-
Stop lurking! Log in to search, post in our forums, review beers, see fewer ads, and more. — Todd, Founder of BeerAdvocate
Duchessic Ale
Birra Del Borgo


- From:
- Birra Del Borgo
- Italy
- Style:
- Saison
- ABV:
- 5.9%
- Score:
- 92
- Avg:
- 4.15 | pDev: 8.92%
- Reviews:
- 108
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Nov 29, 2020
- Added:
- Nov 01, 2009
- Wants:
- 60
- Gots:
- 49
A sort of "collaboration beer" with the famous Belgian brewery Brasserie Cantillon: an interesting experiment on the world of spontaneous fermentation. Our classic Duchess - Spelt beer - is was cut with a 20% of Cantillon lambic aged one year. The result is a unique beer that blends in an extraordinary way the characteristic acidity and roughness of lambic with delicate and gentle notes of the Duchess.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by brentk56 from North Carolina
4.32/5 rDev +4.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
4.32/5 rDev +4.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
Appearance: Pours slightly hazy with a honey color and a massive head; great retention and lacing action
Smell: Earthy, woody and funky with Saison yeast tones and a hint of melon
Taste: Funky and sour, from the outset, as the Lambic makes a statement; as the beer warms, the Saison element emerge, bringing an herbal yeast, grassy bitterness and the melon tones; the finish is nicely balanced, with a lingering tart character
Mouthfeel: Medium body with high carbonation; took a while to settle down
Overall: A fascinating brew with the Lambic and Saison elements creating a lot of complexity
Aug 02, 2018Smell: Earthy, woody and funky with Saison yeast tones and a hint of melon
Taste: Funky and sour, from the outset, as the Lambic makes a statement; as the beer warms, the Saison element emerge, bringing an herbal yeast, grassy bitterness and the melon tones; the finish is nicely balanced, with a lingering tart character
Mouthfeel: Medium body with high carbonation; took a while to settle down
Overall: A fascinating brew with the Lambic and Saison elements creating a lot of complexity
Reviewed by patre_tim from Thailand
4.29/5 rDev +3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.29/5 rDev +3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours thick like oil into the glass, golden like refined oil. A huge, endless cascade of inverse waterfall bubbles rising slowly though the oily looking brew. Half a finger of whitish head. Thick and cloudy, but slightly transparent when held to the light.
Smells right away of lambic sour funk and barnyard, mixed with peach and melon fruitiness.
Sour, funky, cob web brewery of Cantillon in the fingerprint. Light sweetness and hints of orchard fruits. A hint of Saaz or some German or Czech hop.
Thick, juicy and foamy body, like a nitro Guinness. Tart finish.
Amazing brew. Got at Mikkeller Bar in Bangkok Sept 12th, 2016 drinking in Ekkamai 10, Bangkok this evening. So love Cantillon, and the brewer let them shine through, but added a maltiness, light sweetness and hint of hops.
Sep 12, 2016Smells right away of lambic sour funk and barnyard, mixed with peach and melon fruitiness.
Sour, funky, cob web brewery of Cantillon in the fingerprint. Light sweetness and hints of orchard fruits. A hint of Saaz or some German or Czech hop.
Thick, juicy and foamy body, like a nitro Guinness. Tart finish.
Amazing brew. Got at Mikkeller Bar in Bangkok Sept 12th, 2016 drinking in Ekkamai 10, Bangkok this evening. So love Cantillon, and the brewer let them shine through, but added a maltiness, light sweetness and hint of hops.
Reviewed by kitch from Hong Kong
4.44/5 rDev +7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.44/5 rDev +7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
A 330ml bottle with a nice unique bottle shape and a best before date of April 2017, poured into a Cantillon ballon glass.
Appearance: It poured a nice clear golden colour with a one finger white head that dissipated fairly quickly but leaves nice lacing.
Aroma: Tart, lemon peel and oak with a hint of apple and funkiness.
Taste: Tart and funky with fruity lemon and apple. Not overly sour, and in fact I got a lightly sweet apple cider finish.
Mouthfeel: Dry, light bodied with high spritzy carbonation.
Overall: This was nice and refreshing. I am lucky to have one more bottle, which is a good thing considering Birra del Borgo is now under AB InBev and seeing the lengths that Cantillon have gone to, it appear that, even if this beer is produced again, that it will NOT be with lambic from Cantillon. Therefore if you can still find this, it’s definitely worth a try, even possibly a last try!
Jun 23, 2016Appearance: It poured a nice clear golden colour with a one finger white head that dissipated fairly quickly but leaves nice lacing.
Aroma: Tart, lemon peel and oak with a hint of apple and funkiness.
Taste: Tart and funky with fruity lemon and apple. Not overly sour, and in fact I got a lightly sweet apple cider finish.
Mouthfeel: Dry, light bodied with high spritzy carbonation.
Overall: This was nice and refreshing. I am lucky to have one more bottle, which is a good thing considering Birra del Borgo is now under AB InBev and seeing the lengths that Cantillon have gone to, it appear that, even if this beer is produced again, that it will NOT be with lambic from Cantillon. Therefore if you can still find this, it’s definitely worth a try, even possibly a last try!
Reviewed by Gus_13 from Mississippi
4.25/5 rDev +2.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.25/5 rDev +2.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Hazy pale hay in color with a white head that gives way pretty quickly. Nose is grassy and light hay with a bit of earthy funk and a touch of tart. Flavor is similar with some spice and earthy notes from the Lambic. Touch of fruit and really great dry finish. Could drink this by the gallon. Bière de Coupage at it's finest.
Jun 20, 2016
Duchessic Ale from Birra Del Borgo
Beer rating:
92 out of
100 with
350 ratings
We love reviews (150 characters or more)! Check out: How to Review a Beer. You don't need to get fancy. Drop some thoughts on the beer's attributes (look, smell, taste, feel) plus your overall impression. Something that backs up your rating and helps others. Thanks!