Chaman - Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel

Otterburn

Quebec (Canada)

4.3/5  rDev +5.4%
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

Rastacouere

Quebec (Canada)

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

Cask-conditioned Clear amber appearance with red suggestions and a yellowish thin head. Aroma is very fresh, mostly from grassy herbal hops. A very "green" aroma with hints at salt and pepper. The mouthfeel is top notch, big and creamy medium body, ultra-smooth and convincing/appealing. Herbal grassy bitterness all the way with earthy peaks. Caramelic malt shines through in the middle while the finish is crisp and leaves a salty aftertaste. A very fresh tasting ale and better than the Rogue I2PA it was inspired from in my opinion.

Serving type: cask

03-15-2004 19:11:33 | More by Rastacouere

4ster

Quebec (Canada)

4.24/5  rDev +3.9%
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

biegaman

Ontario (Canada)

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

Dieu Du Ciel! Chaman isn't your typical sunny, tropical DIPA and it shows in its somewhat gloomy appearance; its dark orange colour is completely overcast and proffers little highlighting and no clarity whatsoever. Tiny bubbles swirl like souls in the inferno and, once surfaced, forgo making any head to just be immortalized right onto the sides of the glass.

One sniff of Chaman will have you seeing green. Mint, flowers, grass clippings, leaves and tree resins - there's such a general 'earthy' profile that it's actually real easy to see the forest for the trees, so to speak. Rounding out the bouquet is dried orange peel and a little bit of onion skin smell that is not unheard of for DIPAs. It wouldn't make the fainthearted, well, faint.

Ample hopping provides a mouthful of savory dried herbs, tangy orange peel as well as a shot of lemon acidity in the finish. There's enough grass and florals to instill a "spring day" feeling. Crisply toasted malts also give way to caramel sweetness and a wholesome breadiness. Does that label read 9% or 6%? Alcohol is blended right into the flavour and is thus much easier to take.

Unlike other Canadian examples this doesn't allow the malt to interfere too much with the hops. At the same time, however, its earthy and herbal profile is a far cry from the lip-splittingly citric fruitiness that is most often associated with the style. All in all, it provides enough hoppiness to scratch a hop-head's itch but it won't render them weak in the knees or anything.

The double-IPA originated on the American West Coast but has found true admirers and raison d'être amongst brewers and consumers all over the world. This French-Canadian rendition is a bit different - apparently Quebecers like even their beers to be distinctive - but still provides a satisfying amount of big, green, pungent hoppiness. Like anything by DDC, it's worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2013 03:46:14 | More by biegaman

decimator

Ontario (Canada)

3.93/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

341ml bottle poured into a goblet. ABV 9%.

A - Poured a clear copper with a thin white head. No lacing.

S - Biscuit, caramel, herbs, grass, hint of tropical fruit, hint of pine, hint of alcohol.

T - Mildly sweet, some caramel, some biscuit, orange peel, hint of cloves, some bitterness, and a bit of booze. The alcohol is certainly noticeable but not overpowering. It's not a hop bomb but the bitterness has a lasting aftertaste. The flavour is well balanced between the upfront maltiness and bitter aftertaste.

M -Medium-low carbonation, medium-heavy body, a bit syrupy, sticky, some dryness in the finish.

O - Good stuff.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2013 03:01:01 | More by decimator

Digimaika2

Ontario (Canada)

3.99/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Bottled in February 2013.

(4.25) A: Clear copper with a tall and creamy foam head. Long lasting retention and very good retention.

(4.0) S: Grains, herbal, pine, sourdough, spices, and nuts. The herbal quality is coming across like mustard seed. Hearty and robust. Nice diversity and definitely does not smell like your average Imperial IPA.

(4.0) T: Juicy tropical fruits, a smoother herbal element, fair amount of spices, and a rich buttered bread backbone. Incredibly mellow and smooth. A fair amount of bitterness with a sweeter malt forward taste. Full flavoured (meal-like) without a doubt.

(3.75) M: Medium-full bodied with a moderate carbonation. Very thick and chewy textured which I find works here.

(4.0) D: A nice DDC offering however this isn’t something that I can drink on a regular basis. Every once in a while it’s very nice.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2013 01:11:15 | More by Digimaika2

Cadbury

Ontario (Canada)

4.23/5  rDev +3.7%
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

Ham-Nord

Ontario (Canada)

4.38/5  rDev +7.4%
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

hopsolutely

Ontario (Canada)

4.11/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

New (to me) via the LCBO, but an excellent DIPA that compares well against both Michigan and Californian releases.

Bottle pours a bright and clear copper with a limited white head that disappears quickly. Refreshingly light, not as oily or viscous as I'd expected for the high ABV, and an artistic label make it an attractive package. Powerful aroma of caramelized malts with a funky bitter backbone. That bitterness is surprisingly prevalent and pleasant in the taste, which has an initial brief sweetness before the hops kick in. And linger in the finish. Caramel in the start with grapefruit and biting "west coast" tropical fruit - it's a complex and impressive flavour profile that I can't describe with the justice it deserves.

Well done DdC, wish we had better access to more of your beers without crossing the provincial border!

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2013 19:31:04 | More by hopsolutely

FondueVoodoo

British Columbia (Canada)

4.31/5  rDev +5.6%
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

leaddog

Alberta (Canada)

4.2/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance - Pours a cloudy apricot-amber colour with a very thin amount of white head.

Smell - Earthy hops, caramalts, dark fruit, hint of passionfruit.

Taste - Moderate hop flavour with hints of caramel and dark fruit. A little sweet, but not too cloying. Bitter finish.

Mouthfeel - Medium-full bodied with light carbonation.

Overall - An enjoyable, drinkable imperial pale ale by Dieu du Ciel. Definitely a hop bomb, frequently reminding you of the hops' presence from start to bitter finish. Alcohol is well hidden.

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2012 01:38:52 | More by leaddog

DaftCaskBC

British Columbia (Canada)

4.23/5  rDev +3.7%
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

TheSevenDuffs

Ontario (Canada)

3.58/5  rDev -12.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottled on 05/12. So about 3 months on this one. Poured int o tulip.

A - Medium orange with a golden glow along the bottom. One finger of cream coloured head.

S - Sweet caramel up front with floral and piney hop aromas and a touch of spice in the background.

T - A big bitterness up front that immediately gives way to a big sweet malt profile. The hops return in the finish adding some lemon, pine, herbal and grassy flavours that are somewhat muted.

M - Medium body with a lot of sticky hop oils and a good chew. Light carbonation.

O - A very good balanced DIPA. The ABV is well hidden. Would love to try this fresh and/or on tap.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2012 13:27:37 | More by TheSevenDuffs

MasterSki

Illinois

3.98/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bottle from papat444. Dated April 2012, so approximately three months old when consumed. Served in a Russian River tulip.

A - Transparent golden body topped with an off-white foam that settles to a thin cap and spotty lace.

S - Unfortunately this has faded quite a bit, as you'd expect from a 3-month old IIPA. Toffee and honey-dipped breadymalts, with light notes of pine, lemon citrus, herbs, grassy, and floral hops. I suspect this was a fairly balanced beer to begin with, and the malt character has sufficient depth to keep things interesting.

T - The flavor is heavy on caramel and brown sugar malt sweetness mid-palate before yielding to a piney hop finish and moderately bitter aftertaste. Alcohol is well-disguised.

M - Medium-bodied, with a nice toasty texture and dry finish. Pleasant moderate carbonation, with a hint of alcohol warmth. Pretty easy to drink for 9%.

D - I'd like to re-evaluate this with a fresher sample (ideally on-tap at Dieu Du Ciel), as it seems to be a very unique and unconventional Imperial IPA. I appreciate the opportunity all the same though.

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2012 20:42:19 | More by MasterSki

duracell

Quebec (Canada)

4.28/5  rDev +4.9%
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

Beelzebeer

Newfoundland (Canada)

4.23/5  rDev +3.7%
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

Rutager

British Columbia (Canada)

4.13/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks Hoppypocket for this quebec treat!

Appearance. Pours a hazy gold amber with a finger of creamy white head.

Smell. Toasty and slightly sour light grains. Herby, earthy and citrus hops.

Taste. Lemons and oranges, good bitter hops, well-toasted grains, slightly floral. Pretty nice, lots of flavour.

Mouthfeel. Medium+ body with medium-low carbonation.

Overall. Really stands out from the crowd as far as hop bombs go. Tons of bitter hops and bright citrus fruits ...with that ddc sophistication.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2012 22:56:17 | More by Rutager

NightINgale

Quebec (Canada)

4.38/5  rDev +7.4%
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

NForr

Quebec (Canada)

4.03/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Dieu Du Ciel - Chaman - Imperial Pale Ale - 9% - Montreal, QC.

Pours out a beautiful golden amber, with a good sized head with tons of lacing.

Aromas of funky hops, peppery, not as much citrus fruit as I would have expected. Some yeast and metallic smells. Sugars.

Sweet malt with very herbal and earthy hops. Much different then I was expecting. Almost like an strong old english pale with a big hop backbone. Good bitterness at the end. Goes down very smooth. I think I could chug this, even at 9%.

I've been wanted to try this one for a really long time now, as it only comes out once a year. I'm Glad I picked up a good amount.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2012 15:37:46 | More by NForr

CliffBrake

New Hampshire

4.25/5  rDev +4.2%
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

BGDrock

Ontario (Canada)

4.18/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From notes:

Appearance: unfiltered and as a result very cloudy; pale amber; decent head with fine suds

Aroma: green, grassy hops jump out; some floral hops too; mild sweetness in background somewhat like apples or grapes; hint of spice

Taste & Mouthfeel: slightly creamy texture, some light, sweet malts at start but quickly turns to hop bitterness that keeps on building; added character from the unfiltered yeast is an interesting dynamic

Overall: great variety and play of flavours, even if it's not much to look at

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2012 15:19:39 | More by BGDrock

IronDjinn

Alberta (Canada)

4.38/5  rDev +7.4%
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

ZorPrime

Quebec (Canada)

4.25/5  rDev +4.2%
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

Dawkfan

Alberta (Canada)

3.63/5  rDev -11%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Reviewed awhile back.

A- A fine tight off white colored head atop a hazed honey apricot body. Retention and lacing are very good.

S- Lots of sweet caramel biscuity malt, pine and citrus. Fairly strong aroma and the booziness burns the nostrils a bit.

T- A wierd mix of pine,citrus, herbal and spicy hops with a huge malt backbone to it. Mild bitterness lingering in the finish. Somewhat boozy too.

M- This is a beefy DIPA, but the carbonation really eases this one down without becoming to heavy.

O- It's a bit to sweet for my liking and it's kind of a mix between a west coast DIPA and an English IPA, which was tiresome at the end. "Different" would sum this one up best for me.

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2011 17:18:26 | More by Dawkfan

jrenihan

Ontario (Canada)

3.93/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottled May 2011. Not as fresh as could be hoped.

Beer is light orange in colour, caramelly. Small white head, dissipates quickly. Little lacing.

Granted it is five months old, but the scent is quite unexpected. A grapefruity scent, but not in the way that IPAs typically have that smell. A bit soapy. Kind of floral. There is an additional smell that I cannot quite place. Sort of malty but does not have any of the caramel or biscuit scents that often occur. On reading the ingredients, I see that there is wheat in here as well, which explains a fair bit.

Beer is fairly bitter, even in spite of the five months. Citrusy, some pine, a bit tart. The wheat influence is notieable and works well. An unusual taste for a DIPA, very much following the nose. Pretty good!

High carbonation, full bodied, a bit sticky.

A pretty unusual DIPA, but it works well. Quite enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2011 00:42:00 | More by jrenihan