Duchesse Petite (ABV 4.5%) from Verhaeghe Brewery is a Flemish Red Ale aged in oak barrels. The beer is brewed with deeply roasted malt, spicy hops, fruity yeast, and fresh water from a well with a depth of 172 m, which ensures constant quality and impeccable purity. After the main and secondary fermentation, Duchesse Petite undergoes a third fermentation in tapered oak vats for several months. Fruity, but not overly sweet, with a pleasant sour finish. Rated 95/100 on Ratebeer.com. 11.2 oz can.
Food Pairings
Pair with citrusy fresh goat cheeses, raw oysters, fish and chips, or fresh lobster.
Brewery Information:
The Verhaeghe Brewery was founded in 1885 by Paul Verhaeghe in the village of Vichte in the West Flanders region of Belgium.
It was a commercial success until the outbreak of the First World War, but when Verhaeghe refused to cooperate with the occupying German forces and simply ceased brewery production, the Germans responded by dismantling the brewery.
It would take decades after the war for the brewery to find its footing again. With the resurgence in popularity of artisanal craft beers in the 1970s and 1980s the brewery began to see success in the modern era.
Still owned and operated by the Verhaeghe family, the brewery now distributes its traditional ales to a number of countries in Europe as well as the United States, Canada, Italy and Japan.