Verhaeghe Duchesse De Bourgogne

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

11.2 oz bottle(courtesy of RSRIZZO)-A dark amber body with a nice tight off white head and an aroma of sweetness, banana, and a Lambic. Taste of this beer is of slight sour, sweetness, banana, berries, and finishes with a light dryness. This light to medium bodied brew is very well balanced and very drinkable.

Bottle from Ledgers in Berkeley, CA. This Sour was fruitier than expected. The taste was of sour cherries and tart rasberries. It had a hint of sweet to go along with a good deal of, but mild, carbination. Overall, a departure from the genre, but very good for what it is (which is to say unique).

A strange beer with an acidic touch - almost like vinegar. On the other hand it’s rather sweet as well, and goes along fine with some kind of desert - or simply AS a desert. I didn’t like it the first time around, but now I admit it’s quite nice.

The beer pours a very clear reddish brown with a thick off white head. The nose is sour with a hint of rotting fruit and sour milk. The nose sort of scares me. The taste is a sour sweetness on the front with a sharp acidic sweet spike in the middle. It reminds me of a gueze, in as far as it is a sour sweetness with a sharp bite on the finish.

Complex and inviting. Ruby-crimson-brown in color. This one tastes almost exactly like its aroma: black cherries, pears, tart, acidic, and a hint of the warmth of bourbon. I’m thinking Gorgonzola might make an interesting pairing.

Had this on draft at Proof in DC. Poured a deep brown color with a nice tan head. Fruity aroma. Somewhat sour. Nice flavor! Good mix between some sour, bitterness and some fruit. Hinted some raisins in there as well. Much better then I anticipated.

75cl bottle from Jans Wine and Boos #2 (Tampa, FL). Pours a dark reddish brown with a one-finger tan/white head that settles slowly and provides lacing on the glass. Aroma is strongly of vinegar, sour ripe fruit, oak, maybe hints of candy sugar. Flavor is very strongly sour and acidic with strong vinegar notes, ripe sour fruit, spice, phenol. Interesting and pungent sour ale.

Dark crimson-brown color. Slight sour, very fruity aroma. Wonderfully balanced flavor between sweet and sour. Mild sour flavors with slight candied sweetness. Excellent body. Seemed like a bigger beer. Loved it!