Solstice D'hiver - Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel

jondeelee

Massachusetts

4.9/5  rDev +24.7%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Solstice d’hiver opens with a rich, sugary, syrupy nose that smells immediately like several beers’ worth of concentrated aroma. The notes center especially around gloopy fruit esters, including fig, date, raisin, prune, and black cherry, with lesser (but still quite potent) orange and nectarine touches. There’s also a heaping dose of molasses and brown sugar, as well as pure vanilla extract to add to the sweetness. All of this is balanced by thick, mealy breads, with rising wheat dough and brown toast crust, spent grain loafs, and a near pumpernickel-rye touch. Some anise and pepper spices linger at the edges, as well as ash. There is an overarching alcoholic vapor, which when combined with the dark fruit esters lends the beer a cognac overtone, but this blends nicely. As a whole, the nose is excellent, being everything that a solid Barleywine should aspire to: excellent balance, superb range, enticing aroma. There’s not a thing about this beer I would so far change.

On the tongue, the first notes are deep, dark sugars, including fig, raisin, prune, plum, and black cherry. These are joined quickly by the aforementioned dark bread combo, here especially leaning toward slightly-burnt toast crust and doughy pumpernickel-rye. A good dose of pine resin and grapefruit rinds adds a bitter hop counter that blends nicely with a touch of tangerine from the malts. Molasses, brown sugar, and vanilla add further sugar flavors, and pepper and anise add a spicy touch. Heavily noticeable is an alcoholic burn, which when combined with the burnt toast crust and ash flavors lends the beer a barrel-aged feel, and imparts a rum-soaked raisin addition to the fruits. If held in the mouth long enough, this alcoholic burn with increase in strength as the sugars die off, until it will eventually come quite close to bourbon. The aftertaste is also a strong bourbon-like burn, with lingering sugars, and lasts for a long time. Mouthfeel is medium to medium-heavy, and carbonation is medium.

Overall, this is a fantastic Barleywine, and one I would gladly reach for again and again. The fine balance and delicious flavors in here mark a brew crafted by true experts and lovers of the style, and even the heavy alcohol burn is a perfect complement to the dark sugars and ashy notes. I certainly know what I’ll be drinking when the snow comes.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2012 18:26:57 | More by jondeelee

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

California

4/5  rDev +1.8%

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

WVbeergeek

Ohio

4.13/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Deep ruby chestnut body light caramel tan head, nose is filled with equally impressive big fruit and caramel malts...it's a Canadian hop bomb of a barleywine. Sharp acidic notes with leafy herbal hops playing a big role in it, roasted nuts and caramelized sugars collide to equate to the aromatics of the beer. Flavor is harsh bitterness all day, bitingly bitter big and bad with warming alcohol...it's a rough sultry barleywine meant for the cooler months, don't ask me why I chose to crack the bottle in the warm rainy spring weather that we are having today. Big fruit ride the wave of harsh bitterness, yeast nuttiness, plum soaked in brandy, this is a big beer all day with lingering waves of earthy bitterness. Mouthfeel is full bodied with a warming alcohol effect taking over in the first few sips, if this is their winter beer it's meant to be this way for a reason to keep you warm when you are walking from pub to pub in the dead of winter up in the Quebec province of Canada. Overall very pleased it's like an exotic version of Bigfoot and I'm sure it's appreciated and held on to every year during it's release to experience something like this so big yet so quaffable.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2013 17:44:54 | More by WVbeergeek

JohnW58

New York

4.25/5  rDev +8.1%

05-05-2013 19:49:48 | More by JohnW58

Jparker37

Wisconsin

3.85/5  rDev -2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

11.5oz bottle poured into a snifter glass.

A - Dark brown with good clarity. Small tan head from a strong pour holds a cap. Little lacing.

S - Rich caramel profile with some sweetness. Strong ripe red fruit mixes with some spicy alcohol. Mild smoky phenolics.

T - Smooth caramel turns to some dark chocolate flavors. Moderate sweetness comes into big red fruit flavors midway. Hops are earthy and give a quick snap of bitterness right at the finish to balance. Some bitterness after the finish along with those nice dark caramel malts.

M - Medium-full bodied, light to medium-light carbonation, semi-sweet.

O - Aroma popped from the glass very well and the flavor was bursting but the red fruit flavors were a little over the top. Not what I would consider to be a traditional American Barleywine as the hops were overshadowed by the big malt emphasis. Again, this beer was complex and shined in many aspects.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2013 00:59:16 | More by Jparker37

mbs11

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +1.8%

05-01-2013 16:38:07 | More by mbs11

mportnoy

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +8.1%

04-27-2013 07:05:41 | More by mportnoy

inspektor

North Carolina

3.75/5  rDev -4.6%

04-26-2013 16:54:11 | More by inspektor

MarkyMOD

Colorado

4/5  rDev +1.8%

04-22-2013 00:29:07 | More by MarkyMOD

jreindl

Wisconsin

4.25/5  rDev +8.1%

04-20-2013 06:05:19 | More by jreindl

Jason1337

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -4.6%

04-20-2013 04:28:48 | More by Jason1337

jmendels

Michigan

4.33/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

This was my first craft beer from Canada - what an introduction! I've taken a liking to this style of beer and this one is no exception. It's a dark red pour, with a decent amount of head. The taste is worth savoring. There are flavors of toffee, caramel, and a touch of roasted bitterness. Certainly an exemplar of Barleywines and something worth trying and seeking out.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2013 02:16:01 | More by jmendels

AndrewIronfist

Illinois

4/5  rDev +1.8%

04-20-2013 00:10:07 | More by AndrewIronfist

Whatup14

Quebec (Canada)

4/5  rDev +1.8%

04-17-2013 14:12:52 | More by Whatup14

bigsquirrel

Kentucky

4.5/5  rDev +14.5%

04-15-2013 20:01:01 | More by bigsquirrel

jmdr

Alberta (Canada)

3.25/5  rDev -17.3%

04-14-2013 02:47:49 | More by jmdr