Tasting Notes

27 June

Duchess de Bourgogne

Visited the Cock & Bowl in Occoquan, VA.  One of the folks at our table wanted to try a sour beer, and we chose the Duchess de Bourgogne (right).  The beer was a dark amber-red, with a full nose of vinegar, which is kind of off-putting.  However, the beer itself is very sweet, and was described by the waiter as being something of a "wine of beers".  To that, it definitely had characteristics of a port, likely from some portion of the beer having been aged in oak barrels.  Others trying it said that they didn't get the sweetness at all, but got vinegar both in the nose and on the palate.  I enjoyed it, although this isn't something I'd have more than one of during an evening, and it would likely be a month or so before I came back to it again.

That same evening, I had an 1809 Berliner Weisse, which I really enjoyed.  I definitely took away a mild flavor of white grapes.


MrMalty has an excellent comparison of yeasts.

BarleyPopMaker - A Case for Dry Yeast