Verhaeghe Duchesse De Bourgogne

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

Bottle... Poured deep mahogany/somewhat brown with a frothy beige head. Aroma was tart with champagne notes and sweet raisin characters. Smooth, soft palate coated my mouth nicely. Flavors of oak and fruit, most notably cherries, plums and raisins. Finished very sweet and tart with a little sourness towards the end. Very robust and a lot of character and flavors.

750 ml. Vinegary with a sweet backbone and sour, dry finish — a nicely balanced sour ale. Body is a dark brown with reddish highlights. Average size frothy, off-white head that disappears. The aroma contains balsalmic vinegar, wood, bacon, cherry and brown sugar. The flavor is moderately to heavily sweet, lightly bitter and moderately sour. The finish is moderately sweet and moderately acidic. Medium body with a smooth texture and lively carbonation.

Bottle.Poured a clear and copper color with a thin white head. Yeasty and grape nose, with a hint of alcohol. Sour, but not extremely, had an interesting grape flavor on the sweet side, with a dry finish.

Bottle. Pours a dark amber color with medium-sized off-white head. Excellent lacing. Aromas of strong fruit, mainly pears and grapes. Another aroma exists and I cannot tell you what it is, but it smells sweet and I like it. Tastes like port or wine, with a very sweet taste and little carbonation. Texture is oily and sticky. Very strange beer, but I have to say that I somewhat enjoy it.

Tap at Capone’s. Pours out a reddish hued brown with a small white head. Aroma is of some oak, sour funkiness and some cherried. Taste is of sour fruit, mainly cherries, oak, and some sweetness going on in there with slight alcohol on the finish. Definitely an interesting brew.

Presentation in the glass was very good, lovely red body with large fluffy off-white head. Clumps of lacing. Initially some almond and loads of sugar (Marzipan) in the aroma but then some other fruits. Cherry in the taste and some oak to restrain it somewhat, more sugar but doesn’t seem to much. Very enjoyable.

330ml bottle from the SAQ in a trade for a server cabinet  The aroma is tart and very vinegary it smells like sweet malt vinegar Pours a nice dark reddish copper with a small off white head no lacing at all The taste is very sour and vinegary and highly carbonated if I had not read other reviews I would have sworn this had gone bad I love malt vinegar just not in my beer not for me i could not even finish it

On tap @ The Brass Tap in Wesley Chapel, FL. Pours a dark reddish brown color with a beige head. Sweet aroma of cherries with the follow-up of balsamic vinegar. Cherry flavor as well, but much more sour than sweet. It has a dry, winelike finish with a definite flavor of balsamic vinegar. This was very interesting as it was my first sampling of a sour ale. I’d be willing to try again, but it would be hard to have more than one in a sitting.