Dieu du Ciel Vaisseau des Songes

Brewed by Dieu du Ciel
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Montreal, Canada

Glass, 12 ounces, on site, savoured on July 14 2009; eye: caramel with an orangey hue, slightly hazy, tiny creamy tan head, good lacing; nose: malt, grain, light orange, light caramel, light spices, slight alcohol; mouth: malt, grain, hops, light caramel, light citrusy, light orange, finale in hops with presence of caramel, medium body, mildly bitter, lightly sweet, mild astringency, slightly harsh texture; overall: fine FRANÇAIS Verre, 12 onces, bue sur place, savourée le 14 juillet 2009; oeil : caramel avec une teinte orangée, très légèrement voilée, petite mousse fauve crémeuse, bonne dentelle; nez : malt, grain, léger orange, léger caramel, léger épices, très léger alcool; bouche : malt, grain, houblon, léger caramel, léger citrique, léger orange, finale en houblon avec présence de caramel, corps moyen, moyennement amère, légèrement sucrée, astringence moyenne, texture légèrement rugueuse; en résumé : bien

Cask pour at the brewpub, and really rockingly good. Big clear amber body with a crisp head/carbonation. Huge sweet hops in the nose, grapefruit and bubblegum with a bit of pine to back it up. Supremely smooth mouthfeel, with cask silkiness complementing the big hop squirt without compromising the crisp liveliness of the body. Not a top-notch IPA but a really enjoyable one-off.

Part of a sampler tray at the brewery. More malty than expected. Nice hoppy aftertaste. Would like to try this one again.

Tap at DDC brewpub, before KISS concert (!). Being an absolute fanatic of La Corne du Diable (total coincidence, I’m drinking it right now!), I had high expectations towards this DDC IPA. This "Ship of Dreams" is more like "shy of tastes". Maybe I think that IPA beers got to have some "punch", in its maltiness and its bitterness but this one was too much in (bland?) subtilities for my liking. Maybe I was in some rocking mood this particular evening...

On cask at Deep Ellum. Amber to golden body with a frothy spotty pure white head. Very grassy light aromas with very mild sweetness. The soft body has a delicate hop flavor with very floral dry notes and some light malts that accentuate and loosen up the bitter finish. Definitely a boquet of hops type beer without much overpowering. Balanced and nice, and extremely smooth on cask.

Pint. Thick clumpy head. Light aroma. Big hoppy flavour. Tasty citrus with woody notes. Mouth drying.

On tap, cask conditioned. Pours a yellow orange with a wispy white head. Aroma is of soft floral bouquet. Flavor is similarly “dulled” (perhaps it is because of the cask-conditioning?), and palate is of light carbonation and dry finish. I tasted soft fruit, citrus, and some malt. Finishes hoppy bitter, with some fruity touches. This is solid, but certainly inferior to Corne Diable.

[1422-20080530] Tap. Aroma has a bit of hops and grains and bitter lemon rind. Hazy, amber orange body with a long-lasting foamy off-white head. Citrus orange lemon pip flavour is a little bitter. Medium body is smooth. Nice and hoppy.
(@ Dieu du Ciel!; Montreal, QC)