Dieu du Ciel Quintessence

Brewed by Dieu du Ciel
Style: American Strong Ale
Montreal, Canada

[2 year old bottle at RBSG 2005] An unclear dark amber beer with a disappearing beige head. The aroma is sweet with strong notes of wood, alcohol, and berries - a really powerful aroma. The flavor is very powerful with notes of alcohol, wood, and berries, leading to a dry alcoholic finish. The alcohol is so strong, that it burns my stomach. The body is very powerful and it is very well aged.

Hazy amber colour. Hot and malty aroma with light maple syrup and dusty yeastiness. Hot, dusty palate with thick, vaguely defined malts. Too hot and simplistic.

(2003 bottle, RBSG05) Beige head atop a brown body with some residue. Aroma is moderately sweet, caramel, scotch, prune, smoke, alcohol. Taste is moderately sweet, caramel, raisin, scotch, oak. Smoke in the finish and alcohol is always noticeable. Full body.

Light brown with red and grey? tones. The little head that there is doesn't stay for long. Basically no carbonation. Aroma of caramel, malt, cinammon, hops. Sweet, balanced and complex in mouth: very malty, spicy, peppery, hop notes, but never bitter. Outstandingly well-hidden 10.5%alcohol. A treat, easy to drink pure artwork.. On cask at 6th anniversary , Has a nice frothy head this time, mostly white. Body is deep, mysterious orangey-brown. Lots of malt complexities in the aroma with vibrant cookie-like flavors and dry hopping notes (mildest grassy and earthy orange). Penetrating woodiness, spicy pepper grains and herbal characteristics. Sweet coating aftertaste to die for reminiscent of smoked maple and single malt scotch. Silkysmooth mouthfeel, oily and possessing the most diplomatic carbonation. Plug this cask straight into my veins.

Bottle... RBSG 2005... This beer rocks!... Clear, copper ale with a mid-sized, fizzy, khaki head. Good retention. Dense, malty aroma with notes of caramel, wood, mandarin orange, alcohol, light smoke, tobacco and dark fruit. The flavor is pretty hot and fairly sweet. Very earthy and fruity and balanced well with generous hopping. Full-bodied and oily with moderate carbonation. Lengthy, warm, sweet, malty finish. World class ale!

2003 bottle, served at DDC on 7/9/05: Pours a dark murky brown with a frothy cream-colored head with nice lacing. Aroma of dry Belgian malt and lots of complex oak, earth, and alcohol. Body starts with lots of rich caramel and butterscotch sweetness and a hint of cheesiness and warming oaky alcohol in the finish. Nice complexity and balance, but could hide the alcohol better. This could still use another year or two of aging.

(Fresh, on tap): Parsimoniously, hop pepper vapors contemplate and join the voluptuous, sweet maple alcohol...Harmoniously, fluctuating berry waves embrace the punctuating peated algae...Hop-dappled herb ripples effortlessly undulate over the rich, orange-peel perfumed caramel...An exemplary, experimental marine life thrives within, striving to lead us all into a better world...

(Aged Cask): At this point in its maturing process, this marvel simply begs you to sit down and emit orgasmic noises every sip or so...After a year or so in this cask, the flavors have blended into a unique paragon of creativity and nourishment and has reached, to my tastes, world-class levels...You would not even dream it’s over 10%...

(2-year-old bottle, aged at the brewery): Like most of their bottles, carbonation is stronger than the initial version...So many flavors here, all described above, still thrive in joyous, frenzied, bacchanalia...Alcohol is still present, but the malt sweetness and complexity is so appealing that the heat blends superbly with it...There is nothing else like this out there...

Bottle at DDC during the Summer Gathering. Filmy tan head with a body colored like caramel, with some woody brown and dark red hues at times as well. The nose is straight-up intense, sharp bourbon, along with some light belgian-style yeast notes... and the texture and flavor are wrapped up in an extremely dry, bitter, astringent, acidic (etc) complexity. Not exactly in a way that I like, however. Unsettled tasting, young, woody liquor that seems to burn the tongue or at least numb it. Harsh as anything I’ve had, like liking the inside of an oak barrel. Belgian-like yeast is noted, but definitly muted in my opinion... this is one beer that got carried away with the oak. Not my cup of tea, but I can appreciate it for what it’s worth.