Duchesse Cherry
Verhaeghe in Vichte, West Flanders, Belgium 🇧🇪
Flemish Red / Bruin Regular|
Score
7.49
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“Duchesse Cherry“ is as its name suggests a cherry beer. Brewed only with real Belgian cherries (no flavor enhancers or cherry extracts). The fruit comes from the region of Sint-Truiden in Limburg (Belgium).
Unlike the more famous Kriek beers, the basic beer of the "Duchess Cherry" is not a Lambic. but a Flanders red ale of mixed fermentation. This beer has a top fermented base and is then matured in oak casks where it undergoes a second wild fermentation. The tannins in the foeders (very large barrel used for the storage of great Bordeaux wines) give the Duchess Cherry its sweet, fruity, refreshing and bittersweet taste.
Once the base beer is ready, the master brewer adds 20 Kg of "Kriek Gorsem" (Belgian sour cherries) per 100 liters to the beer. For 6 months, the beer macerates with the cherries. The cherries give a fresh and fruity taste to the beer which has a sweet and sour base. After 24 months of process, the beer is ready to be filtered and racked .
Unlike the more famous Kriek beers, the basic beer of the "Duchess Cherry" is not a Lambic. but a Flanders red ale of mixed fermentation. This beer has a top fermented base and is then matured in oak casks where it undergoes a second wild fermentation. The tannins in the foeders (very large barrel used for the storage of great Bordeaux wines) give the Duchess Cherry its sweet, fruity, refreshing and bittersweet taste.
Once the base beer is ready, the master brewer adds 20 Kg of "Kriek Gorsem" (Belgian sour cherries) per 100 liters to the beer. For 6 months, the beer macerates with the cherries. The cherries give a fresh and fruity taste to the beer which has a sweet and sour base. After 24 months of process, the beer is ready to be filtered and racked .
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6.4/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
Pour is a deep dark red with a large pink head. Aroma is a candied cherry with some lactic acid. Flavor is cherry with a slight tartness. Tastes like cherry pie filling but maybe not as sweet. NOthing like the original Duchesse. A bit too much cherry and not enough flanders red.
Tried
from Can
on 17 Aug 2019
at 21:32
7.9/10
—
Appearance 10
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
Pours a nice mahogany red from a bottle, cherry and oak aroma, similar flavor with a nice tart vinegar-y edge. Very good beer.
Tried
from Bottle
on 12 Aug 2019
at 03:46
7.8/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 8
0.33 l bottle from 'Drankgigant.nl', best before May 2023. Clear, ruby with a medium large, frothy, almost stable, pinkish white head. Slightly sweetish, sourish, rather fruity and quite vinous aroma of balsamic vinegar, sour cherries, bitter almond, red wine and some oak. Slightly sweet, quite sour, quite fruity and fairly vinous taste of red wine, oak, balsamic vinegar, sour cherries and bitter almond, followed by a medium long, gently tart and quite vinous finish. Almost medium-bodied, gently astringent and quite effervescent mouthfeel, average carbonation. Lovely beer, quite complex and refreshing, just a little rough.
Tried
from Bottle
on 18 Jul 2019
at 20:17
7/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7
by Brouwerij Verhaeghe Zo wat een bak aan kersen zeg, enorm zoet en ook vrij zuur nog, eikenhout all over, scherp
Tried
on 18 Jul 2019
at 10:17
8.4/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 9
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
330 ml bottle into tulip glass, best before 6/7/2022. Pours slightly hazy/cloudy ruby red, light orange/copper color with a 1-2 finger fairly dense and fluffy light pink head with good retention, that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Nice spotty foamy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big sour/tart/tangy red/black cherries, fruit skin/pits, lemon, lime, orange, peach, plum, pear, apricot, melon, red/green apple, currant, red grape/wine, oak, hay, straw, grass, caramel, brown sugar, wheat, cracker, and toasted bread; with lighter notes of oaken vanilla, peppercorn, leathery/musty funk, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of cherries, fruity/funky/acidic/spicy yeast, oak barrels, and dark/bready malt notes; with big strength. Taste of big sour/tart/tangy red/black cherries, fruit skin/pits, lemon, lime, orange, peach, plum, pear, apricot, melon, red/green apple, currant, red grape/wine, oak, hay, straw, grass, caramel, brown sugar, wheat, cracker, and toasted bread; with lighter notes of oaken vanilla, peppercorn, leathery/musty funk, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness. Very minimal red wine vinegar in the aromas/flavors. Light-moderate fruity/lactic tartness, fruit tang, and yeast/oak tannin spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of tart/tangy cherries, fruit skin/pits, lemon, lime, orange, peach, plum, pear, apricot, melon, red/green apple, currant, red grape/wine, oak, hay, straw, grass, caramel, brown sugar, wheat, cracker, toasted bread, vanilla, peppercorn, leathery/musty funk, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Fantastic complexity, robustness, and balance of cherries, fruity/funky/acidic/spicy yeast, oak barrels, and dark/bready malt flavors; with a fantastic malt/tartness, tangy fruit, and yeast/oak spiciness balance; with zero puckering/astringent flavors after the finish. Fairly crisp finishing. Light-moderate increasing dryness from lingering tartness, tangy fruit, spiciness, and carbonation. Medium-plus carbonation and medium body; with a very smooth, moderately creamy/grainy, and fairly acidic/tangy/tannic balanced mouthfeel that is fantastic. Zero warming alcohol for 6.8%. Overall this is a fantastic Flanders red ale! All around fantastic complexity, robustness, and balance of cherries, fruity/funky/acidic/spicy yeast, oak barrels, and dark/bready malt flavors; very smooth and fairly crisp/refreshing to drink with the mellowly acidic/tangy/tannic/drying finish. Mellowly lactic for the style. Amazingly balanced between juicy/jammy cherries, and Brett/Bacteria complexity; with great oak presence and dark/bready malts against acidity. Minimal residual sweetness with crisp acidic/tangy dryness. A highly enjoyable offering, and top tier quality style example. This is my favorite of all variants.
Tried
from Bottle
on 30 Jun 2019
at 15:04
7.3/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 8
Bottle shared at THT June. Clear red with light pink head. Sweet and sour cherry. Sour grain, hay. Moderate sweet and bitter, mild sharp pitched sour. Medium body and soft carbonation.
Tried
from Bottle
on 29 Jun 2019
at 11:44
5.9/10
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Appearance 7
Aroma 6
Flavor 5
Texture 6
Overall 6
Bottle shared at THT June ‘19. Clear red with a pink head. Aroma of sweet artificial cherry. Flavour is heavy sweet and above light sour. Medium bodied with light carbonation.
Tried
from Bottle
on 28 Jun 2019
at 23:52
7/10
Tried
on 28 Jun 2019
at 20:44
6.8/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
Sampled at THT June. Clear bright red with light pink head. Sweet cherries, sour yoghurt, sweet sugary grains, tart berries, sour cherries too. Soft cherry candy. Medium sweet and sour, light bitter. Medium bodied. A little fake, but quite OK.
Tried
from Can
on 28 Jun 2019
at 18:44
7.1/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
330mL bottle, pours a clear dark cherry red with a small beige head. Nose is full of cherries, with the classic sweet and sour cherries upfront. Flavour is along the same lines, with sweet and sour cherries, and some tartness. Just like the classic Duchesse, with a cherry touch. Very good.
Tried
from Bottle
on 02 Jun 2019
at 22:01