ISSEKI NICHŌ ~ BRASSERIE DIEU DU CIEL! 

Isseki Nichō is an Imperial Dark Saison made in collaboration with Tanamura Honten Co., a microbrewery from Nagano, Japan. The name of the beer translated roughly means, “two birds One Stone” in Japanese. Some tout this brew as a hybrid between a stout and a dark saison. Sampled on draught, in a tulip glass the beer poured a rich dark brown-black with a finger of tan head. The head receded after several minutes leaving lacing along the glass and finishing in a ring around the glass. The nose like the beer has a fair bit of complexity containing notes of roasted malts, dark fruit, molasses, faint smoke, coffee, dark chocolate, leather, touch of funk and peppery spice. The taste is fairly bitter, matched by strong dark roasted malts, under this cloak other flavours emerge: molasses, spicy Belgian yeast, coffee, cocoa, dark cherries, liquorice, and fruit. The finish is off dry and has a lingering bitterness - a spiciness lingers as the booziness warms.The body was creaming and medium and the fine carbonation was average. This was quite an interesting brew, not for the faint at heart, but definitely worth a try.

9.5% from St. Jerome, Quebec

MORALITÉ ~ DIEU DE CIEL! & THE ALCHEMIST BREWERY

Moralité is an IPA, created in collaboration between Quebec’s Dieu de Ciel! and Vermont’s, The Alchemist Brewery. Sampled on draught, the beer poured a slightly hazy golden amber with a generous frothy off white head, that left lots of lacing. The nose is bursting with hops and tropical fruit (pineapple, papaya, mango). Notes of resinous pine, citrus (lemon, orange and grapefruit), bready grains, caramel, earthiness, and yeast also make appearances. The flavour follows the complexity of the nose. Pine, grapefruit, caramel, fruitiness (citrus & tropical), floral, grass, combined with a slight sweetness swirl and party on my palette. The finish is somewhat dry with a lasting bitterness. The body is medium-full and the texture is creamy and smooth. The carbonation was on the soft side. It is rare that I have a beer from DDC that I don’t enjoy, this was no exception. Quite quaffable for such a high IBU and ABV. I loved the complex flavours and the balance between the bitterness, sweet fruitiness and the malts. Bravo!

6.9% from St. Jerome, Quebec & Waterbury, Vermont, USA 100 IBU
Hops: Simcoe, Citra and Centennial

HERBE À DÉTOURNE ~ BRASSERIE  
DIEU DU CIEL!

This brew is a boozy Belgian tripel made with new world hops (citra). Sampled on draught this beer pours slighty opaque golden orange apricot with an average white head that left sticky lacing as it receded slowly. The nose has lots going on: stone fruit (peaches) tropical fruit (pineapple and mango), spice (pepper and clove), floral notes, candi sugar, citra hops and alcohol. The taste follows the smell, with lots of bitter citra hoppiness as a first impression. After the first impression, notes of tropical and stone fruit, Belgian yeast phenols and esters, and spice, abound. The finish is dry with a little lingering bitterness and a warming booziness. The bitterness next to the fruity sweetness make for interesting and complex flavour combinations. The body was medium with a slightly syrupy mouthfeel, and the carbonation was very gentle. I guess you could call this hybrid beer a new world tripel. Definitely worth a try – a really interesting complexity of flavour compliments and contrasts happening here.

10.2% from Montreal, Quebec 56 IBU

SAISON DU PARC ~ DIEU DE CIEL!

Saison Du Parc is a new summer offering form one of my favourite Quebecois breweries. Sampled on draught, the beer poured a very pale yellow (with hints of green) with a modest white head, which left great lacing. The nose contained lots of citrus (lemon and grapefruit) along with light grains, hay pepper, a little funk with a hint of sourness. The flavour followed with notes of light grains, grapefruit and lemon, hay, and sourness with a grassy hoppy bite. The finish was bitter and very dry at first though the initial bite of the hops dissipated a little as the beer progressed. The body is light and the carbonation is moderate. This is drinkable and refreshing but a little bold in the hops department for a saison. Not a disappointment but definitely not DDC’s best.

4.2% from Montreal, Quebec

DÉESSE NOCTURNE ~ DIEU DE CIEL!

STOUT WEEK -
Déesse Nocturne (translates to 'night goddess') is a lesser known stout from Brassiere Dieu De Ciel. (Makers of Aphrodisiaque and Péché Mortel) Sampled on draught with nitro, the beer poured almost black with a dense off white head. Nice lacing was left as the foam receded. The aroma was intense blend dark roasted malt with hints of chocolate and a touch of coffee and smoke. There is no obvious bitterness on the nose. The stout is a dry (very similar to an Irish Stout) with little sweetness, lots of coffee, unsweetened cocoa and dark malts abound. A nice hop bitterness and tastes of burnt toast finish this quaff. The mouth feel is silky and smooth; the nitro gives it a compact head, but offers littler effervescence throughout. Another very drinkable, delicious offering from Dieu de Ciel.

5% from Montreal, Quebec

PÉCHÉ MORTEL ~ DIEU DE CIEL!

Péché Mortel  means Mortal Sin in French.  It is a wonderful intense coffee stout created by Dieu de Ciel! in 2001. I cannot say enough good things about this beer.  It dances in your mouth!

It pours a very dark and opaque with a dark brown foam.  The nose is full of coffee, chocolate and roasted malts.  The flavour is a romance with my taste buds: espresso coffee, rich expensive dark chocolate and roasted malty goodness.  It is beautifully balanced and has a smooth creamy mouth feel that lingers on your tongue. 

Péché Mortel  is Imperial Stout, originally brewed for Russian royalty.  Like an IPA they were more heavily hopped then their English counterparts in order to survive the journey.  The bitterness does not distract from this beer at all.  At almost 10% this is a beer to end your evening with, a real treat!

9.5% from Montreal, Quebec

ROSEE D’HIBISCUS ~ DIEU DE CIEL

Seasoned Wheat Beer.  Rosee d’Hibiscus starts off as a wheat beer, during the brewing process Hibiscus flowers are added giving the beer a lovely fragrance and a slight acidity.  It pours a rich pink, has a lovely tartness and a flavour all its own.  I often drink this as a refreshing summer beer.

5.9% from Montreal,Quebec
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