This
is one of my all-time favourite beers, and I’ve included it in the packs again as it really is a beer that people need to try. And if you’ve had this before, I’m sure you won’t mind another bottle in your pack.
Named after the ‘Duchesse of Burgundy’, this beer is world-renowned as one of THE examples of a Flanders Red Ale. The style is native to the Flanders region, and dates back over 200 years, though over 80% of this beer is exported!
Known as mixed fermentation beers, Flanders Reds are made with roasted malts and low bitterness hops, fermented with a standard ale yeast. The beer then undergoes secondary fermentation in the tank before being moved to oak barrels where the beer matures for between 8-18 months, and this is where it is exposed to the microflora of the barrels, with lactic acid bacteria and acetic development.
Young beer is then blended with older beer to produce the nectar we know. Because of natural variance in batches, several past batches are kept to back blend each release to smooth out the natural differences in batches to provide some consistency to the finished product.
Pouring a deep ruby-brown colour, there is an intensely acetic aroma of sour cherries, sweet malt and balsamic vinegar. And this is also the flavour, with an initial sweetness inviting you in before the sourness grabs the sides of your tongue half way through. Like a red wine, the finish is dryer than the start, with an oaky back end full of tannins, lots of sour cherries and balsamic,
Such a balanced beer, with a really complex flavour range. There is a reason why this beer is always in my fridge at home. World class Belgian brewing.
This is a mixed fermentation ale aged in oak barrels for one year
Verhaeghe's Duchesse with 20kg of sour Limburg cherries added per 100 litres of beer
Verhaeghe's famous Duchesse De Bourgogne with the addition of sour cherries and chocolate essence
A delicious blend of two Petrus beers used to create this traditional Flanders Red ale
by Brouwerij Rodenbach (Palm Breweries)
The tribute beer to Alexander Rodenbach, reintroduced in 2016, 30 years after it was first created
by Brouwerij Rodenbach (Palm Breweries)
A Flemish Red Ale featuring 67% aged beer and 33% young beer
A typical Flanders Red Ale from this seventh-generation family brewery
The original flanders oud bruin from the old family brewery Verhaeghe, this is an unblended cask aged beer
A Belgian Export Porter from a brewery more known for their Flemish sour ales
A fruit beer featuring sweet cherries from the family Brouwerij Verhaeghe
Verhaeghe's Duchesse with 20kg of sour Limburg cherries added per 100 litres of beer
Verhaeghe's famous Duchesse De Bourgogne with the addition of sour cherries and chocolate essence
A flemish mixed fermentation ale with northern sour cherries added during the barrel maturation
Verhaeghe's special Christmas beer is a blonde ale with wheat and spices
The original flanders oud bruin from the old family brewery Verhaeghe, this is an unblended cask aged beer
