Bières du Ciel

A selection of microbrews from Québec's Dieu du Ciel, picked up at the amazing Marché Jean Thalon on our visit to Montréal last October.


Route des épices (Spice Route) - Peppercorn rye beer, 5% abv.

Clear reddish brown, moderately carbonated. Unsurprisingly, prominent but mild aromas and flavours of peppercorns. I didn't find it particularly "hot" or "spicy", like chile beers often are. Despite the mildness, and the rather "one-noted-ness", I still found this appealing... would have been nice with a peppery Stroganov...


Péché Mortel (Mortal Sin) - Bottle conditioned Imperial coffee stout, 9.5% abv.

Thin, quickly evaporating head on this. Smells like dark chocolate mocha almond ice cream... Ben and Jerry's, baby! Creamy, smooth, delicious coffee flavour, nutty, light sour coffee bean notes, mild bitters. A subtle sweetness, more Spanish roast than French or Italian. Really captures the coffee essence. Not a heavy or thick brew, less unctuous and viscous than I was expecting, the alcohol is well disguised. In my opinion, the best beer of the lot, I would certainly buy/drink this again!


Fumisterie (Smoke Screen) - Hemp beer, 5.5% abv.

An orangey-reddish-brown hue to match the label. Certainly has an herbal note to the nose, but not that herb. Also chocolate and malt. Medium-full-bodied - lightly creamy, but not very viscous, slate, grassiness, a pleasant bitter hoppiness/herbality on the finish. Again, not anything particularly hempish.


Rosée d'hibiscus - Bottle conditioned hibiscus flower bière blanche, 5.5% abv

This is somewhere in between whatever it purports to be. Unlike any wheat beer I've ever had, it seems to want to be a gueuze, and yet, it isn't. Strawberry tomato in color, the nose is exotically floral, tropical fruit, especially papaya, and yes, hibiscus - recalls karkady (كَركَديه),the sweet hibiscus tea we've been fans of ever since visiting Egypt ten years back. I think the Jamaican's sorrel drink is more spiced than the karkady. Anyways... on the palate, this hibiscus-beer is completely dry, smoky, nutty and mild, with a mild melon and hibiscus flavour, but no real tang or sourness. It's very very different. Giving me ideas... I'm thinking hibiscus shandy next summer...


Corne du diable (Horn of the Devil) - India Pale Ale, 6.5% abv

A red ale, with a very hoppy nose, pine undertones, and suggestive of brett. Mild but persistent bitterness, nice minerality, subtle fruitiness and a touch of malty caramel. On the whole, a rather pleasant beer.


Dernière Volonté (Last Will) - Bottle conditioned blond Abbey-style beer, 6.5% abv

Lightly cloudy amber, fair amount of residue in the bottle. Light nose, floral with undertones of malt. Lightly creamy mouthfeel. Initially dry but then sweetens, orange bitters, hoppy, pleasantly bitter finish. Like a pale ale. Nice.


Overall, these beers were more than decent - some interesting notes, but other than the Péché Mortel, I don't know that I'd particularly want to sit down with any of these over again, or for more than one small glass at a time. I do think, though, that with such a varied and adventurous lineup, these beers might make for an interesting multi-course meal pairing. Lots to work with. Fun labels too.