Aphrodisiaque - Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel

dciBA

Maine

4.43/5  rDev +5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from the bottle into an oversized tulip. Nice and black with a tan head that fades quickly.

Lots of chocolate in the nose. Milk chocolate and bittersweet chocolate in equal parts, with some coffee as well. Smell is strong and very inviting.

No surprises on the palate. Plenty of chocolate. Sweet, milk chocolate initially with bitter chocolate and coffee following. Vanilla works it's way in nicely. Overall flavor is fairly bitter with just a little earthy hopiness in the finish.

Mouthfeel is smooth with just enough carbonation. Finish is surprisingly dry given the sweet flavor. This is an excellent chocolate stout, will be buying again.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2011 01:45:30 | More by dciBA

nyrblue2

New York

4.25/5  rDev +0.7%

05-23-2013 00:31:15 | More by nyrblue2

Kmat10

Alberta (Canada)

4.5/5  rDev +6.6%

05-20-2013 04:23:47 | More by Kmat10

bumchilly25

British Columbia (Canada)

4/5  rDev -5.2%

05-20-2013 02:59:17 | More by bumchilly25

tom10101

Quebec (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev -17.1%

05-19-2013 17:11:55 | More by tom10101

Dhamma73

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +0.7%

05-18-2013 19:02:17 | More by Dhamma73

KrisDLSmith

Ontario (Canada)

4.5/5  rDev +6.6%

05-17-2013 18:27:29 | More by KrisDLSmith

BobZ

Massachusetts

3.96/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

11.5 oz Bottle poured into a Huna snifter.

Appearance: Dark brown with little to no head that quickly recedes to a thin ring.

Smell: A pleasant vanilla aroma with a bit of cocoa as expected.

Taste: Another beer that is much better the warmer it gets. Cold kills the initial flavors but as the beer warms the vanilla and cocoa come forward making this a very enjoyable beer.

Mouthfeel: A bit thin for a stout, very drinkable but thin.

Overall: Very good, not great, a very good combination of flavors especially with the vanilla but the beer could definitely use more body. Again, enjoyable but not on the level of Peche Mortel.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2013 17:08:21 | More by BobZ

hopoilcrazy

Tennessee

4/5  rDev -5.2%

05-16-2013 01:33:45 | More by hopoilcrazy

IMSPEAKNOENGLISH

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +0.7%

05-14-2013 03:20:47 | More by IMSPEAKNOENGLISH

ADTaber

South Carolina

4.25/5  rDev +0.7%

05-13-2013 23:39:54 | More by ADTaber

Zimm

New Jersey

3.75/5  rDev -11.1%

05-13-2013 16:25:28 | More by Zimm

3SH33TS

California

3.75/5  rDev -11.1%

05-13-2013 02:25:36 | More by 3SH33TS

rgilbert

New Jersey

4.5/5  rDev +6.6%

05-13-2013 01:28:40 | More by rgilbert

twenty5

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +0.7%

05-10-2013 15:28:18 | More by twenty5

emceecue

New Jersey

4.5/5  rDev +6.6%

05-10-2013 05:35:22 | More by emceecue

imyourhero21

California

4/5  rDev -5.2%

05-08-2013 17:07:33 | More by imyourhero21

magictacosinus

California

4.15/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

I eventually had to file a restraining order against myself towards Péché Mortel in order to try other beers from what may become one of my favorite all time breweries. That is, if their other beers are that impressive! Poured into a teku glass from a 11.5oz bottle. Bottle was purchased 2-3 months ago.

Before I mention the ad nauseum description of these kinds of stouts (opaque, viscous, slight mocha head), I must mention that I enjoy the label of this bottle especially given the theme. Looking into the illustration's eyes straight ahead makes her look kind, but from looking at said eyes from a higher angle makes them look seductive and wicked. And, that's probably the case of this beer. It's only 6.5% but it looks like every great imperial stout I've seen. No light goes through this thing and it almost looks like a chocolate liqueur. Slight lacing, but otherwise solid.

The aroma is a cascade of cocoa nibs and vanilla beans exactly as the beer advertises, but not as sweet as you'd think. There's a semi-dark chocolate aroma right at the front combined with dark roasted barley malts, almost in the sense that you'd get with freshly made chocolate - the tannic, cocoa skins that are upfront, for instance - and only the addition of vanilla keeps it slightly sweeter and less bitter as a result. There's a kiss of alcohol, as well as some light graininess that melds with the chocolate quite well, but otherwise the vanilla and roasted chocolate character is winning here. Still smells damn good, I don't care about balance here.

The flavor is quite the opposite, with and initial burst of creaminess and vanilla/milk chocolate sweetness that is quickly replaced by the bitter dark cocoa and creates an astringent finish that appears to go on forever. Much like eating a rich chocolate cake, this provides a similar experience with the bitter, cocoa peel aftertaste, fudge full bodied flavor, and balanced melody of dark malts and grains at the same time. All the flavors are surprisingly well represented in the beer - even the alcohol makes itself well known with slight burning finish, but at the same time adds the much needed sweetness to the cocoa bitterness. There's a smidgen of coffee, and not as much vanilla here as in the aroma. The mouthfeel is really unique in the realm of chocolate-focused stouts as it coats the palate with a gritty, syrupy dry sensation that is akin to having a good hot cocoa or something quite similar. There's a slight melting sensation that was so good that I decided to pair with this with chocolate cherry truffles as well, to great results.

Yet another solid offering from Dieu du Ciel. This appeals to me by not packing the stout with loads of sweet textures and instead enhancing the aspects of chocolate that I enjoy best - roasted, bitter, full-bodied, and most importantly, very tannic and juicy overall. This is instead rather dry and really gets all of the dark barley flavors with no juiciness to speak of, but the vanilla is a nice addition that makes this heartier without being overwhelming. This is easy to drink, and very rich, so it's a conundrum to figure out how fast to finish. Awesome stuff.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2013 04:05:05 | More by magictacosinus

FEUO

Ontario (Canada)

4.25/5  rDev +0.7%

05-06-2013 12:20:52 | More by FEUO

emottram

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev -11.1%

05-05-2013 00:13:22 | More by emottram

MSandahl23

Indiana

4.5/5  rDev +6.6%

05-03-2013 13:30:54 | More by MSandahl23

FLBeerGuy

Florida

4.25/5  rDev +0.7%

05-03-2013 04:10:45 | More by FLBeerGuy

AndrewSmith

California

4/5  rDev -5.2%

05-01-2013 05:43:13 | More by AndrewSmith

TheRuss9585

Vermont

4.25/5  rDev +0.7%

05-01-2013 01:47:11 | More by TheRuss9585

kingmaker

Louisiana

4/5  rDev -5.2%

04-29-2013 06:44:08 | More by kingmaker