Dieu du Ciel Route des Épices

Dirty amber/brown color with an ok white head that leaves minimal lacing. Peppercorn is fairly strong in the smell along with touches of caramel and possible the rye. The taste is, arguably, overdone with peppercorn. Spicy pepper at the forefront with the malts just barely peaking. However, on the finish, those malts are thoroughly beaten back, tied up and raped by the peppercorns. That spice lingers on the tongue for an incredibly long time. Appropriate carbonation. Very interesting beer. The pepper is, without a doubt, overdone. However, this was also an enjoyable experience - partially because I like most any unique beer and partially because I like pepper. This beer is most definitely worth a try.

I find most beers to be drinkable, and I feel like I give every beer a fighting chance. That said, I thought that the flavor of this beer was WAY over the top. Poured a clear dark amber color with a one finger head. Aroma was malty with a slight peppery note. At this point, I thought this would be a good beer. Flavor was horrid. It was like drinking liquid black pepper. Any malt or hop notes were burned off of my tongue. I drank about half of the beer and then drained the rest. Sorry, not for me.

Bottle at Volo, August 2008. What a strange little beer! Rye and peppercorns... The aroma holds fruit and of course a spicy peppercorn hit. The pepper on the palate is a bit strange at first, but not unpleasant.

Deep auburn pour with a thick silky head. Clear with a red tint. Malty aroma with nuts and a hint of chocolate. Pepper is present but subdued. Rye flavor with hints of chocolate. Quickly overpowered by the pepper. Pepper is pretty intense and leaves a slight burning on the tongue. Interesting, but I don’t think I could drink this everyday.

(11.5 oz. bottle from 1828 Vintage House) Pours fairly clear auburn with a tall slightly foamy biscuit head in my willibecher. Aroma is mostly dark caramel and slight vanilla, really no hint of the spice. Mouthfeel is average heft, mostly smooth but maybe slightly pebbly. Weepy, broken rings of lacing. Flavor is light rye and caramel with strong pepperiness on the back end. The pepper becomes almost minty and maybe slightly medicinal as it tails away. Some hop bite but that’s pretty well overtaken by the pepper. Lingering rye/pepper aftertaste. Pretty good but not in the same class as something like Founders Black Rye.