Duchesse De Bourgogne

Had a goblet of this pulled off the tap at the awesome Bier Garden, in Portsmouth, VA. And while this is one of the many beers they had on tap that I would never have imagined would be kegged, there’s no mistaking that this is a fine beer in any form!

Thick, rocky head of foam resting on the deep, dark brown/black body. Lovely Belgian lacing, and just enough carbonation to make things interesting – and not an iota more.

While the aroma gave definitive hints to the nature of this beer (lovely aroma, that), it was little preparation for the truly fine nature of this beer’s flavor profile. Sour fruit, mulled wine, warm biscuits, aged raisins..., with enough maltiness to ensure that everything meshed together nicely. Not sure about the hop profile here – enough to balance the whole works, of course, but otherwise a non-player.

Complex yet clean. Drinkable yet satisfying. Alcoholic, but not too much so.

In other words, this beer is damn near the epitome of a perfect Flemish Sour Brown Ale, IMO. And the fact that it’s occasionally seen on draught is merely icing on the cake! Highly Recommended.
//TB

P.S. A favorite of MsECB!