red amber, moderate long lasting head and lacing. Fruit and sour aroma. Nice dark fruits with a rush of cherry, sour and sweetness in a well blended flavor. Sour and fruit finish. Wow. Sours aren't my favorite style, but this is excellent and beautifully made. I will buy again.

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2012 18:29:22 | More by LiquidAmber