Just opened a Duchesse De Bourgogne

**harrydrez** · 06-28-2009, 12:55 AM

Now, this is an interesting beer. I've tried some lambics and a Berliner weiss, this is nothing like those. Almost tastes like a wine, not very sour though.

ericd · 06-28-2009, 05:05 AM

It's a flanders brown. Makes a killer cheesecake too

ryane · 06-28-2009, 03:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ericd

It's a flanders brown. Makes a killer cheesecake too

Actually its a flanders red, the browns are more subtle in the sourness than the reds

I agree duchesse is a good one, its pretty tame as far as flanders reds go, as it is blended with a healthy portion of unsoured wort before bottling which sweetens and cuts the sourness, get ahold of a rodenbach grand, then youll see how amazing these beers can be

**paulthenurse** · 06-30-2009, 12:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ryane

get ahold of a rodenbach grand, then youll see how amazing these beers can be

If only it were that easy. I haven't been able to find ANY Rodenback for over a year.

brianholton · 06-30-2009, 03:02 PM

Speaking of finding rodenbach....I'd been looking for some lately and wasn't having any luck. A couple weeks ago I drove by a small liqour store in a small town and thought I'd stop in and check their beer selection. They had an area with about 60 or so loose bottles with a sign: "any 6 bottles for $4.99." I left there with about 4 six packs of hard-to-find beer, which included 3 bottles of rodenbach (the 8.75oz bottles...not the grand cru).

Didn't mean to hijack...I'm just so excited that I had to share.

**drez77** · 06-30-2009, 05:26 PM

I had read that rodenbach lost their importer into the USA. I really miss it..

Evan! · 06-30-2009, 05:35 PM

I saw RGC on tap at Capital Ale House in richmond just last week. If they lost their distro, then it was very recently...and that would suck ass.

The Duchesse has varying levels of sourness in my experience. Bottle variation is normal. I've had VERY sour bottles, and very tame bottles. Wild yeast and bacteria aren't exactly predictable.

I actually tried it on tap at CAH once, and I had to send it back. I love the Duchesse from the bottle, but this keg...it was so vinegary, it was not unlike balsamic vinaigrette. Ugh. So apparently the bottle variation extends to kegs as well.

ryane · 07-01-2009, 02:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Evan!

The Duchesse has varying levels of sourness in my experience. Bottle variation is normal. I've had VERY sour bottles, and very tame bottles. Wild yeast and bacteria aren't exactly predictable.

Thats strange, Ive never had one that I thought was excessively sour, or had much of an acetic character

the variations you mention are very weird considering that duchesse is pasteurized

**Shooter** · 07-01-2009, 04:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Evan!

The Duchesse has varying levels of sourness in my experience. Bottle variation is normal. I've had VERY sour bottles, and very tame bottles. Wild yeast and bacteria aren't exactly predictable.

Evan!, I'm glad someone else mentioned this. I don't know a lot of others in my area who drink the Duchesse, but I find it's so different from one bottle to the next. Sometimes sour, sometimes more like a wine character, and other times a slightly balsamic vinegar flavor. My favorite bar in San Francisco used to carry it and I was always surprised how much it varied.

**paulthenurse** · 07-01-2009, 05:52 AM

I had the pleasure recently of going to a GREAT bar in Brookline, MA (The Publick House) that had both the Duchess and Monk's Cafe Flemish Sour. I did a side by side tasting and decided that I like the more pronounced earthyness of the Monks Cafe. It was a tough call and it took me a few hours and three bottles of each to make my decision but I toughed it out and made the call. Not that there is anything wrong with the Duchess. In fact, since I can get the Duchess in three local stores and I only know of one where I can get Monks Cafe, and it is a half hour drive in the wrong direction, I tend to drink the Duchess more often.
PTN