In summer, it's not uncommon for me to find lighter, thirst-quenching beer. After all, I'm outside more—mowing the lawn, weeding the garden, cycling, or just hanging out on my front porch, trying to beat the heat.
I'm less likely to drink a stout than a session ale, or saison, or radler. And now, I may just reach for another thirst-satisfying brew: a raspberry ale.
But which raspberry ale would I reach for first? Over the past couple of weeks, I've had a chance to try two: one, which was given to me by my 13-year-old daughter, who picked out the bottle on her own, to give to me for Father's Day; the other, a raspberry beer that I picked out in a Gatineau shop, to enjoy as I celebrated St-Jean Baptiste Day (a Québec holiday, but for me, a day to relax and sip great ale).
It's an Ontario ale over a Québec beer.
In this post, I examined each of these tart treats in great detail, and we shall see which one beats out the other.
I started with the ale that my daughter bought me.
Raspberry Über Berliner Style Weisse (3.8% ABV)
Nickel Brook Brewing Company
Burlington, ON
Appearance: a murky, pinkish-red, like a ruby-red grapefruit cocktail, or red Kool-Aid, or a red sangria with a pink fruit juice and a splash or red wine. The head is a bright pink that fizzes and bubbles, and sat on top like a fresh-poured soda and vanished just as quickly. After the bubbles let go of the side of the glass, you're left with a faint effervescence. Some sediment was left at the bottom of the bottle.
Nose: candied raspberries.
Palate: sweet and tart raspberries come on strong. And even though fresh Ontario raspberries are used in the brewing process, I felt that I could taste something artificial, as though something more was added to enhance the fruit flavour. This flavour did not detract from the overall enjoyment of this German-styled ale—it is solidly enjoyable: tasty, refreshing, and clean, with no cloying finish.
Overall impression: my darling daughter chose this ale for me, and she chose well. When I first tried it, I knew that this would be a great beverage to quench my thirst on a hot day. This is a perfect alternative to a grapefruit or lemon radler, and I recommend this for a great summer beer.
Beer O'Clock rating: 4
The second raspberry beer comes from one of my favourite Québec brewers. I knew I was going to like it because I haven't had a beer from this company that I didn't like. But would I love it? And, would I love it more than the Nickel Brook raspberry beer?
Let's find out.
Solstice d'été Raspberry Strong Beer (5.9% ABV)
Brasserie Dieu du Ciel!
St-Jérôme, QC
Appearance: unfiltered, bright-red, with a brilliant, pink head that also settles to nothing, like soda. Lots of large bubbles cling to the sides of the glass (do I need to clean my glasses better?), and when they're gone, all that's left is a fine effervescence. Small pieces of actual raspberry fruit settle at the bottom of the glass.
Nose: this brew was fairly closed, at first, but slowly revealed its fresh raspberries.
Palate: sour, tart raspberries, which carry all the way to the finish. No alcohol is detected, which could make this a dangerous brew if you're used to lighter fruit ales and radlers. This drinks like a fizzy raspberry soda, without any sweetness. The sourness makes the fruit pop in your mouth, and if you bite into a piece of the fruit, the raspberry flavour is amplified. I looked forward to finding a piece in my mouth as I sipped my drink.
Overall impression: I'm not typically a fan of sour ales, but with the tart raspberries, I can't imagine this ale any other way. I loved those pieces of raspberries. This ale, as its name states, is a summer-solstice-inspired treat, and is made especially for this season.
Beer O'Clock rating: 4.5
So, which raspberry beer did I prefer? As you can see, the Dieu du Ciel choice squeaked ahead in the ratings, but only because of that sour punch and the real-fruit flavour burst when I chewed on the raspberry bits. But I would happily grab for both in the liquor store. I didn't see Über in Broue Ha Ha*, where I bought the Dieu du Ciel; likewise, I didn't see Solstice d'été in the LCBO. So it all comes down to where I pick up my beer—on which side of the border I shop.
Either way, you can't lose.
Cheers!
* Broue Ha Ha is open on Canada Day; the LCBO isn't.
I'm sure that after a long day, flogging the wretched in the fiery bowels of Hell, Satan needs a good, cold brew.
In my search for the perfect IPA, I found myself back at a growing favourite, Dieu du Ciel!
(After today's review, I'm dropping the exclamation mark from the brewery's name.)
Corne du diable (The Devil's Horn; 6.5% ABV)
Brasserie Dieu du Ciel!
St-Jérôme, QC
Beer O'Clock rating: 3.5
Appearance: deep copper with a foamy, beige head. When I opened the bottle, which had been sitting in my cellar for a couple of weeks, the foam overflowed (wrath of Lucifer?).
Nose: soap, mild citrus, and honey.
Palate: oranges, toffee, with good hops that didn't overpower (surprisingly); there is almost a sweet finish that ends with the alcohol coming through.
Overall impression: this is a good IPA for when you simply want to enjoy a pint and not work for it. Corne du diable is well-balanced in body, though I didn't care for the flavour of alcohol at the end. For me, the finish could have used a little more flavour.
But I would definitely drink more and I do recommend it. I certainly wouldn't want to mess with The Devil.
My quest for the best IPA continues. Cheers!
I mean no offense toward the women who read my beer blog, but this is a beer that I think is designed with you in mind.
This is not the kind of beer with which I associate guys drinking while watching a hockey game or playing poker, smoking cigars. I realize that I'm going to be doing some stereotyping in this post, but please take my words with a grain of salt, as I am writing this post with my tongue firmly pressed into my cheek.
I rewrote this post after I received some comments that pointed accusations of sexism. I left the comments in place, despite my reworking of this post, because some of my thoughts will still seem somewhat tasteless.
I do believe that the brewers of the beer in this review had women in mind when they crafted it. And I don't think that's a bad thing. There are plenty of products on the market that are gender-biased and I don't think that beer is exempt from this gender targetting.
I don't think I would have picked this beer unless I felt some influence from a female friend and after the reaction I witnessed from some women that had sampled a similar-styled ale the day earlier. I think that other men, after looking at the label and understanding the main ingredient that is added, may pass on it.
I made a joke that some guys may drink it but wouldn't want their friends to know that they had. That was a joke. It was, perhaps, not one of my funnier or more clever jokes, but I try.
Sometimes, I fail.
Let's get on with the review. As a craft-beer lover and beer blogger, I feel I have a certain obligation to try many beer styles that I won't typically drink, but should be acquainted with.
I first heard about this beer at WinterBrewed, when my friend from Mill Street Brew Pub, Hannah, described a beer from her favourite Québec microbrewery, Dieu du Ciel! She told me the name, but sadly, over the course of that festival, the name escaped me.
Last week, on what is now my regular stop at Bières du Monde, I looked at a few bottles by this St-Jèrôme brewery. I saw some of the offerings that I have reviewed in the past, and some new ones. One, that was made with hibiscus, reminded me of a beer I tried last week, at the Ottawa Beer TAP Society dinner, which was also made with hibiscus, and I thought I would try it. I bought two bottles and then headed to my regular Tuesday haunt, Mill Street.
When I arrived at the pub, I was greeted by Pete, the bartender, Adam, the head brewer, and Hannah, who also tends the bar. Hannah told me that she had something for me, and quickly disappeared from the bar. When she returned, she told me that she had been to her cottage on the previous weekend and had found her favourite beer at the local dépanneur. She handed me a brown paper bag, and in it was the beer that I had just purchased.
Rosée d'Hibiscus Spiced Strong Beer with Hibiscus (5.9% ABV)
Brasserie Dieu du Ciel!
St-Jérôme, QC
Beer O'Clock rating: 3
Appearance: a murky pink, much like an unfiltered rosé wine, with a while head that quickly dissipates to a fine lace.
Nose: fragrant roses and strawberries.
Palate: the taste buds are first hit with a honeyed, crisp flavour that then turns faintly sour with a hint of peach and white pepper and takes you to a light finish.
Overall impression: this is a refreshing ale that would be perfect during patio season. It goes down easy on its own but would also pair well with a light salad of mixed greens and a raspberry vinaigrette.
From the packaging (a woman, with flowers in her hair), to the colour, to the nose, to the light, slightly sweet and fruity taste, I get the impression that this is a feminine beer.
Ninety-nine percent of the time, I believe that beer is gender-neutral. But every once in a while, I encounter a beer that is light and fruity, and I think (as I did with Rosée d'Hibiscus) that it is a "pretty" beer.
Just as when I see a smokey, bitter, high-alcohol beer (especially when there's a seductive-looking woman on the label) I think that the ale is aimed at men.
That's just the impression I get. Right or wrong.
When I opened my first bottle, I logged on to the Untappd application on my iPhone and checked in with this beer. Shortly after, one of my lady friends, Miriam, told me it was her favourite beer from Dieu du Ciel, that she had had it in Montréal and loved it.
So I have two friends, both women, who have tried and loved this beer.
If any of my male friends love this beer, they are welcome to tell me to STFU.
It's a fine beer and I appreciate it for what it is. I'm glad I tried it. Will I have it again? Probably not, but only because I prefer stouts and big IPAs: you know, manly beers (that's another joke—laugh a little).
Ladies: I believe his beer is made with you in mind. Enjoy it.
Each time I try a new beer from a Québec microbrewery, I am more and more impressed. These microbrasseries really produce craft beers of substance. They don't seem to shy away from making bold statements in producing flavourful, high-alcohol, seductive ales.
Take, for example, Dieu du Ciel. I have only tried three of their beers, and I've loved each of them. They are bold, flavourful, and often have an alcohol level that teeters near or surpasses the 10-percent mark. But they are balanced and a brew to savour.
This week, I tried one of their offerings that I once saw in an article by Ross Scarano, about the 100 beers you had to try before dying. I had already tried 10 of the beers in that list: I can make this one my eleventh.
Péché Mortel (Mortal Sin) Imperial Coffee Stout (9.5% ABV)
Brasserie Dieu du Ciel!
St-Jérôme, QC
Beer O'Clock rating: 3.5
Appearance: a deep mahogany that allows no light to pass through, with a taupe head that dissipates to a fine lace.
Nose: espresso, chocolate, and a hint of iodine.
Palate: bourbon, malted chocolate, and coffee, which ends in a strong alcoholic finish.
Overall impression: this is a serious stout that cannot be consumed lightly. It's well-balanced for the most part, but I found that I had to savour it in small sips, not large mouthfuls, lest the alcohol bite me. The trace of iodine gave it a slight medicinal aroma, which at first was a little off-putting, but it did ease up and allow the coffee to open up.
I picked up a six pack of this beer at Bières du Monde but I have also seen it in Broue Ha Ha and La Trappe a Fromage. It's not available in Ontario.
But crossing the border to pick this up is well worth the trip. Think of it as a sinful pleasure.
Cheers!
So, what is Santa leaving for you under the tree?
Winter is the time for dark, strong beer, but what about something a little sexy? A little brewery in St-Jérôme, Québec, has done a little of both, and you can feel a little naughty and nice with this strong and flavourful stout.
Aphrodisiaque Cocoa and Vanilla Strong Stout
Brasserie Dieu du Ciel, St-Jérôme, QC
Broue Ha Ha: $12.99, 6 x 341 ml (approx); 6.5% ABV
My Rating: 4 out of 5
Deep walnut colour with a rich foam of dark beige that dissipates into a lasting, fine lace, this stout hit my nose with intense vanilla and sweet chocolate. On the palate, I was met with a light coffee and more vanilla, which was followed up with a rich, dark chocolate and alcohol finish that married nicely.
This is a deliciously decadent beer.
Over the holiday, whether you've been naughty or nice, or both, indulge a little. 'Tis the season, after all! There are lots of places in the Outaouais region that stock this beer, so get out and try some.
Or ask Santa.
This is my last beer review until after Christmas, so I want to wish everyone the best of the season. If you enjoy your pints, please do so responsibly.
Cheers!
