Beerfection

Tag: Wee Heavy

  • À Demain Le Soleil! | Tête d’Allumette + Dieu du Ciel!

    À Demain Le Soleil! | Tête d’Allumette + Dieu du Ciel!

    Score: 91/100 – Outstanding

    From a 500ml bottle served at cellar temperature at 12 degrees Celsius into a TeKu glass. No date information on the packaging.

    I picked up this beer from a local specialty store probably close to two months ago now… I had a very long breview list and it’s taken me a while to get through it. Anyway, it felt like the right time for this little fella.

    I tried this beer at Dieu du Ciel’s 20th anniversary event and I remember it standing out from the crowd. I’m mostly steering away from reviewing one-offs and collaborations for a multitude of reasons but on this gloomy Sunday I’m breaking my “half-ass” streak by going whole-ass on À Demain Le Soleil!.

    Appearance 6/6

    The beer pours a veiled deep gold (pushing amber) with 4.5cm of dense, creamy, off-white head which dissipates into a solid cap within 4+ minutes. No lacing with great head retention. A good looking brew.

    Aroma 21/24

    Medium-strong intensity with good balance. The aroma is malty-sweet and fruity with a sense of intrigue.

    Pronounced caramelly sweetness and some biscuity notes pair well with a splash of alcohol and light floral tones. There’s a round, jammy quality reminiscent of strawberries and a light, earthy hop character. No off-notes.

    The dry nose is of moderate intensity, filled with biscuity, toasty malt, mild butterscotch, and a trace of earth. Great aroma.

    Flavour 38/40

    Strong intensity with good balance and pronounced perceived bitterness.

    The fine palate opens up sweet with notes of butterscotch, biscuits, and alcohol-soaked fruit – making way for a more balanced center where the robust biscuity, toasty-caramelly malt melds together with mild (yet sharp) alcohol, low earthy-herbal hops, gentle floral tones, and a touch of strawberry jam. An interesting honey character chimes in. No apparent off-flavours.

    The medium length finish is balanced and of moderate strength with notes of biscuit, toasted bread, caramel, mild floral tones, a hint of earth, a dash of alcohol, and wild flower honey. Complex.

    Mouthfeel 9/10

    Medium body with low carbonation. The mouthfeel is heavy and somewhat slick with mild fizz, restrained alcohol warming, and a medium-sweet finish. No astringency or harshness on the palate. Excellent.

    Overall 17/20

    Tête d’Allumette + Dieu du Ciel! collaboration À Demain Le Soleil! is an outstanding beer.

    A good appearance sets the stage for an inviting as well as charming aroma. With a little bit more punch the nose could dazzle. On the palate the flavour is expressed in a complex, balanced, and exciting package. The mouthfeel supports the rest of the beer but it clocks in just a little thin for me. A tad more body would match the flavour depth and contribute to a uniform drinking experience.

    Overall, À Demain Le Soleil! is worth seeking out. It has character and depth paired with a sense of intrigue which makes it an easy choice on the store shelves. I’ve still seen it at some of the Montreal specialty shops so grab yourself a bottle while you can. I’d happily drink this regularly throughout the year if it was available in a smaller format at a reasonable price. Cheers y’all!

    OMG, read another breview!
  • Corne de Glace | À l’abri de la Tempête

    Corne de Glace | À l’abri de la Tempête

    Score: 80/100 – Very Good

    From a 341ml bottle served warm at 14 degrees Celsius into a TeKu glass. Best before date of 20.04.2024 with 211118 listed afterwards. Does that mean this was packaged about a year ago? I don’t know.

    I picked up this beer about a week back from a local specialty shop. You know I can’t walk away from a 14% sledgehammer even if I wanted to.

    I believe this is my first review from À l’abri de la Tempête. In the past, I’ve had a few heavier beers by them that I remember really enjoying. Nothing as heavy as this mammoth. Let’s pop that cap!

    Appearance 6/6

    The beer pours a brilliant deep copper with 5cm of dense, creamy, beige head which dissipates into a solid cap within 4+ minutes. Poor lacing with great head retention – exceptional if you consider the hefty ABV. A beauty.

    Aroma 20/24

    Medium-strong intensity with good balance. The aroma is unique, peculiar, and punchy.

    Pronounced banana esters and perfumy alcohol compete with milder tarry character and peat smoke. Significant leather seems to tie everything together along with mild caramel sweetness. Low jammy dark fruit and gentle herbal tones at the back.

    The dry nose is characterful with notes of leather, herbs, alcohol, bread crust, and marmite. Really, really interesting… but also slightly jarring.

    Flavour 30/40

    Strong intensity with sharp balance and assertive perceived bitterness.

    The intense palate opens up with sweet and umami vibes featuring notes of jammy dried fruit, significant leather + marmite, loads of alcohol, and bread crust.

    The center is sharp and bitter where the bread crust malt along with leather (oxidation) act as an anchor while peat smoke, herbs, and alcohol shave off most sweetness. A hint of dark fruit and burnt sugar persist.

    The long finish is sharp and strong with notes of banana, alcohol, leather, marmite, herbs, bread crust, peat smoke, and tar. How atypical!

    Mouthfeel 6/10

    Medium body with low carbonation. The mouthfeel is slick and somewhat sharp with hot alcohol warming and a medium-sweet finish. No apparent astringency but the mouthfeel leans towards harsh.

    Overall 18/20

    À l’abri de la Tempête’s Corne de Glace is an interesting beer, landing outside of the bell curve.

    Impressive appearance – absolutely beautiful with wonderful clarity and great foam attributes. The aroma has an air of mystery while packing some serious punch – especially as the beer approaches room temperature. The flavour just slams your senses; sharp and heavy yet lacking depth of character. Some of the intricacies of the nose are lost on the palate. I believe this is mostly due to the mouthfeel which remains short of acrid but the alcohol heat washes over any nuance in flavour.

    Overall, Corne de Glace is a unique beer worth trying. Even if the score reflects an averege brew, this is far from it. It’s almost as if a barleywine, off-kilter scotch ale, and a dunkelweizen had a baby. The weight and malt of a barleywine paired with smoke and herbs topped with banana and dark fruit esters.

    This strikes me as a great digestif; a few ounces in a small glass after a meal. I truly believe this has a place in the world of beer as something outside of the box, delivering a unique drinking experience.

    If you’re ready for an atypical sipper, then grab yourself a bottle. This should easily take more than an hour of contemplation which is money well-spent for me.

    P.S. After 90 minutes of deliberation, I’ve bumped the score up to 80 points (from 76).

    OMG, read another breview!