Dieu du Ciel Route des Épices

(12oz bottle, thanks to bu11zeye) Pours a dark amber with head that fades fast. Nose and taste are very similar, spicy peppercorns, rye, allspice, and star anise. The spices dominate this one, very unique and lingers on the palette as one would expect spices to.

[Bottle] Pours a copper color with a small beige head. Aroma of pepper, spice and a light citrus. The taste is heavily dominated by peppercorn, dry malts and caramel. Average carbonation and better than expected palate. Crisp, dry finish. Good balance as well.

Sampled at vt brewfest 09. Pours clear amber with a off-white head. Aroma of caramel, black pepper and some rye. Flavor was caramel malts, peppercorns, slight rye and has a hint of chocolate.

11.5oz bottle served in a shaker. This beer poured a cloudy light brown hue with a thick head of lasting tan foam. Thick, chunky lacing. The aroma had big notes of chewy rye and caramel. Also some faint dark fruits (red apple and raisin). Just a hint of spice and pepper. The flavor included spicy rye, caramel, a hint of chocolate, and some dark fruits. The pepper becomes noticable when it hits your throat, leaving a light warmth and a lingering spicy burn that continues to build. Medium-bodied mouthfeel. Light, soft carbonation. The rye and the black pepper really work nicely together. Interesting and unique.

11.5oz. Pours copper in color with thin tan head. Aroma spicy and malty. Taste roasted malt, rye and spice with bitter finish.

A distinct bready rye aroma, along with some light spices and some mild sourness. Clean palate features dark rye against a brighter ripe fruit, sour cherry, and white wine. Almost no finish save a slight minerality and a little heat of black pepper. The nice thing to say is that this is a drinkable beer, but in reality it lacks the aggressiveness you might expect from a unique-sounding beer with rye and pepper as ingredients.

7/27/2009: Route des Épices ("Spice Route") has a deep golden amber color with a small but fluffy ivory-colored head. I like the aroma. It has a nice blend of cocoa nibs mixed with caramel and dark fruity (dates, light prune) malt. The moderately sweet caramel maltiness in the flavor has nuances of chocolate, fruity/spicy/slightly dry rye, hints of ginger, and a pepper spiciness that builds more and more with each sip. The green peppercorn seems to dominate in the flavor but the heat from the black comes through in the finish. This beer is medium-bodied, effervescent, and prickly on the tongue. Overall this is a pretty good beer with a unique pepper bite. Truth be told, I would have preferred a bit less pepper so that the beer itself could come through more and it by itself (no pepper) would be really good.

11.5 fl. oz. bottle (twist-off cap, 5% alc/vol) from Jungle Jim’s International Market in Fairfield, Ohio. Rating #360 for this beer.

Bottle. Pours a clear treacle brown with a medium large lightly tanned beige head. The peppercorns are huge right up front, smelling nice and spicy and clean. Faint lemony rye smell behind it. Medium bodied, sweet and spicy, but not from the peppercorns right away, more of that spicy rye flavor. Finishes with a slow lingering black pepper buildup…nothing overpowering, just a very subtle long lasting pepper flavor. Very different, very interesting, and oddly tasty.