Rigor Mortis ABT - Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel

stewart124

Ohio

4.93/5  rDev +25.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

11.5oz bottle poured into a chalice. 10.5% abv

The color is a dark brown and has a head that started out dense and fizzled down a bit to leave a thin lace.

There are amazing smells of brown malts and a toasted note. Slight raisin/brandy in the nose as well.

The taste is almost like raisin bread and finishes with a nice kick. The hops are barely noticable but add a spice and floral note. Whoa the taste is so sweet but finishes bone dry. My mouth almost puckers in the finish. Slight sour apple esters and a warming feeling in my stomach.

This beer is delicious and very complex. Each sip brings about a new sensation. With a name like this I am a little worried to finish the glass.

Quite the Quad.

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2009 00:54:32 | More by stewart124

generallee

New York

4.88/5  rDev +24.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Presentation: It was poured from a brown 11.2oz bottle into a tulip glass. Info on the label includes its abv (10.5%) and a nice description of the beer.

Appearance: This beer has a dark murky body with some lighter mahogany and reddish brown highlights. From the pour I got a thin creamy off head. The small head quickly fades to a light film covering with a ring of foam at the edge of the glass. Lacing is slick and slides right down the glass.

Smell: It has a big fruity/estery aroma with hints of dark dried fruits like raisins and plum or prune. There are also notes of yeast and sweet bready/toasty almost chocolaty malt and as it warms I get some cherry notes too, along with mellow hints of its big 10.5% abv.

Taste/Palate: It starts with its good sweet malty base and then adds fruity and yeast notes to the mix. Everything from the aroma is picked up here and slowly fades off the tongue with some mellow peppery/spicy hops and boozy alcohol. Its full bodied and finely carbonated, which I feel is perfect for the style.

Notes: I absolutely love this beer and this brewery! This along with Péché Mortel and Aphrodisiaque have been standouts within there styles and they are some of my favorite beers.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2010 14:39:03 | More by generallee

Kacid

California

4.8/5  rDev +22.1%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Reviewed: February, 2012
Serving: in a tulip glass - bottled on August 2010 (1.5 years of aging)

Appearance: Resinous Brown Amber colour, Developed a good creamy Navajo white head that lasted a long time then dissipated into a fine creamy layer atop the beer. A hard pour was required to get the head; however this is to be expected from a high alcohol beer such as this one (especially from one that has been aged). Beer is surprisngly clear considering the use of wheat in the beer. Very fine bubbles and little carbonation. Good lacing and head retention.

Smell: Molasses, Malt (similar to barley wine), Sweet character, Alcohol and spicy, Strong smell of figs and some raisin, as it warms up bready flavours become more prominent. Spicyness more prominent at the beginning when was colder; slight notes of pepper as it warms

Taste: Honey, strong malt flavour, Strong taste of figs with some sweet grapey flavour. Slightly syrupy mouthfeel and little discernible hops flavour. Despite the high alcohol content of this beer the alcohol is well hidden, very smooth (like a good vodka); warms up the belly well. As the beer warms up, the alcohol becomes more prominent but never overpowering. Additionally, the sweet notes and grape flavour become stronger as well with warming

Overall: I enjoyed this beer and it is not bad, most definitely not offensive but it is lacking somewhat in complexity. I liked it more as it began to warm up and i could notice an increasing complexity to the beer; however, overall it could be a much more layered beer. Despite my low rating, i found the beer enjoyable but not nearly as good when compared to other quads. What surprised me the most was the smoothness ofthe alcohol which despite being so high was very smooth and did not overtake the other flavours. It is possible that this may be the result of the 1.5 years of aging but i suspect that this beer was smooth to begin with. I will have to try it fresh at the brewpub to compare

Drinking it again in April 29, 2012
Rigor mortis ABT
Realized near the end that this is somewhat aged bottle, it was bottled on 11/10 (WOW this has aged nicely, 1 year 8 months)
Appearance: dark brown red, with a good head that receded quickly
Nose: sweet cherry notes and dark fruit, spicy , light alcohol, vinous-grapey notes, very nice sweet fruit, some woodenness and leather, some tobacco, some very light chocolate, brown sugar, very very mild
Taste: beautiful complex taste, washes over the tongue beautifully with an amazing body (Very sweet, warming, spicy, thick body which feels thinned perfectly by the alcohol, nice sharp alcoholic bite that recedes quickly (you can taste the alcohol for sure but it is a very smooth bite (like you get on grey goose), very nice and fine carbonation

Conclusion: you can tell it has those brown ale notes, it is called a quadruple by rate beer and beer advocate but on the label it is in fact labelled as an extra strong abbey brown ale which i believe to be a much better description cause the flavor profile is not exactly quadruple and neither is the color. It is verging somewhere between extra strong brown ale (as labeled) and barley wine (with some very light notes of quadruple/strong dark ale) as it has notes of every groups typical type. THIS IS DELICIOUS going to buy some more for sure! WOW these flavors really do change quickly shifting between all three styles.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2012 05:48:40 | More by Kacid

chase2634

Pennsylvania

4.72/5  rDev +20.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

11.5oz bottle poured into a chalice. 10.5% abv

The color is a dark brown with a finger of head that settled down to leave a thin lace.

There are wondrous smells of brown malts and a nice slight scent of toasted notes. Slight raisin/brandy in the nose as well, but fairly tame.

The taste is almost like raisin bread, chocolate with a hint of black cherry. The hops are barely noticable but add a nice spice kick. It is pretty sweet but finishes fairly dry. A delicious blend of chocolate and all those dried fruits - plum, raisin and black cherry. It has a spicy/yeasty kick. Very nice surprise.

It was soft, smooth and a little creamy. A full-bodied beer that is a slow sipper.

This brew reminds me why i love a good quad so much. It's a great style and they nailed it. Quite a surpise considering it came with little fanfare. Quite the Quad and i think i'll have another!

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2010 13:13:57 | More by chase2634

philmath

Quebec (Canada)

4.7/5  rDev +19.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A dark brown color with ruby high lights. Taste reminds me of anise, chocolate, plum juice, some chilly porto. On the nose, it smells like funky grapes and roasted bread with notes of cola. Vinious, warming alcohol present. Very enjoyable. Easily drinkable. A must-try.

Serving type: on-tap

06-15-2006 22:36:12 | More by philmath

Monsteruss

Colorado

4.65/5  rDev +18.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

The foam was wheat in color, a little bibbly and dissapated quickly. The color was dark amber mahogany with a cola undertone. The smell was deep almost molassisy overtone, hints of chocolate and a hops undertone. The taste was exceptional - a rich molassis overtone with a choclatey highlight, hints of wood and maple and a rich spicey undertone and a little sharp like a barley wine. Mouthfeel - deep medium-bodied. Drinkability - a complex variety of tastes that danced in my mouth - wonderfull!

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2009 22:37:09 | More by Monsteruss

sennin

Michigan

4.65/5  rDev +18.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a La Chouffe Tulip Glass.

A: Very enticing, the color is almost like cider. Dark burgundy and a light off-white colored head. The head is very nice as well, a bit small but it lasts throughout the entire beer session. Lacing is very evident.

S: This beer smells like Fall, brings to mind what the appearance originally did and more. Smell is definitely cider-like mixed with some very flowery and pleasant citrus scents. I also detect a cardamon/cinnamon like smell, amazing smelling beer.

T: First taste is something of lemon and other citrus like flavors, especially orange and lemon. Later some dark fruits like fig and raisin come in on the back end. I also get something like a caramel or butterscotch like taste mid-way through the tasting. A funky (but not bad) hard cider like taste comes in at the end of the taste session and lingers. Very good stuff. Alcohol is hidden exceedingly well. Incredibly drinkable.

M: Texture is great, very creamy- wraps around the tongue and sticks to it after the tasting. Bubbly but not in a way that takes away from the experience. One of the best mouth feels I have come across with a beer.

Definitely one of the best beers Dieu Du Ciel has on offer. Perfect as we come into the Fall season. A very pleasant beer that needs to be tried.

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2012 09:21:20 | More by sennin

francisweizen

Australia

4.6/5  rDev +17%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

One year old bottle, split three-ways with BA friends. Murky bronze/brown with a nice tannish head that did not quit. Aroma was out of this world. Sweet/dark fruits, alcohol, lovely malts, herbal hops, yeast, candy, dark port wine, and more! I also picked up hints of coffee, chocolate, and caramel. The taste was more of the same. Fruity up front with some nice malts in the middle and the herbal hops in the finish. The chocolate and coffee flavors were hidden within this beer as well. The mouthfeel was very thick and filling, but just right for an ABT, and the drinkability was also awesome for an ABT. A great Belgian-style beer and a truly wonderful example of the brewers art at work. Quite possibly one of Dieu Du Ciels best beers!

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2004 20:28:52 | More by francisweizen

jdklks

Nevada

4.6/5  rDev +17%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

wow, this is a great beer. one of my favorite quads. pours a murky dark brown with an off white/tan head that laces the glass thickly. smells of sugars and burnt malts. very sweet, with a hint of alcohol.

the flavor is of so much sweetness. caramel, brown sugar, dark fruits, molasses. burnt figs and prunes come to mind. just enough alcohol and hops to compliment the overall flavor, both of which play their roles without contributing too heavily and taking over the greatness of this malty awesomeness. this one should definitely have a higher overall score. im baffled at the B+.

mouthfeel is thick and well carbonated, and the beer is easy to drink. a little less sweetness and alcohol would land this one a 5 for drinkability, but as it is, it remains very drinkable in its own right.

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2009 06:06:06 | More by jdklks

redsonja

Netherlands

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

A; amber brown, no head

S; caramel,spices,red fruit.

T; toffee,caramel,spices,red fruit,wood.

M; the spices stay in your mouth a long time.

O; nice beer for relexing again to manny tastes that i can trace but it is all coming togheter.
made in the belgian trappist style.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2011 07:09:31 | More by redsonja

drpimento

Wisconsin

4.48/5  rDev +14%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Ho boy, this is as fine an abbot as you'll find. Poured at a great temperature with a small to medium sized, tan head that soon settled to a light swirl and a little lace. Color is a hazy dark copper with a couple of bubble trails. Aroma is malt, bread dough, yeast, dark ripe fruit, toffee. Flavor's much like nose and has excellent balance between a little hop/malt bitter, plenty of yeast bitter, carbonic tang, and sweet. Interestingly sweet seems to fade a bit. Body and carbonation are spot on. Finish is like flavor, boozy, and long. Superior beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2012 16:55:01 | More by drpimento

Gehrig

Illinois

4.47/5  rDev +13.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Deep cloudy brown-amber supporting one finger of dense, durable tan forth; nice lacing on the St. Bernardus glass at the magnificent Crane Alley in Urbana, IL. Excellent smell, full of booze-soaked cherries, roasted caramel malt, a hint of molasses, and some dark chocolate.

Outstanding taste, very rich and robust in flavor. Lots of fruit, especially cherry and grape; ample roasted malt, heavy on the chocolate, and well balanced in taste between sweet and sour. It is definitely more sweet, but there is a distinct tart quality that is very enjoyable. Big in the malt, but far from overbearing. It is a Quad, after all.

Creamy and smooth with just enough effervescence to allow the flavors to intermingle quite nicely. The heavy ABV (10.5%) definitely catches up at the end, but this is no less drinkable and enjoyable for it. In fact, until the end, the high alcohol is well masked.

Just an outstanding beer from Brasserie Du Ciel, right there with Unibroue as far as the best breweries in Canada. Fittingly, they brew Belgian beers, and do a magnificent job of it at that. Rigor Mortis is a great beer that might prove paralyzingly potent to some but, for all lovers of Belgian beer, this is undeniably a treat.

First-rate.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2010 19:45:24 | More by Gehrig

wschmit

Illinois

4.47/5  rDev +13.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12 oz. bottle into a Perfect Pint.

A: A quick, off-white head fizzles into a slightly patchy surface, atop a beautifully brown body with no apparent carbonation, and some fine but prevalent floaties (suspendies?). Other than the floaties, it's pretty clear.

S: Caramel, booze, and yeast. This is quite yeast-forward. It has an almost berry-like sweet note beyond the creme brulee, plum, and rum scents that overwhelm. Great nose. Even a bit floral, maybe.

T: Like chocolate rum balls--a deep, rolling, sensuous sweetness that marries well with the alcohol. Or perhaps like a rum-soaked fruit cake. Truly superb. This is definitely an A beer. I'd -almost- put it up there with the great ones.

M: Mild carbonation, but spot-on body, and with a well-handled alcoholic heat. Great drinking.

O: I haven't bought a bottle of, say, Bernardus 12 at a bottle shop lately, so I can't compare the price. This was 6 bucks for me, and frankly worth it. It's a really great beer. Very much to style, and very much tasty.

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2011 04:33:24 | More by wschmit

jdhilt

New Hampshire

4.45/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a three finger off-white head that fades quickly leaving traces of lace. Cloudy amber color. Light carbonation and medium bodied. Brown sugar nose. Flavor is brown sugar and molasses but it is well balanced. Nice brown (that's what the label says). Label has a 10.5% ABV. Pricey at $6.99 for a 11.5oz bottle from Beverage Warehouse Winooski, VT.

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2009 22:48:35 | More by jdhilt

fairdinkum2

Georgia

4.45/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured in to a tulip glass from an 11.5 oz. bottle. Took a vigorous pour to get a good head. While the resulting, creamy, tan colored head didn't last long, there was lacing out the wazoo.

Dark red brown color. Inviting sweet malt and dried fruit and banana aromas. The nose doesn't really do justice to this effort. A little restrained.

Love the taste. Beautiful balance. Walks the razor's edge between sweetness and bitterness. Neither character overwhelms the other. Ample flavors of caramel, dried fruits and sweet malts. Peppery spices and a dry finish. Rich, but not cloying. Just the right amount of alcohol warmth. Man, I keep finding other flavors buried in here. Quite complex

I like this a lot

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2010 02:04:01 | More by fairdinkum2

Halcyondays

California

4.45/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

11.5 oz. bottle at Beachwood,

A: Pours brown with a small smattering of a light tan head. Fair retention, very high ABV, can't really blame it.

S: Very sweet bread, with a lot of Belgian yeastiness. Fruit - raisins, prune. Lots of residual sugar.

T: Definitely a straight up raisin/candi sugar flavour with a lot of molasses/dark brown sugar character. Lots of fruit complexity. A treat.

M: Full-bodied, light carbonation. Very smooth.

D: I like this a lot. Really no ethanol heat, great flavours, Belgian complexity. An outstanding quad for my palate. This was expensive as hell at Beachwood, Dieu du Ciel needs to get distributed down in the Southland with this and Peche Mortel it's game over.

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2010 21:58:05 | More by Halcyondays

LiquidAmber

Washington

4.45/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Review from 11/2010 notes. Poured into a Gulden Draak tulip. Pours a deep, murky red brown. Fine thin head and nice lacing. Caramel malt and Belgian spice and yeast aroma. Nice body, sweet caramel malt with light fruit and Belgian yeast. Malty, bitter finish. Excellent.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2012 23:44:26 | More by LiquidAmber

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

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

Antique bronze with a great deal of russet and orange and a slight blurriness when the final ounce was added to the snifter on the one and only pour. A thinnish slice of khaki colored cream persists and is beginning to lay down a smeary collar of lace.

The nose is just as much BSDA as quadrupel. Maybe more. Then again, those two styles overlap to some extent. It's brown malty, medium-dark fruity and pleasantly spicy. Good use of Belgian yeast, which comes to the fore even more with time and warming.

The brewery calls Rigor Mortis ABT an Abbey-style brown ale, but it tastes like a Belgian strong dark ale. Enough about the style, what about the beer? It's good... maybe even damn good. It's impossible to know how old this bottle is, but I'm guessing it's at least 18 months of age (released every April). If so, it has held up very well.

There's a beautiful interplay between sweet and spicy, with neither getting the upper hand at any point along the way. Flavors include black licorice, dark caramel, ripe figs, hints of blackstrap molasses, and an absolutely perfect amount of clove-like spiciness. This beer is both complex and tasty as all get out.

The mouthfeel is not massive, which is probably a good thing, but it has a plush quality that is slightly marred by slightly too buzzy bubbles. About ten more minutes should fix that right up... if I can wait that long for the next mouthful.

Rigor mortis is the stiffness that occurs in the muscles following death. Rigor Mortis ABT makes me glad that rigor mortis has not yet impaired my ability to enjoy expertly brewed beer. In my humble opinion, this offering is better than the much-heralded Peche Mortel and is Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel's finest creation.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2010 13:20:31 | More by BuckeyeNation

Gueuzedude

Arizona

4.4/5  rDev +12%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Sampled October 2009
A solid pour into my large Tripel Karmeliet glass produces a three finger thick, lightly amber tinged, tan colored head. The beer is a concentrated, burnt amber color that shows a lightly hazed, deep plum red color when held up to the light. The aroma is not anywhere near the sweetness I was expecting. My second smell of this though has me noticing lots of rich fruit aromatics that definitely have some sweetness to them. Notes of raisins and figs are quite prominent and there is a touch of hot alcohol towards the finish. A rich maltiness mixes with the dark fruit, contributing a deeply caramelized malt sugar note as well as some subtle toasted grain character towards the end. A touch of aromatics that make me think of freshly fermenting plums. Further inspection yields ample spicy clove notes, a touch of white pepper, some woody allspice, . At times the beer comes off as being savory, despite the fruity and sweet spice notes. This definitely has a complex, well integrated nose; one that is clearly world class.

Somewhat sweet tasting, though not overly so, the palate is immediately engulfed by a rich fruitiness that is only slightly wiped clean in the finish by some hot alcohol spiciness. Fruity, with a rich sweetness and even a savory malt backbone, this beer has a lot of things going on. There is quite a bit of spice character here, though it is not more than soft and is definitely well integrated; some lightly tongue numbing clove, an allspice note, some woody black pepper and an almost oaky spiciness (it has a definite woodiness to it somehow). For some reason the flavor isn't as impressive as the aroma, though this is still quite good. While this is rich and somewhat thick, the beer is not overly heavy; despite its strength it has a certain drinkability that is requisite of the style.

This is a pretty nice beer, the biggest flaw is that the alcohol can be a bit too noticeable at times; it doesn't ruin the beer for me though. Interesting, this might be quite phenomenal if not for the hot alcohol; I wish I had bought a second bottle to age a bit longer.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2010 16:19:06 | More by Gueuzedude

abcentfishing

California

4.4/5  rDev +12%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This was an excellent beer that I enjoyed from beginning to end. The flavor was smooth and balanced. The nose was full bodied and a bit on the sweet side. The beer was just what you want out of a Quad. Even at 10 1/2 % it wasn't to much although I think one is enough. It is a sipping beer and needs to be enjoyed slow and discerningly .

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2011 06:41:36 | More by abcentfishing

johnd513

Michigan

4.38/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Big thanks goes to MtGoat for this one!
Pours a Belgian style brown color with a decent sized white head that slowly disappears. Smells of dark fruits, sweet malts and a slight alcohol smell. Tastes of sweet plums and raisins followed by a spicy after taste of spices I cannot identify. Another reviewer mentioned that the "sweetness is "eaten up by the hops" I could not find a better way to describe this flavor which does indeed balance out the sweetness of this beer. The flavor finishes with this flavor, and a slight alcohol burn. The mouthfeel is creamy and nicely carbonated. This beer is a sipper but it goes down easy. I could savor one of these for hours and could see myself drinking this again and again but I could not see myself drinking more than one of these in a night.

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2009 01:01:27 | More by johnd513

allergictomacros

Ontario (Canada)

4.38/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pitch black and takes a hard pour to get 2 fingers of foam that drops ever so slowly. Rich dark fruit nose. Pungent raisins and prunes and red berries, sugary sweet grape candy. Sweet on the tongue as well with massive alcoholic complexity, concord grapes and boozy finish. Low-ish carbonation and light body. This is a big, big beer. Some port-like notes and a little bit of hops, just for balance. A sipper for sure. Frankly, very challenging to the palate and I think might be better with even less carbonation. Sweet, but not too sweet, and loaded with flavour.

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2009 23:00:23 | More by allergictomacros

Cyberkedi

Georgia

4.38/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a dark, semi-transparent mahogany with a fairly thick if not persistent beige head. Aroma is not strong but fruity and yeasty with malt underpinnings, rather inviting. Flavor is stronger than the aroma, malty and yeasty with a fruity and nutty hints and just a touch of spice. Texture is quite rough and fizzy, leaving a tart and nippy finish.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2009 02:21:27 | More by Cyberkedi

Brent

Kentucky

4.38/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Really, really creepy label. Now, that aside, a really interesting beer, as well. Flavor profile was unlike any Belgian-inspired beer I've had. Not sure when my bottle was produced, but it certainly had the hallmarks of one that had been waiting for a while. Amazingly mellow for the whopping abv. Very low bitterness, with brown sugar sweetness and a touch of oaky vanilla. Mouthfeel had a unique creamy nature, almost as if lactose sugar had been used. Surprisingly drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2010 13:32:40 | More by Brent

rye726

Colorado

4.38/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Nice creamy tan head over a mahogany elixir. Good lace as well. Nose has dark fruits, spicy yeast, peppery alcohol and candy malts. Taste is a nice balance of sweet bready malts, herbal yeast, cocoa and spices. Thick, creamy body is well carbonated. Nice Canadian Quad.

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2010 04:29:08 | More by rye726