Duchesse De Bourgogne (draft)

<p>The delightful Flemish red ale &ldquo;Duchesse de Bourgogne&rdquo; is a unique beverage with a rich palette of fruity flavors&mdash;from sour and tart to sweet&mdash;without being a fruit beer. Roasted malt and low-bitterness hops are used in its production. After primary fermentation and maturation in lager tanks, the ale is aged for 18 months in oak barrels and blended with beer that has been aged for eight months. It is the aging in oak barrels that gives the beer its fruity character. The beer is best served in bowl-shaped glasses, chilled to 8-12&deg;C.</p> <p>The small family brewery Verhaeghe in the south-west of the province of West Flanders was founded in 1885. Unlike most Belgian breweries of the time, which sold their beer in the immediate vicinity of the brewery, Verhaeghe, using the railway line to Brussels, managed to sell a significant part of its production to the capital's market.</p> <p>With the outbreak of World War I, Verhaeghe responded to the Belgian government's call to resist German occupation by halting production. The brewery was dismantled and remained inactive for four years. After the war, it had to start all over again &mdash; adapting to new trends and conquering the market. The factory began its recovery by producing bottom-fermented beer. Today, the brewery is famous for producing several varieties of the world-famous Flemish red ale. It also produces pilsner, hoppy ale, Kriek, and Christmas ale.</p>