Apr 10, 2012

Brasserie Dieu du Ciel Solstice D’hiver

Brasserie Dieu du Ciel Solstice d'Hiver photo

You know what I really love about one of my favorite local shops? They continually get these tasty brews from small craft breweries out of Quebec. I’m not sure how they manage to do it, but they do.

One of those small companies is Brasserie Dieu du Ciel. I’ve had their Rosée D’hibiscus and Corne Du Diable before and both were good in their own right, but this barleywine blows them both out of the water. This 10.2% ABV brew is obviously a big beer, but it’s also one with a fairly refined flavor profile that is ideal for a late evening sipper.

Appearance

Solstice d’Hiver pours a chestnut brown with a garnet edge and a small head that faded to a thin collar of foam.

Aroma

The nose is ripe with burnt caramel, brown sugar, dark fruits (raisin in particular), light dark rum and subtle hop presence.

Taste

Wow. The burnt caramel really stands out nicely along with a decent bit of sweetness initially before fading slowly to a relatively dry finish that also carries a touch of hop bitterness. The beer is bold with the strong caramel and molasses character, as well as the hop presence in the warming finish. Dark fruits are also present throughout. The soft carbonation and syrupy mouthfeel make for a beer that is meant to be enjoyed slowly — along with the fairly present alcohol content, as well.

Overall

I love the nose on this beer. The elements of burnt caramel and raisin, along with the alcohol presence, really make for an intriguing beer. The flavors essentially mirror the nose, but with a stronger alcohol presence. This beer was darn good as it was, but could certainly use a little time in the cellar to mellow out some. I’ll be trying to find more to do just that.

Rating:4.25/5

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