Verhaeghe Duchesse De Bourgogne

Brewed by Verhaeghe
Style: Sour Ale
Vichte, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium

Exp: 5/2011 Pours a deep garnet red with a one finger beige head. The initial aroma is of red wine followed by expected Brett funk, and hints of straw, cork, and leather. Wow, huge plum flavor right off, followed by cherry candy and chocolate covered raisins. Hints of oak. I would prefer a more assertive Brett character to balance the sweetness a bit. Zero hop presence on this one. Medium body. Could be a good beer, but needs balance; as it is it’s cloyingly sweet. Perhaps this could be put down to an error in the blending process. Not a swigging or session beer by any stretch. This is one to be shared, and sipped, with friends.

Bottle: Nice dry ale, lots of fruity flavors quite sweet. Aroma is sweet, bubble gum like. Sweetness is overpowering, would expect a bit more tartness, acidity, for a sour ale.

Pours a black cherry red with a prominent head. Aroma has some red wine qualities and lots of different fruits. Tough to decipher, to be honest. Quite the surprise when it hits the mouth: an initial bitterness suddenly bursts into sweetness. Very intriguing and something I could probably enjoy in limited quantities.

Dark reddish pour, fizzy offwhite head. Aroma is caramel maltiness, some vinegar, sherry, rather vinous. a bit of funk as well. Flavor is sweet and sour, some sweet sherry notes, some oaky mellowness, a shock of tartness through the center.

Dark brown pour with a nicely sized white head. Aroma has lots of vinegar, caramel, cherry- smells a lot like a barleywine, but with those sour notes. Start of the flavor is extremely sweet and fruity, with cherry and vinous notes. The tartness comes more towards the somewhat dry finish, and isn’t nearly as sour as I expected. Extremely tasty, however, and very drinkable. I think this an underrated brew. Very tasty.

Bottle thanks to Bigmmartin. Pours a reddish brown color with very little head. Aroma is fruity, slmost has a red wine character. Notes of sweet fruits and malts stand out. On the palate it feels very dry with a nice carbonation. A tartness comes out, but not what I would normally expect from a sour ale. Very dry finish. Not at all what I would have expected from a Sour Ale, but this was very good. I could not drink it everyday or even every week, but I do think I will try it again.

Throughly enjoyed from an 11.2oz bottle in a tulip glass. The beer pours a deep red to medium brown, with a very very small white head. The nose gives hints of malt at first, before giving way to a mountain of lucious acidity and funky notes. The palate gives more of the same, beginning almost too sweet, and then transforming into bracing tartness in the middle to back end of the palate. A wonderful example of an elusive and difficult to craft style.

tap, tulip. Dark color, creamy head. Crisp and sweet aroma, something was there but I could not identify. Sweeter than sour, apricot flavors, not much though. Medium bodied, crisp. Nicely done!