Corne Du Diable - Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.78/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Smooth grapefruit, hoppy, creamy, good significant carbonation. Lace, thin head. Amber and good hop floral scent. Long citrus grapefruit finish.The juice is loose. Full mouthfeel, a hophead's delight. Modiale 2005. Had again at Cask Day 2006 at Bar Volo and nnoticed better cask appearance, good mouthfeel though not as tasty.
Had four years later on tap at the brewpub and still a standout IPA,
Has a bottle from LCBO shipment 4.5 years later, and it was an infected bottle.

Serving type: cask

06-03-2005 21:49:34 | More by northyorksammy

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

3.65/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Sunset orange accented by sunset coral... a truly beautiful shade that one doesn't often see in an IPA. The orangish beige crown is a looker as well. It's firmly creamy, looks like it will last into next week and is beginning to lay down an artistic array of delicate lace. This is first-rate eye candy.

I'm not sure why the brewery calls Corne Du Diable an English IPA. The nose is standard, caramel malty, citrus zesty, American IPA. Maybe they're referring to the historical roots of the style. Anyway, grapefruit and orange esters suggest at least one of the C-hops.

There's a slight whiff of something 'off' in the aroma, and it's even more apparent on the palate. Hard to say what's causing it. This isn't as exact a description as I'd like, but it's a combination of sour and vegetal. Clay comes to mind, as does moldy leaves. Some of the organic APAs and IPAs have this same characteristic. Thankfully, there are enough hops to keep things from spiraling out of control.

The flavors from the caramel malt probably help too. Having said that, there isn't a ton of malt present and there isn't much sweetness. That's okay, bitterness is what beer of this style is all about. Even though the hops aren't buzzsaw-like, the IBUs are still probably comfortably north of 50. Grapefruit rind soaked in melted caramel is the Cliffs Notes version of the flavor profile. The good part of it anyway.

The mouthfeel falls just short of style average and begins to falter on the finish; not a good characteristic in an IPA. More malt would be good. As would a few more bubbles.

The two Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel offerings that I've had so far, Peche Mortel (Mortal Sin) and Corne Du Diable (Horn of the Devil), are interesting names for a brewery known as 'God of Heaven'. Perhaps Brasseire Du Ironie would be more appropriate. Anyway, this is a moderately flawed, less than devilishly good IPA that has enough hops to stay above average.

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2008 13:07:50 | More by BuckeyeNation

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.22/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Decided to go with a nice tasting of four of their offerings this evening and this was the first to go down. Served in a nice foothills glass and consumed on 02/17/2010.

The pour was an nice dark amber color, clear with lots of carbonation visible streaming up toward the surface. Nice rich head of white caps the top gracefully and settles down with a good bit of lacing sticking to the sides and the bottom of the glass. Rich aroma of sweet orange hops, very well balanced with a good earthy feel to it. Buttery and thick the aroma seemed to hang in the air. Warming made this only more apparent. Nice thick feel as it crosses over the palate of the tongue. Rich citrus hops, not biting but more mellow and relaxed come at you with a sweet buttery taste mid palate that really does wonders to balance it out. Light dry finish and a smooth, almost caramel like taste a few moments after the last sip. Very nicely done.

Overall a very solid and very well done IPA. Not your typical west coast monster, this had a nice balance and smooth, even feel to it. I really liked what was done here and it made it very drinkable. Could have had another right away without an issue.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2010 23:15:11 | More by mikesgroove

womencantsail

California

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

Thanks for sending me this one, Jeff.

A: The beer pours amber in color with a finger of rocky white head.

S: Smells very sweet and caramelly. There's a bit of fruit to it, almost like white grapes. A decent sweet citrus note as well as a bit of tropical fruits and peaches. More malt sweetness as I smell it more, perhaps brown sugar.

T: Very much like a barleywine. Toasty malts with lots of bread, toffee, and brown sugar. There is a moderate bitterness on the finish, but not a huge hop flavor. A bit of citrus and some sweet fruits.

M: Medium in both body and carbonation.

O: Not a bad beer, but the flavors were more reminiscent of a barleywine. I would have preferred more hops and less sweet malt.

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2011 05:16:08 | More by womencantsail

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.45/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Max's. Served in a chalice.

Pours chestnut brown that is slightly opaque. Not too mug head and slight ring of lacing. Nose brings forward some citrus, floral, and earthy hops. Almost a mild version of an American IPA. Taste backs with a bit of malt...although not half bad. A bit yeasty. Feel is moderate with good carbonation. Drinks alright, but not terribly impressive.

Serving type: on-tap

10-10-2010 16:20:49 | More by Thorpe429

brentk56

North Carolina

3.25/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Appearance: Pours a murky burnt orange color with a firm head that displays excellent retention and sheets the pint glass with lace

Smell: Caramel, overripe stone fruit and a hint of pine

Taste: Opens with a lot of caramel and stone fruit flavors with a resinous pine aspect developing by mid-palate; after the swallow, the sticky sweetness battles with the bitter flavors and winds up prevailing

Mouthfeel: Full bodied and sticky, with moderate carbonation

Drinkability: Poorly balanced, with a sticky mouthfeel; perhaps the age of the beer is a factor but there is no way of knowing how long this has been on the shelves

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2009 22:07:14 | More by brentk56

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

4/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pours a clear amber body topped by a medium-sized, white head.

Smell: Honeyish, hoppy aroma with notes of passion fruit juice, flowers, and grapefruit rind.

Taste: Honey candy, though with a restrained sweetness. Then, jumps to the fruity, resoundingly bitter hops. Continual hints of citrus. Slightly bitter finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium carbonation. Slight oiliness to the mouthfeel.

Drinkability: In short: it's good. A nice surprise.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2008 21:32:31 | More by ChainGangGuy

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle: Poured a deep copper color ale with a nice thick and quite big foamy head with some good retention and some good lacing. Aroma of resin hops with some nice floral notes. Taste is also dominated by some resin hoppy notes with a subtle caramel malt profile and ends with some bitter notes. Body is quite full with a nice texture and some good carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2007 16:20:05 | More by Phyl21ca

BEERchitect

Kentucky

3.53/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Firmly malted and with a hop presence that certainly balance the ale, yet struggles to gain command- Corne du Diable garners the flavor and balance that relegates it more to an American strong ale but with restrained alcohol flavor and feel.

Pouring a rusty, deep amber color the beer has a significant haze that leaves it somewhat dull in appearance. But the firm sandy head carries a masculine posture that outlasts the session and clings to the glass with very sticky lace.

Sharp and sweet, the aromas of caramel malt and brown sugar and met with the pungent hop character of pine needles, citrus, and leafy hop matter. The balanced aromas prevent dominance from hops, allowing a biscuity aroma to rise similarly to English IPAs.

The embattled balance continues with upfront flavors of rich molasses, biscuit, and fruitcake that latches on to the taste buds until the resiny hop flavor and bitterness of citrus pith, pine sap, and fresh grassy taste slices through the sweet grains and may apply for a slightly hop-forward finish. Complementary ester flavors of apples and marmalade help to bridge the gap between the malty start and resiny finish.

Fully textured from the ample creamy carbonation that embeds itself into the rich malt for a richer effect that allows for a sicky-dry hop resin finish that's accompanied by alcohol warmth in finish. Mild grape skin astringency and hop-derived bite rise as the malts fall and gives the beer a gripping bite to join with piney hops late in the session- the beer just grows methodically and slowly with it's hop bitterness.

For those who prefer a deeply malty IPA with intense hop bitterness and less perfume in the nose can surly get on board with this beer. Where it lacks finesse and brightness, it excels in balance and bite. It reminds me a lot of Mikkeller IPAs.

Serving type: on-tap

05-02-2012 17:40:58 | More by BEERchitect

oberon

North Carolina

3.98/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a standard pint glass a hazy copper color with a pillow-like one finger white head that never really completely settles.Deep pine resin in the nose along with some sharp grapefruit rind,a sweetish caramel/biscuit malt base shows thru as well,close to balanced but the intense pine resin wins out.Not a big fruity ipa more of a bitter hop presence,intense pine on the palate with a hint of leather,the caramel malt holds up well to the hop intensity.A nice ipa for sure,if you like resiny hop flavors this is your bag.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2009 00:20:02 | More by oberon

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served in a Devil's Backbone willibecher.

Thanks to GoGriz for this bottle!

Review #800...yahoo! Something like that. It pours a partly cloudy dense amber topped by about a finger of light ecru foam. The nose comprises buttery biscuit, caramel, mint, flowers, and lime rind. The taste leans heavily on the hoppy pine, orange peel, and mint, while some meek toffee cowers during the interrogation. The hops are strangely sharp...not just heavy, they actually pierce the 'buds. So to speak. Something like that. The body is a stoic medium, with a light carbonation and a slightly syrupy feel. Overall, a decent IPA, a bit out of balance and flat (in complexity, not carbonation), but really not out-and-out bad.

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2010 23:46:33 | More by TMoney2591

metter98

New York

3.93/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: It poured cloudy amber in color with a small head that quickly disappeared into lacey patterns. A light amount of carbonation is visible.
S: There is a moderate aroma of piney and citrusy hops in the nose.
T: Like the smell, there are lots of hoppy flavors in the taste, which are balanced to some degree by some sweetness of caramel malts. There are some bitter flavors in the finish, but they aren't too strong.
M: It feels medium-bodied on the palate and a bit sticky.
D: The beer was relatively easy to drink and packed in a lot of flavors without being overly bitter. I would probably have this again, but wouldn't drink more than one of these in a sitting.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2010 01:07:58 | More by metter98

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

3.93/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

"Horn of the Devil", their interpretation of the English IPA, but in the American style. From the label description, it sounds like more a hybrid of both...English malt, American hops, plus dry hopping? Let's open and see...

Hazy, crimson color, plump, fuzzy, off-white head.

Citrus and pine in the nose, with caramel notes as well. Bright grapefruit and tangerine.

Brisk, spikey bitter hop attack greets the tongue. Sweet, juicy malt lies just below. Feels like an English IPA, with a bit more bitterness, and a higher hop quotient. Do the Brits dry hop? I'm not sure. What other malts are here? I can taste more than caramel, but can't tell you which ones. Also taste a bit ringwood-y...The best, or worst, of both worlds.

Medium light body. Consistent flavor. Moderate finish.
Not bad at all.
Most definitely the best Canadian IPA I've yet had...That I can remember...I'll get back to you.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2008 03:51:18 | More by feloniousmonk

WesWes

New York

4.03/5  rDev +8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer pours a hazy dark golden/amber color with a 1/4" offwhite head that slowly fades to lacing. The aroma is good. It has a complex and well balanced aroma that boasts of pale, crystal, and bisquit malts along with a piney hop nose that's quite aggressive. The taste is good as well. It has a very bitter hop bite up front that seems to linger throughout and resinate in the finish. The malt bill provides a solid foundation of caramel sweetness and bready/bisquity notes. The mouthfeel is fine. It is a full bodied beer with adequate/good carbonation. This is a solid IPA. It's malt character is outstanding and the hop bitterness is right in the front row.

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2009 02:00:35 | More by WesWes

drabmuh

Maryland

3.2/5  rDev -14.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I've had this on draft and hated it, in the bottle however it's better, still not good though. Beer is orange and really hazy with a GIGANTIC head that leaves a lot of lacing and stick around to the end, lots of carbonation, probably over carbonated.

Aroma is sweet and malty with some piny hops and a few esters.

Beer is mild in flavor on the front, some malt sweetness, the back of the palate is mildly bitter, it's not very flavorful in the front. As an APA, this would be a good beer but on the IPA scale of things it falls short in bitterness, complexity and hop flavor.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2010 05:09:36 | More by drabmuh

Mora2000

Texas

3.68/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

The beer pours a dirty amber color with an off-white, shaving-cream like head. The aroma is heavy on the grass and biscuit malt and smells a little bit like iced tea. The aroma is heavy on the pine and orange citrus hops. I also get some iced tea and grass hops as well as some biscuit malt. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation. I think the bottle was a little bit older, but the beer tasted a lot like a hoppy amber ale rather than an American IPA.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2011 05:37:22 | More by Mora2000

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

4.05/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12oz. bottle into a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a bright reddish brown color, with a thin off-white head that fades slowly and leaves a thick lace on the glass.

S: The aroma is of caramelized malts, fruity citrus and floral hops.

T: The taste starts with sweet flavors of caramel & citrus. Then a decent hops bitterness comes in, but it's not as dominant as most IPA's. There's a hearty malt character. The after-taste is slightly sweet.

M: Crisp and very smooth, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is slightly sticky.

D: Tasty, goes down easily, not too filling, decent kick, good representation of style, this is a flavorful IPA for those that don't want as much hops as your typical IPA. Overall it's a good beer that is worth drinking for a while.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2009 04:11:47 | More by TheManiacalOne

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

2.68/5  rDev -28.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Had some really high hopes for this brew when I bought it. Once I opened it and poured it out I was surprised that the appearance was so muddy and brown looking. The head was decent but the look of the beer wasn't very appealing. The smell had an average hop aroma to it. The taste was more along the lines of an earthy IPA and not much of a citrusy IPA. The mouthfeel was medium and decently carbonated. Overall this beer was a major let down.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2011 03:28:05 | More by Knapp85

Gueuzedude

Arizona

3.43/5  rDev -8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

November 2007 Bottle Date; Sampled April 2008
Pours with a frothy, initially fat-two-finger thick, light tan colored head. The beer is deep amber color, but shows lightly hazy, orange-tinged, light red color when held up to the light. The aroma is a mix of dominant hop aromatics and supporting, but noticeable malt notes. Aromatic notes of grapefruit, pine, then lychee, apricot and candied citrus peel are supported by caramelized malt sugars and drier soda cracker & biscuit-like aromas. The hops provide some spice character too which seems to accent the fruit / citrus components of the aroma. The smell of this beer makes it seem like a rich, full bodied example of the style (the color might influence my expectations that direction too).

Lightly sweet tasting, but only so that it accents the dominant hop character. This is not aggressively hopped by extreme standards, but still is way hop balanced. Caramelized malt flavors play a big role here, and the beer is definitely on the chewy side though it is so thick as to keep this from being reasonably drinkable. The front of each sip is dominated by astringent, herbal, pine & menthol flavors that are sharp and biting. Just underneath these notes is a solid citrus oil component that is reminiscent of the zest from grapefruit, tangelo and some lychee flavors. This beer has a fair amount of bitterness to it & the astringent notes just add to this, having said that the chewy malt does a good job of not letting this combination get overwhelming. As it warms up the malt becomes a bit stickier and is definitely outside my personal preference for an IPA.

An interesting tasty beer, but somehow it just doesn't do it for me. Between the sticky, slightly too heavy malt notes and the aggressive, astringent hop character this just seems a bit chaotic and unbalanced. Might be scored a bit low for me, but for some reason I expect more from this brewery.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2008 04:11:08 | More by Gueuzedude

Halcyondays

California

4.3/5  rDev +15.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

11.5 oz. bottle,

A: Pours a very dark for an IPA red with a frothy long-lasting white head, thick lace.

S: Lots of minty hops, white grapefruit, some red apple.

T: Lots of bitter citrus and rind upfront. Full-flavoured for sure. Nice green floral component midway through. The malt is good here (crystal in style), but has a very good mix with the hops.

M: Medium/full-bodied. Slightly viscous, very resiny, thick with hop oils.

D: This is not West Coast by any means, it really is kind of a mini-barleywine. Does remind me a lot of two year old Celebration. The hop flavours are delicious, pure and powerful. Wonderful beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2010 03:38:09 | More by Halcyondays

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

4/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

The description on the label concerning the nature of new-age IPAs, en francais, seems bang-on, presuming my long-dormant French language education isn't failing me. Now, about the Euro-trash demon that also adorns the label...

This beer pours a hazy dark reddish copper colour, with a couple fingers of foamy, off-white head, that leaves lacing all around the glass. The aroma wafting out of the glass is amazing - grapefruit and floral, earthy hops, blended with a massive dose of pungent caramel malt - it's somewhat barleywine-esque. The flavour - the first thing to hit me is an indeterminate astringency, followed by the heavy (ok, Rubenesque) malt body, with caramel, molasses, and toffee coming to mind. Through this thickness comes the moderate floral and citrus hops to dry things out a tad, and provide a semblance of balance. The carbonation is on the low side, hardly noticeable. The finish is predictably sweet, making this, while a superbly flavorful beer, not one to waste appreciation on by having a quatrieme, cinquieme, etc, in the same sitting. It is quite a treat to see the flip side of the hop dominant American IPA style.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2008 08:20:26 | More by biboergosum

Gavage

New Jersey

4.05/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: slightly cloudy amber in coor with a 1/2" head that lasts a while.

Smell: grapefruit, pine, and a sharp bitterness is pleasant on the nose.

Taste: caramel, grapefruits, pine, honey, and a big bitterness provides a nicely balanced beer.

Mouthfeel: crisp to start, mildly crisp and a bit dry towards the finish. Medium bodied beer. Aftertaste is brief but bold on the tongue.

Drinkability: nicely drinkable beer as it is well balanced and bold at the same time. Try this if you can find it.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2008 10:41:57 | More by Gavage

jwc215

New Jersey

3.68/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours hazed reddish orange amber with an off-white head that thins and stays, leaving some rings of lacing.

The smell is of citrus/pine/resin with floral notes and caramel with a touch of brown sugar.

The taste of caramel is forward at first, but a citric, piney, leafy sharp bitterness comes through, especially in the finish. There is a slight metallic touch to it, with a bit of alcohol.

It has a pretty chewy, medium body.

Could do without so much caramel at first, and without the slight metallic sharpness, but overall it has enough hop bitterness and taste, while having some balance, to be a respectable IPA.

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2008 23:42:17 | More by jwc215

akorsak

Pennsylvania

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

A 12 oz bottle purchased at Capone's.

A: The Canadian IPA is an auburn brown color, dark enough that I can't see through it. A small head on pour has laced rather nicely around the glass.

S: The IPA has a pleasant citrus aroma, grapefruit and lemon peel. Caramel helps keep the hops in check.

T: Much more malt in the flavor than the nose let on. Caramel grains are somewhat dry and remain a constant presence throughout the ale. Hops are grassy with a citrus flavor. They often struggle to get past the malts.

M: The mouthfeel is tough to pin down. Some malts here, a bit of hops there. Only the finish shows off some the bigger hops that I wanted to taste.

D: The alcohol is low but I'm not sold on this one. The hops rarely rear their head and that is a shame.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2008 01:44:11 | More by akorsak

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

4.35/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Eh? The devil's corn? What?

Pours a slightly fogged darker brown with a thick tannish head. Nose is malty more than hops it seems. The funny thing about the flavor here is that after a little bit something hit me that was odd. This strikes me as a rye almost. At least that's the thought that came into my head. Flavor is earthy and robust. Definitely is more mineral than fruit or floral. Feel has a nice silken carbonation to it and the liquid is good. Very nice. Very nice indeed. A nice earthy and robust IPA.

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2008 18:28:26 | More by RblWthACoz