Brasserie Dieu De Ciel Peche Mortel
Peche Mortel translates to mortal sin in French and is, in a certain respect, an apt name for this beer. These days, imperial stouts are a dime-a-dozen. Crafting a stout that takes roastiness, alcohol, etc., over the top is not difficult in and of itself. But well-executed imperial stouts are another thing entirely, and much more rare. In response to the ubiquity of imperial stouts that are little more than ramped-up versions of regular stouts, a number of breweries have upped the ante by producing imperial stouts that prominently feature unique ingredients, such as barrel-finishes, coffee, chocolate, etc. Examples include Founders’ Breakfast Stout and Kentucky Breakfast Stout, Southern Tier’s Choklat Stout, and Goose Island’s Bourbon County Stout.
These beers succeed in creating a beer that not only features the depth and presence of a well-done imperial stout, but seamlessly incorporate the impact of a second significant ingredient. For those with a sweet tooth, the Southern Tier Choklat Stout is remarkable in how prominent, and well-integrated the chocolate flavors are. For those seeking a massive coffee-laced stout, the Founders Breakfast Stout is spot on, giving lots of room for the coffee flavors to play out along with an ehanced smoothness imparted by the oats that are part of the beer’s makeup.
This is not to say that traditional imperial stouts cannot succeed in their own right. Brooklyn’s Black Chocolate Stout, while not featuring much of a chocolate presence, is very good. The same can be said for Rogue’s Chocolate Stout. And Smuttynose’s Imperial Stout is a prime example of the style, deftly taking a great stout recipe and kicking it up to a whole ‘nother level. Each of these beers does a great job of mastering a deceptively simple recipe. Again, these are not just stouts times two, but beers that achieve a whole different level of impact from their non-imperial peers.
Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel’s Peche Mortel, an imperial coffee stout, easily fits right in with these other examples of great imperial stouts. Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel is a Montreal brewery whose beers are, in general, anything but strict style adherents. Yes, they produce a Belgian-style wit, and a “blond ale”, but after that all style guidelines get thrown out the window. Their other beers include a maple scotch ale, a hemp beer, a hibiscus flower wit, and a couple of beers incorporating peppercorns, alongside the Peche Mortel. While the reviews of most of these beers are somewhat varied, you have to give them credit for ingenuity, and, at least in the case of the Peche Mortel, pulling it off.
I guess that I’m a tough sell when it comes to imperial stouts. As the above indicates, I’m not interested in something that is basically a “big” stout. When it comes to imperial stouts I’m interested in a beer that has a character and personality that makes it distinct from a regular stout. The Peche Mortel amply accomplishes this.
The beer starts out absolutely, positively opaque, pitch black. No ruby highlights or anything, just simply, jet-black. The nose smells like freshly dark-roasted coffee beans, in the vein of a great Italian roast, accompanied by a hint of bittersweet chocolate and roasted malt. The palate features the pleasantly bitter of flavor of espresso, dark chocolate, very strong notes of black malt. There is a slight layer of sweetness, but the complex of bitter flavors (pleasantly bitter, not negatively) really predominates. All of these flavors are carried along on a deep foundation of velvet maltiness. The finish trails off into espresso bitterness and malt sweetness, dominated by the espresso.
In all, the one area where the beer does not overwhelm is with the finish. The nose and palate are really quite exciting. I find this beer to be a real experience, one of the better imperial coffee stouts that I’ve drunk, a step above the Founders Breakfast Stout which I thought was quite good. This beer maximizes the impact of the coffee in much the way that the Southern Tier Choklat Stout does so with the massive presence it gives to the chocolate. And then, along with the coffee nose and flavor, the beer has excellent depth and mouthfeel. Add to that the presentation, which is really quite stunning. Visually, this beer is the equivalent of a black hole, all color and light is swallowed up.
A good beer for a cold winter day, just like the one the during which I’m writing this.
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