Dieu du Ciel Péché Mortel

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

Thanks to 1FastSTi for this kicker to a recent trade. Bottled in 08/2005. Poured into a snifter, it looked a chocolatey brown. But in the glass its another story. All black, with a medium brown, tighly bubbled, fizzy head that actually managed to hang out for a bit. The aromas and flavors are all Starbucks. Maybe one of the venti mochas or macchiatos that I get on Fridays because they open at 0520 instead of 0600. I have to say, this is the second coffee imperial stout I’ve had in three days (Southern Tier Ja’vah), and I really don’t like the way carbonated coffe feels on my tongue. It almost feels like I’m eating a damn cactus. I can certainly see why this beer scores well. Its big and bold, and it will put you down in a hurry. I just can’t see myself really enjoying this beer regularly.

11.2oz bottle from franksnbeans - thanks! I’ve been sitting on this one for a while, and now that we’ve finally seen some bottles showing up in NC I figured it was time to crack this one. And holy molasses this is a goodern! Thick syrupy pour with a surprisingly lively fizzing body, a crisp carbonation that rises into a moderate head. Yeah, the aroma is just killer - brisk and bracing, with tons of roasts coming through to let you know that this is aggressive coffee, not the fruity, rounded, mellow stuff. Of course there’s a nice, balanced stout underlying it all, with a slightly sweet chocolate malt base and some spicy hops to balance. But man, that coffee is just killing me. Full bodied and deceptively easy drinking, this one rivals Beer Geek.

Bottle. Frothy brown head, dark brown body. Aroma is sweet coffee, vanilla. Big coffee taste, with nice roasted notes and a bitter finish. Nice soft, bubbly mouthfeel. Coating texture, long aftertaste.

Tasted 11/1/08. 12oz bottle. Pitch hue with two fingers of beige head, Chocolate and fruity aromas. Notes of cocoa and toffee with a touch Belgian yeast character. Spicy anise. Very complex and layered aromas. Full bodied with a big palate. Whole lot going on. Initial chocolate maly flavor that turns into red berry fruit, then dried fruits. Finishes with a woody warming alcohol note. Sticky palate. Flavors of coffee and dark chocolate with a decent alcohol note. Touch smokey. Mildly cloying, but that just fits the palate. Trace hop profile. Somewhere a slight plum note crosses the tongue. Big and smooth and warming. The coffee note really permeates as it warms. Biggest coffee stout I have ever had, but not quite the biggest imperial stout. This is one to share.

341 ml bottle, shared with Sølve. The body is black. Lovely brown head. Aroma is coffee, chocolate, coffee, dark fruit and roasted malt. Flavor has the same elements, but also liqorice. Some bitterness in the aftertaste. Lovely imperial stout!

We’ve got a foamer! Light brown head that just won’t quit. Black body. Chocolate torte cake aroma with stale burnt french press coffee notes. It it was a bit sweeter it’d get a higher score but the burnt notes detract it a bit. Medium viscosity. Nicely sweet chocolate/coffee flavor. Bit of blueberry/raspberry syrup as well as green hops, too. Quite roasty. A pretty damn good beer (4.0 ain’t nothin’ to sneeze at) but the coffee isn’t that exiciting. Thanks Chuck for sharing this rarity!

Bottle. Milk chocolate aroma with some richness. Pretty much completely opaque. Would be clear if you could see it. Huge rootbeer float head. Perfect appearance. Dark tan head. Unbelievably outstanding brew. Can tell there’s some alcohol but it is somewhat hidden. Smooth, but with a ton a flavor. Worth $17? If any beer is, this one’s close. Could they charge less? Yes, but by limiting production they increase demand and the high price makes people interested. It doesn’t appear they have any trouble moving it.

Bottle (brewed 11/07): Near black pour with a large, creamy brown head. Tons of lacing. Aroma is rich with coffee, bits of chocolate and roast. Flavor is true of a coffee stout. Bigtime coffee flavors, light chocolates, and bits of roast. Light smokiness. What I like best was what wasn’t there; that bitter/sour coffee grounds kick of lesser coffee stouts. Very pleasant. Top tier coffee stout. Thanks Ucusty!