Solstice D'hiver - Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Brasserie Dieu du Ciel
Solstice D'hiver

Pours a deep amber, mostly clear, with a slight off white head. In the nose, barley malt, sugary sweetness and some alcohol.

In the taste, dark fruits, raisin and caramel. Toffee and faint cocoa are balanced by a graceful bitter note. Mild toast, brown sugar and plum. Full bodied, medium carbonation and smooth.

Overall I like this barleywine a lot. Has all the trademark flavor. Strong but not overly so. This drinks easy and I would recommend it to any beer fan.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2013 22:44:47 | More by Stinkypuss

trxxpaxxs

New York

3.89/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a deep brown with dark caramel hues along the edges. There is very little head, but I do get a thin off-white ring of bubbles along the edges of the glass. Only spotty lacing as it drinks, which is almost non-existent.

S: The nose is caramel, fig, mild toast, bread,some bittering hops, and some booze.

T: It starts out sweet yet biting right up front. I get a good malt base and some caramel, but the hops are also there right away. The sweets and hops stay on the palate through the middle, and as it moves to the finish the alcohol presences take shape. The finish is sweet and coating, but a bit bitter and hot.

M: Medium bodied beer. It's sweet and syrupy up front, but not overly so. It coats the palate but slides off nicely in the finish. The alcohol dries it up as it leaves the palate, and only a wacky mix of sweet, bitter, and alcohol heat remain for a time.

O: Decent beer. I much prefer English Barleywines to American Barleywines, but this one isn't too bad. It has nice balance, but the alcohol percentage isn't well hidden. This beer seems like it would greatly improve with some barrel aging. We shall see.

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2013 19:12:56 | More by trxxpaxxs

HamGlade10

Oklahoma

4/5  rDev +1.8%

06-18-2013 01:25:32 | More by HamGlade10

TheBeeraholic

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev +1.8%

06-16-2013 15:07:51 | More by TheBeeraholic

warnerry

Michigan

4/5  rDev +1.8%

06-13-2013 02:42:36 | More by warnerry

outoffocus

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +1.8%

06-12-2013 01:32:37 | More by outoffocus

hickmancase

California

5/5  rDev +27.2%

06-11-2013 05:49:39 | More by hickmancase

megamass

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +1.8%

06-07-2013 04:59:22 | More by megamass

Odri

Quebec (Canada)

4.25/5  rDev +8.1%

06-07-2013 02:15:07 | More by Odri

babaracas

Florida

3.75/5  rDev -4.6%

06-06-2013 03:43:23 | More by babaracas

Hopswagger

Oklahoma

3.49/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

P: Murky nut brown ale with a rippled wake and minimal lacing.

S: Fruity syrup laced barley, molasses, fruit cake, natural fruit roll ups, cinnamon, brown sugar, earthy hops and booze. Moldy dank esters once warmed.

T/M: Cherry NyQuil upfront with smoldered barley, caramel and orange oil. Spicy booze, wood and herbs cut through the sugary malts. Syrupy feel in a fully carbonated body and finishes with a juice dose of hops that aren't overly bitter.

O: Super sweet and easy drink barley wine. It's decent but really comes off as lack luster. No real problems but its just not great.

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2013 00:00:55 | More by Hopswagger

marct

Nevada

4/5  rDev +1.8%

06-05-2013 04:46:21 | More by marct

brez8791

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -23.7%

06-01-2013 11:25:54 | More by brez8791

thebouch01

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +1.8%

05-27-2013 15:41:28 | More by thebouch01

Lucho

Florida

4.25/5  rDev +8.1%

05-25-2013 07:09:28 | More by Lucho

Kmat10

Alberta (Canada)

4/5  rDev +1.8%

05-20-2013 05:06:32 | More by Kmat10

tfsimpkins

Florida

4.75/5  rDev +20.9%

05-20-2013 02:31:22 | More by tfsimpkins

aztraz

Sweden

3.75/5  rDev -4.6%

05-19-2013 23:19:07 | More by aztraz

PicoPapa

Connecticut

4.01/5  rDev +2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

11.5oz bottle. Note-bottle says this is 9.8% not 10.2%. Pours a dark, dark brown color with ruby hues and no head. Almost no lacing. The aroma is boozey and sweet with some brown sugar, earth, bread, dark fruits and some spicy hop presence. Hints of orange. The taste is boozey caramel upfront with some spicy hops and dark fruits. Earthy and maybe a bit nutty. Burnt caramel and brown sugar towards the end. Slick mouthfeel. I wish I had a chance to try this on tap at the Brewpub when I was there. Overall, solid barleywine I hope I get to have again.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2013 23:27:44 | More by PicoPapa

IMSPEAKNOENGLISH

Illinois

4/5  rDev +1.8%

05-14-2013 03:18:49 | More by IMSPEAKNOENGLISH

bump8628

Oklahoma

4.25/5  rDev +8.1%

05-13-2013 22:41:21 | More by bump8628

shehateme

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +8.1%

05-11-2013 01:18:00 | More by shehateme

twenty5

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -10.9%

05-10-2013 15:27:29 | More by twenty5

bigbluebeerguy

Kentucky

3.75/5  rDev -4.6%

05-10-2013 03:27:44 | More by bigbluebeerguy

largadeer

Kentucky

4/5  rDev +1.8%

05-09-2013 19:10:24 | More by largadeer