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Description
Brewery Verhaeghe Vichte is a small family-owned Brewery in the southwest of the province of West Flanders, Belgium. The history of the brewery dates back to 1885. Brewery Verhaeghe Vichte was founded as a brewery-malterie by Paul Verhaeghe. Most of the Belgian breweries of this time organised their sales in the immediate vicinity of the brewery. In this sense we can say that the Verhaeghe brewery already showed a great commercial activity in the previous period to the great war. Through a railway line linking Vichte with Brussels, the Verhaeghe brewery was able to sell a significant part of its production on the Brussels market. At the outbreak of the first world war, Paul Verhaeghe responded to the call of the Belgian Government to resist the German occupation economically by stopping the production. The refusal of brewing during the war was responded in turn by the Germans by the dismantling of the brewery. After four years of inactivity, the brewery had lost all its customers in Brussels and was put in front of the investment of a whole new production equipment. In the post war period the brewery remained bind regionally and adapted to new trends in the market. The first brews of beer of low fermentation by the brewery date from this period. The brewery was focused also on the improvement of the quality of its existing beers.
At the present time the Verhaeghe brewery feels itself confirmed in its earlier choice : a little less, but better. Not only in Belgium, but also far outside the Belgian borders, the consumer prefers more and more beers of high quality with a unique identity. The commercial success of the "Duchess of Burgundy" beer,is the best proof : The Duchess of Burgundy is a red brown of West Flanders, matured in oak casks and is brewed according to an ancient method that is geographically linked with the southwest of the province of West Flanders.
At the present time the Verhaeghe brewery feels itself confirmed in its earlier choice : a little less, but better. Not only in Belgium, but also far outside the Belgian borders, the consumer prefers more and more beers of high quality with a unique identity. The commercial success of the "Duchess of Burgundy" beer,is the best proof : The Duchess of Burgundy is a red brown of West Flanders, matured in oak casks and is brewed according to an ancient method that is geographically linked with the southwest of the province of West Flanders.
4/10
β
Appearance 8
Aroma 5
Flavor 3
Texture 4
Overall 2
Bottled. Be prepared, it's not your typical Belgian Ale (more like a lambic profile which I was not expecting with the first sip). If it wasn't quite so sour, it would be a nice cherry lambic with a little extra something. As it is, I'm wondering if I got a bad bottle.
Tried
from Bottle
on 02 Aug 2003
at 17:44
8.1/10
β
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
(Bottled) Ruby coloured with low head, good lacing though. Vinous aroma of cherries. Acidic cherry flavour, balanced. Tasty.
Tried
from Bottle
on 01 Aug 2003
at 12:16
7/10
β
Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 7
ThΓ© Belgian cultbeer in America. Let's see what I make of it. Deep amber-red, clear. Good amberish-creamy head, collapsing with lace. Nose: licorice, "jap", black syrup. That starts nice. Carbon gass. Fleeting impression of lactic acid. Quand mΓͺme. Tart. Woody, vinous. Nowhere as complex as a RGC, however. Black "jap" aroma is gone, licorice remains. Very much lactic acid, also an obvious metallic tang. Dry out-effect, good carbonation, not fizzy. There is a strange flavour in the aftertaste that smacks of artifical flavouring. I relate it to the "gas" and "syrup" notes in the nose. I'm less than overawed. There is a woody touch, but for a beer boasting to have ripened on oak, I 'wood' expect something less metallic, infinitely more complex. Peter Bouckaert, can I have a la Folie now, please?
Tried
from Can
on 21 Jul 2003
at 07:01
7.6/10
β
Appearance 10
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 4
Overall 7.5
Well, this will be the first flemish review for me, so here goes. I bought this because of a review of two sales people at Premier Gourmet in Buffalo, New York. The pour is very nice, a dark brown/burgundy colour with a 95% opacity. A small slightly tan head is on the top with some large bubbles. The aroma is almost completely vinegar smelling. Vinegar types of champagne, zinfandel and even a slight balsamic smell. Imagine a combination of those three vinegars and you might begin to imagine the smell of the beer. The taste was very unexpected...almost soda like. I am a person who loves sour foods, so this was right up my alley. Very bright sour beginning of sweetened/soured fruit and some vinegar. A medium bodied beer which goes down very nice without the slightest hint of alcohol. The only real reason to dock this beer points is the palate factor. After the inital sour taste, there is very little else, except drying. But overall a great beer, and I can't wait to try another Flemish to see where this one ranks!
Tried
from Can
on 30 May 2003
at 18:59
4.2/10
β
Appearance 6
Aroma 4
Flavor 4
Texture 4
Overall 4
Golden color. Simple aroma. But it tastes like chicken! Quite sweet. Forget it.
Tried
on 15 May 2003
at 23:52
6.6/10
β
Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
Bottled. Amber coloured. Lovely resiny balsamic aroma. Sweet and clean with lively honeyish finish. Complex, but perhaps too sweet and very discrete.
Tried
from Bottle
on 12 May 2003
at 10:02
5.8/10
β
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 5
Texture 4
Overall 5
Thanks to Darkover for the trade. I am still a little new to Flemish Sour Ales, Rodenbach Alexander being the only other one I have tried so far. From what I understand both are good examples of the style. That being the case I am fairly certain this is not a style I am a big fan of. Pours a dark amber/brown with a thick multi-colored head (beige with light brown splotches), with thin lacing. Aroma is alternatingly fruity and sour. The flavor actually reminded me of some Ohio Buckeye Brown that I tried not too long ago that had gone way past the "best by" date. Tart and vinegary flavor is tangy throughout. The finish is like an oaky Merlot. I was able to drink most of this in small doses, but I just can't appreciate the style.
Tried
from Can
on 06 May 2003
at 19:20
6.1/10
β
Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
Red brown color, slightly hazy. Aroma of cask wood, oak, tart cherry, bit cork. Taste is weak cherry, oak, old taste. Decent flemish sour ale, but more old and not as fruity as fresh ones.
Tried
from Cask
on 03 May 2003
at 14:44
3.2/10
β
Appearance 4
Aroma 2
Flavor 4
Texture 4
Overall 3
German pilsner like. Skunky smell, a bit like Grolsch Special Malt. Caramel malt in the aroma i guess. Watery taste, not much to say about this anymore. Not my kind of beer.
Tried
on 02 May 2003
at 05:38
6.9/10
β
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 6
Texture 8
Overall 6.5
Bottled. Reddish brown. Balsamic cherry aroma. Light bodied and lightly syrupy, but with balanced sweetness. Refreshing and uncomplicated.
Tried
from Bottle
on 06 Apr 2003
at 12:13