Dieu du Ciel Route des Épices

Brewed by Dieu du Ciel
Style: Spice/Herb/Vegetable
Montreal, Canada

Pours a dark brownish amber with a decent off-white head that hung around for quite a while and left very good lacing. The smell is all rye and spices, mainly pepper, on top of a caramel malt background. It definitely stings the nose a little bit. Speaking of stinging, they’re not kidding around with the peppercorn. The rye and caramel malts are present but the peppercorn completely burns the tongue on the finish. I’ve never tasted anything like it. The mouthfeel is creamy and medium bodied with decent carbonation, but the spices are more dominant than any beer I’ve ever tasted. This is certainly a unique beer and one that I enjoyed trying, but the drinkability is limited a bit by the overpowering pepper.

an amber ale bought from bauer wine and spirits in boston - softly spicy aroma, and not enough that i would identify it as a spice/herb beer. it’s clearly not anything like an amber ale, however, since the starchy and bready flavors won’t allow it - and the hops remnants won’t allow it either. green and peppery, and hotter than it would initially seem. unquestionably worth trying once, but not worth revisiting. as the 12 oz plodded on, i found myself in an increasingly-difficult battle to finish it - almost as if jalapenos had been planted in it as a joke, just to see if someone might actually finish it. ouch.

Pours brown into a trappist glass. Head quickly recedes to hug rim. Rye bread and black pepper aromas. Pepper and rye from front to back with a lasting spicy tingle finish. Very nice.

11.5oz bottle. Pours a cloudy orange/gold/brown with a medium, off-white head that fades quickly and leaves a little bit of thin, spotty lace on the glass. The aroma is very nice - malty and caramel sweet with a subtle spice. The flavor starts with a very distinct rye character - grainy and spicy, but very nice due to being well-balanced by sweet malts. The peppercorn addition is noticeable by mid-tongue. There is a distinct herbal, peppery spiciness that leaves a touch of heat on the tongue. There is also a subtle note of acid and citrus in the background. Throughout are grainy malt flavors with a consistent caramel sweetness. The finish is medium (not dry, but not full) with a light fruitiness. The aftertaste has sweet malts and a slightly hot, spicy, pepper tone. The mouthfeel is medium-full in body and heavily carbonated. Overall, this beer is a very charming and imaginative combination - the rye and pepper give it an interesting and exotic taste. Though strong with rye up-front and a little hot with peppercorn in the finish, the is made palatable and familiar by the sweet malts. Well balanced and drinkable.

Sample at the 2008 VT Brewers Fest - Poured a dark amber in color with a hefty light tan head. Aroma was malty with fruity esters and accompanied by the spiciness of the peppercorns. Flavor was also malty with hefty amounts of dark fruits and, again, the distinct flavor of the peppercorns. The rye adds a ice creamy texture to the beer. I liked this one...

Bottle poured a clear reddish brown with a large lasting amber head. Aromas of rye, graininess, cocoa nibs, pepper, light carmel and a hint of fruittiness. Palate was medium bodied and smooth with a dry warming finish. Flavors of rye, peppercorns, carmel and light chocolate with a smooth dry lingering warming pepper finish.

Amazing pepper beer in my opinion! It has inspired me to homebrew a beer with peppercorns.

From Skjold Burne, Aarhus, DK. Bottled, 310708. Amber with beige head. Aroma of malt and very spiced. Flavor is balanced sweet with a back of black pepper/chili.

Bottle. A dark golden beer with a small, off-white to beige head. Wonderful aroma, malty and sweet, with a peppery twist that I just loved. Unfortunately, the pepper isn’t as pronounced in the flavor, but still there, giving the beer a nice twist, and there’s also a little fruityness to go with the sweet maltyness. Full body. The finish is malty, sweet and slightly fruity, but with a lovely lasting burn towards the very end. A true beauty. (080620)