Dernière Volonté - Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel

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

socon67

New York

3.33/5  rDev -16.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Impressive pour of golden color with a soapy thick white foam. Lacing is consistent. A bit of yeasty sediment is noted.

S - Scents of fresh bread & apples\pears is what I get. Almost has a cider semll.

T - I found it sort of bland. Scents don't translate to the taste. There is an acidic finish to this. While crisp, it just isn't all that noteworthy.

M - Feels medium bodied. Minimal carbonation. The diacetyl burn at the end is a bit intrusvie.

O - For those that love belgian pales, this is worth trying. I like many of the Dieu De Ciel offerings, but this one didn't do much for me.

Serving type: on-tap

11-03-2011 20:41:41 | More by socon67

jlindros

Massachusetts

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

Had on tap@ Armsby Abbey.

Big creamy head forces a long slow pour. Fluffy head fades slowly with a heavy messy Belgian lacing over crystal clear golden wheat color.

Nose of definite Belgian light malts and a fruit Belgian yeast. Light pale grassy mild hops in there as well. Little lemongrass. Nose is soft and effervescent.

Taste is more Belgian malts with some light sweetness, plenty of fruity Belgian yeast. The hops come a lot stronger with lots of grassy spicy hops, and a little astringency and some musty hop resin. Clean and drinkable with light malty finish, dries a bit, and leaves a long bitter grassy nectar and resinous hop.

Mouth is medium to lighter bodied nice a crisp with good carbonation.

Drinability is pretty good with some hoppy resin and little astringency but finishes clean and crisp and very drinkable.

Serving type: on-tap

10-22-2010 21:08:56 | More by jlindros

megahurts4

Louisiana

4.45/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel Dernière Volonté (Derniere Volonte)
on tap at The Avenue Pub, New Orleans, LA

Appearance: Light orange, medium head, and good lacing.

Smell: Orange-grapefruit citrus, slight yeast, and hops.

Taste: Malty citrusy hops.

Mouthfeel: Medium and smooth.

Overall:
This is easily drank. It is very well balanced.

Serving type: on-tap

10-21-2010 04:36:15 | More by megahurts4

Thorpe429

Illinois

2.93/5  rDev -26.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

On tap at Max's. Poured into their royalesque chalice.

Light golden with pretty good head and lacing. Smells of soap and slight grain. Taste is about the same. Slightest hint of toffee and no real depth. Feel is light with prickly carbonation. Drinks light without much flavor.

Serving type: on-tap

10-10-2010 16:10:59 | More by Thorpe429

laituegonflable

Australia

3.95/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a pale gold with translucent haze. Head is modest, white, nice specks of lace being left behind as it slowly goes down. Steady carbonation throughout the body. Looks good, but I'm not quite sure about that much haze in a BPA.

Nose has a huge sweet aroma. Lots of fruit with fresh pineapple, citrus, lots of cake dough and light toffee edge to the malt. Slight hint of dry-roasted coriander seeds at the back, just enough to spice and funkify this delicious fruity smell.

Taste is very fruity and tangy. Lots of candied pineapple with slight passionfruit and almost a berry character as well. Lots of cinnamon comes through on the mid with a baked apple sweet/sour character as well. A hit of phenolic Belgian yeast bitterness underlies and comes to the fore at the end. Pleasant but a little overpowering at the finish line. Could use more complexity in the sweet front, it's a little too refined-sugar, while finish is clean but leaves a hint of dry-ash feel.

A pleasant drinking beer with a couple of challenging flavours, but goes down smooth. Very enjoyable.

Serving type: on-tap

08-19-2010 01:02:56 | More by laituegonflable

lacqueredmouse

Australia

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

On tap at the Local Taphouse Sydney's Canadian Beer SpecTapular.

Pours a clousy, very pale yellow. Frothy, creamy head of pure white, with lots of carbonation feeding it. It looks like whipped egg-white on the top of the beer. Nice.

Quite fruity on the nose, with nice big round Belgian yeast notes and a touch of spice. Not huge hoppy characters, given that it's supposedly dry-hopped, but there are some restrained tropical fruit notes which more set off the Belgian yeast. Potent but pleasant.

Taste has odd hoppiness to it which jangles a little against the round and spicy Belgian body. Sweet entry, spice and hops bouncing off each other, and a dry, lightly bitter and phenolic finish.

Mouthfeel is clear and clean and smooth. Very lovely.

Very nice. Interesting twist to a pretty well made Belgian ale, that works. Very drinkable all up.

Serving type: on-tap

08-17-2010 01:33:44 | More by lacqueredmouse

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

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

This beer appears a hazy pale golden hue, with a little thin white head, which leaves pretty decent lace around the glass. The aroma is citrus hops and light white grain. The taste is light yeasty malt, citrus, and a bit of booze. The fizziness quotient is moderate, the body medium and pith-like, and it finishes off-dry with some warm fruitiness.

Serving type: on-tap

08-09-2009 06:51:28 | More by biboergosum

plaid75

New York

4/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On draft at the brewpub, Montreal.

Poured a cloudy light copper hue with a one finger foamy white head. There was good retention and good lacing.

The smell featured an estery yeast, an earthy hop and a light sweetness.

The taste mirrored the aroma and featured a pronounced peppery hop.

The mouthfeel was of average fullness for the style.

Overall a tasty and user-friendly ale. Nice dry hopping.

Serving type: on-tap

03-30-2009 16:23:21 | More by plaid75

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.73/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Cloudy yellow, good head, lace. Good carbonation. Dry hoppy finish, citrus spice yeast, medium mouthfeel. Mondiale 2005 where they were generous with sample sizes. Satisfying Belgian Pale. Nothing disapointing from this brewery, but this was an over-the-top highlight.

Serving type: on-tap

06-05-2005 06:08:44 | More by northyorksammy

Goldorak

Quebec (Canada)

3.78/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Hazy blonde, with light lacing.

Smell: Slightly citrusy, could use a bit more pop.

Taste: Grassy, almost milky mouthfeel, with an excellent hop aftertaste and lip smacking dryness. I think they tweaked thier recipe, because it used to be only 6.0% and I don't remember it being so hoppy. Fans of Hommelbier would enjoy this one.

Serving type: on-tap

01-19-2005 00:09:12 | More by Goldorak

francisweizen

Australia

4.13/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Another excellent offering from Dieu Du Ciel. This one was a dry hopped abbey style Belgian pale ale. This was a nice light golden colour with a small white head that lasted for a while and left nice lacing. The aroma was of nice hops, sweet malts, and various yeast complexities. The taste was hoppy up front with some lovely sweet malts and biscuity notes in the middle. The mouthfeel was medium bodied>thin and the drinkability was pretty good. Another winner from DDC.

Serving type: on-tap

06-23-2004 20:18:34 | More by francisweizen

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