Dieu du Ciel Équinoxe du Printemps

(Bottle) Pours deep red with a small sand colored head. The aroma is sweet with tones of maple syrup, dried fruits like prunes, tobacco, roasted nuts/almonds, wood, light chocolate, ripe bananas, ripe apples, vanilla, toffee and candi sugar. Good alcohol warmth is present with notes of brandy, liquor and old port. Hints of hops and maybe a whisper of lingonberries and raspberries. The flavour has a harmonic sweetness that brings tones of nutty and toffee-like maple syrup, dark dried fruits and caramel. Undertones of spices and hops. The finish is light bitter and numbing with tones of cocoa, hops and alcohol. The mouthfeel is full, soft, smooth and light velvety. The beer leaves an oily coat on your palate. Medium to full bodied.

Dark brown-red colour. Has an off-white head, mostly lasting. Aroma has port, spice. sweet fruit. Flavor is harmonic, finish moderate bitter. A bit astringent. Lively carbonation. Warming alcohol.

Ruddy brown color with very little head - a ring of light tan head. Sweet aroma, rich malts, not much of a spice component. Some maple detected, light peat. Rich, almost tannic malts on the taste, nice finish, tinged by the maple syrup. Very nice.

Bottle. Large thick rich foamy beige head that mostly lasted. Good display of lacework. Somewhat cloudy copper-amber like color. Aromas of smooth toasted malt, light grainy feel, hint of fruit and light alcoholic nose as well. Some underlying caramelized notes. Over the palate came and unexpected explosion of harmonious notes of mainly malty notes, but also fruit and almost raisins, light vinous, nutty; particular walnuts, spice and maybe a hint of smoke in there somewhere. Full bodied with a soft carbonation and quite smooth thick and alcoholic texture. Moderated to heavy sweet flavor with good counter bitterness. Lingering nutty and light spicy warming alcoholic finish. This was quite an impressive and surprisingly good beer.

[1509-20080704] 341mL bottle. Sweet heavy fruit and sugary malt aroma. Clear, dark red brown body with a quick creamy off-white head. Sweet honeyed figs and malt flavour. Medium-full body. Nice and sweet.
(w/ jerc, manuchampions, tupalev)