Solstice D'été Aux Framboises - Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel

wordemupg

Alberta (Canada)

4.47/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

341ml bottle into abbey glass 17/7/11

A nearly red with a short lived noisy, fizzy head that leaves no head or lace, I love the color though, gotta hand it to the color though, impressive without dye

S I don't get much, but what I get I love... raspberry, but real raspberry, slightly jammy with some yeast perhaps. Not much for complexity but it has what it needs and it has it big

T I get ultra tart, super dry raspberry and not much else, its pure real raspberry, not the sweet syrupy flavor we associate with the berry itself, but a nearly ripe fresh raspberry but with zero sugar

M prepare for a little pucker, leaves a little behind on your gums and there's a lingering tingle as if I'm allergic to it

O love the color and it made a great breakfast beer, I thought I was drinking a ultra light beer and I'm surprised its 5.9%

couldn't think of anything better at 10am, props to hoser for getting the day off to a good start

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2011 01:44:13 | More by wordemupg

SpdKilz

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A huge thanks to Luk (Luk13) for this great extra. Cheers! 341ml bottle listed at 5.9abv.

Appearance – Pours a brilliant red/dark pink color into a tulip. When held up to the light, the red is luminous, and one can observe some sediment chilling in the bottom of the glass. About a finger of pink head is achieved with a moderate pour that dissipates somewhat quickly, leaving slight lacing.

Smell – A wonderfully intoxicating nose filled with fresh tart raspberries. There are some floral notes, a sweet backbone, and a tartness.

Taste – Oh wow. The nose on this led me to believe this might be somewhat similar in taste to Blushing Monk. Heck no. This has an immediate mouth puckering effect as I take the first sip. Loads of tart raspberries, and honestly not much of a sweetness to the flavor (though it does come through just a hint at the end). However, while the flavor is unlike Blushing Monk, this beer is similar to the aforementioned beer in the fact it is somewhat one dimensional. It is heavy on the raspberry and wheat, but not much else comes through. Nevertheless, it works for this beer. While BM became somewhat cloying at the end, this beer, with its refreshing tartness/lactic sourness rather than sweetness, makes me smack my lips after every sip all the way to the end.

Mouthfeel – Medium bodied, almost creamy, slightly prickly carbonation, finishes quite dry.

Overall – I like experiencing new beers. I love being surprised by new beers. This beer is no exception. When Luk gave it to me as an extra, I decided to hold off for a bit to try it knowing I would probably enjoy it. I am very happy I was not let down. I can only hope this beings to be imported to the United States (I believe it is only available in Canada as of now). If so, I would buy as much of this as I could. Fantastic.

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2011 00:22:47 | More by SpdKilz

MasterSki

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle from papat444. Raspberry edition. Served in a tulip during Tallman Christmas dinner.

A - Light pink foam settles to a thick collar and near-complete cap, leaving behind minimal lace. Lightly hazed raspberry color.

S - Massive raspberry flavor, even after six months of age. The Berliner aspect manifests as a light yogurt flavor, but this is pretty much all ripe raspberries and juice.

T - The Berliner aspect shows up a be more in the taste, yielding some wheat, tangy grains, and late lactic sourness to accompany the massive tart and ripe raspberry flavors. Fairly low lingering acidity.

M - Medium-light body, tingly carbonation, and a very dry texture with tons of tannic fruit character to it. I'm shocked this is nearly 6% as I don't think most people would even know there was alcohol in here at all.

D - Absolutely crushable stuff. I found this to be superior to the Funky Buddha Raspberry Berliner (which I also enjoyed immensely). I'd highly recommend this to anyone who likes Berliners, fruit beers, or raspberries, and I'd love to try all the various fruit variations as well as the naked base at some point in the future. Perhaps a summer visit to Montreal is in order.

Note: One of the two bottles I opened had a diacetyl-esque note to it, so there appears to be some bottle variation. It was still quite enjoyable, but mileage may vary here.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2012 16:47:26 | More by MasterSki

sarro

Michigan

4.53/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Solstice d'ete (aux Framboises - raspberry version) 341ml bottle shared by Luk/Julien/Gabe thanks guys!
Listed as 5.9 abv, this beer pours a super vibrant red with shades of pink and appears more red than Gambrinus or any other beer with raspberries that I've seen. The smell and taste are the same in terms of fruit foward raspberries as it almost seems you're drinking carbonated sour raspberry juice most of the time. There is some hearty wheat in the nose as well, while the lactic sourness is very refreshing when combined with the perfectly ripened raspberry flavor. I don't normally like to compare within a review, but this beer is basically what I had expected Bottleworks XII to be. Instead it is simple, but simply delicious.

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2011 19:35:14 | More by sarro

papat444

Quebec (Canada)

4.55/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

MY 1000TH BEER PIC!!! or it was until i lost a beer pic somewhere :(

***Raspberry version (5,9% ABV)***

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

Appearance: Pureed raspberry colored body with a pink head. Completely cloudy with bubbling foam filling half the glass. Retention is good as is the lacing.

Smell: Killer! Fresh raspberries with wheat but the raspberry steals the show. More sweet than tart. The aroma reminds me of picking raspberries in our yard and also brings memories of picking them with my grandmother when i was young.

Taste: Major raspberry presence without being fruity. More tart than sour. Not mouth puckering but does leave its stamp. Ripe raspberries dominate and even manages to capture that acidic side without overdoing it. Sweetness sneaks in there around the end.

Mouthfeel: Low carbonation with a smooth body. Very zesty and alive.

Overall: One of my favorite DDC beers. Raspberries are my favorite fruit and this beer really lets them shine. While certainly tart, it still is a world-class brew and is worth driving 2+ hours round trip to the brewery to get.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2011 01:40:32 | More by papat444

drseamus

New York

4.6/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Brilliant red body with a pinkish thin head. Huge raspberry nose. It smells exactly like real raspberries. Taste is killer. Perfect raspberries right up front and super strong. Again, real pure raspberry taste. Very tart and delicious. Thin bodied. Phenomenal drinkability.

Serving type: on-tap

07-06-2009 03:22:27 | More by drseamus

Rutager

British Columbia (Canada)

4.7/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Huge thank you to Hoppypocket, Jayhoop and Unibrou4ever for getting this to me. Probably my favourite (and very uncommon) style from an amazing brewery. Huge expections here!!

Appearance. Pours a hazy, deep red with a slight orange tint and half a finger of bubbly pink head.

Smell. Fresh ripe raspberries!! Not much else going on, but if I didn't know this was beer I'd swear I was smelling a glass of raspberry puree.

Taste. Sour fresh raspberries and lemon juice. There's a little bit of wheat there and maybe some very slight mineral flavours, but the real raspberry and Berliner sourness are pretty amazing. No alcohol whatsoever. Couldn't imagine a fruited Berliner Weiss tasting better than this!

Mouthfeel. Ligight+ body with medium+ carbonation.

Overall. Just a fantasic beer. I could drink this every week and probably never get tired of it. Lived up to my expectation and then some. So glad that I have a couple more to savour of a style I don't get nearly enough of!!

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2012 02:32:37 | More by Rutager

beerboy21

Maryland

4.75/5  rDev +11%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I'm thinking of making the drive from So. NH to Montreal just to have this brew! This is an interpretation of the Berliner Weisse style done avec fruit (strawberry, raspberry, or blueberry), with this lovely example being enhanced by the raspberry. Strikingly beautiful rose red color with pinkish head. Tart?? Can I hear ya say "Hell Ya"!! Freshly picked raspberries run bone-dry through the finish. This isn't for the faint of heart, a definate no-no for non-BA women drinkers looking for one of them funky-ass sweet fruit brews.

Serving type: on-tap

07-14-2002 15:14:16 | More by beerboy21