Penombre - Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel

ThickNStout

Georgia

2.18/5  rDev -42.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 2

12oz bottle from La Duchesse D'Aiguillon (Quebec City). 2.39. I can't decipher to the notched 0&1 mean. Served in a Microbrasseri Charlevoix goblet.

Pours near black with a quarter finger light tan head. Small bits of lace.

Smells of coffee, roast malts and just a whisp of pine.

Tastes of burnt coffee, smoked malt, char, bark and traces of flower pedal. In the back therw is also a hint of something "off".

Lightish body with moderately high carbonation. Long roasty finish.

Deinately the weakest link I've found in Dieu du Ciel's otherwise strong line up. Drinks much more like a garden variety stout than an ABA, with almost no hop character to speak of. I have to assume/ hope that I got an infected, old or bad bottle. I just can't believe that my experience is what the brewers intended.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2013 01:32:11 | More by ThickNStout

4ster

Quebec (Canada)

3.41/5  rDev -10.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a large wine glass. Brewed date 12/12.

A: Pours opaque, very dark brown, verging on black. Light milky brown head that settles into a decent froth with large bubbles. Retention eventually dies down.

S: Very faint hop smell, but not getting much else out of this glass. Light to almost non existant on the nose.

T: Quite similar to the smell. Not much hitting up front in the way of malts...there are hints of coffee towards the end which follows up with a fairly bitter hop aftertaste, but that is about it.

M: Pretty smooth beer off the start, medium carbonation but I get a burning alcohol at the back of my throat on the finish. Had this beer with food so I will caution for now that it could have been emphasizing some spice or something in the food, not entirely sure.

O: For starters, being from the West Coast I am used to some pretty amazing Cascade Darks (similar style to this) and as such am fairly disappointed in this brew. Add to the fact it comes from DDC makes me wanting more. It was dark but just not much else. The dark just overpowers the IPA hop profiles and not in a good complex malt way... To note, this is I believe the first time they have offered this beer in bottle form and not having tried it on tap, perhaps it has just lost something in the translation. Either way it needs some work. It s drinkable but not much more.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2013 02:36:18 | More by 4ster

papat444

Quebec (Canada)

3.43/5  rDev -10%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

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

Appearance: A dense brown body, easily 3-4 fingers worth of a nice chocolate milk colored head. Lasts a good while, rocky foam that climbs well onto the glass.

Smell: Hoppy a bit, mild roasted notes, some grapefruit, mild coffee.tame

Taste: Flavors surprisingly tame, milky coffee mixes with some hops which are a cross between grapefruit & wood.

Mouthfeel: First thing i notice is the smoothness of the body, not rugged but creamy. Bitterness is an afterthought.

Overall: A subdued IPA , not a real hoppy one. Good but i've yet to see one beat Dunham's.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2013 03:36:34 | More by papat444

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

3.45/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Tap: Poured clear black color ale with a small foamy head with good retention. Aroma of bitter hops with light aromatic notes. Taste is not the most complex with medium bitter notes and a dry caramel malt notes. Body is about average with good carbonation. OK but not really a style a dig and not the most complex beer from this fine brewer.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2011 02:37:04 | More by Phyl21ca

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.58/5  rDev -6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Explicit cross between an IPA and a porter, enjoyed on-tap at Mondiale 2008. Very fresh. Bubby off-white head on dark scotch-like body, very lacey. Very roasty Above average carbonation that is sharp on the tongue and is mouth-drying. Not as drinkable.

Serving type: on-tap

05-30-2008 23:56:10 | More by northyorksammy

tittymcj

Connecticut

3.58/5  rDev -6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured out a very dark brown in light, with almost no head and light lacing throughout.

Smell was just like a normal IPA. Light sweet smell but also hints of roasted malts and even some caramel.

Taste is mostly sweet malt, with some good caramel flavor. Not much dark or roasted about the taste.

Mouthfeel is very light and fizzy with carbonation.

A bit thicker than a normal IPA, makes it a little less drinkable than average.

Serving type: on-tap

03-14-2009 15:42:07 | More by tittymcj

SFLpunk

Vermont

3.73/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Notes from recent trip to the Montreal Dieu du Ciel brewpub. (6/9/09)

Deep mahogany, clear with fluffy tan head with good retention. Big simcoe-like hop aromas. Palate has lots of leafy hops piled on a choco/toffee malt body. Finish is clean and light with bitter hops and citrus.

Serving type: on-tap

06-30-2009 05:33:51 | More by SFLpunk

BEERchitect

Kentucky

3.76/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Either it’s the toastiest IPA I've ever had or the hoppiest Porter that I've ever had. Regardless, its results are chocked full of the charm that I've grown to love about Dieu du Ciel.

In grand Porter-like fashion, the beer pours dark "bark" brown and basically opaque. The dense looking ale releases a creamy sandy-tan head that whips right up with a gentle swirl of the glass. Its lacy retention coats the glass with intricate patterns.

As hearty as the beer looks, its aromas are just as prominent: cocoa, heavy toast, light coffee, and roasted nuts continue the Porter theme, but the bright and zesty character of IPA chimes in with grapefruit and pine needles. Underlying burnt sugars seem to support the wood and citrus notes with a cream-like sense.

Its full flavors start with the char of toast, fresh ground coffee, burnt walnuts and cocoa. The light background of dry toffee fades at middle palate and makes way for the charge of hops to come. Starting citrusy with white grapefruit and freshly zested oranges, the toast soon fades and leaves the sticky, resiny taste of pine to dry the taste and usher in throat-gripping bitterness to close its taste.

Firm bodied, the beer has full impressions as the mind thinks IPA to start, but the dry toast character keeps the beer light so the turn toward IPA is a bit more manageable in the middle. Finishing toasty-dry, warm, and resinous- the beer has a linger of mild roast astringency and stemmy hop bite.

It really is a tale of two beers- where intrigue takes the tasted buds back and forth from hop to toast and back again. But I would rather it make up its mind. Either relegate the toasted malts to a color-correction role only, or push the sweetness a bit to balance the hops properly.

Serving type: on-tap

05-11-2013 21:10:18 | More by BEERchitect

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

3.78/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap @ The Farmhouse (Burlington, VT) on 2/19/11. Served in a wine glass.

Pours black, with some more ruby hues coming out along the bottom, and is topped with a ¼ finger of creamy mocha colored head. This retains with more of a thin wispy look but does keep some heavier bunching on the edges and actually leaves back a good amount of foamy spotty lacing. Malts take control of the aroma initially, with notes of coffee and chocolate giving this a roasty tanginess in the nostrils. Hops are giving off some green floral accents but mostly seem relegated to the back of the nose.

The taste has a hearty crisp bite to it. Not only of green citric bitterness but also roasted malts, which then proceed to separate themselves and spread crunchy dark roast across the back of the profile. Luckily there is no shortage of sweetness present, as notes of cocoa and toffee help soften and balance some of that sharp bitterness out. This finishes very dry and earthy, with a good bit of lingering pithy bitterness (maybe a tad too much so). The mouthfeel is medium bodied, with a firm crispness that really brings all of those hops and roasted malts out to play. I'm picking up no alcohol up here in the body, which keeps this relatively smooth and helps settle the overall presence of this down some.

I found this to be fairly aggressive for the style but it never did quite get too overly so, as the balance and overall ease of the body helped bring things back down just in the nick of time. This is definitely one that I was initially shaky on but it won me over by the bottom of the glass. I'd gladly check this one out again sometime.

Serving type: on-tap

02-25-2011 17:16:07 | More by Kegatron

Yoonisaykul

Quebec (Canada)

3.83/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

My first beer ever in a Dieu Du Ciel brewpub. My first Black I.P.A seemed like a good choice.

A- darkest brown. Not much head but the thin layer that's left is not letting up. Minimal lacing. Nothing impressive.

S- this wasn't easy since I was close to the oven cooking pizzas and nachos. I can basically say roasted malt and hops all wrapped up in a creamy sweet alcohol package. Its all pretty soft. Hard to pickup distinctly.

T-subdued floral hops. A bit like the rosated malt was trying to hold back the hoppiness. Considerably malty but most of the malt you get comes from smell. If you try and isolate taste, its mostly hops. Roasted malt aftertaste though.

M- great. Light yet full. Medium carbonation.

D- very good. Tasty but not that sessionable.

Very tasty black ipa. I think this was my first one. Good first experience but I'm waiting for way better.

Serving type: on-tap

04-10-2010 15:54:00 | More by Yoonisaykul

tbeckett

Ontario (Canada)

3.83/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On tap at the brewpub. From notes.

A - Poured a black colour with red around the edges. Two finger fluffy tan head. Good visible carbonation. Half finger of retention throughout and good lacing.

S - Roasted at first then right to juicy citrus. Some licorice and bread there also. Very inviting.

T - Roasty and chocolatey then flowing to licorice and citrus with a grapefruit finish. Very different from the aroma. Not blended as well.

M - Good carbonation and a medium body but alot less bitter than expected.

O/D - Not bad for a Black IPA. Very drinkable and flavourful, just off on some points. But good nonetheless.

Serving type: on-tap

08-11-2011 13:20:11 | More by tbeckett

schlimenhaumer

New York

3.85/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On tap at Brasserie Dieu du Ciel.

A: Pours an almost opaque dark brown with a garnet hue when held to light. Creamy one-finger off-white head with a fair amount of retention and quite a lot of lacing.

S: Coffee and chocolate notes up front with some floral hoppy notes to follow. Overall, very sweet smelling.

T: Very strong roasted malt flavors up front with a finish that tastes just like black coffee. Not too hoppy, but nonetheless there's a fair amount of bitterness from the coffee in the finish.

M: Full-bodied with a creamy mouthfeel, but the dry finish entices you to take the next sip.

D: Goes down as smooth as many of my favorite stouts.

Serving type: on-tap

08-30-2011 18:46:35 | More by schlimenhaumer

jrenihan

Ontario (Canada)

3.9/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Black/slightly brown, with a frothy tan head. Great retention, head does not go away.

Smell is quite malty, with some juicy citrus hops.

Taste is similar. Roasted malt with juicy citrus, perhaps lemon. Moderately bitter.

Medium bodied, moderate to low carbonation. A bit oily. Nice cask feel.

Overall, a nice black IPA, nice on cask.

Serving type: cask

04-30-2012 23:59:05 | More by jrenihan

wordemupg

Alberta (Canada)

3.9/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

341ml bottle poured into tulip 6/2/13

A near black with a deep cola edge, two fingers of mocha foam has decent retention and leaves several partial rings of lace

S coco, cold coffee and some citric hops, faint pine some grapefruit and orange peel, the hops could be stronger this reminds me of a hoppy porter

T some char I didn't smell and there's more hops in the mouth, more pine and citrus then the smell and the roast's darker too, its like the nose but stronger and better

M a little bitter bite and slick after the fact, nice mix of char and rind on the finish lingers for ages

O smells a little faint but its a minor issue, I suppose some more hops would work but I could say that about almost every beer I drink

I doubt I'll have any issues with the remainder of my 6 pack, it went down pretty fast and I'm pleased were getting another DDC brew here in Alberta

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2013 01:28:42 | More by wordemupg

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

3.94/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

341ml bottle. Good to see this brewery jumping on the Pacific-NW bandwagon. The name unfortunately sits a little too close to 'Twilight' in its interpretation, though it's hardly the brewery's fault.

This beer pours a very, very dark reddish brown hue, with loose mahogany basal highlights, and two fingers of silkily puffy, foamy beige head, which leaves leaves some attractive tight garden hedge lace around the glass as it gently recedes.

It smells of bittersweet chocolate, cafe au lait, chastened caramel malt, soft grapefruit and orange fruity pith, and a twinge of pine resin. The taste is zingy generic citrus rind, chalky sweet cocoa, cold coffee, bready, lightly roasted caramel malt, and a trailing forest-floor pine essence.

The carbonation is adequate in its support and otherwise predilection for the shadows, the body a solid medium weight, and tacitly smooth, as the hops swirl about in a meekly threatening manner. It finishes off-dry, the chocolate, neutered coffee, and malt keeping the hops well in check.

An enjoyable rendition of this emerging style, with ample elements from the yin and yang underlying influences, all quite ably balanced, so as to not let any one run rampant. Or conversely, allowing any one to shirk their duties. Anyways, as expected, DDC hits another standing triple with this offering - and that's only because I'm still coming around on the idea of smoking, charring, or otherwise marring a perfectly good IPA.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2013 01:36:22 | More by biboergosum

Viggo

Ontario (Canada)

3.95/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Mondial, a black IPA.

Pours a hazy dark reddish orange, almost brown, thick off white head forms, settles to a thin layer, lots of lace, great retention. Smell is nice, intense citrus and floral hopping, very aggressive, some roast and chocolate, caramel, strawberries and other fruit, touch of pine, real nice. Taste is caramel, floral, chocolate, caramel and roast, sharp citrus bitterness, solid malts through the middle. Mouthfeel is light to medium bodied with medium carbonation, maybe a bit to high for the body, but enjoyable.

Serving type: on-tap

07-28-2008 16:52:57 | More by Viggo

leaddog

Alberta (Canada)

3.96/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance - Pours a dark cola brown with a finger of bubbly, creamy beige head. Nice lacing left on the glass.

Smell - Chocolate, coffee bean, hint of piney hops.

Taste - Chocolate, coffee bean and bitter hop flavour, similar to grapefruit.

Mouthfeel - Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.

Overall - A tasty American Black IPA by Dieu du Ciel. One of the first beers I've had from them where the aroma has completely thrown me off - lacking the level of hops for the style. Thankfully, the taste came through as being more reminiscent of the style.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2013 03:58:56 | More by leaddog

SebD

Ontario (Canada)

3.96/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: It has a nice deep brown/amber color to it. It has a nice thick beige head that dies down moderately and leaves nice lacing.

Smell: The aromas definitely give out hints of coffee, roasted malts, some citrus and some chocolate.

Taste: Like the aromas, it has coffee/chocolate, roasted malts, some citrus and a piney bitterness.

Mouthfeel: It has a low/medium carbonation with a nice overall balance and feel.

Drinkability: It's a very smooth drinkable beer accompanied with good flavors and aromas.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2013 20:46:31 | More by SebD

spinrsx

Ontario (Canada)

4.03/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Draft - my first black IPA

Appearance - The beer pours a dark brown colour with a nice size creamy and frothy light brown head. I can't make out much carbonation due to the darkness of the beer, and the lacing was one of the best I have ever seen on a beer. The head lasted for quite a while before it was gone.

Smell - hops, coffee, pine, grapefruit, dark chocolate

Taste & Mouth - The beer has quite a bit of carbonation and feels light yet creamy. The most noticeable flavours are pine, hops, and grapefruit mixed with chocolate and coffee notes. All of these flavour mix to combine a fantastic beer that I really enjoyed. It finished with a hoppy/coffee flavoured aftertaste.

Drink - The first black IPA I've had and it won't be the last. If you're at the DDC pub be sure to try this beer, it's outstanding.

** had this again in a bottle Jan 2013.. more porter/stout than IPA flavour wise

Serving type: on-tap

11-29-2010 14:49:51 | More by spinrsx

GarthDanielson

New Hampshire

4.08/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured on-tap and served in a true pint, the beer is a dark auburn to black coloring with a foamy, chunky, light tan head. Awesome cling while you drink. The nose is of roasted coffee and wet, fresh hops. The flavor is roasted coffee initially, with wet, aromatic, spiced hops flooding the mid-palate. The beer is smooth and light in mouth. Roasty and chocolate/mocha aftertaste is the perfect ending to this brew. Roasty, hoppy, and light finish. Very smooth and flavorful.

Serving type: on-tap

07-09-2012 03:24:35 | More by GarthDanielson

Deuane

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A-Dark copper, almost becoming dark brown with a medium light tan head. Left some lace behind.

S-Dark roastiness and floral hops...what a nice combination!

T-Much as in the aroma...a nice combination of two loved styles, a hoppy IPA and a nice, roasty porter. Not overly bitter but it does build.

M-Medium body with a nice dryness in the finish.

D-A nice one for sure. Not Stone 11 but good nonetheless. A nice shot at this uncommon experiment.

Serving type: on-tap

07-05-2008 06:54:32 | More by Deuane

youbrewidrink

Vermont

4.13/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Deep brown color with a minimal off white head. Nice hoppy aroma.

The taste was hop upfront with a limited malt presence, which in my book is the way this style should be. I also would have liked a bit more roasted flavor to accompany the color.

The mouth feel was nice about half way between a classic IPA and a stout.

This beer has a high drinkability a there was almost no alchol present and a great bitter finish.

Serving type: on-tap

03-15-2010 11:55:26 | More by youbrewidrink

liamt07

Ontario (Canada)

4.13/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Volo for the DDC tap takeover, into a tulip.

Poured pitch black, with some nice white head. Sticky lace with some solid retention. Nose has some citrus, pine and melon notes. Roasty and chocolate, and a hint of coffee as well. Taste has some bitter citrus and pine as per the nose, also continuing the dark chocolate and coffee that the nose suggested. Great balance between the IPA components and the roasty/chocolate notes. Medium full feel with some bitterness derived from both the hops and coffee/roast notes it seems. Great mix of flavour here, and one of the best 'american black ales' I've come across; more of a distinct IPA leaning than I've tasted before.

Serving type: on-tap

10-02-2011 17:31:40 | More by liamt07

Rutager

British Columbia (Canada)

4.15/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A HUGE thank you to the most generous montrealbcr89 for this and the rest of the insane box that just showed up out of the blue. Just a top notch BA right here.

Appearance. Pours a deep, dark red-brown with very little light getting through and a finger of lumpy, light tan head that leaves some great lacing.

Smell. Nice citrus and floral hops, bakers chocolate and a little roasty malt and coffee beans.

Taste. Big roasty malts with plenty of coffee and cocoa powder, followed by even bigger grassy hops and bitter dried citrus rinds with a touch of pine. The subsequent sips are dominated by the big hops, but enough of the roasty flavours still come through and don't let you forget what style you're drinking.

Mouthfeel. Medium body and medium+ smooth carbonation.

Overall. A great representation of a style I really enjoy, being the hop-junkie that I am. Would love to try this again, maybe even with a month or two on it to see if more of those great roasty flavours come through. Thanks again Tyler-Andrew!!

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2013 01:07:38 | More by Rutager

Derek

British Columbia (Canada)

4.2/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Volo Cask Days 2008.

A: Black with a light tan head; large bubbles, no retention or lacing.

S: Tangerine, apricot and some roasted malt.

T: Grassy, piny, tangerine & grapefruit hops, good bitterness, light roasted flavour, but not a lot of malt. An Imperial Schwarzbier?

M: Well attenuated, moderate body is very dry.

D: This one really grew on me.

Serving type: cask

10-18-2008 20:49:07 | More by Derek