Dernière Volonté - Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel

eduardolinhalis

Switzerland

4.23/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

341ml bottle served in a tulip glass.

Reviewing it while bottling my 4th home-made IPA :)

A: Beautiful bottle art, Dieu du Ciel trademark. Pours a hazy bright orange color forming a creamy and compact beige head. Great retention and lots of lingering and molasses lacings left in the glass

S: Absolutely belgian in the nose :). Sweet malts, candy sugar, spices, flowery hops and earthy yeasts. Notes of honey, dark fruits, cinnamon and cloves

T: Follow the nose. Sweet, fruity and spicy upfront. Notes of candy sugar, caramel malts, cinnamon, cloves, honey, earthy yeasts, peaches, white bread. Complex. Delicious. Finish is slightly hoppy bitter

M: Creamy molasses body. Medium carbonation. Sweet and spicy aftertaste

O: Very drinkable. It's not at all a Belgian IPA but a Belgian Strong Ale. Great beer which is no surprise considering the brewery

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2013 20:36:56 | More by eduardolinhalis

pkalix

California

4.38/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

hazy, typical bright orange-y-yellow with a little creamy head on top. head disappeared for the most part but leaves a cling-y, sticky lace-y foam down the sides... very nice.
smell is floral, hop-py, and some citrus.... kind of belgium-y; it's what it tries to be, right?
taste is citrus-y up front with a slight hop bitterness on the way down. lots of citrus, in fact; i can taste the orange and lemon distinctly, mixed in with the hops.
overall, it's another wanna-be belgium from canada, just like the unibroue line up. still decent, but more rich and sweet than i prefer. also, the american wanna-be belgiums are catching up and putting our some really good brews, so the canadian wanna-be's have some competition.... but overall it's a decent product. just not my favorite, and i prefer the real belgiums...

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 01:38:16 | More by pkalix

ThickNStout

Georgia

3.1/5  rDev -22.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3

341mL (11.5oz) bottle from La Duchesse D'Aiguillon (Quebec City). 2.39. I'm not sure what to make of the notched 6&2. Served in a Southern Tier snifter.

Pours hazy straw yellow with two fluffy fingers of near white head. Lots of lace.

Smells of floral hops, funky yeast and mildly earthy.

That sharp, funky, spicy yeast pretty much dominates the taste. Other flavors include earthy floral hops, hay, dried grass, pepper and lemon. Strange.

Medium bodied with a huge dose of carbonation. Long yeasty lemon pepper finish.

Just when I start thinking that I might enjoy Belgian IPAs, this pops up and I have to take a step back. It wasn't bad per se but it didn't have what I was hoping for.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2013 05:43:35 | More by ThickNStout

CanuckRover

Ontario (Canada)

3.84/5  rDev -4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Pours a cloudy straw-gold. Champagne head, good retention. Well defined lacings to the finish.

Definitely Belgian on the nose. Big spicy yeast, dusty cloves.

Yeast is the star of this show. Spices, cloves again, mingling with light fruit, pear being the standout. Citrus flavour pop through eventually, but I find the yeast chews them up and spits them out. Not that that's a horrible thing, it's a nice Belgian pale.

A great complex Belgian pale, but I kind of struggle to find the "I" part of that. Belgian base is a bit too bold for the hops. Funny that. Still a great drink though.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2013 22:18:25 | More by CanuckRover

Beelzebeer

Newfoundland (Canada)

4.74/5  rDev +18.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

330ml bottle, served in DDC tulip. Bottled August 2012. A little old.

A - Copious, billowy head, with a body the colour of a light unfiltered apple juice.

S - Juicy fruit hops, citrus, yeast

T - Banana, juicy fruit, the more bitter hops have dissipated, leaving more fruit behind. Delicious either way.

M - Good medium carbonation, medium body, perfect for the style.

O - Perfect! Keep up the good work DDC

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2013 02:39:44 | More by Beelzebeer

Rutager

British Columbia (Canada)

3.88/5  rDev -3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Thanks papat444!!

Appearance. Pours a hazy, rich gold colour with almost two fingers of white head.

Smell. Fruity Belgian yeast and just a hint of spicy hops and clean malt.

Taste. Light malts, some earthy, bitter hops and some light, fruity belgian yeast. Fairly dry.

Mouthfeel. Medium body with fairly strong, smooth carbonation.

Overall. A nice dry Belgian IPA with some decent hops.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2013 00:32:01 | More by Rutager

joeseppy

Illinois

4.29/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Pours a cloudy orange with chunks floating around. Thick foamy head.

Aroma of citrus hops, funky fruits and yeasty notes.

Taste tropical fruit notes and banana (probably from the yeast). Tones of candy sugar sweetness. Finishes with a mild bitterness and some Belgium yeast funk.

Mouthfeel is dry and crisp.

A delicious blond ale I look forward to having again.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2013 03:34:40 | More by joeseppy

papat444

Quebec (Canada)

4.13/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

New label which looks a lot cooler, not that the older one wasn't nice. They've switched styles to Belgian IPA.

Poured from a 341ml. bottle, bottled 08/12.

Appearance: A very hazy light orange-gold body. Thick, fluffy white head sits atop and clings all around pretty good.

Smell: Very floral, unobtrusive hop aroma, yeast-like esters, mangoes, bit of spice notes.

Taste: Can tell the recipe's been tweaked as the hops are more prominent in a Belgian way if that makes any sense. Ends on a spice-like note. Pears and other fruits are present in the middle. Dash of sweetness and honey as well.

Mouthfeel: A restrained bitterness balances well with stronger malt presence.

Overall: A Belgian ale that is just enough hoppy. Well done.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2012 02:57:58 | More by papat444

puboflyons

New Hampshire

4.35/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From the 11.5 fl. oz. bottle. Sampled on December 15, 2012.

The pour is a handsome looking light copper-amber with a long lasting silky head.

I cannot quite define the aroma. It most definitely has an orange, nectarine, or clementine note with a little spice but more on the sweet side.

The body is about medium and fairly smooth.

The taste is much like the aroma with a vibrant citrus flavor that tends to favor oranges or nectarines. Some spicy or peppery notes. The bitterness is moderate and lingers briefly on the palate. Very nice beer all in all.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2012 23:49:24 | More by puboflyons

Philousa

California

3.45/5  rDev -13.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Appearance is metallic golden, clear, with white, billowy head that settles to a thin layer. Aroma is sweet, corn or beet sugar and white grape juice, with cracker, biscuit and honey. Taste starts somewhat thick with honey and overcooked biscuit, moves to grassy, nectary hops and a thick mouthfeel. Hops linger on the back of the tongue, but it's lacking the gross candied sugar throat feel. Very solid, but there's better out there imho.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2012 18:47:21 | More by Philousa

WanderingFool

Massachusetts

4.03/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Dernière Volonté a hazy straw yellow with a moderate, frothy white head on top. The foam dissolves slowly to a sheet on the surface and leaves behind a netted pattern of lace on the glass.

The aroma is spicy with some fruit and citrus mixed in. Bready malt, pepper, orange citrus and green apple are all present.

Each sip of this medium bodied beer is creamy with moderate carbonation. The flavor has a fair amount of Belgian notes with some sweet malt and a touch of citrus. It starts with fruit flavors of apple and peach, which is quickly followed by pepper and clove. In the background there's a taste of malt sweetness. It finishes dry with a little orange citrus. Once gone the pepper and citrus lingers on the palate.

This is a tasty beer that's well balanced between Belgian spice, hops and malt.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2012 00:31:19 | More by WanderingFool

superspak

Michigan

4.15/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

330 ml bottle into tulip glass, no bottle dating. Slight gusher upon opening. Pours murky golden amber color with a nice 3 finger fluffy off white head with fantastic retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lasts. Nice foamy lacing clings around the glass. Aromas of big lemon zest, pear, honey, grape, orange, herbal, grass, bread, earth, floral, pepper, and yeast spiciness. Damn nice aromas with good balance and complexity. Taste of orange, lemon, pear, bread, herbal, grass, floral, pepper, earth, candi sugar, light caramel, and yeast spiciness. Lingering notes of citrus, light fruit, pepper, floral, grass, bread, candi sugar, light caramel, and earth on the finish for a good bit. Very nice Belgian/hop flavor balance with good complexity; zero cloying flavors after the finish. Medium-high carbonation and medium bodied; with a very smooth, crisp, and slightly dry mouthfeel that is very nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with nearly zero warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is an excellent hoppy blond ale! Great flavor balance and complexity; extremely smooth and crisp to drink. Really enjoyable offering.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2012 03:59:34 | More by superspak

EatsTacos

Yukon (Canada)

4.43/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I've had the pleasure of this beer both on tap and many times bottled, this review is based on the bottled beer

Poured into a tall glass and swirling the bottom 1/3 sediment yeast on the bottom of the bottle the beer is cloudy with a great clumpy, dense foam. As the head dies the glass is beautifully laced.

Wonderfully complex aroma is a mix of bright citrus hops married with the complex (wild?) yeasty characteristic belgian-inpired smell. The nose is really a great blend of bright hop aroma with musty, earthy, grassy yeast fermentation aroma. 4/0 only because it lacks some intensity of aroma.

This beer leans much toward bittering hop taste than it does malt sweetness, and for my taste that works very well for the style. This is a great beer to stimulate appetite or to accompany fish or chicken, pasta, or spicy foods. With an old cheddar (as I'm enjoying it now while watching NFL network) it works particularly well. I'm reminded of bitter orange peel and grapefruit juice balanced with the underlying malt sweetness to make this beer quite drinkable.

Quite carbonated out of the bottle as the beer is bottle conditioned. Full bodied. As it warms up I find it softens the carbonation and the drinkability improves. I wouldn't recommend this beer straight from the fridge.

Another great offering from Dieu du Ciel, and coming from a Montrealer who drinks a lot of beer from this brewery, this brew is a favourite and a staple of mine.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2012 04:39:16 | More by EatsTacos

ThePorterSorter

New York

4.25/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer pours a lovely, hazy golden amber with a generous, fluffy, white head that laces. There is a touch of loose sediment and plenty of carbonation to maintain a constant blanketing of fluffy. The nose is yeasty, bitter, and slightly alcoholic. Initially, it's not as refined as I'd hoped, but as the beer warms more notes of honey and citrus break through. The taste is lovely and unique. It's grainy sweetness to resiny bitterness ratio is quite balanced, while subtle citrus and yeastiness build up and compliment this balance. The beer is medium bodied and well-attenuated with a slight honey sweetness and residual hoppy bitterness. Although this isn't one of my favorite styles of beer, it's a great beer that exemplifies the style.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2012 02:12:55 | More by ThePorterSorter

woosterbill

Connecticut

4.08/5  rDev +2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

330ml bottle into a Duvel tulip. Thanks to Von Schplieffen for sharing.

A: Clear amber body underneath a dense, creamy finger of white foam. Great retention and lacing. Lovely.

S: Very fresh, aromatic blend of fruity esters and floral hops. Citrus, apple, and a touch of malt. Really nice.

T: Tart pear, peach, and citrus up front, followed by some breadiness. Generally smooth, but surprisingly there's a touch of booziness on the finish. Tasty all the same.

M: Lively, creamy carbonation in a medium body. Great.

O: Excellent beer. The fresh fruitiness was terrific.

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2012 03:00:55 | More by woosterbill

LiquidAmber

Washington

3.88/5  rDev -3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Review from 5/2010 notes. Poured into a Gulden Draak tulip. Pours a murky orange brown with a rich white head. Fruit, light citrus, spicy aroma. Flavor of light citrus, malt and fruit. Dry light fruit middle and dry, slightly hoppy finish. Well made, but with little Belgian spicing. Medium bodied. Interesting take on a Belgian ale.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2012 21:15:03 | More by LiquidAmber

AdamBear

Pennsylvania

4.15/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

A-cloudy gold with a thick white head.

S-slightly tart and yet spicy pale Belgian malts. Medium to good strength

T-a mild taste of grassy pale Belgian malts. It's pretty bitter! It's very mild besides the bitterness. Matching after-taste. 

M-high carbonation with a crisp finish

O-a surprisingly raw and well brewed Belgian style from a non Belgian brewery. It doesn't have much complexity to it but it's an enjoyable mild brew. Probably one of the better pale Belgians I've had at the low abv. 

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2012 00:24:09 | More by AdamBear

russpowell

Oklahoma

3.93/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a chill-hazed gold with 3+ fingers of cream colored head. Crazy head retention & lacing, still hazed

S: Faint breadyness & phenols, & orchard fruit

T: Earthy breadyness, some lemon & grapefruit, white pepper& green apple peels up front. Some leafy hops, orchard fruit, lemons & more green apple as this warms. Finishes with some grapefruit, more leafy & then herbal hops, & pears

MF: Medium bodied, low carbonation, nice balance

A nice Belgian PA, I did expect more from this brewery, but respectable none the less, plenty pricey too

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2012 01:42:24 | More by russpowell

csiewert

Oregon

3.35/5  rDev -16.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A - hazy light amber color with a lot of head, good retention and good lacing.

S - bready malt with some earthy/floral hops... Nicely balanced

T - sweet bready malt, honey, some alcohol, with a touch of bitterness at the end

M - a little cloying in the sweetness department

O - a decent Belgian blonde (not a Belgian pale)... Could use a little more hops to balance the sweetness

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2012 05:50:40 | More by csiewert

DrinkSlurm

Connecticut

4.05/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from bottle into tulip. Pours a hazy orange hay color. Very strong malt aromas...english malts? Some hop and a slight belgian yeast aroma. Taste is very malty. Almost overly malty, but I think its the goal here. Very buscuity malts. Hops are really dominating though. Very piney slightly bitter hops...can we call this a north coast brew?? You heard it here first!
Overall a really great brew. I don't know if its world class but is deff great.
My first DDC brew and can't wait for more!

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2012 23:33:49 | More by DrinkSlurm

tony223366

California

4.23/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: First off nice head. I have high expectations in regards to head on my BPAs and BSPAs! This one passes with three fingers of fizzy white head. Not perfect because the retention isn't fantastic but there is some lacing as well. Color is a tan golden color. Not the most brilliant but not bad either. The beer is very foggy, but that's because I knowingly put the yeast in with the beer. It's actually more chunky than most so we'll have to see how that effects the beer.

S: This beer smells amazing! The dry hopping is definitely effective! But first and foremost those fruity esters from the yeast come out loud and clear. It's really fruity with apple aromas. The malts come out almost entirely as a grain with a hint of a more sweet caramel base. Finally the hops... wow! Very spicy, earthy aromas that lean more towards the herbal qualities of hops. Awesome

T: This beer is very good, but slightly different than the aroma. The hops and yeast take forefront for me as a spicy, earthy flavor. Then right after I get those fruity flavors of apples and maybe pear. Past that it's more sweet maltiness that I love followed by a decently bitter finish. The beer switched directions on me but not in a bad way at all.

M: Good prickly carbonation on this medium bodied beer. Frothy at the same time as smooth.

O: Totally took me off guard with the more present hop flavors. But it's totally in a good way. Love this beer and I am now determined to have all of this fantastic brewers offerings.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2012 04:54:08 | More by tony223366

NightINgale

Quebec (Canada)

4.35/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

341ml bottle poured into a large tulip glass...

A - Orange/Medium golden colour to the body. Very rich white head that leaves plenty of lacing on the sides of the glass. This beer looks really nice!

S - The aroma is full of those Belgian yeast flowery and fruity notes, with hints of sour dough, caramel, and grass.

T - This is quite hoppy for what it is, with enough flowery and citrusy notes and a pretty apparent bitterness. There is also a very good level of sweetness (with hints of caramel, honey, and Belgian Candi sugar) and a slight spiciness going on. You might also taste a little bit of apple and/or pear. The after-taste is a little dry, a little bready, and quite bitter, showing us that the dry-hopping had made a difference.

M - Medium-bodied, not too carbonated. Very smooth, almost creamy texture.The alcohol is masked very well. After some time, it begins to dry up the palate a little bit.

O - I've always seen this beer around but for some reason was always ignoring it. After I tried it, I realised how much I'd been missing out. This is a very well brewed Belgian Pale ale that is very smooth, extremely pleasant to drink and packs lots of flavour, while not going over the top with the ABV. Here in Montreal, this beer is also very affordable. Recommended!

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2012 00:03:07 | More by NightINgale

DavoleBomb

Ohio

3.58/5  rDev -10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a snifter.

4.0 A: Orangish brown color. I poured all the yeasty goodness in and that seems to be settling slowly on the bottom. Two fingers of creamy white head. Retention is good and plenty of lacing is left.

3.5 S: Lot of peach in this. Apple orchard-type funk. Flowery, earthy, and mildly spicy hops. Some light pepper from the yeast. Moderately yeasty and bready.

3.5 T: Tastes like the nose. Peachy fruitiness with a light apple funkiness. Flowery and earthy with a touch of spice. Peppery and yeastiness from yeast. Bready maltiness.

4.0 M: Medium body. Lightly spritzy with a nice creaminess. Good here.

3.5 D: It's a tasty beer, but it's ungodly expensive for what it is so I doubt I'll ever buy it again.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2012 23:27:51 | More by DavoleBomb

Kacid

California

4.5/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: hazy honey yellow, strong bubbles and a thick lacy 2 finger head, head that lasted medium long and resided into a thick lacing. delicious
Nose:sweet white winey yeast, floral, spicy, honey very sweet sweet refreshing honey
Taste: spicey, strong carbonation, honey and flora aromas,
Sharp medium strong hop bitters ness that fades quickly. The esters really open up as this beer warms; it a acquires spicy lemon. That sweet malty honey backbone (crystal malt) truly makes this beer so complex and aromatic and refreshing; as it warms it a quires a peppery aftertaste, also it acquires a stronger orange
Having had the red wine aged just previous to this one earlier today cant tell how this was seen to be a perfect candidate for souring/innoculation in barrel and aging in oak, more so red wine. Has light vinous and dry notes,. The dry hop bitterness is definitely what gave a backbone to the other
It definitely was a good choice to age in red and not white wine oak barrels. The sharp contrast is just fitting enough to pair well with this.
Overal: this beer is amazing, so wonderful and complex. To be honest it is amongst the first belgian pale that i've liked so incredibly much. Outside of orval, duvet and delirium tremens, unibroue don de diueu and fin du monde i have not found belgians i truly like. This one is unique because it is such low alcohol and so refreshingly light. This beer is truly worth the high score on BA.
Would be interesting to somehow add some tart lemony notes to this. Is it possible to sour this with some bret/lacto (and optional add lemon)

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2012 08:19:10 | More by Kacid

ehammond1

California

3.7/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On Tap

Churchill's Pub & Grille
San Marcos, CA

Slightly hazed golden yellow in color with a thin, creamy near-white head that eventually leaves thin ribbons of lace down the glass.

A near classic, though muted Belgian pale aroma, with distinct Belgian style yeast, some musk, a bit of black pepper, lemon, and floral notes.

The flavor is a nice combination of sweet malts, musk, Belgian yeast, some floral and citrus notes, and a moderate level of bitterness. Very drinkable.

Medium bodied with high carbonation.

A very nice example of the style, though somewhat simple.

Serving type: on-tap

03-26-2012 00:17:37 | More by ehammond1