Dieu du Ciel Péché Mortel

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

Serve in Snifter

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UPDATED: NOV 2, 2006 22 oz bottle at the Moan and Dove release party. September 04 vintage. Served lightly chilled in a Trappist chalice.
I actually held this for about 10 minutes, just taking in the aroma. Very deep and powerful coffee nose. Black roast coffee, espresso, charred/burnt coffee notes, a strong nutty/beaniness, as if you can actually smell the very coffee beans with which it is made. Some light hints of dark, bitter, dry, baker’s chocolate. The beer looks magnificent, with sediment at the bottom of the bottle. Deep, coal black body, with a dark burnt-tan head, that slowly recedes to nothing.
Upon first drink, I can’t deny to being a bit taken aback. I’m used to being slapped in the face by hops (young Expedition comes to mind), or even slapped in the face by alcohol (WWS, enough said), but never have I been assaulted by an all out coffee dominance. Adding to the coffee, is a very dry, dry roasted malt backbone. As it warms and breathes (and believe me, I took my time drinking it), there is some relief from the coffee, and hints of lightly bittersweet malt are noted towards the finish. A definite lactic feel in there. But as much as I strain to get the sweet malt flavors, there is a large amount of astringency that seems to persist on the palate. Little to no hops apparency, no alcohol apparency. Medium to medium-full body, with too much thinning on the end. In the end, I have to agree with what Casey says, this tastes more like a strong coffee drink, than a beer. For what it is, I really enjoy the coffee flavor, but I can’t seem to get past the uninspiring body. Perhaps that’s just my preference, but I like a nice thick, chewy body on my Imperial stouts, with a good amount of malt sweetness 8/5/7/3/15
September 03 bottle consumed 3/5/05 and another on 3/6/05 The age did not seem to dull the coffee, I can’t deny to still being put-off by the massive espresso and dry bean-like flavors. Extremely dry to start. I let it warm up to the temperature of the bar and swirled out all of the carbonation. This actually helped. I’m finally getting some sweet-lactic notes and a bit of sweet vanilla on the finish. The body on this seems to be a bit thicker and chewier than 1st export batch. This has aged gracefully. MUST GET THIS ON DRAUGHT! 8/5/7/3/16

Draught be damned!! I’ll take it straight out of the conditioning tank! 4/16/05 with MartinT and Beerbuzzmontreal, a very sublime day, all told. Very gracious thanks to J.F. for the sample (which I think he gave me just to shut me up). Same fantastic appearance, chalky-grey-tan head atop a beautiful black body. The aroma has relaxed on the coffee! It may still be the dominant flavor, but not by much. Now it allows for sweet lactic notes, rich and creamy, rich vanilla beans and light chocolate. Flavor just knocks me back, though. A lightly sweet/sour lactic flavor, with chocolate, vanilla and roast. The coffee is there, but provides support, not the main show. The huge drying astringency is gone. Chocolate, prunes, figs, milkshakes, fudge. . . wow. Rating is for this version.

Tap @ CBC. Deep brown color with no head. The nose is light bitter chocolate and roasted malts, booze-soaked wood. The taste is chocolate espresso beans, cherry liqueur, Very sweet and heavy. Brown sugar. The body’s full, plenty of sugar (diiiiabeetus!) and booze. Soft, viscous and oily. Very nice, though a bit flabby.

Tap @ Copenhagen Beer Celebration. Pours pitch black with a creamy tan head. Aroma of roasted malt, coffee, dark chocolate, nuts. Taste is roasted malts, coffee, dark chocolate, caramel, nougat, sweet chocolate ice, light booze. Full body, smooth creamy mouthfeel, low carbonation, light alcohol in the finish. 120512

Strong coffee smell, almost a bit of bourbon or dark chocolate. All follow in the taste, extremely dark, rich and strong. Almost impossible to stop drinking, one of the best stouts out there. ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone

On tap @ Copenhagen Beer Celebration. Pours a jet black body with a medium creamy beige head. Nose is intense mocha/filter coffee tones with powdery chocolate hints. Nice, but I’d like a bit more complexity. Taste is mocha, filter coffee, dark chocolate and hints of nougat. Velvety mouthfeel which feels occasionally disrupted by bursts of carbonation. Strange. A very nice coffee-based imp stout, but I do feel it’s a bit overrated.

Fantastic coffee stout. Rich earthy sweet coffee flavors along with some chocolate and toasted malts.

En riktig höjdare. Intensiv, kraftig och fyllig smak av framförallt kaffe och då menar jag kaffe på riktigt. Len och krämig och med en balanserad eftersmak. En liten efterrättspärla till stout.

Sample at Copenhagen Beer Celebration 2012. Black with a beige head of large bubbles that leaves behind dime nice lacing. Aroma is coffee, licorice, oak, vanilla. Medium body, slightly slick mouthfeel, bitter coffee finish. Taste is coffee, chocolate, vanilla, toast.

Black with nice tan head. Heavy coffee in the nose, roasted malty notes and chocolate and vanilla. Sweet and roasty, loads of coffee, some vanilla and nutty malts. Full to medium body, nice carb

Aroma, light with alcohol, roast coffee, pours black with persistent brown head with some lace. Taste coffee right up front with chocolate, malts. some alcohol comes through. Palate bitter, dry. Excellent imperial lives up to hype

(Sample from tap at CBC) Pours pitch black with medium, toffee head. Impressive retention and lace. Aroma is roasted malt, licorice, coffee and something chalky? Oily texture bordering on creamy, full body, soft carbonation and a dark, roasted finish.