Sipping some Dieu du Ciel.

Sipping Some Dieu du Ciel.

After the trip to Montreal I was obviously excited to get into some of my foraged bottles so considering the only bottles I got that were hop forward in any way were the selections of Dieu du Ciel so I decided those should be the first to crack and over the course of the last week and a half I have had the pleasure of sipping....

Moralite'

"Pours a vibrant yellow golden color with a finger plus of eggshell foam. Aromas are bright grapefruit, sweet mango, some light malt and layers of tropical fruit. The palate follows with a nice juicy hop punch and the round soft palate provides an excellent backbone that is present but just supports the hop profile which is handled very well. Tropical fruit, some sticky wood sap and a clean bitter finish."

Chaman

"Pours a deep golden sienna color with a finger of eggshell foam. Nose is sweet caramel, bready malts, citrus and some earthy grass. Palate follows with more sweetness, honey, citrus, boozy and lingering bitter grass finish. Probably a bit past its prime but still drinking pretty nice."

Solstice d' ete aux Framboises 

"Pours a deep ruby red with a finger of pink foam. Nose is beautiful raspberry fruit, some basement funk and light foggy grain. The palate follows the nose with great layers of earthy raspberry funk, tart ripe fruit and lingering musk. Really enjoyable from beginning to end !"

Blanche Neige

"Pours a orange glowing golden color with a finger of sticky white foam. Nose is spiced orange peel, bubblegum, cotton candy and clove. Palate follows with a big sticky sweet backbone that is cut with some bitter clove and dandelion herbal spice, Lingering earthy dusty wheat, ginger, black tea some booze... not really drinking it in season but raging through some shelf picks that I just snagged while in Montreal !"

La Paienne

"Pours a medium golden color with a finger of white foam. Nose is grainy, sweet malt, biscuit a touch of honey. The palate is clean with a nice balance of bitter and sweet with some layers of earthy honey, bready malts and traces of spicy yeast. Kind of a belgian inspired pilsner. Refreshing."

Isseki Nicho

"Pours a deep dark burnt umber with three fingers of sticky khaki foam. Nose is heavy on the roast, layers of baking chocolate, dark ripe berry, forest floor, moss trace of smoke. Palate follows the nose with great complexity, dusty dark chocolate, blueberry, anise, some umami character,mushroom, boozy burnt brownie. Yummy, this beer makes more sense of the pinot barrel version I tried at the first festival, now Im interested to revisit that beer !"

And finally the collaboration with Le Trou du Diable... side by side tonight !

I've read some reviews that say it is the same beer, but after trying them forwards to back, backwards to forward and beginning to end, well Im finishing the last sip of the Diable version as I type but I am confident in saying that isn't the case. I detect some brettanomyces character in the Dieu du Ciel version, and also find the hop presence to be far more juicy and excessive in the Diable version. Both delicious but different beers that Im grateful to have been able to try !

Dieu du Ciel ~ Divine Comedie 

"Pours a medium golden color with a finger of white fizzy foam. Nose is fruity mosaic hops, spicy brett, some bready malt and fresh grass. Palate is a nice mix of pine, melon, pineapple, pepper, horsehair, very dry with a abrasively bitter grassy finish. Drinking from the bottle and had it on draft at the brewpub a few weeks ago ! Tasty."

Le Trou du Diable ~ Divine Comedie

"Pours a slightly hazy orange golden color with three fingers of billowing foam that settles to a thin layer with great lacing. Nose is peachy, orange rind, spicy yeast, biscuit, dank grass. Palate is round and juicy with a more subtle yeast character than the Dieu du Ciel version. Big citrus. some mango and stonefruit, bitterness is strong but lends a nice contrast to the honey kissed sweetness and full mouthfeel. Lip smacking good !"