Complice
Brasserie Dieu du Ciel!

CompliceComplice
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From:
Brasserie Dieu du Ciel!
 
Quebec, Canada
Style:
American Brown Ale
ABV:
5%
Score:
87
Avg:
3.83 | pDev: 7.83%
Reviews:
8
Ratings:
10
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jul 01, 2013
Added:
Sep 01, 2008
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by AlexF:
Photo of AlexF
Reviewed by AlexF from Canada (QC)

3.85/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
This beer has a deep brown color and little head. Seems a bit hazy and a little bubbly.

Smells of grass, caramel and mainly dark chocolat brownie.

Hmm Yummy!! English styled ale, it's written on the bottle, it's what you get. Classic, very well made. Toffee, hops... Very good!

Easily drinkable, low % of alcohol. A clear winner.
Feb 03, 2009
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.5 by Kegatron from Pennsylvania

Jul 01, 2013
 
Rated: 3.5 by ygtbsm94 from Utah

Feb 11, 2012
Photo of jondeelee
Reviewed by jondeelee from Massachusetts

4.27/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
La Complice smells like sweet caramel candies, dates, and raisins suspended in molasses bread and smothered in buttery brown sugar. It is, in other words, intoxicating, like a French bakery at 5 a.m.

On the tongue, the flavors hit huge and large, the heavy malts pouncing with piercing talons of brown sugar, vanilla, lychee, deeply roasted grains, hints of chocolate malt, light coffees, and dark fruit esters. Hops nip at you with small, but sharp teeth, perfectly balanced against the malts and making the soft palate tingle. The aftertaste is quite floral--hoppy--with a strong undercurrent of nut and toasted grain, and lasts for quite some time. Mouthfeel is medium-light, and carbonation is average.

Overall, this is an excellent brown ale. I've had quite a few variations on this theme in the past, but few have been so flavorful, or so alluring. Well worth trying, even if you do have to drive to Montreal to find a bottle.
Aug 06, 2011
Photo of Phyl21ca
Reviewed by Phyl21ca from Canada (QC)

3.7/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Bottle: Poured a deep brown color ale with a generous foamy head with surprisingly good retention and good lacing. Aroma of well balanced caramel malt with just enough sweetness and some light dry English hops as well. Taste is also a well balance mix between some rich caramel malt with just enough sweetness and some dominant English hops (which are sadly on the decline since this is not as fresh as it once was). Well made for a style that doesn't offer it fair share of surprise.
Jan 22, 2010
Photo of MeisterBurger
Reviewed by MeisterBurger from Canada (ON)

4.05/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
As with most every DDC beer I have ever poured, it has a wonderful, spongy clingy sticky head. The color and clarity are spot-on for the style. The lacing is sick.

The smell is fresh citrusy hops and fresh cut pears with some nutty caramel malt and just a hint of milk chocolate.

The taste mirrors the aroma perfectly and is downright delicious, with sweet nutty chocolate caramel malt against some nice fruity hops with a bitterness that is kept in perfect balance. There's a lot going on but it's all so seamlessly intrinsic that you don't even have to think about it. It simply just works in that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts kind of way.

The mouthfeel is perfectly luscious, full, and helps keep all the wonderful flavors lingering around in the aftertaste.

This beer is a winner and I only wish I picked up more when I was in Montreal, as this is a definite repeater.
Jul 29, 2009
Photo of Gueuzedude
Reviewed by Gueuzedude from Arizona

4.2/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A healthy pour sneaks up on me and I am forced to suck foam to stave off a foam over; the foam is quite hoppy with a nice mix of ripe berry and herbal notes. The head has lots of structure to it and it leaves lots of thick lacing on the sides of the glass as it slowly recedes. I end up with three-fingers of light tan colored froth in my glass. The beer is a ruddy, dark red / brown color that shows a brilliantly clear, gold highlighted, cranberry red color when held up to the light. The aroma has a nice mix of malt and hop character to it, though it is more hop leaning than anything; aromas of berries, bergamot, blood orange and some light herbal notes are backed by a caramelized malt note and a touch of biscuit like grain character.

Lightly sweet malt accentuates the citrus hop notes. The beer picks up a buttery malt character towards the middle that is almost more texture than flavor; this actually has a fair amount of body to it for a beer of this strength. Sharp herbal hop notes and a substantial bitterness are noticeable as the beer first hits my lips through to the lingering finish. This beer is quite hoppy (far more so than I was expecting considering the label says this is a traditional British Brown Ale), with only a supporting malt character. Flavors of menthol, citrus infused berry jam, orange citrus oil, a touch of lychee and substantial, lingering herbal note are all easily found here. The subtle malt character boosts the hop notes more than anything, but there is a touch of nuttiness to the finish as well as a suggestion of toasted grain.

Quite a nice surprise, I thought I was in the mood for a nice malty brown ale, but it turns out I could use some hops.
Feb 10, 2009
Photo of mrmanning
Reviewed by mrmanning from Canada (ON)

3.35/5  rDev -12.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Bottle courtesy of my friends Erin and Chris- Deep brown pour leaves a frothy beige cap with some lace. Strange but interesting aroma of hemp or burnt marijuana, pit fruits, fresh hops, perfume and some milk chocolate. Tastes of hemp like hops, pungent earthy malts, some candy, a bit of milk chocolate. Strange hoppy/perfumey finish in the aftertaste. Decent.
Nov 21, 2008
Photo of papat444
Reviewed by papat444 from Canada (QC)

3.95/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Complice basically means accomplice.

This beer was brewed for La Fête Bières et Saveurs de Chambly last September and is a one-shot release.

Poured from a 341ml. bottle.

Appearance: Light brown body with ruby tinges and a thick head that clings to the side of my pint glass.

Smell: Dried fruit, nuts. Hops are very present with a citrus-like feel.

Taste: Smooth and mouthcoating creaminess at first with slight malt but finishes with some bitter hops.

Mouthfeel: Definite grapefruit-like hops which kind of out-play a little the more subtle malty aspect. Rounded out by a nutty component (label says cashews).

Drinkability: Very good beer, easy to drink and enjoy. I would try it again.

Overall: I was a tiny bit disappointed because the hops definitely more strong than the discreet smooth maltiness that i love in brown ales but it's certainly a well-crafted brew. I'd call it a hoppy brown ale.
Nov 08, 2008
Photo of Sammy
Reviewed by Sammy from Canada (ON)

3.95/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
On tap at Festival Bières et Saveurs, the special festival brew. I didn't realize till later that it was DDC. Excellently hopped with British hoips, amarillo? A brown colour but a real style bender. Fresh lace, just great hops and drinkability. A much above average brew, and As a brown its terrific.
Sep 01, 2008
Complice from Brasserie Dieu du Ciel!
Beer rating: 87 out of 100 with 10 ratings