Dieu du Ciel Route des Épices

Tasted 4/6/09. 12oz bottle. Filtered with a dark amber hue. Finger width of off-white head. Perfumy musky aromas with a pronounced note of pepper. Medium bodied and holy sh@%! Totally overt on the pepper! I wasn’t expecting that. Undertones of tea and spices. Totally bitter from the pepper with what seems like a chili note. Body is a little thin and this is way too much spice. It might go well with food, but on its own, it’s too crazy and too one dimensional.

12oz. Pour is cloudy amber with small white head. Aromas of slight floral hops and light pepper. Flavor is much different with nice hop presence and nice malt. Nothing great but worth a try.

The pour was clear and light brown or dull copper. A short white formed and produced tiny flecks of lacing. The aroma was malt and floral hops underneath a wash of spicy peppercorns. The flavor was reminiscent of a malty English pale ale with peppercorns tossed in. The mouthfeel was on the thin side and the finish had a distinct peppery bite. Different. Not terrible.

11.5 ounce bottle from Bruisin Ales in Asheville, VA. Pours a very slightly hazy red color with fine particles floating throughout. Minimal head with decent retention and lacing. Aroma is brown sugar, earthy malts, dark fruites and light spice. Taste is earthy malts, dark fruits, rye, bread, pepper and other spices. Full bodied with quite a bite.

pours a dark red with a thick head strong pepper aroma and light start and leaves a pepper and earthy palatue

Pours to a hazy really carbonated dark brown body with a very tall rocky off-white head. Sexy lacing. The aroma is chocolate and rye malts and grain dust. Dusty spices and yeasts. The flavor has a bite at the back of the throat from the peppercorns used. Spicy pepper also was apparent on the top of the tongue. Lots of chocolate and rye malts. Hard to explain the chocolate. It’s not like in the traditional sense but more like a light brownie. Bite from the pepper is unique. Well carbonated.

11.5oz bottle. Lightly hazy dar amber with a white head. Spicy pepper and bread-crust aroma. Lightly sweet caramel and tangy flavor, with a big pepper kick. The finish is quite hot, but not with alcohol. Medium-light with lots of residual heat. Quite interesting stuff. This is the kind of beer that you need to drink every now and then to break out of the normal hoppy-malty cycle. I can’t say that I love it, but its cool.

Appearance is medium brown and akin to apple cider. Almost no head and some light lacing. Aroma is fruity and spicy. A big black pepper taste dominates the flavor and finds its real definition in the aftertaste. While only moderately enjoyable this beer is truly unique and interesting. That pepper aftertaste rolls through in waves.