Duchesse De Bourgogne | Brouwerij Verhaeghe

4.31/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

3.87/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Exp. 06/2018

Deep ruby to mahogany hued. Frothy and fizzy head.

Smells like straight apple cider vinegar. I'm not terrible versed in flanders red ales but this does not smell appetizing.

Wow. Taste is unreal and I spoke too soon. Tart cherries, oak, vanilla, fruity pebbles. It's so sweet and so tart at the same time I'm blown away.

Mouthfeel is so big for a 6% beer. It's heavily, heavily carbonated and explodes with flavor into every crevice of the mouth.

Overall, this is one of the better beers I've had in some time. Appreciably more enjoyable than many on the "top 250".

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2.5/5  rDev -39%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

4.5/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

4.35/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

4.86/5  rDev +18.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

Bottle says best by 2018-3-3.

Mahogany with a scant beige head. Sheets of lacing. Large continent of head floating on the surface. Opaque but no sediments or floaters.
Strong fruity aroma, malty soy undertones.
Explosion of stone fruit, fig, cola, secondary sweetness and barely discernible funk. So much to unwrap.
Decadent rich mouthfeel. This much body from a 6% ABV? Amazing.

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4.65/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

4.6/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from fridge temp. Pours a dark golden brown without a lot of carbonation. Nose blew me away. A good amount of funk, citrus peel, sour, dark fruit, raisin. Taste is incredible. Follows the nose to some extent, but I was surprised by how sweet the first taste was. Really incredible. Well balanced sweetness and funk. A bit of sour, but quite subtle. Very refreshing. This is really amazing. Mouthfeel is great. Laces the mouth nicely.

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4.58/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

4.24/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

4.19/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

4.37/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.75

5/5  rDev +22%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

4.31/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

4.18/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Pours a murky brown with a vibrant head. Aroma has red wine, cola, vinegar, caramelized sugar, cranberries, earthiness, and apple juice. Taste has sweetness up front that fades into moderate tartness. Sour cherries, caramel, granny smith apples, and wine. Effervescent, prickly carbonation. A deeply complex, exceptionally well-balanced sour.

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2.52/5  rDev -38.5%
look: 5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

4.38/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

4/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

4.15/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

3.75/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

4.39/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

A dusty bottle on the bottom shelf at the local liquor store with a best before date of 2016-09-01.

Apple cider and apple cider vinegar immediately after prying off the cap and pouring it. Very clear dark mahogany with ruby tints, until the very last cloudy drop. Tan head, half inch thick, slowly dissipating. Very tight bubbles and lacing.
Very effervescent and enthusiastic aromas even from a distance. Cherries, malted barley and wort with no hops, tart cranberries, cola-like aromas. Very light oak.
Sour, tart, sweet fruits. Cherry, cranberry, apricot, maple syrup or honey. Some lemon or grapefruit, white or rosé wine. Some woody vanilla flavors in the back. The apple cider vinegar (acetic acid) flavors have come forward while its been transforming on the shelf, but it really adds to everything here instead of being a bad thing as it would in almost any other beer.
Lighter mouthfeel with smooth carbonation that keeps it feeling lively and refreshing. Sweeter body but tart and dry in the end which leaves me salivating after every gulp.

I ended up loving this beer, apple skin, cherries, vinegar, cola, everything. After this I've been keeping an eye out for a fresh bottle to compare them. An extremely curious and outstanding beer.

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4.8/5  rDev +17.1%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Creamy tart goodness. Light fruity cola flavor.

48 characters

5/5  rDev +22%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

4.07/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

4.46/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5