[Consumable Products] Duchesse de Bourgogne

[Treize]

So, I've got this from a kit with 6 different Belgian beers.

Now this one is special. This is a Flemish Red Ale.

A description from Wikipedia:

Flanders red ale or Flemish red is a style of sour ale usually brewed in Belgium. Although sharing a common ancestor with English porters of the 17th century,[1] the Flanders red ale has evolved along a different track: the beer is often fermented with organisms other than Saccharomyces cerevisiae, especially Lactobacillus, which produces a sour character attributable to lactic acid. Long periods of aging are employed, a year or more, often in oaken barrels, to impart an acetic acid character to the beer. Special red malt is used to give the beer its unique color and often the matured beer is blended with a younger batch before bottling to balance and round the character.
Flanders reds have a strong fruit flavor similar to the aroma, but more intense. Plum, prune, raisin and raspberry are the most common flavors, followed by orange and some spiciness. All Flanders red ales have an obvious sour or acidic taste, but this characteristic can range from moderate to strong. There is no hop bitterness, but tannins are common. Consequently, Flanders red ales are often described as the most "wine-like" of all beers.
Notable examples include Duchesse de Bourgogne and Rodenbach.

So what is it like?
(Review is also on Beeradvocate.)

Appearance:
Dark ruby red in the glass with a white(ish) head.

Smell:
Vinious, dark fruits, green apple, a hint of (balsamic) vinegar and oak.

Taste:
Very fruity. Red fruits. It is a rather sweet beer but with a good tartness to it, as per the style. It then finishes with a surprisingly bready maltiness. Very different this style is indeed. Not much vinegar in the taste fortunatly. Not unlike red wine actually, but without the awefullness.

Mouthfeel:
It is rather full bodied and has plenty of carbonation.

The verdict:
Overall a very interesting beer. And a good one at that but very different from you average beer. This is much more vinious and tart that nearly all beer styles out there.

Try it! Infact I invite all of you to try something else for once that is not your big brand lager.

[Father Jack]

I will try and get some when I am in Belgium next week, it sounds like it is definitely worth a try.

[Treize]

Oh nice, if you want to I could get you a whole list of recommended beers. And now you are in the perfect season. You can get all the wonderfull christmas (december/winter) offerings.

As for the Duchesse, it should be rather easy to find and cheap.

[Father Jack]

That would be fantastic if you could. There are so many beers to choose from it would be really helpful to have a list to narrow the choices down a little.

[René Artois]

The only trouble (again) is that like Westmalle, this beer is really easy to find in the UK. I would go for beers that don't make it over in large quantities like de Struise, de Dolle, Cantillon, Westvleteren if you can find it for a decent price (unlikely but worth a look) etc. No offense Treize but all those beers in that list are exported to the UK so are easily available.

[Treize]

I know, I know. But rare beers are rare to find in Belgium as well.
As for being hard or easy to get in the UK, I just listed my favourite Belgian beers.

I already recommended visiting the Westvleteren abbey and de Struise (close to it). As for lambics and geuzes (Cantillon, Boon etc.), well, I don't like them but they are a very interesting to try.

[René Artois]

The trouble is Westvleteren is a pain in the arse to get to and you aren't guaranteed beers (except to drink there and then in the cafe across the road). Also Struise has a shop in Brussels which would be easier if he's just getting a train there.

I'd just hate for him to go all that way for stuff he can get here. Unless it isn't a beer trip at all.

[Treize]

I am quite sure it is just a holiday, am I right?
Anyway, I am not sure he is into beer the way we are. There is nothing wrong with enjoying a good glass of Westmalle at a pub in Belgium or at your hotelroom for all I care.

As for Westvleteren. I was talking about visiting the café. As for the beers, check their website and go there one of the days they sell giftpacks. They sell both bags containing 6 bottles, 2 of each type and they also sell those 'building blocks' with 6 bottles of the 12 with a special glass. (These bottles are labeled with a 'XII', just like the glass.)

When I was there we got a couple of those bags (1 or 2 per person, I don't remember). If you want more you will have to get the builing block boxes (2 per person or something but those are alot more expensive).

You can get the regular Westvleteren glasses at the shop in the café (they might occasionally sell 6 packs of beer there I heard but I would not hope for that now that the demand is high enough already). They also sell other stuff there.

[Father Jack]

I am going for purpose for drinking beer, so not a holiday as such haha. It looks like I will have to find the Struise shop in Brussels then (as we're going by Eurostar). I have in fact had quite a few Belgian beers which get exported to the UK, however some of the friends I am going with are new to Belgian beer so even if you can get it in the UK (and not all of them are that readily available in a supermarket) it will probably be worth it for them to try some on the more common and famous beers, like Westmalle. I of course, shall endeavour to get hold of the rarer ones.

Thanks for the help guys.

[Ascarona]

Beer reviews, excellent idea!

[Manco]

Ah, e Ducheske.

Flemish (red) ales, the type of beer that's the pride and joy of my homeregion. Unfortunately in these times of cheap lagers and the popular obsession with high alcoholic blondes, genre Duvel, often under-appreciated even here.
Somewhat more exclusive than a regular Rodenbach or Bellegemse Bruine, a bit sweeter than the Rodenbach grand Cru, it's one of those beers I tend to recommend to those who claim not to like beer but have in fact never bothered to try more than one style.

First time you drink them, your face will turn sour, but they are very refreshing and if bought cheap a very good drinking beer alternative for lagers.

[Treize]

I like them, as for sourness. I have that with geuzes, I don't like those. But I only tried 1 so...

Anyway, time to open a Rochefort 10!
I will probably do a last review on TWC for that one, for now.