Dieu du Ciel Péché Mortel

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

Serve in Snifter

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Bottle Batch #2, Sampled November 2005
Pours with a frothy, three-finger thick light brown head that sits atop a rich black hue. As I pour the beer I get a rich note of burnt fruit. Up front the burnt fruit notes of raisin and prune are evident, but quickly the nose is dominated by the a strong burnt roast character that is reminiscent of black coffee and roast barley. There is also quite a bit of burnt grain husks; sharp, slightly acidic, and a bit tannic.

The taste is immediately rich and full in the mouth, though not intensely so. The beer has a sweet malt character that coupled with the roast character makes me think of a sweetened black coffee, or even better a mocha that is heavy on the espresso. The finish is quite long, it loses its richness though, it is strong on a burnt acidity, almost with an acrid burnt note that lends a certain burnt bitterness to the finish. The finish definitely makes one want to take another sip of this beer. Up front and through to the middle, this beer is rich and well matched between the mouth coating sweet malt character, the over the top roast barley & coffee notes, and rich dark chocolate flavors. The finish though is a bit too acrid, and the malt notes die off way to fast, if it lingered a bit more this beer would have a much better finish.

Don’t get me wrong this is quite an enjoyable beer, for the most part; The finish really is a bit too harsh, and the nose has a bit of the harsh notes as well. I wish that all of this beer had the balance and richness that is found up front in the taste.

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.