Dieu du Ciel Aphrodisiaque

Brewed by Dieu du Ciel
Style: Stout
Montreal, Canada

Bottle shared by ygtbsm94 on 7/26/09: Pours an oily opaque black with a creamy spotty-lacing beige head. Aroma of sweet dark caramel and rich milk chocolate with a touch of licorice and cocoa powder. Body starts with good fullness and rich dark chocolate and cocoa flavor with a drier slightly more bitter finish. A well-balanced and enjoyable chocolate stout with good complexity.

As deep a black as you could wish for, this Americanized "Aphrodite" from Dieu du Ciel chews up all light and sits underneath a creamy mocha/brown head that leaves good windowpane lacing as it condenses. Smells of chocolate syrup, french roast coffee, and a bit of Vanilla Coke. Flavors meld well, the chocolate is less like a sweet syrupy version and more like hot cocoa powder, the vanilla creeps up at the end, and the coffee is understated, much more subtle than Peche Mortel. Hops are barely evident, unlike the dark malts that provide the foundation for all other flavors. Slightly thin for a stout, I’ll call it medium body. A bit more carbonation than others, and with only a slight bitterness, this is a fairly easy drink.

Bottled sample via boutip. Near black in colour with medium carbonation. Aromas are of milk chocolate, mild coffee, red berries, and a bit of vanilla. Specifically coffee grinds in the mouth, with elements of chocolate syrup, caramel, mint and a hint of vanilla. Dries out quite a bit with a fairly assertive level of roasted malts. Definitely well put together, and a very good stout, but my mind isn;t blown.

Bottle shared via fisherman34- pours dark cola, with thin mocha head. Nose- sweet vanilla, light roast. Taste- thinner body, dry roast, some bittering hops. Vanilla is subtle, as is the chocolate- a dry powdered type chocolate. Mouthfeel- carbonation higher than expected and body on the thin side. Drinkability is quite good.

11.5 oz bottle as Aphrodite. Pours a mostly black body with a thin, dark brown head that whisps away quickly into a medium amount of delicate lacing. Aroma is soothing cocoa powder and sweet, dark milk chocolate hand in hand with an enticing vanilla bean. Just a hint of smoke and plum as well as a very light roasted malt giving off just a trace of acidity every few sniffs. Mostly a deeper, cocoa powdered milk laden aroma though. Dessert-like smooth, dark milky chocolate greets the tongue as a cocoa powder and sweet vanilla bean quickly follow. A light amount of coffee roast comes in keeping this sweet, milky dessert balanced. A hint of mild hops, a pruney bourbon, and a lightly burnt malt come in at the end before this dries with plenty of cocoa along with some dark chocolate, vanilla, and milk in a long aftertaste. The cocoa, more of the burnt roast, and a light bitterness from the finish stick out the most. Palate is full and very smooth with only a peep of carbonation. Overall, a very sweet, milky dessert beer with an enjoyable, lighter roast profile. Lots of cocoa standing out. I also like the vanilla adding a sweetness and smoothness making this different than most deeper stouts. Really nice.

Black with a lasting tan head. Roasted aroma dominated by licorice, with a hint of smoke. Sweet licorice and chocolate flavour with a full body and intense dark character

Bottle at Monks Kettle labeled Aphrodite. This dark brown ale poured with a modest tan head and a plum and chocolate aroma. The flavor is prune, vanilla, chocolate and treacle, and it is rich enough to stick to ones palate. There is some carbonation and a smooth finishing bitterness.

Bottle shared by Hophead22. Pours black with a brown head. Aroma is coffee, roast, and vanilla. Flavor is sweet vanilla, coffee, dark chocolate. Full to medium bodied, moderate carbonation.