Duchesse de Bourgogne
I first experienced this Belgian delight in London at a nice little Belgian bistro near Soho. I asked what rare beers they had available and sifted through about 30 pages of options. When I asked for the Duchesse, the waitress actually asked is I was sure, and said that it was intense and it tasted a little like vinegar. I understood the waitress' caution, but decided to take a gamble and let her know that I like intense beers and that I would try it. I was delightfully surprised and when she came by to check on me, I gave the thumbs up and cheered with the glass in the air. Brewery Verhaeghe was founded by Paul Verhaeghe around 1885. During the German occupation of Belgium, they were forced by the government to halt production and in response the German soldiers dismantled the operations. Back in full swing since the end of the war, this successful family-owned brewery is located in the southwest of the province of West Flanders about an hour outside of Brussels. The "Duchess of Burgundy" is a huge commercial success in Belgian, Western Europe and now the rest of the beer loving world. This is officially a traditional West-Flemish red brown ale that carries a nice ruby red color. This one is best enjoyed in a goblet or large ale glass chalice, snifter-style stemware. The mixed fermentation and classification as a top fermented beer gives this a sweet and sometimes fruity tart taste but not like a overpowered fruit beer. On the light alcohol side, it comes in at 6.2% ABV, even though it is an intense ale for the uninitiated. The Duchesse is given its extra character by being allowed to mature is oak casks for months before bottling. Available in 31 cl bottles (approx 11 ounces) vs. the traditional 12 oz American bottles.
10/10 Flemish Fermented Perfection!!
6.2% ABV
10/10 Flemish Fermented Perfection!!
Brewery History
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