Rigor Mortis ABT - Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel

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

slimspady

Alberta (Canada)

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

Poured from bottle into Rochefort chalice.

Dark, reddish brown color with a quickly reducing white head.

Smells of sweet, malty goodness.

The malts and yeast hit first then the sweetness finishes strong. Some plums in the aftertaste.

Very smooth. Doesn't feel like 10.5.

Excellent beer. Very complex flavors. I've liked everything from Dieu du Ciel so far, and this does nothing to change that.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2011 05:03:08 | More by slimspady

ctgui

Quebec (Canada)

3.95/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bottled on 11/2011

A: Poured a dark amber/brown with a substantial head that fell quite quickly. Beautiful and consistent lacing.

S: Dried fruits like raisins, plums, a hint of spices and alcohol. I also find some saltiness in the smell, although I don’t know how to explain it further.

T: The mouth follows the nose. Fruity sweetness, spices and alcohol again. Malt is omnipresent and the finale is not bitter at all. Enjoyable.

M: Medium body with medium carbonation. The aftertaste is a bit boozy, but this is very enjoyable and far from the most intense I had for the style.

O: Another great Dieu du Ciel!. I wouldn’t necessarily drink more than one of these in a night, but it is a nice culminating point. I definitely would recommend trying. I would look forward to aging a bottle to see how it evolves. A good representation of the style in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2012 00:13:06 | More by ctgui

MCorrea

California

3.78/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours a medium brown with a white head that doesn't last all that long. Color is a bit odd for the style, but the bottle calls it an "abbey style brown ale" which makes more sense.

S- A little bit of brown sugar in the aroma, but mostly yeasty type smells that overwhelm anything else.

T- I get a lot of nutty brown ale type flavors. Not much Belgian spiciness or fruity esters or other flavors one would expect from a quad. Kinda disappointing.

M- Medium mouthfeel that allows the sweetness to come through. Not too thick or too thin.

O- Not a bad beer, but not really what I would expect from a quad. Worth a try, I suppose.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2011 03:35:12 | More by MCorrea

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

mvasilis

Sweden

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

A: Small head, light toffé colored. The beer is a¨dark amber colored

S: big sweet smell, malty, some dried fruits, and a hint of hop aroma.

T: Sweet malty taste, smouth. Hints of dried apricots and banana candy(?). The 10,5 % goes by unnoticed.

M: Nice karbonated, smouth. A perfect cheese beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2009 20:01:21 | More by mvasilis

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

nquigley16

Massachusetts

3.98/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Poured into a "tulip style pint glass" from a 341 ml bottle. Bottled February 2013.

Appearance
Pours a beautiful red-brown. Dark copper brown with hints of dark red. One and a half fingers of thick light tan/white head. A very inviting Quad.

Aroma
Figs, strong dark malts, sugar, grapes, prunes, and a tiny hint of booze. Smells pretty nice, but not super complex. Also getting a little must.

Taste
Tastes very sweet, lots of nice maltiness and sugar, with a bunch of dark fruits coming through. Not a very prominent yeast profile. A bit of alcohol, but not very intense seeing as this beer is 10.5% ABV.

Mouthfeel
Very smooth with perfect carbonation levels. A little slippery as it goes down, and a little sticky afterwards. Nice and rich.

Overall- A really nice beer. Balanced, strong, delicious, enjoyable, and well made.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2013 22:27:35 | More by nquigley16

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

dsartwell72

Vermont

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

A - Pours a light to medium brown color with a very small amount of head.

S - Bread, raisins, caramel, sweet fruity esters.

T - Sweet, Malty, some chocolate and burnt caramel, raisins, and a slight alcohol presence, but very well hidden for 10.5%.

M - Full bodied, not too thin, but not syrupy either. Great carbonation level. A bit sticky on the sides of your mouth.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2011 22:03:42 | More by dsartwell72

deadmonkees

Massachusetts

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

Bought bottle 7/09 - Drank bottle 10/09 from a Chimay Chalice

Aroma: Malt was caramelly with no hops.

Appearance: Color was brown, clarity was clear and sparkling with a low head retention.

Flavor: Fruity esters with phenolic clove. Solvent of high alcohol with a slight yeasty breadiness.

Mouthfeel: Due to the high alcohol it was slightly hot.

Overall Impression: Enjoyable. However, slightly off-balanced throughtout. It could have used more aging to smooth this beer out. Other note, I tasted no chocolate as indicated by the brewer's site.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2009 02:45:25 | More by deadmonkees

cdog3

New York

3.35/5  rDev -14.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours brown with crimson hints a little on the cloudy side with a full tan head. Aroma is sweet and malty with a definite alcoholic tinge and some background aromas of dark fruit. Taste is much like the aroma with a nice sweet malt base, but the alcohol is really dominant and of the hotter fusel variety often associated with a hot fermentation. Once past the alcohol you do get a little of the dark raisin and prune flavors in the finish. The mouthfeel is full and slightly syrupy, but not to the overpoweringly cloying extent. This is a nice beer that could be a great beer if the fusels could be backed off.

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2009 04:30:58 | More by cdog3

meerkat2

Florida

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

Batch 05, whatever that means.

Beer poured with minimal head that turned into collar of tiny bubbles. Color has reddish-brown hues with a fruit fly right in the middle. D'oh!
The aroma is pretty good. It gets a little hot as the temperature rises due to the listed ABV of 10.5%. I get some nutty notes and chocolate-y notes, as well as a slight bit of coffee. I was drinking coffee earlier, though. A lot of dark fruits, raisins specifically. Also a little bit of vanilla. I also get a weird chemical smell, but I'm pretty sure it is coming from the detergent used to clean the glass (different glass after the fruit fly).
The taste brings out those dark fruits and some more chocolate - more like figs this time as opposed to raisins. Not bitter at all, but a little hot once again as the temperature rises. I also taste what seems to me like citrus rind, but that might be the detergent again. I will disregard that in the ranking as I did not taste it in the other glass.
The mouthfeel is pretty standard for a "abbey-style brown ale" (as listed on the bottle, as opposed to Quad, as listed on beeradvocate). It feels nice but so do a lot of beers.
Overall, I do enjoy drinking this beer. It's certainly no Rochefort, but I would buy it again. Maybe.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2011 02:04:27 | More by meerkat2