Timmermans Bourgogne Des Flanders Brune 750ML

Timmermans Bourgogne Des Flanders Brune 750ML is a Belgian blended ale combining top-fermented brown ale with spontaneously fermented lambic, bottled at 5.5% ABV in a 750ml format. This distinctive Flemish-style beer earned 3 stars from the International Taste & Quality Institute's Superior Taste Award in 2009 and carries an 87 rating from The Beer Connoisseur.

Quick Facts: ABV: 5.5%  |  Origin: Flemish Brabant, Belgium  |  Style: Blended Lambic-Brown Ale  |  Brewery: John Martin & Brewery Timmermans

Production & Heritage

Brewery Timmermans, located in Itterbeek in the municipality of Dilbeek, Flemish Brabant, is one of Belgium's oldest lambic producers. The Bourgogne des Flanders Brune is produced using a technique the brewery calls "lambic infusion" — a fresh top-fermented brown ale is blended with lambic that has been aged for two to three years in oak casks. After blending, the beer undergoes an additional six months of maturation in oak before bottling, allowing the sweet malt character and tart lambic to marry into a cohesive whole. The result is a red-brown ale that straddles the line between Belgian brown ale and traditional lambic.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: The nose opens with pronounced fruity notes — candied cherry and apple give way to darker impressions of cola, grape skin, and port wine. Underneath the fruit, subtle touches of caramel and brown bread provide a malty foundation.

Taste: The entry is sweet and malt-forward, with dried fruit and caramel coming through immediately. Within moments, the lambic tartness envelops the palate, introducing a vinous acidity that balances the sweetness. A lightly phenolic, spicy edge adds complexity at mid-palate.

Finish: The finish is rich and creamy, with lingering oak, caramel malt, and a persistent sour tang from the lambic component. It closes dry enough to invite another sip, with dried fruit echoing in the aftertaste.

How to Drink Bourgogne des Flanders Brune

Serve at cellar temperature, around 46–50°F (8–10°C), in a tulip glass or Belgian goblet to concentrate the complex aromatics. This is a beer best enjoyed on its own to appreciate the interplay of sweet and sour. For food-forward occasions, it also works well as a component in a Beer Shandy with lemonade for a lighter, sessionable serve; as the base for a Belgian Beer Cocktail paired with a splash of cherry liqueur to amplify the fruit character; or in a Lambic Spritz lengthened with sparkling water and a twist of orange peel for warm-weather drinking.

Best For

• Introducing a curious beer drinker to the world of lambic-blended ales
• Pairing with a Belgian cheese and charcuterie board
• Gifting to a craft beer enthusiast who appreciates sour and oak-aged styles
• Serving as a conversation-starting bottle at an intimate dinner party

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Bourgogne des Flanders Brune taste like? It opens with sweet caramel and dried fruit flavors before lambic tartness and a vinous acidity take hold, finishing rich and creamy with lingering oak and sour notes.

How does Bourgogne des Flanders Brune compare to Duchesse de Bourgogne? Both are Flemish red-brown ales blending sour and sweet elements, and they share a historical connection — Bourgogne des Flandres was originally produced at the Verhaeghe Brewery in 1957, which later created Duchesse de Bourgogne. The Timmermans version leans more heavily on its lambic component for sourness, while Duchesse de Bourgogne tends to present a more vinegar-forward acidity and deeper malt sweetness.

Is Bourgogne des Flanders Brune good for sipping on its own? Yes, it is designed to be savored slowly from a tulip glass at cellar temperature, where the balance between sweet brown ale and tart lambic unfolds gradually with each sip.

Where is Bourgogne des Flanders Brune made? It is brewed by John Martin & Brewery Timmermans in Itterbeek, a district of Dilbeek in the Flemish Brabant province of Belgium — a region with deep roots in spontaneous fermentation and lambic production.

What foods pair well with Bourgogne des Flanders Brune? Aged Gouda or Brugge Blomme cheese complement the caramel malt sweetness; duck confit mirrors the beer's rich body; dark chocolate desserts echo its dried fruit character; pork belly with a fruit reduction plays off the tart-sweet balance; and a traditional Belgian carbonnade flamande stew creates a harmonious regional pairing.

What sizes does Bourgogne des Flanders Brune come in? The standard and most widely available format is the 750ml bottle.

Is Bourgogne des Flanders Brune worth the price? It positions as a mid-range specialty Belgian ale, and the labor-intensive blending process — involving years of lambic maturation plus additional months of post-blend oak aging — delivers complexity well beyond what comparably priced brown ales typically offer.

Why Bourgogne des Flanders Brune?

What separates this beer from standard Belgian brown ales is the lambic infusion technique: blending a fresh brown ale with lambic aged two to three years in oak, then allowing the blend another six months in cask before release. That layered aging process produces a depth of flavor — tart fruit, oak tannin, caramel malt — that earned it recognition from the International Taste & Quality Institute and an 87 rating from The Beer Connoisseur. Brewed in the heart of Belgium's lambic country by one of the region's heritage producers, it represents a style with centuries of tradition behind it. For drinkers seeking a gateway into sour-forward Belgian ales without the full intensity of a pure lambic, this blend strikes a compelling middle ground.