Équinoxe Du Printemps - Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel

leaddog

Alberta (Canada)

4.13/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

341 bottle bottled February 2011.

Appearance - Pours a cloudy chestnut brown with 1/4 finger width of beige head.

Smell - Dark fruits (cherry, plum), hint of maple, whiskey, and slight breadiness.

Taste - A kick of maple shines through in this brew, especially in the finish. The dark fruits are also tasted, but there is something about that sticky syrup flavour. There is a spirit quality to this similar to whiskey or scotch (not to be confused with a straight boozy alcohol taste).

Mouthfeel - Medium bodied with light carbonation. Pleasant smoothness.

Overall - An enjoyable scotch ale. The maple brings a nice twist to a classic flavour; very unique, but was hoping to get more of the aroma. The flavours are quite potent, perhaps due to this bottle being aged from February 2011. Definitely worth a try for those interested in the style.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2012 04:45:58 | More by leaddog

BGDrock

Ontario (Canada)

4.35/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

From notes:

Appearance: chocolate brown with a red hue; hazy, looking like a Belgian trappist ale

Aroma: sweet & rich, hint of maple and some caramel

Taste & Mouthfeel: finely carbonated, light on the tongue; not overly sweet which is surprising; maple shows up after a few seconds and grows slowly, but never becomes too strong

Overall: reminiscent of a good Belgian ale with a perfect malty flavour; very drinkable. Only fault is that the promised maple is just a bit too subtle

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2012 01:23:46 | More by BGDrock

kjyost

Manitoba (Canada)

3.6/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Beer I was really looking forward to... Received 02/11 notched 341 mL brown bottle from (IIRC) TheSevenDuffs in trade. Thanks! Served at 6C in a tulip.

A: Hazy brown / ruby edges and quite opaque. Nice tan head that laces well.
S: Very estery nose filled with fruitiness and butter. Alcohol eventually comes to the fore. Some malt sweetness in there too.
T: The alcohol is well hidden in here, with nice malt sweetness coming through along with fruity esters. No substantial bitterness is apparent. Sadly, only once or twice did a faint maple note come through.
M: Finishes sweet, but clean. Decent carbonation.
O: Nice enough beer, though advertising the maple makes me wonder where it is, and dock it a bit in my book. Good beer for a cold Winnipeg night.

Serving type: on-tap

12-29-2011 23:43:15 | More by kjyost

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.7/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

This beer poured out with a nice brown color with a creamy light tan color head on top. The smell of the beer was malty and sweet. The taste of the beer is pretty powerful, there is a good amount of maple in there too. The mouthfeel of this beer is medium to heavy with a bit of an oily feel to it. Overall it's a pretty good Scotch Ale, I would try it again if I came across it.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2011 21:05:49 | More by Knapp85

brianjay

Massachusetts

3.8/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Murky brown body, color of a dirty apple cider. Very little head to speak of; starts with a small puff of foam which settles into a ring around the top.

Strong cinnamon and oatmeal aromas erupt as soon as poured. A hint wood-chip hangs in there as well as maple syrup.

Flavor is intense: Taste of toasted almonds with molasses up front and spark of coffee on the finish.

Mouth feel is dominated a thick, syrupy body topped of with a toasted finish.

It's like a breakfast of Honey Bunches of Oats cereal and coffee. This wood be good to accompany a night by the fire or late-morning brunch.

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2011 01:27:29 | More by brianjay

superspak

Michigan

3.9/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

11.5 ounce bottle into snifter, bottled in 2010(I think). Pours hazy reddish brown color with a small fairly dense khaki head with good retention that reduces to a thin lacing cap. Some nice bits of lacing cling to the glass as well. Aromas of big caramel, dark fruits, whiskey, spices, molasses, maple syrup, and alcohol. Some nice aromas that are improving a bit as it warms. Taste of big caramel, maple syrup, molasses, whiskey, spices, and a bit of wood. No bitterness noticed on the finish; and lingering notes of maple syrup, caramel, molasses, and some whiskey on the finish. Light-medium carbonation and medium-full bodied; with a very creamy and slick mouthfeel. Alcohol is well hidden with only a warming on the finish noticed. Nice smooth drinkability for the level of alcohol, but is still a sipper. Nice balance of flavors. Overall a really nice scotch ale. The maple syrup definitely has a strong presence in this.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2011 03:59:31 | More by superspak

eric5bellies

Australia

4.25/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Drank from my Duvel tulip

A - Pours a murky chocolate colour with a nice tanned head that reduces to a film slowly

S - Nice yeasty aromas balanced off with nice malt and whskey booze. Similar to The Rochfort 10

T - Up front some nice toffee flavours that give way to a little spiced chocolate and vanilla. The finish is very long with some nice boozy nutmeg flavours. The toffee returns and lingers.

M - Medium to full body and medium carbonation a really nice oily feel.

O - This one is well worth a shot and offers something a little different.Has Quad like qualities.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2011 14:44:15 | More by eric5bellies

BBP

Ontario (Canada)

4.47/5  rDev +14.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a deep copper chestnut with decent head, retention and lacing.

The aroma is full of maple, scotch, and peat. Sweet, but not outrageously sweet. It smells a bit boozy, but that's to be expected from most scotch ales, not to mention a 9.5% one.

What's not expected was the dominance of the maple syrup over the rich malt. Dominance is a strong word, especially when the malt is very evident, but it's as if the foundation is maple. Spicy hops take over after the malt and syrup have taken their course and it rounds itself off after each sip. The aftertaste lingers for a while holding the maple against you.

The body is moderately full and heavy. Carbonation helps it out, but is very subtle how I like it. The finish is mildly dry and sticky.

Overall, this is a very solid Wee Heavy, and a cool example of maple in a beer. After most of a year, the maple is still very evident in this, and it's drinking quite smoothly. I'll probably hold onto my other bottle for another few months or so and see how it is.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2011 18:33:21 | More by BBP

ngeunit1

California

4.22/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours a rich red-brown color with a finger of frothy tannish head atop. The head fades down slowly to a thick ring leaving behind some nice lacing.

S - Aroma is full of sweet molasses and maple syrup with a bit more sweetness from some caramel. There is also a bit of brown sugar and booze mixed in as well.

T - Starts off with a big kick of rich sweetness from the maple syrup and the caramel. Through the middle, the sharpness mellows a bit and some more caramel comes through with the brown sugar and a bit of dark fruit. The finish is a mix of sweet maple syrup and caramel with some residual sugar and booze that linger.

M - Medium-full bodied with moderate carbonation. Feels smooth and very rich and syrupy with a bit of a warming finish.

D - Pretty drinkable, especially considering the richness and the 9.5% abv. I really like the mix of maple syrup into the scotch ale. It is a bit unbalanced and richly sweet, but I kind of like that.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2011 04:43:17 | More by ngeunit1

Gyle41386

South Carolina

3.93/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a bottle into a snifter. Been excited about trying this one for a while, so might as well crack it open for review #400. Cheers.

The pour is a brownish orange, or maybe an orangeish brown. It actually kind of looks burnt orange to me, but maybe that's because it's the fall and I've got college football on the brain 24/7. There's just a bit more than a finger of tan foam. Head retention is very good, and there is some thick lacing stuck to the glass.

The nose is a sweet one. I'm smelling apples, molasses, toffee, caramel, brown sugar...one of those could very possibly be maple syrup that I've misidentified. There's a little bit of booze in the nose, but it's certainly not overpowering. Warmth brings out a spicy note, too.

I have to say, I'm surprised that this beer isn't sweeter. That spice that appeared later in the nose provides a little balance, as does a bready kind of flavor. I'm not tasting the apples that I smelled, instead maybe raisins. There's also a touch of smoke, some vanilla, and a bourbon-like flavor that fortunately lacks boozy heat. Maybe a little brown sugar in the finish. There's some light maple flavor, nothing you'd want to pour on your waffles or chug against your fellow highway patrolmen.

Full-bodied with a creamy texture. It took me a while to decide if I was a fan of the mouthfeel. I couldn't decide if I'd rather have a more syrupy texture, but near the end of the glass I was glad it wasn't. The alcohol is only occasionally noticeable in the taste and instead provides a nice lip/tongue numbing effect. This beer became significantly better with warmth. A fairly easy drinker for the style + ABV.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2011 04:05:06 | More by Gyle41386

oberon

North Carolina

4.05/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Had on tap at the Blue Monk last night.Came to the table in a goblet a burnt orange infused chesnut brown with a thin head atop.Brown sugar,dark fruit,maple,and lightly roasted nut in a rich nose.Thick and chewey the mouthfeel is everything you would want in the style.Dark fruit and brown sugar malt flavors with atinge of mable,as it warmed sweet alcohol cameinto play.I really enjoyed this warming wee heavy.

Serving type: on-tap

09-20-2011 23:01:28 | More by oberon

ADZA

Australia

4/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Been looking forwards to this one for a while since i have found a new found love for SA/WH's and it pours the deepest mahogany hue which leaves a two finger creamy head and clingy lacing everywhere,the smell is scotch,maple syrup,honey,xmas cake and a touch of brandy,the mouthfeel is silky smooth,medium bodied and warming with tastes of jarrah honey,maple syrup,fruit cake,raisins,caramel and finished with a touch of herbal hops mixed with sweet candy and overall i really like this brew as the high ABV is very well hidden behind the sweetness and i find it hits most of the notes for this style and is definately one of the better examples going around and i would buy again cheers.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2011 14:21:53 | More by ADZA

maximum12

Minnesota

3.9/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Picked up at some point in some store for some reason - oh yeah, because I love maple syrup & really dig scotch ales. Those both seem like excellent reasons to pick this one out of the cooler. Done.

Pours dark firelight red, or that may just be my artfully constructed fire dancing in the northern night. Smell is dulled, like one has a head cold, faint maple syrup & dueling malts, but they could both be easily overlooked.

Equinoxe du Printemps is a beverage best consumed after a suitable period of warm-up; it's on the extreme end of beers that improve as the temperature goes up. Genuine taste of tapped maple trees greets the tongue, & a blah scotch ale when cold gives way to a lovely taste of scotch malts that almost lends the beer a bourbonesque touch. So subtle, so nice. My lips soon turn numb in happiness, or perhaps they've been blistered by the alcohol so readily apparent. Still soothing with a nice knot of wood & sweet malts rounding it out.

A beer that really grew on me as I waded through it, with touches both subtle & overt, a lovely mix. Very good beer, best I've had from this brewery.

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2011 02:45:49 | More by maximum12

jondeelee

Massachusetts

3.95/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Equinoxe du Printemps, a Maple Scotch Ale, smells quite a bit like beer mixed lightly with cognac. The toasted grains and clean-but-light hoppiness of an ale are still present, but joined by strong vanillas and maple sugars, and just a hint of oak.

On the tongue, the beer is incredibly complex and bursting with flavors. In fact, it's hard to nail down exactly what's going on, so varied are the flavors that run across the tongue. Maple syrupy sugars are present, yes, but joined by orange notes that would seem more fitting in, say, Cointreau (or a similar orange liqueur). Huge banana and vanilla blasts trumpet the background, as well as a chorus line of bourbon or whisky-like alcoholic high kicks. Many of the main flavors of the brew are actually more liqueur-like than beer-like, and if the ale has one weakness, it's that it possesses an overwhelming alcohol taste that even the 9.5% ABV can't quite explain. Despite this, the brew maintains a relatively light mouthfeel.

Overall, while the taste of alcohol does prove detrimental, Equinoxe is a great beer. I only wish I didn't have to drive to Montreal every time I wanted one.

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2011 19:22:24 | More by jondeelee

MasterSki

Illinois

4.28/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

First batch to reach the US, so Spring 2009 I believe. There's some ambiguous notching, but I have no idea what it means. Served in a Darkness snifter.

A - Pours with a half-finger of tan foam that settles to a partial cap, leaving some small splotches of lace. Hazy dark brown body with some orange transparency at the bottom of the glass.

S - Maple syrup, peat, caramel apples, brown sugar, light alcohol. This has mellowed out a bit in the past two years, but could probably sit even longer. If you told me this was 12% I would believe you. Still, for the style it's quite nice.

T - The taste is less sweet than the nose leads one to believe. There's a nice mixture of maple syrup, Sultana raisins, toasted grains, smoke, and a hint of spicy esters. The aftertaste evokes brown sugar, but never comes off as sweet or cloying. Thankfully there is no alcohol flavor.

M - Feel is full-bodied and weighty, evoking viscous maple syrup. The finish is surprisingly dry, but there is smokey and syrupy tooth-coating residual texture. Some definite warmth in the belly, but not overly hot on the back of the throat.

D - If you have patience (and appropriate cellar conditions) this eventually develops into a very good Scotch ale. It's still a one and done type of beer, but I find myself constantly reaching for another sip. I'm quite curious what the barrel-aged version tastes like. Still - drinks a little bigger than the listed ABV.

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2011 03:00:57 | More by MasterSki

oline73

Maryland

4.08/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I had this on-tap at Max's, served in a goblet.

Appearance: Pours a cloudy dark brown with some light at the edge. There is a finger of off white head that disappears completely.

Smell: Very fruity with lots of banana and maple notes. Bready and caramel malt.

Taste: Quite sweet. Again there are banana and maple notes. There is some bready malt with a bitter finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with mild, smooth carbonation and a dry finish.

Overall: I enjoyed the combination of flavors in this one and would have it again.

Serving type: on-tap

07-14-2011 03:04:33 | More by oline73

jmbranum

Oklahoma

4.93/5  rDev +26.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Exceptionally good. Bought at The Library in Manhattan, Kansas, but enjoyed back home in Oklahoma.

Incredible maple/malt aroma. Flavor is exactly as described. A full and complex Scotch ale with lots of caramel and toasted malt. The maple works well with it, just an added extra bit of goodness.

Mouthfeel is nice and velvety. Nice alcoholic warmth, but not overpowering. I like this one a lot. I should have bought more than one bottle.

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2011 04:09:20 | More by jmbranum

Siggy125

California

4.4/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Hmmm..."scotch ale brewed with maple syrup". Right in one of my sweet spots for beers.

Interesting color, muttled bister with a little sediment. Cream colored head, small amounts of carbonation.

Smells like a classic scotch ale with some extra malty sweetness. Maple not dominant on the nose.

Maple has more strength on the taste. Also get some vanilla and butterscotch but mostly maple. The 9.5 abv shows up nicely as it warms but not stinging. Good scotch ale malted roast taste. very pleasant.

Fairly light in mouthfeel for a sweeter than normal scotch ale. Very pleasant.

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2011 02:07:42 | More by Siggy125

abuliarose

New Hampshire

4.08/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2009 vintage, poured into a snifter to reveal mealy brown body under a thin cream-colored head. Some lacing, some bubbles. Looks like a Scotch ale. Smells sweet and malty with nice milk caramel and maple undertones. Slight metallic-ness. Good smells for its type.

Tastes sweet but light. Actually reminds me of a weaker version of Lawson's Maple Tripple. Hints of maple and woody spice. Nice malty backbone. I appreciate the maple addition to this style. It's like a Belgian strong for the summer. Mouthfeel is ticklishly carbonated, adding volume to the medium-thick, grainy body. Very drinkable for the flavor but very flavorful.

Overall a really nice Scotch ale. Probably one of my personal favorites to date. Really hoping to visit their brewpub someday and sample their offerings on tap.

Serving type: bottle

07-05-2011 00:01:22 | More by abuliarose

sisuspeed

New Hampshire

3.83/5  rDev -2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

2009 bottle from the cellar.

Poured into a Portsmouth tulip glass. Cloudy, orange-brown body with a thin film of white, creamy, head.

Sweet, caramel, maltiness on the nose. Definitely smells like a scotch ale. Hint of alcohol and a touch of dark fruit.

Smooth, booze-laced, toffee on the tongue. Caramel bread notes with a touch of fig. The maple syrup does come through a bit, but doesn't really stand out from everything else that is sweet. Still a nice touch though, making this a solid wee heavy.

Mouthfeel is smooth with light carbonation. Some warming alcohol on the finish. Very mellow, maybe a touch thin for the style.

Overall, this is a tasty scotch ale from Dieu Du Ciel and another great offering in their strong line up of brews. Nothing really stands out, but the maple syrup is a nice touch and plays well with the rest of the flavor profile. If you are a fan of the style, then I'm sure you'll like this beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2011 23:58:25 | More by sisuspeed

tbeckett

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle from Broue HAHA.

A - Pours a delicious dark red, almost amber colour with a head that wants to spill off the sides of my glass. Intense carbonation. Sort of a beige head with two fingers. Bright. Good one finger retention with a chunk of lacing in one portion of the glass.

S - Maple and sugar are there right away which is nice and sweet to balance with some faint alcohol, sweet malt, and whiskey/oak notes. Some possible vanilla is there also.

T - Kinda faint. Tobacco and oak are there with the vanilla. Maltier than the aroma and less complex. Nice though. Certain areas are accentuated.

M - Good carbonation, creamy feel to it and a full body. Some booze in the back but it's masked/combined with an oaky/vanilla note.

O/D - No complaints here. Just a solid beer from DDC. Couldn't say I would have a few of these in a night but it's tasty and the maple adds a nice element. I find that maple is a common 'different' ingredient in Canadian beers that doesn't often work, but DDC got it right here.

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2011 22:51:43 | More by tbeckett

cb462

California

3.75/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a lightly murky copper with 1/4" of off white head that quickly dissipates. Light lacing.

S: Booze soaked dark fruit, caramel, a tad of maple syrup, circus peanuts. Alcohol becomes more prevalent as it warms.

T: Caramel dipped dark fruit-booze is softer on the tongue than in the nose, sweet maple syrup ass end. Pretty tasty. A little hot.

M: Medium/Light body with light carbonation. Nice warming from the booze.

D: A fairly nice showing for Dieu Du Ciel. Nothing mind blowing, but it was above average. I don't know how much my girlfriend paid for this, but I would buy this again if it were in the $6-7 range (I'm guessing it was closer to $9).

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2011 06:29:04 | More by cb462

mikesgroove

South Carolina

3.93/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The pour was by far the best part as a rich caramel colored mixture came forward right out of the gate. Rich looking and almost opaque except for the lightest bit of color poking through on the sides and the bottom of the glass. A huge head of light tan color then came up and over the top, settling down only lightly into a nice pillow that seemed to stay on top throughout the rest of the session. Lots of lacing here as well, really starting to show off with how good this one really is. Rich caramel malts here, hints of herbal notes, and a touch of grass round it out very nicely, and as I take the first sip I am amazed at how big this one is. Really very full feel here with lots of carbonation and really a very well put together profile. Smooth, silky as it rolls across the tongue with loads of sweetness and an wonderful sense of grainy malts and nice touches of an almost brown sugar like taste. Very drinkable, I could have done this one all day long.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2011 01:40:50 | More by mikesgroove

slimspady

Alberta (Canada)

3.88/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into tulip.

Got a fat dirty white 1", long lasting head.

Maple syrup, malts and alcohol. Fruity at the end.

Strong maple, raisins, pleasent sweetness.

Feels great. Nice and smooth.

Not the best scotch ale out there, but definitely fantastic.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2011 04:44:22 | More by slimspady

Pahn

New York

3.6/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

11.5oz bottle into a wine glass.

Appearance: Free pour yields a quarter inch head that dissipates quickly without leaving any lacing. Pours a slightly hazy red with lots of visible sediment, and leaves very little lacing.

Smell: Some smokiness at first, English barleywine like raisin, with an intriguing effervescent note that doesn't really fit with the others. With warmth, the smell gets sweeter, less smokey, and a hell of a lot boozier.

Taste: At first, follows the nose's raisin notes up front leading to a smooth, sweet, maple syrupy finish with a hot aftertaste. Smooth, and makes a lot of sense...

...And then the maple drops off, and the beer just gradually gets sweeter and hotter. The sweetness rises at an acceptable rate, but the heat goes up exponentially faster. The maple note gets tiny and soon becomes nonexistent, there is not a hint of smoke or roastiness at all, but lots of sweet raisin, alcohol burn, and a somewhat offputting bitterness.

The beer tastes like a worse version of Smuttynose Wheat Wine, with a much less satisfying mouthfeel. For all that, it's *not* a bad beer by any stretch. It's not sickeningly hot, and it's not *too* sweet. The raisiny malt is strong and good, but the beer isn't giving me what I was promised. Also, it's giving me stuff that I can get elsewhere, better and cheaper.

Mouthfeel: Light side of medium bodied. Low side of moderate carbonation. Mildly sugary.

Overall: Decent flavors, and by the end of the bottle I find it very enjoyable. However, it is unequivocally too hot (not "I'm not in the mood for a beer of this ABV," hot but "This is an objective flaw; I need to age this or something," too hot), and the flavor is unexpected in a bad way. I've had enough beers that call themselves "wee heavies" to expect some things I didn't get here, and as far as I can tell the maple isn't doing much beyond raising the ABV (and if it's not doing *that*, it's just not doing much).

If I got this as an extra in a trade, or was offered one by a friend, I'd have it, nurse it, and enjoy it. Would not buy again.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2011 04:20:57 | More by Pahn