Dieu du Ciel Bière du Mai

Brewed by Dieu du Ciel
Style: Spice/Herb/Vegetable
Montreal, Canada

This "3 conifers beer" led me to expected a hop heavy potion, but I was not unpleasantly surprised by the multi-faceted hybrid that settled in my pint. As a starter, the appearance strikes as perfect. The color is a beautiful amber-ish sunset orange and the meringue-like white head lives to lace, laces to live, one of the largest and most spectacular foams I’ve seen at DDC. So we were talking about the conifers... It seems like DDC’s brewer was seeing those more akin to spices in the concoction of the Tordeuse. It is a very malty beer with flavors reminiscent of caramel and vienna malt in their sweet earthiness, nuttiness and biscuity overtones. A slight buttery profile fits the bill nicely and marry the floral and soapy hops with signity and elegance. Highly drinkable potion with a wry twist. Conifers come up in an unlinear subtlety from the first impression to the last sip. Flavors are fresh, long, spicy and character loaded. Boasting a superb creamy texture, generous body and matching cleansing carbonation. Mysterious and highly pleasant if not quite as straightforward and lively as I had hoped upon hearing the brilliant concept. I feel I’m being generous, but it was the right quaffable beer at the end of a work day.

Tordeuse, 2005 version:
The Lure:
Wet bark on which slowly drips black pepper and caramel. Fresh, marshy, not too assertive, but inherently attractive.

The Festivities:
A flavor onslaught in the first half of the sip. Earthy wet bark with lots of pine. Bitterness is passionate at first, but then recedes to help drinkability. Not sure if this bitterness comes from the conifers used or some pine-y hops though, the illusion is perfect. Well-balanced, inspired and flavorful, what more can you ask for?

Transcendence:
The Laurentian forest never seemed so tasty.

Bière du Mai, 2006 version.
More perfumy and less biting than last year’s, this one focused more on the aromatic proprieties of the conifers, and on the healthy malt bed on which they lie. Active carbonation remains delicate and silky all the way, letting the maltiness and restrained piney spiciness coexist in utter harmony. Bitterness has dropped considerably compared to last year’s, making this a much easier pint. All in all, the 2006 isn’t as hardcore as the 2005, but remains a unique, expertly-crafted drink.

Golden amber ale with a thick white head. Light malty and sprucey aroma. Nice crisp malt with good spruce notes and light hops in finish. rich and pleasant. Mondial 2005. 7-4-8-4-13
Golden orange ale with a thick off white head. Fresh caramelly nutty malt with tingling notes, and green pepper. In mouth, a refreshing and smooth beer, with coniferous notes, very nice. Mondial 2006. 8-4-8-4-14

Numerous samples large and small at the Mondial and Dieu du Ciel. The consensus favorite of DDC’s new-for-the-fest foursome, it would seem, and I’m no different. Bright, opaque amber-gold, with a lasting bit of head and touch of lace...woody, twiggy nose with hints of juniper and wet pine needles, maple sweetness...smooth, full body is effervescent and supple yet strong enough to contain huge flavors, a dry woody crackle blending lovingly with brown sugar and light yeast, a bit of fresh pine evolving into salty driftwood on the finish...awesome.

Sap-like notes of cedar and pine, lime zest and ginger in the sharply resinous aroma. Hazy, almost opaque, cloudy burnished copper coloured body is topped with a decent cover of off-white head that recedes to cover with some lace. Initial menthol-like flavour takes a few sips to become accustomed to. Toasty, bready malt character emerges beneath the obvious pine/spruce/cedar spicy, sap-like flavour. Some notes of unripe strawberries. Medium body with strong carbonation that prickles the tongue. Truly unique, I had to order a second. On tap at the brewpub with Olivier_MTL.

Throughly unique, Three conifers used, forest aroma and deep piney and citrus taste. Amber and big head, lace. Well hopped, great carbonation. Carmel and butter smoothness.

On draught at Mondial, multiple days. My favorite of the fest. Amber-copper-caramel colored. White head is not long retained and recedes to ring. Beer is lightly hazy, with slight lacing left behind. Smells of caramel, pine nettles, sweet, thick honey and more mashed conifers. Some dry mint-like notes and maybe a bit of sweet candied citrus. Flavor begins perfumey, with pine extract-like bitterness, wintergreen, but a quickly balancing caramel sweetness is felt. Gets slightly musty and earthy through the middle, with some dry yeast and barley notes. Much like a walk through the woods, as Martin says. Mouthfeel is sticky and chewy, but not pine-sappy in anyway. It really is balanced wonderfully. It never gets close to astringent for me, and I know how astringent conifers can be. Great balance, which always seems to be very important to J.F. Medium-full body, low to moderate carbonation. Hope I see this one again.

Sampled at le Mondial de la bière 2005. Pours an amber color. Aroma is pine and other fir trees, some earthyness too. The flavor is the same, earthy with fir trees. Medium body, dry texture, soft carbonation.