Chicagoist's "Beer of the Week": Duchesse de Bourgogne

By Chuck Sudo in Food on Apr 10, 2009 8:30PM

Looking toward Belgium yet again for inspiration this week. A few months back our predecessor as food and drink editor went to the Publican and Twittered about the best beer she ever had. Erin Twittered a lot about that beer, it sounded like the highlight of her dinner.

The beer in question is Duchesse de Bourgogne. This Flanders Red Ale is one we wholeheartedly recommend for wine lovers or folks who still can conjure the taste of Unibroue's Quele Quechose from memory (sigh). The flavor profile is very favorable for oenophiles, redolent cherries with hints of green apple and other sour flavors.

One of the fascinating aspects of Durchesse de Bourgogne is the way it alternates between sweet and sour. It's one of a handful of beers we've come across whose flavor constantly changes as you drink it. That flavor probably comes from aging and blending. Before bottling, two different batches of Duchesse (one aged for 8 months, the other for 18) are blended together to create the final product. It pours a beautiful ruby in color, with the dark fruits dominant on the nose again. Head on Duchesse de Bourgogne is thin, but with long retention. Most sweet beers have thick lacing on the glass; this is no exception.

Duchesse de Bourgogne retails for $8.49 (22-ounce bottle) at Binny's, where it recently made their "Top Ten Beers" list for February. Or just add it to the growing list of reasons why you should hit the Publican. Duchesse de Bourgogne is Chicagoist's "Beer of the Week."