Brouwerij Verhaeghe Duchesse De Bourgogne

Brouwerij Verhaeghe Duchesse De Bourgogne is a Flanders Red Ale, 6% ABV. A best by date of 01/2018 is printed on the cork. This beer is a blend of 8 and 18 month old ales that had been aged in oak.

The beer is an extremely dark red, you might think it was brown if you didn’t look at it closely. A nice light tan head forms with the pour and leaves a nice slim layer on top of the beer. An odd but engaging aroma of balsamic vinegar, sweet black cherries, musty Belgian funk, and a surprising bit of chocolate hiding in the background. The taste is rather sweet overall, cooked cherries dominate the flavor with just a hint of red wine vinegar tartness that hits the sides of the tongue. The aftertaste has interesting fermented fruit flavor.

There is a lot to like about this beer, but I always want a little more tartness to counter the sweetness.