Solstice D'hiver - Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel

Alieniloquium

Florida

3.75/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

11.5 oz. bottle poured into a snifter. No discernible bottle date.

Appearance - Pours a deep mahogany with a small off-white head. Again, I poured into a CCB snifter, which limits the amount of head I can pour. Settles with some bubbles on the surface and the occasional bit of lace.

Smell - Caramel, toffee, and vanilla, but it's got a huge grapefruit hop aroma infusing all of it. Interesting, but not terribly appealing.

Taste - Way better. The hops are more subdued. Toffee is more pronounced than the hops here. The caramel fades to a wonderful vanilla flavor that makes this a much better beer than I expected. The finish is bitter with that same grapefruit hop flavor. It's a little much for the remainder of the beer, but not unforgivable.

Mouthfeel - That hop bitterness detracts. I'd love this to be more English-style than American, but it is what it is. Not as sweet as the flavors suggest, but a little syrupy.

Overall - That vanilla kick really makes the beer tick. Transcends the Third Coast Old Ale I had yesterday because of it, but the hops are more pungent in this one. Enjoyable, if not a little unbalanced.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2012 02:14:07 | More by Alieniloquium

merc7186

New York

3.6/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I had this beer poured from a 12oz bottle into a pint glass.

A: Deep Amber/Brownish Hue, Passes Little Light, Mild Off White Head, No Lacing

S: Raisins, Cheeries, Black Plum, Mild Boozy

T: Raisins, Cherries, Boozy

M: Mediocre Carbonation, Medium Bodied, Boozy, Mildly Sweet

Overall, some nice fruit notes and taste but definitely doesnt cut through the booziness of it...a good beer but wouldnt seek out again.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2012 02:56:32 | More by merc7186

UCLABrewN84

California

3.58/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours an opaque dark brown with a foamy 1/2 inch khaki head that fades to an oily film on top of the beer. Small dots of lace form randomly around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of dark fruit, caramel/toffee, brown sugar, malt, and alcohol. Taste is of sweet malt, burnt caramel, brown sugar, and some fruity flavors. There is also some herbal hop bitterness that lingers on the palate after each sip. This beer has a low level of carbonation with a full bodied and slightly sticky mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good barleywine but I am enjoying the smell on this one more than the taste.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2012 04:32:32 | More by UCLABrewN84

SebD

Ontario (Canada)

4.03/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: It has a nice dark brown/ruby color to it. It has a nice tan head that dies down moderately and leaves some lacing.

Smell: The aromas definitly give out hints of sweet malts, some caramel, dark fruit, maybe some raisins and cherries, molasses, some spicy hops and a slight booziness.

Taste: Like the aromas, it has a nice sweet malt charcter with some caramelly notes, cherries and raisins, molasses, spices, nice hop bitterness and a nice warming alcohol sensation and the end.

Mouthfeel: It has a low/medium carbonation with a nice overall balance, feel and complexity.

Drinkability: It's a smooth drinkable beer accompanied with good flavors and aromas.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2012 19:44:11 | More by SebD

Pencible

Virginia

3.55/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: This poured a nearly opaque dark mahogany with moderate tan head.
S: It smelled like dark fruit and honey wheat, with earthy caramel and fig and copper.
T: It tasted like bitter copper and resin and waxy hops, with sweet sugary caramel and honey wheat and dark fruits. It had a very bitter aftertaste with some alcohol warming.
M: It was fairly thick with moderate carbonation. Nice full body.
D: This had a nice scent, but surprisingly sharp taste. The body was good, but it was pretty hot with a harsh finish. So it wasn't the easiest beer to drink. Age would probably help mellow and sweeten. Not recommended fresh.

(Bottle was marked "1,0" whatever that means.)

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2012 20:08:36 | More by Pencible

NForr

Quebec (Canada)

4.08/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a dark brown color, little to no head.Smells if syrup, banana bread, some english malty aromas. I Smell hops in there too. Root beer, cola, and some alcohol.

Lots of alcohol up front, some sugars, roasted flavors. Caramel candy. Hefty Bitterness, which cuts the sugars nicely.

Definitely a sipper. Medium body with little carbonation. Best to let it warm up a bit before drinking, the flavors come out better and more balanced. Warms you as you drink it, perfect for winter.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2012 04:51:00 | More by NForr

sasky7777

Saskatchewan (Canada)

4.13/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A dark brown beer with a tan head which disparates quickly. Smell has the aroma of toffee and booziness with a hint of dark fruit. Taste follows the aroma, toffee and malt up front with a background of dark fruit and cherries, it finishes off with alcoholic warming on the back of the throat. Great chewy mouthfeel and not overcarbonated. I had this beer with steak and it made a great pairing.

A great barleywine, typical of the style and one to search out and try.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2012 23:49:52 | More by sasky7777

BarrelSelect

Quebec (Canada)

3.68/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Aroma of caramel and molasse, light hops. Dark brown color, darker than usual for a barley wine. Thin head. Medium-heavy sweet full bodied, soft carbonation, long finish. I’m a fan of Dieu du Ciel since the beginning. As usual for this brewery, this beer is a little different of the usual style caracteristics. I like the little spicy and sweetness taste.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2012 21:08:26 | More by BarrelSelect

ummswimmin

New Jersey

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

I picked this bottle up awhile ago. I have been cellaring it for about a year now. This seems like a good night to finally open the bottle.

D'Hiver pours a deep brown in my pint glass. It had some foam, but that went away as my back was turned. Now all I have is just a couple little bubbles.

You get a lot of venous quality in this beer. There is a presence of sour in each breath in. It has a nice presence.

The flavor is full of barley flavor. I get a ton of woodiness. This is a very strong flavor. It made for a good sipper.

This was an interesting experience. I like this barley wine, just like I enjoy most barley wines. I am happy to have picked up this bottle.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2012 02:44:24 | More by ummswimmin

WankelEngine

Illinois

4.2/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from an 11.5oz bottle into a snifter

A: The beer is a a murky medium dark brow. A vigorous pour yields a light tan head of foam that reduces to some bubbles around the edge of the glass with light curtains of lace.

S: Sweet and malty. Brown sugar and burnt caramel are prominent, as is raisin. This is accentuated by some hop bitterness.

T: The taste starts out sweet and malty like the smell. Molasses and prunes. Hop bitterness quickly takes over. Mild alcohol heat and the pine/grass hops lead to a long and bitter aftertaste.

M: Moderate thickness, fairly smooth and slick.

O: A bold, tasty barley wine. More hops than I would have expected.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2012 21:38:35 | More by WankelEngine

jrenihan

Ontario (Canada)

4.05/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottled October 2011

Beer is a dark ruby red colour with a good-sized, thick looking, off-white head. Decent retention, moderate lacing.

Smell is made up predominantly of bready, caramel malt, along with nice fruity scents. Alcohol is noticeable and nice. A really soothing and nice smell.

Taste is very malty, lots of caramel. Some dark fruits and an earthy hop flavour. Alcohol is stronger than in the nose, a little too much. Aftertaste has a bit of oddly-placed bitterness that doesn't work very well with me. Otherwise, quite tasty.

Full bodied, moderate carbonation, chewy. Alcohol heat is noticeable.

Overall, quite good. Perhaps better with some more time on it, as it is a bit hot. Really nice smell!

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2012 02:01:19 | More by jrenihan

colforbin73

California

3.98/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

this looked flat on the pour but did ale-up with a pinky size tan head. a very satisfying autumnal hue to the liquid though, warm looking, dark whiskey.

taste: maple syrup, whiskey barrell, booze, and hopped to high heaven. this is a sipper, split the small bottle with someone at comfortable room temperature. the crystal bitter-sweet flavor only comes after your palate has been assaulted by the aggressive hopping -- this does make me think it would age well however.

this is an ass kicker of a pintglass'o beer. and i have never used the phrase before, but this is not for the timid. you're gonna KNOW you drank it.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2012 05:56:56 | More by colforbin73

cooler4life

Quebec (Canada)

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

A: Poured a 1/3 finger off-white head that dissipated to a thin rim around the edges of the glass. Color is a dark bark brown. Lacing is average for the style.

S: Somewhat subdued, molasses, lollipop, toffee, and barnyard funk.

T: Starts with blueberry, cherry, cocoa notes and ends with a hoppy, spicy twang. I enjoyed the twist.

M: Smooth, just enough carbonation to keep you going. Slightly sticky and full bodied.

O: You can watch the clouds roll by with this one in your grasp. The sum of its parts elevates it to something special.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2012 04:30:42 | More by cooler4life

Meerkey

Virginia

4.08/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Dark, slightly muddy mahogany. About a finger of head.

S: Alcohol, spicy, malts, hops.

T: Some drying hops and malts. Grainy. Caramel. A little alcohol. Really good.

M: Slight carbonation and a little drying, but not much to say beyond.

O: Very tasty barley wine. I'd have another. Recommended.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2012 06:03:49 | More by Meerkey

AgentMunky

California

4.28/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 5

Poured from an 11.5 ounce glass into a Dogfish Head signature glass. Notched 0 & 8.

A: A nice finger of head fades over time. Dark, opaque mahogany. Gorgeous. Nice lace.

S: Ensorcelling. Incredibly balanced. Spicy hops, pungent alcohol, sweet malts. Soft fruit; amazing.

T: I really like this barleywine. A lot a lot. Noticeable yeast is round and semi-sweet, which is offset by an excellent hop presence. Caramel malts find a firm base, but hops are the true artistry of this excellent beer. They are subdued, yet dominant; hidden, yet omnipresent; subtle, yet spicy/flavourful/fun. The aftertaste is very lightly dry with a fruity bitterness. Yum.

M: Nothing to brag about, but still above average. Mediocre carbonation, but good presence.

O: Highly recommended. This meets the incredibly high standards I've set for Dieu due Ciel. Utterly recommended; will seek out to have again. Remarkably good, and an excellent example of the style.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2012 05:55:14 | More by AgentMunky

leaddog

Alberta (Canada)

3.98/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance - Pours an opaque dark mahogany brown with a thin, creamy head.

Smell - Dark fruits (plums, cherries), spicy hops, sweet honey aromas.

Taste - The dark fruit flavours make their presence with a molasses kind of sweetness. Slight bitter hops at the finish and aftertaste. Light spiciness from the hops as well.

Mouthfeel - Medium to full bodied with slight carbonation.

Overall - A good barleywine by Brasserie Dieu du Ciel. There are some lovely dark fruit flavours. I really enjoyed the hint of molasses flavour - came up as a surprise. Worthy of trying.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2012 06:19:31 | More by leaddog

Giggy

Michigan

4.22/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Dark brown with red highlights. Little to no head.

S: Caramel, dark fruits, vanilla, sharpness of alcohol

T: Sweet roasted malts, dark sugars, malty, bitter at the end of the swallow

M: Full, thick, creamy, and tingly

O: Sip slowly! Alcohol is strong on this one. Looking forward to trying others from this brewery. Nice to know Canada Brews more than Molson & Labbats.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2012 23:51:48 | More by Giggy

KevinSP

Ontario (Canada)

4.43/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bought a 4-pack from the LCBO knowing Dieu du Ciel makes quality brews.

A - Poured from a bottle into a snifter. Dark mahogany brown with a quarter inch tan-coloured head quickly appearing and then disappearing. Very little lacing remaining.
S - Sweet (and burnt) caramel. Lots of malt. Somewhat fruity.
T - Initial caramel and maltiness. Hoppy bitterness that lingers but counters the sweetness perfectly. A nice strong, bold beer but very smooth.
M - Carbonation is very light. Very smooth and velvety on the tongue.
O - This is my first barley wine and I was not disappointed. Simply fantastic. I look forward to cellaring a couple of bottles and comparing again in a year or two (if I can be disciplined for that long).

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2012 02:44:07 | More by KevinSP

Groulxsome

Ontario (Canada)

4.5/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Quite a dark copper colour with a little hint of red. A really pretty tan coloured head which slowly gave way to a little lacing.

S: Sweet, caramel, with a some nice banana-like esters.

T: Good balance of strong hops to rich body. It starts fruity, middles out malty, and ends with a big hit of hops and alcohol warmth. Plus, its got that Quebec-beer taste which is wonderful and very close to my heart. Something in the water in Quebec!

M: Full, smooth, and chewy. Again, it's got a nice warmth from the alcohol and a long bitter finish.

O: I've got a giant soft spot for Quebec beers and this is no exception. I think this bottle is fairly fresh, so I'd love to try an older one soon to compare. It's a really good Barleywine and it shows the Quebec sense of balance perfectly.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2012 00:43:04 | More by Groulxsome

Stocean1

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a two finger head with patchy lacing upon a deep brown body with ruby highlights, decent retention leaving a nice thick collar.

Smell is heavy malt, sweet caramel, earthy hops and booze.

Taste follows the nose with sweet burnt sugar and malt up front with a balanced earthy hops,nutty, the alcohol is pronounced but really pulls it together - ethanol like a fine vodka, warming and adds a nice bitterness, some dark fruit and cocoa notes.

Full bodied with some carbonation, this is a sweet brew, not dry, bitterness throughout but not overpowering.

An excellent barley wine that was a real flavorful sipper.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2012 03:46:27 | More by Stocean1

TheWhiskerReview

Tennessee

3.88/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 3 | smell: 5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a dark mahogany with a very small and quickly disappearing off-tan head.

Nose combines a ridiculously dense malt, akin to a thick slice of cinnamon raisin french toast, with an intense estery fruitiness- aromas of fig, dried blackberry, caramel, overripe apricot and kirsch with a bit cashew butter adding another layer of savory richness.

Palate is, not surprisingly, thick and full bodied with dark flavors of espresso and burnt caramel. It's intense alcohol hits quickly and helps to accentuate the beer's acridness alongside the moderate hoppy bitterness. Finishes a tad sweet with a lingering melange of caramel, alcohol, coffee, slightly burnt bread and a faint bit of black raspberry sauce.

A boozy one that needs some time, but the alcohol isn't over-the-top enough to stop it from being drunk young. I wish I could give the nose a 6, but I also sort of wish that the palate had more of the nose's fruitiness.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2012 01:35:19 | More by TheWhiskerReview

teromous

Virginia

3.73/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: The beer is a dark shade of brown...it's not quite black. I can see some light through the beer. It has a thin ring of off white head. No real lacing. I'd say it's about average.

S: It is sweet-scented, like caramel, honey, and some clover.

T: I get a lot of malty character and bitterness. It's sweet, but there is light astringency. I pick up very earthy bitter hops. It's biased more towards malt than hops. There's even a light cocoa flavor in the aftertaste.

M: The mouthfeel is big and full; heavy bodied. It doesn't finish quickly. It has a long, bitter end. It's true to the barleywine nature, and is definitely a sipper or slow drinker.

O: Overall I thought it was good...better than the average barleywine, but not the best. It's a sweeter, maltier barleywine, so that is something to consider when deciding to drink this. I would drink it again, and I would recommend it to people who prefer non-super-hopped barleywines.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2012 20:47:19 | More by teromous

jera1350

Minnesota

3.95/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Vintage 2009

An amberish brown body with a slight haze and a thin layer of light tan foam covering it. Some nice lacing left behind.

Huge sweet smelling nose. Burnt caramel, brown sugar and some fruity esters. Big and bold smell.

Tons of sweetness in many forms going on. Getting a little vanilla bean behind all of the malty sweetness. Some burnt sugar lingers well into the aftertaste. Light alcohol presence, but mellow.

The carbonation is a bit low, but nothing too bad. Smooth and lightly sticky, but the body feels a touch light.

A delightful little barleywine right here. Nice drinkability for the style. The heavy price tag will probably stop me from picking this one up again however.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2012 02:11:38 | More by jera1350

2378GCGTG

Texas

3.9/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle into a pint glass

Appearance: 1.5 in head that kind of dances and swirls on the top, of a cloudy brown beer, great retention and noticeable lacing on the glass

Nose: Apricots, caramel, prunes and toasty sweet malt

Taste: Caramel, prunes and roasted malt, a hint of smoke pops throughout before the brown sugar interjects, all of this followed by a light, citrus/piney bitter hop finish, thats subtle and smooth.

Mouth: Velvetty on the tongue with balanced carbonation for support.

Overall: This is an excellent barley wine, complex yet subtle. I think it could benefit from a few months to a year in the cellar, but certainly not much more because the hop complexity isn't there

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2012 12:55:37 | More by 2378GCGTG

PeerlessMark

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bought at the LCBO for $12.95/ four pack. I've been wanting to try a barley wine for some time now and this is my first so it is going to be my baseline beer.

Poured quite aggressively into a snifter. Colour is a tan almost reddish brown. Not a lot of head - not sure if that's a result of the high alchohol % or the style or both. The head dissipates quite quickly and the pale, off-white bubbles form a thin collar, the lace through the rest of the surface is actually more like a tiny feathery coating after the pour. After a few swirls the head becomes more hazy, the bubbles are that small.

Smells tantalizing promising some sweetness and this is helping me understand the barley and wine part of the style. Hints at sherry or brandy. I can't quite place the rest of the aroma so will try again when I update this review on future tastings.

Taste is a lot hoppier than I was expecting, carbonation in the mouthfeel is more aggressive than I would have thought too. It's boozier than the smell suggested but in a good way.

It is really delicious and while it certainly has spice all over it I struggle to be more specific. It taste is reminiscent of Unibroue's 17 (2011) for the initial experience but finishes more like a stout. To me this is a wonderful combination and I look forward to trying other beers in this style so can better understand what I am tasting here.

I had Mikkeler's Santa's little helper on New Years eve and this is quite reminiscent of that actually but hoppier.

In the mouthfeel department I get the same sensation you do from eating black liquorice (the british style stuff). That kind of cloying bitterness towards the back of your mouth. That's not my favourite but the initial hop effect balances it out.

Overall I'm glad I bought 16 of these because I look forward to drinking more.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2012 22:43:54 | More by PeerlessMark