Dieu du Ciel Cuvée de lAlchimiste 19

Brewed by Dieu du Ciel
Style: Premium Bitter/ESB
Montreal, Canada

Appearance: Bronze gold with a low head. Aroma: English hops and crytal malt sweetness. Fruit fermentation esters. Flavour: Good bitternes balanced with a dry finish (from mineral additions - Burtonized?) some crystal malt sweetness but it diappears quickly leaving you wanting another sip. Mouthfeel: Medium bodied prickly and refreshing. Overall: A very nice special bitter lots of hops and malt starts sweet and finishes dry. Mineral Perrier like quality is delicious.

Bu sur place, en fut (20 oz). Rousse un peu foncée, moyen collet. Arome de malte d’orge crue, un peu fruité. Goût de malte amère, d’orge grillé et légèrement houblonné. Assez bon pour un bitter!

On tap at DDC
Appearance :Deep, clear amber coloroued ale with thick, quiet creamy head. Side enriched with neatly painted lace. > Nose:Strong, spicy bitter hops, hint of wild mushroom with woody overtone all placed on amber malts.
Flavour/Palate:
Medium bodied, quiet smooth bodied. Frontal was spicy followed by raw twig that finally ended with grainy, rye like swing. At edge of plate you would find citric bitterness. Neat softer malty end. Perhaps this ale is not the most harmonious there is but its hop-grain set up was quiet pleasant. Solid bitter. Palate 3+

On tap at D.D.C. The color is dark amber with a thick beige head. The taste is of grains and malt, also the bitter taste of hops The aroma has a caramel feeling to it. For D.D.C. this is an O.K. beer but that is all.

On tap at DDC. Poured a deep drk brownish/red with an average size dense white head. Aroma is nothing special with some fruity bitter notes and a slight breadiness about it. Medium body with some lively carbonation. Balanced flavor with initial fruitness and a bitter finish. This one won’t blow you away but you can knock em back all night long.

Aroma is malty, with some hops present, deep copper, small head. Taste begins with a mild candy malt, hops give a nice beat, well balanced, bitter. Good.

My Bottom Line:
This malty ESB exposes its grainy caramel to a quiet dosage of wooden, leafy hoppiness. A finishing herbal hop bitterness lingers, and balance is nonetheless reached.

Further Personal Perceptions:
-A ring of foam circles the clear dark copper.
-Aroma hops are lacking, although a secretive leafy note can be perceived.
-Drinking a bitter with forced carbonation is always a puzzling experience once you’ve grown to love the cask versions.
-This take on Voyageur des Brumes is not as convincing to me, but it is nonetheless a valiant session ale.

On tap at the brewpub.

Draught. Bright copper-brown body with a white creamy head. Grainy aroma along with some caramel and herbal hops. Fairly light and not overly bitter. There’s some fruitiness peaking through but it’s generally bready and as such, reasonably balanced.