Chaman - Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel

Delerium

Maine

5/5  rDev +22.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

One of the best beers I've ever had in my life! Hazy, orangey-tangerine, yet hoppy, with very subtle alcohol lingering finish. Ho w does an Imperial IPA be this refreshing? I had this beer at the Mondial, and it was my second favorite only to the Vanilla Creme Ale they had exclusive for the festival. If you don't know yet, this is the greatest brew pub on the face of the Earth. Chris

Serving type: on-tap

06-02-2007 00:49:21 | More by Delerium

santa109

Quebec (Canada)

4.9/5  rDev +20.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Had this at the brewpub in Montréal.

A: Cloudy orangey-amber with 1 finger of faithful head that sticks around. Picture worthy lacing is left on the tulip glass. Has the thick syrupy texture of strong liquor when swirled (seems to cling to the glass for an instant).

S: Impressive blast of pineapple, fruit salad, ''cup-a-fruit'' mixed with alcohol type of smell. Very enticing.

T: Quite like the smell, cup-a-fruit salad, alcohol with fitting bitter presence from the hops. Absolutely amazing richness of taste. Pineapple, apricot, starfruit. Has a very boozy feel. This is one extraordinary beer.

M: Med-thick body, nice carbonation, feels very ''round'' and long in mouth.

D: Dangerous! If it wasn't for an apparent alcohol presence (which fits perfectly), this beer would lead anyone into the joys and pain of excess. The alcohol is there to remind you to be careful but really accentuates the taste.

Overall, simply the best beer I've had to date. I had it on a few occasions and it leaves this impression on me consistently. No matter how hard I try to find issues with it, it blowed my mind every time I've had the chance to have it. You have to try this one if you hit the brewpub.

Serving type: on-tap

09-11-2008 00:01:45 | More by santa109

bobsy

Ontario (Canada)

4.78/5  rDev +17.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Climbing up Mont Royal has its rewards: a fantastic view of the city below, the pleasure of lying on grass in the middle of the city and soaking up the sun, and the feeling that maybe if we did this more often then maybe it would help us appreciate life's simpler pleasures. Descending Mont Royal also calls for a reward... the climb can be very tiring. Fortunately, Dieu du Ciel is only a 15 minute stroll from the mountain, and to my absolute delight their IIPA is on tap.

It's excellent reputation helped me pick it as my first beer, and very little disappointed. Fantastic orange/amber pour with a more than adequate white cap that laced well. Nose of tangerine, caramel and pine needles. Brilliant hoppy taste well balanced by caramel, and a warming alcohol finish. Fruity notes include tangerine, grapefruit and kiwi. Smooth medium mouthfeel. Excellent, and it seems a lot lighter in terms of alcohol than it is. Definitely worth every cent.

Serving type: on-tap

05-19-2008 22:17:37 | More by bobsy

smcolw

Massachusetts

4.68/5  rDev +15%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Dark gold and clear; modest head which dies; no lace. This is the weakest part of the beer.

First thought is of how fresh this beer smells; lots aromatic floral hop. Enough malt to provide the base.

Rich body without the oiliness; great malt start and then the hop. Oh, the glorious hops which stick to the tongue without being overpowering. Unbelievably balanced for the style. One of the best!

This is simply a superior beer!!

Serving type: on-tap

08-23-2008 22:07:28 | More by smcolw

scottum

Vermont

4.65/5  rDev +14.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Came up to Montréal to see Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings. Just so happens that my favorite brewpub is a block away, whooohooo!

This Imperial Pale Ale is very tastey. Served amber with a nice white headskie she looks good in the glass. Listed as 8% on the board as opposed to the 8.5% listed on this site. Nice and hoppy. Very nice and hoppy, but not over the top crazyyness as the malt bill balance was nice. Easy to drink and goes down smooth. My half pint disappeared quickly.

Serving type: on-tap

11-17-2005 21:51:06 | More by scottum

01121987

Quebec (Canada)

4.63/5  rDev +13.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

darkish not so pale hazy appearance. looks fresh. and smells it too!
intense american hop aroma
refreshing and explosive bitterness is restrained by a strong malt backbone...excellent balance. incredibly perfect hop flavor and aroma.
full bodied and slightly sweet but bitterness balances nicely and prevents from being cloying.
an exceptional beer that is very drinkable for its strength!

Serving type: on-tap

04-01-2009 19:25:27 | More by 01121987

philmath

Quebec (Canada)

4.6/5  rDev +13%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Just drank this one the other night (March 4th, 2006) and God, that was great ! It might be different from the tap version and maybe I would'nt be able to tell which one is better but I greatly recommand this one! I'm not sure but I think that the malt was more stronger (maybe it was just more sirupy?).

Hops, flowers and orange flavor. Very good!

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2006 22:56:47 | More by philmath

Hornet2003

British Columbia (Canada)

4.55/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

I had this at the Dieu Du Ciel taproom on Laurier, Nov.2007.

Appearance: Cloudy, dark amber. Tiny head.

Smell: Citrusy, peppery hops. Lemon and grapefruit are the main ones. There's also a sweet maltiness in the aroma. Almost candy-like.

Taste: Sweet, nectary. Fruity, for sure and a toffee like malt backbone.

Mouthfeel: Slick and smooth. The sweetness is nice on the tongue. It cuts the sharpness of the alcohol and the hops. Mild carbonation and a very slight lingering hop bitterness.

Drinkability: Very smooth drinker for sure. It reminds me of DFH 90 minute DIPA, but it seems to be a little more palatable due to it's smoothness. It isnt quite so bold in the hop department where you feel like your tongue has been assaulted beyond repair.

Overall: Great stuff. The unbelievable smooth and velvety nature make it a very drinkable DIPA.

Serving type: on-tap

11-21-2007 19:49:00 | More by Hornet2003

the42ndtourist

Ontario (Canada)

4.45/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

As Popsinc says, this was brewed for the Mondial de la Biere in Montreal (2003), so if you weren't there, I doubt you'll ever find it. And you're missing something!

An Imperial Pale Ale, this exhibited a great hop presence. Even more to my liking was the predominantly British nature of the hops - earthy, spicy, and devoid of grapefruit or perfume flavours. Amply backed by a solid malt base, there was none of the runaway hopping which could be present in such a beer.

Colour was deep red, head showed up at the pour and faded quickly to a ring around the edge. Nose was peppery, spicy, and sweet.

Serving type: on-tap

06-11-2003 11:42:15 | More by the42ndtourist

IronDjinn

Alberta (Canada)

4.38/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

From a 341 ml brown bottle. I've had a nasty habit of gobbling this stuff up faster than I can review one, so I've finally set some boundaries of self-restraint to write this one up finally. Pours out a cloudy amber hue, coppery tones when held to light, frothy cream coloured head with solid retention.

Tropical fruit esters, yeasty spice, leafy and citrus hops, warming alcohol and rich bready malt in the aroma.

Full chewy bready malt up front in the flavour, lemon and tangerine follows, building with some yeasty twang and dry spicy, leafy hops towards the finish, melding with warm alcohol and grapefruit pith that lingers on into the aftertaste.

Mouthfeel is on the lighter side of full, with a thick creamy texture and moderate carbonation.

This is a DIPA that not only delivers the goods, but exhibits its own character as well compared to many of the style. Far from being one-dimensional there's a fair amount going on here, yet it's not overwhelming or a Gordian Knot of complexity either. Worth seeking out, and I need to stock up on more.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2011 06:32:09 | More by IronDjinn

NightINgale

Quebec (Canada)

4.38/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

341ml bottle poured into a tulip glass...

A - Pours a hazy dark orange body, with a 1-finger white head. The head sticks around for quite a while.

S - Lots of citrus on the nose, with strong hints of grapefruit and orange. There's also some toffee, bread, apple and a touch of passion fruit.

T - Wow! At first you get slammed in the face with a strong citrus hop kick, with lots of bitterness and a bit of sweetness. Then, the beer opens up with more fruity notes (apples, mangoes, passion fruit) and more sweetness. There is also a very solid malt backbone (despite the beer being more hop-forward), with its toffee, biscuit and bread notes. The finish is a little dry, bready, and very bitter, with hints of grapefruit.

M - Medium to full body to it. Moderate carbonation. The alcohol shows just a little but all in all is well-masked. This beer has got an almost creamy texture, although the strong bitterness might reduce the drinkability a little bit.

O - This certainly is a treat for all the hop-heads out there. This is one of the fruitiest DIPAs and the best Quebec DIPA I've had to date. A beautiful beer. It's a pity it's such a limited release, but that only makes it more special and desirable. Highly recommended!

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2012 23:16:07 | More by NightINgale

Ham-Nord

Ontario (Canada)

4.38/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

A: Pale with amber tones. A good inch of head on the glass, dissipates relatively quickly. Great clarity. Beautiful lacing around the glass.

S: Caramel and maltiness. Nice and sweet. Very little hops.

T: Tropical hops up front, with a slight sharpness. Sweet malty with a medium bitterness lingers in the aftertaste.

M: Nicely carbonated, medium body.

Overall: Delicious beer. Does not taste like 9% abv. Very well balanced.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2013 23:07:50 | More by Ham-Nord

irishkyle21

Ontario (Canada)

4.33/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Every beer I had at DDC were great and I barely put a dent in the lineup (but I did put a big dent in the keg of Peche Mortel). Chaman has a good looking amber color, lacing and retention is on par with what I like to see. I like the glasses they use for this beer (and most of their stronger beers).

Smells of caramel malts, piny/citric hops and spices (from the yeast?).

Tastes like it smells, caramel malts, bitter hops, spices and a warming alcohol.

Serving type: on-tap

09-16-2008 02:33:16 | More by irishkyle21

FondueVoodoo

British Columbia (Canada)

4.31/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

A: A murky amber with a creamy pale head. A tight micro foam head only lingers for a short while, leaving just a scant island of bubbles.

S: Up front sweet caramel and under tones of floral hops. Not that west cost pine or citrus hops, but a mild herby/green hop, like fresh cut cucumber.

T: Grapefruit hops balanced well with sweet toasty malts - a perfect balance act. Some sophisticated alcohol esters suggestive of brandy. A nice earthiness, grassy and floral, and an after taste that is a pleasant hoppy bitter.

M: A syrup-y viscosity that's medium bodied, medium to low carbonation.

O: The simple way to describe this is a sophisticated IPA. It's a leap above an regular IPA, and takes the drinker to a place that a standard IPA can't reach on account of the malt & hop balance and the alcohol presence.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2013 03:18:52 | More by FondueVoodoo

Otterburn

Quebec (Canada)

4.3/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Dieu du Ciel is one of my favorite place to chill out with probably the best beer in Montreal

Last time I went there, I went for Chaman in cask

Serving temperature is a bit warm

Appearance is great, served in a nice little glass, who shows very well the luminosity of the beer and the amber color. as well as the (off)white head that stay and laced the glass sip after sip.

Smell's good IPA

Taste is rich and bitter and the taste last forever,almost.

Drinkability is ok, I would prefer a little bit colder, but this way you can really feel the bitter in your mouth.

Nice beer here!

Serving type: cask

02-01-2009 16:02:14 | More by Otterburn

papat444

Quebec (Canada)

4.3/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 341ml. bottle, bottled May 2011.

Appearance: A frothy off-white head that is easily 4-5 fingers and lasts forever at 3 fingers. Body is orange colored and hazy. Nice looking and good lacing to boot.

Smell: Earthy a bit with spices and pulpy fruit. A bit more sweet than bitter.

Taste: Very strong orange taste with some grapefruit in the aftertaste. Nice earthiness with some spices discreetly thrown in. Really digging the fleshy fruit and the tiny sweet side (burnt sugar) that's hiding in the corners.

Mouthfeel: More balanced than expected. Actually, it's really balanced. No over the top bitterness but it does leave a lasting impression in the mouth. Very smooth feel.

Overall: Not much heat so drinkability is good. I was going to score it a bit lower because i was hoping for a hop bomb but i can't fault a well made beer. Try this for sure.

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2011 01:15:33 | More by papat444

Derek

British Columbia (Canada)

4.28/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I think this is more of a hopped-up Belgian strong pale ale.

A: Rosey-copper, white head, very little retention, more of a leg than a lace.

S: Spicy tangerine, slight citrus & pine, light caramel, fruity esters & alcohol.

T: Warming alcohol (hints of phenolic spicyness) & tropical fruit. I think they've used a Belgian yeast. I should've asked the brewer (as I was sitting next to him at the bar). Perhaps the fermentation temperature just got a little warmer with this batch. Bitterness is up front & sharp. The malt plays backstage here, with only a light caramel flavour. Tangerine with hints of citrus, pine and woody spicyness. Very unique.

M: Moderate body and carbonation, well attenuated, slight hint of acidity, dry finish.

D: Great for its weight.

Serving type: on-tap

05-14-2007 01:28:44 | More by Derek

duracell

Quebec (Canada)

4.28/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

341mL bottle into a tulip glass.

A - Pours an gold, amber color with a moderate white, creamy head which leaves a beautiful lacing on the glass. The retention is good for an 9.0% ABV.

S - Very hoppy smell : citrusy, grassy, floral, perfumy! The malt is also well present, remembering candid fruit.

T - The hop adds a lots of grapefruit flavors and also some notes of pine, citrus and grass. Excellent balance hop/malt.

M - Morderately alchoolic, featuring a medium-full body, this beer is very smooth, keeping the bitterness reasonable.

O - An outstanding Imperial IPA, very complex and perfectly to style! Just seek it out!

Serving type: bottle

07-22-2012 17:32:42 | More by duracell

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.25/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

my canadian connections are getting better and better! served into a pint glass and consumed 5.14.11

Rich dark amber color with a ton of orange highlights mixed in throughout. Tond of haze and a nice two inch foam top that never wanted to settle. The bottom of the glass was riddled with sticky foam once i was done. Really very well done here for sure.

The aroma was tons of sticky, resin like hops all the way. Oodles of pine aroma, mixed in with some rich orange and tangerine. Sight hint of a sweet malty base around here as well. The flavor here was much of the same. Rich pine hops, sticky with a resin like flavor and a good bready and biscuit like base to it. Nice balance here, but still way leaning towards the hops in terms of a definte direction. Nice medium feel was morethen adequatly carbonated and the alachol was soo well hidden, I plowed through this one much quicker then I should have,

Overall this was a solid beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2011 01:42:27 | More by mikesgroove

ZorPrime

Quebec (Canada)

4.25/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I've been waiting to try this one for quite some time now. Lets do this, I've got high expectation for this one. Tasted June 1st, 2011. Review notes says:

Beer color is copper with some orange notes in there. Nice creamy head on top of it. It sticks quite good on the glass. The aroma is of medium intensity, I would have expected more intensity here. Tropical fruits. citrus, grapefruits. A strong base of caramel malts. Taste, it is more intense. It is however a sweet beer, due to the malt base. The finish is all hops with a strong bitterness. Very balanced. Easy to drink. A nice beer from Dieu du Ciel.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2011 01:18:13 | More by ZorPrime

CliffBrake

New Hampshire

4.25/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Slightly hazy orange-amber color with minimal head on a vigorous pour.

Very light aroma with orange rind and a touch of biscuit barely discernible. The flavor doesn't hold back though, with prominent grapefruit and orange rind on a firm malt biscuity malt base. Herbal hop notes poke out toward the dry finish. Bitterness is fairly intense but not harsh and perfectly balanced with the malt.

Very drinkable. The most west coast style of any Canadian DIPA I have tried.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2012 19:02:07 | More by CliffBrake

4ster

Quebec (Canada)

4.24/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Bottle from March, 2013 release. Poured into a large tulip. Labelled as a Imperial Pale Ale....

A: Dark orange, bright but not clear; slightly hazy... Not a strong head as is typical with DIPA's, but is bright white, pretty bubbly that dies to a fine ghostly whisping on top.

S: Herbal, grassy, flowers in a summer field (not overly floral but there), perhaps a hint of pineapple, a bit of lemon and hint of alcohol.

T: Wow.... very different right off the bat. Very fresh up front, grasses, herbs, and RICOLA!! no, seriously, with a hint of lemon and slightly floraly it really tastes like the Swiss cough drop.. but better... I think I will start taking this next time my throat is sore! Finishes more like a strong British Pale Ale, very rich, buttery, peaty malt..and slightly bitter.... my girlfriend describes it as having a similar profile to a light highland scotch perhaps.

M: Refreshing when cold, yet full bodied, medium carbonation, very balanced, nearly no hint of alcohol, and very sticky....

O: While no one else seems to care whether this is a IPA or a Pale Ale, I almost want to say that it actually is closer to a turbo charged Pale Ale, or it might be more similar to a Belgium IPA, either way it is improved over regular pale ales by the addition of more interesting hop profile. With everyone saying it doesn't really taste like a true IPA, perhaps it is because it's not.... Anyway, I digress.... this is a good beer, I'm not a fan traditionally of Pale Ales, but I really like this... it has very unique flavours, is extremely buttery which you don't see in NA beers, extremely earthy and rich (hence the scotch comparison), and easy drinking. And like all DDC, it's unique which is getting harder to find these days as everyone perfects their styles.... Great brew, definitely worth trying once....

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2013 02:16:54 | More by 4ster

Beelzebeer

Newfoundland (Canada)

4.23/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

341ml bottle, in DDC tulip

A - mahogany colour with medium density head, about 1", with good lacing. Looks like alot of carbonation

S - good balance of biscuit malt and citrus hops. Grapefruit, with a little pine.

T - biscuit malt off the top, with some bitter coming in afterwards. Surprisingly nice grapefruit/passionfruit after taste. Alcohol is well hidden, and barely noticeable at all. Good balance of malt and body/hop.

M - Perfect. Low-Medium carbonation, dense, creamy feel. Goes down super smooth.

O - Normally I'm not that big on fruity DIPAs but this one was surprising. I also am normally not into this level of carbonation (it was a little more than a cask would be), but it really worked well. Would like to try it on cask, if it exists, some day to compare. Great job, as always.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2012 21:29:07 | More by Beelzebeer

DaftCaskBC

British Columbia (Canada)

4.23/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to Rutager for this one that was bottled four months ago.

A: Cloudy amber liquid with a very slight cream coloured head.

S: Caramel malt, honey, earthy hops and lemon.

T: Grassy, earthy, and leafy hops up front with a grapefruit and lemon citrus finish. Underlying these hop flavours is a sweet caramel malt base.

M: Somewhat syrupy with a medium to thick viscosity and a low level of carbonation. Some drying from the high ABV.

O: Its nice, but its a bit too syrupy to be considered excellent. Better head retention and more carbonation would knock this one out of the park.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2012 00:04:58 | More by DaftCaskBC

Cadbury

Ontario (Canada)

4.23/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.25

Enjoyed from a tulip.

Appearance: A hazy orange with no head. There is a very small amount of foam that forms around the class - perhaps 1mm. 4.5.

Smell: I would say it has a very lively smell. I most notably get a scent of floral hops. 4/5.

Taste: Very nice caramel notes at the start and finishes with a fantastic hops driven bitterness that's not overwhelming, but certainly notable. 4.5/5.

Mouthfeel: Although other reviewers suggest medium bodied, I feel it's a little bit more thin than I was expecting. I certainly enjoy the level of carbonation, however. 3.5/5.

Overall: I am pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed this beer. I am typically not a fan DIPAs but I thought that I needed to try this. I would definitely seek out and drink this again. 4.25/5.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2013 01:35:56 | More by Cadbury