Dieu du Ciel Péché Mortel

Brewed by Dieu du Ciel
Style: Imperial Stout
Montreal, Canada

I love coffee stouts, I really love coffee, I love this beer, but not nearly to the degree that i want to.... I almost feel like it might have been too coffee flavored... That is my single biggest complaint... I love the way it looks, i love the way it smells, i love the slight bitterness, i love the way it masks the alcohol making it almost too drinkable the way Bells Java Stout is way too drinkable... I love the layers and complexity of flavor.... Maybe i expected this to be the pinnacle for me, something i never want to taste, the search is way more interesting... Overall, top 10 stouts i’ve ever had, i’ve got a long list to get through, and many to sample again since i started rating beers...

33cl bottle. Pours a deep, viscous, opaque black with a medium-thin brown head that doesn’t last long but leaves subtle spots of lace on the glass and persists in the form of tan spots floating on the beer. The aroma is intoxicating: espresso, molasses, ash, alcohol, bitter alcohol, caramel toffee, tart red wine, and wood. This thick elixir gives off a truly inviting aroma. The flavor starts immediately roasty with burnt bread and coffee. That coffee flavor is really strong and really fantastic - very black and roasty like super-strong French roast. There are so many beautiful flavors in there - soft fruit, bitter chocolate, subtle acidity, sweet toffee malts, treacle... The hop bitterness at the end is gracefully fruity and earthy at the same time. The finish is full of fruit, chocolate, and coffee. The alcohol is warming, but surprisingly well placed - no harshness and surprisingly low ethanol flavor for its strength. The aftertaste is elegant dark chocolate. The mouthfeel is quite crisply carbonated with a light prickling sensation over the tongue. The body is very thick and full - but like a robust and strongly brewed coffee (okay, maybe a little thicker than that). Overall - what a magical beer. I’ve certainly never had a better coffee stout. One of the best imperial stouts I’ve ever had, too...

Vibrant stout with all the hallmarks of a true legend. Great coffee taste with powerful and lingering flavour that grips the tongue. Having had this on tap it’s hard to imagine it could be so wonderful in the bottle but indeed it is. Truly a standout for Canadian beers and as good an example of the style as the Stone and Bells I so love.

This is a masterful stout. Aroma is malt and coffee. Pours black with huge frothy head. Tons of lacing. Mouthfeel is thick and lush. Fairly high carbonation. Flavor is coffee and chocolate malt - not as complex as others (similar to Founders Breakfast Stout) but great for any coffee lover.

12oz bottle. Thanks to drewbeerme for the bottle. Very dark pour of course with a dark brown head. Big coffee and chocolate aroma. Coffee bitterness in the flavor as well, very nice beer and I don’t even like coffee.

Black pour, not even much light getting through arount the edges. Small dark brown head. Very nice roast coffee and roast malt aromas. Med/full bodied with a descent amount of small carbonation, not quite creamy. Coffee, coffee and some mocha or bakers chocolate, coffee bitters in the finish. A little bitey, but mellows nicely as it warms. No messin around, very good straigh forward, yet slightly different than the norm Imperial. More of a good java stout than a straight Imperial. Not quite a good as the Bell’s or Southern Tier I’ve had. Still worth finding however.

11.2 oz bottle. Pours a deep black with a finger-width, dark chocolate brown creamy head that dissipates slowly and remains moderately lacy. Leaves a nice dark brown swirl on the surface. Aroma is simply put...strong coffee and milky chocolate. More sweet chocolate malts than roastiness in this Imp Stout, however, there is a good amount of roast and a very nice bitter hop backing. Very sweet, actually, not that sour soy sauce smell that a lot of Imp Stouts have. Almost chalky feel in the nose. Palate is slightly more carbonated than usual with a medium body. Flavor is loaded with straight, black coffee. Mildly roasty and milk chocolatey. Good amount of toffee and a lingering bitter finish. Very nice hop balance...I’d go as far to say perfectly balanced! Pronounced bitterness, but blended extremely well. Overall, can’t taste the alcohol one bit. One of the finest balanced stouts I have ever had. Truly one of a kind.

Bottle. Pours black with ruby edges, medium airy tan head. Dark chocolate and coffee on the nose, a small amount of chalkiness too. Great chocolaty coffee flavors. Wonderful roasted flavors, and good toffee flavors too. Some lively fizz action on the palate. Has a nice long bitter finish after taste. A bit to much carbonation for the flavors (Not that I’ve ever had a carbonated coffee). Definitely towards the upper tier all the way!