Bourgogne des Flandres Flemish Red Ale 11.2 oz bottle

Red-brown beer with a rich, creamy finish 

Brewed by: Bourgogne des Flandres
Country: Belgium
Style: Flanders Red Ale

ABV: 5%
RateBeer.com rating: 46
BeerAdvocate.com rating: 80

Bourgogne des Flandres occupies a very special place in the Belgian beer landscape. It is a typical example of the Flemish beer blending tradition with old and young beer being mixed judiciously to achieve a perfect balance.

Den Bruinen Os is brewed on site in the loft and blended with lambic from Timmermans Brewery. This lambic has aged for over twelve months in wooden barrels. The result is a surprising red-brown beer with a low alcohol content and a complex flavor.

Brewery Information:

Pierre-Jacques Van Houtryve began brewing at his farm in Loppem in 1765. The family established Den Os Brewery in 1825.  On the eve of WWI, three members of the Van Houtryve family stood at the helm of their respective breweries: Den Os, La Marine and Ten Ezele. It was during this heyday that the Bourgogne des Frlandres came into being. The emergence of German lagers and the damage after the two world wars made it difficult to survive on specialty beers. Den Os closed in 1957. However, this wasn’t the end of Bourgogne des Flandres. Michel Van Houtryve did not have a brewery anymore, but under his supervision different breweries continued to brew the beer according to the family recipe throughout the years.

In 1985, Michel Van Houtryve launched Bourgogne des Flandres with Timmermans Brewery in Itterbeek near Brussels, where lambic was given a prominent role in the brewing process.

in 1993, John Martin, the oldest distributor of Guinness and known for Martin’s Pale Ale in Antwerp, took over Timmermans Brewery. As a result, Bourgogne des Flanders ended up in the Martin’s Finest Beer Selection along other classics.

The works for a new microbrewery in Bruges commenced in 2015, and Bourgogne des Flandres is once more brewed in Bruges.