Dieu du Ciel Solstice dÉté aux Framboises

Brewed by Dieu du Ciel
Style: Berliner Weisse
Montreal, Canada

Verre de 20 oz, d’un fût à la brasserie. Arômes de framboises où pointe une légère touche d’acidité. Robe rouge, belle mousse rose. Plutôt sûre en bouche, les framboises sont très présentes et cachent quelque peu les autres caractéristiques de la bière. Celle-ci demeure tout de même peu sucrée pour une bière aux fruits. Intéressant.

En fût. Verre de 12 oz dégustée à la brasserie. Arôme: Odeur de framboises sûrettes. Apparence: La couleur est rouge. Présence d’un mince col rosâtre mousseux et d’une fine dentelle sur le verre. Saveur: Goût de framboises légèrement sûrettes avec une pointe de citron. Durée moyenne de l’arrière goût. Palette: Le corps est moyen avec une texture légèrement huileuse. Moyenne effervescence en bouche. Arrière goût légèrement sûrette. (Rating #1762)

On tap at the brewpub, visited June 23 2007 with a big group of friends (no fellow rateberrieans though). This was my wife’s choice-- and a fine choice indeed! Deep hazy ruby red with a fluffy pink head displaying excellent retention and decent lace. Aroma of very fresh art raspberries, maybe some wheaty malt undertones after you become re-calibrated to the raspberries. Lip-smackingly tart, even sour, fresh raspberries all the way. This really squeezes the salivary glands into acton! I didn’t know this was a Berliner Weisse until I came to rate it-- now I understand this beer’s character! Very interesting and refreshing-- this and New Glarus Raspberry Tart are among the two most interesting fruit-driven beers I’ve had.

Draught at the brewpub. Yes, finally a Berliner Weisse rating! Pours a very dark deep ruby with a good size lasting pink head -- one of the best looking "fruit" beers I’ve seen. Very tart raspberry aroma with some malt and not much else. Flavour’s the same, lots of tart raspberry and that’s pretty much it -- it’s pretty good but it’s very acidic making this an acquired taste and I wasn’t blown away by it. Medium bodied, acidic and very carbonated mouthfeel. It’s good but a whole pint is too much for me.

On tap at the brewpub. A new style for me! Gorgeous pour - served to in a Weisse tall glass. Dark deep blood red, pink head - looks amazing. Wow, so much acidity, which, now that I read up on the style I see I should expect - but this much in the aroma? Tart and lots of berry - acidity and fruit mix well. Taste is more of the same, very acidic and very tart. Medium to light bodied, once you have adjusted to the acidity, the berry flavour does creep in and balance out. Still, it is tough to finish a glass this size given the acidity level, which lessened my enjoyment just a little bit. But show me another brewpub where I can go from a wonderful cask IPA to something like this!

[tap @ the brewpub] Pours a vibrant pink/red color, a foamy, rose-colored head tops things off. Flavors are fresh, tart rapsberries, and plenty of acidic sourness. Very refreshing, dry finish.

In short: An intense raspberry beer with a surprising sour/cherry twist
How: Tap at brewpub (complete re-write for the summer 2008 batch)
The look: Cloudy cherry-red with a large and rather cute pink head that quickly recedes to a thin but complete pink cover.
In long: This is a tasty beer that brings an interesting mix of raspberries acidity and cherries sourness. I even asked the owner whether there was cherries in there but no, only raspberries. The finish is sour and acidic. Like other good raspberry beers this is not a complex beer but when done right it kicks some serious ass. And this one does. I’m already looking forward to the next batch. As if Montreal winters were not enough to make me wish for the summer to come back.

Bu sur place (12 oz). Rouge petit fruit, moyen collet rose. Arome de framboise délicieuse. Goût de Jell-O alcoolisé au framboise sûre.