I was lucky to come across a fairly rare style of beer in ABC land, the Flanders Red Ale. It is a notably sour ale from Belgium created by special yeast strains and then aged in oak casks with a blending of old and new beers similar to a Gueuze. Today I am sampling Duchesse De Bourgogne by Brouwerij Verhaeghe from Vichte, Belgium. This red is top fermented with a blend of 8 and 18 month old beers and aged in oak cooperage.

Appearance

Pouring it slightly chilled in my Maudite tulip. It pours a beautiful deep ruby brown hue with almost no head. It is a very nice color.

Smell

Sour cherries, balsa wood and very mild candied fruit. The sourness is very pleasing and the wood notes are very interesting. 

Taste

A slick sweetness on the lips with a burst of tartness mid entry. There is more sour cherry and almost cola essence. Wow, this is good! As it warms, a little more oak shows its head.

Delicious! The last time I had a Flanders Red was an aged Roddenbach Grand Cru, which was also very nice.  Look for this gem at select ABCs or ask your local beer guru to get it in if it is not readily available.

Adam Shugan, Beer Consultant - Archer Road, Gainesville.

Follow him on Twitter @abcbeeradams