Grande Noirceur
Brasserie Dieu du Ciel!

Grande NoirceurGrande Noirceur
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From:
Brasserie Dieu du Ciel!
 
Quebec, Canada
Style:
Russian Imperial Stout
Ranked #338
ABV:
9%
Score:
91
Ranked #7,518
Avg:
4.07 | pDev: 8.35%
Reviews:
154
Ratings:
468
Status:
Active
Rated:
Jan 28, 2024
Added:
Mar 15, 2004
Wants:
  26
Gots:
  75
The Grande Noirceur (Great Darkness) is a dense black beer with robust roasted flavours. Its imposing bitterness is balanced by the presence of complex malted, caramel notes. It takes its name from the conservative policies of mid-century Quebec. The Grande Noirceur was born at our Montreal brewpub in March of 2004.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Photo of SLeffler27
Reviewed by SLeffler27 from New York

4.11/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Yup, it's black. Darkness is drawn to this, as there are no highlights and no halo. A film clings to the Dogfish Head snifter without producing legs. What little foam there is forms a dark, golden-brown veil.

The aroma is strong dark roast and charred malt. Some black espresso and charcoal. Even the aroma is dark.

All this darkness carries into the flavor with bitter charred malt and Baker's chocolate. Espresso beans give way to meager sweetness that cowers in the corner. The finish is long with bold molasses.

Alcohol is above expectations, with light heat. Soft carbonation does nothing to abate the full, almost dense, body. It has a soft, plush texture.

This is a backroom, wheel and deal kind of beer. I plan to have a cigar with the next one, and while that will be great, the beer needs no augmentation. It is quite simply a bold Russian Imperial Stout. This bottle had a date of October 29, 2015.
Jan 28, 2024
Photo of papposilenus
Reviewed by papposilenus from New Hampshire

3.86/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
From a 341ml bottle, dated 10/26/23. Served in an LTM-branded chalice.

Pours a fairly thin appearing, unhighlighted motor oil-black with minimal head formation. There’s a narrow creamy margin and a rousable sheet of slippery lacing.

Nose is more sweet than roasty. Aroma of chocolate pudding, eggy custard. A minor metallic tang attributable to maybe being poured colder than optimal; fades away as the beer warms up.

Taste is drier with more roast bitterness than anticipated although the eggy custard character remains. Tasting charred malt, bitter leafy chicory and egg custard. Vaguely reminiscent of burnt coffee and crème brûlée. A little cigar ash bitterness lingers on the palate.

Smooth, and the mouthfeel is heftier than it appeared it would be. A relatively dense body with fine, gentle carbonation - maybe a little undercarbonated to my tastes but probably spot-on relative to the style.

Overall, it’s good but not great. There is - to me - a disconnect between the taste and the mouthfeel inasmuch as it tastes like a dry and roasty, bitter stout but the body feels like it belongs to a thick and sticky sweet stout. If that makes sense?
Jan 11, 2024
Photo of jkblr
Reviewed by jkblr from Indiana

4/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
11.5oz twist off bottled 2015-10-29 (8 years ago) store aged at room temperature until last week and poured at fridge temp 9% ABV. The beer pours impenetrable black with negligible head of dark brown coloring. It never formed a full cap even on the pour and leaves a few bubbles around the edge of the glass. No lacing. The aroma is moderate in strength featuring dark chocolate, caramel and ashy, roasted malt. The taste is bittersweet roasted malt with dark chocolate and coffee predominant, before mild caramel and ashy roasted malt finish things off. Moderate plus bitterness. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with nearly still carbonation and a mostly dry finish. Overall, very good. It resembled the brewer's description, so I'd say it has aged well given the circumstances, but I'll sure I'd be more impressed with a fresher bottle. Scored at the current average due to the age of the bottle.
Dec 03, 2023
Photo of cratez
Reviewed by cratez from Canada (ON)

4.25/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
341ml bottle from a 4-pack purchased at Peluso Rachel in Montreal, Quebec. Bottling date of October 26. Consumed November 15.

L: Midnight black hue with a thin ring of tan head. A bit of stringy lace on the snifter.

S: Roasted malt, chocolate wafer, leather. Some caramel, earthy vine, and ashtray.

T: Largely follows the nose + moderate sweetness mid-palate.

F: Velvety, full-bodied mouthfeel with creamy carbonation. Slightly chewy middle. Long, bitter-drying finish; lingering warmth.

O: A kick ass, no frills imperial stout; this two-decade-old classic exudes old school charm. Worth seeking out.
Nov 16, 2023
 
Rated: 4.03 by Ushouldbeworkinh from England

Jun 17, 2023
Photo of 1BrewBacca
Reviewed by 1BrewBacca from Georgia

3.9/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Should this brew have any head? I couldn’t find it. A slight amount of carbonation while drinking. Outside of that, strong black coffee color liquid.
Deep roasted malts are the dominant theme.
9.0% ABV sure doesn’t hurt anything LOL. The lack of carbonation is a slight letdown.
Not sorry I tried it but will be moving on from here.
Apr 11, 2023
Photo of Sigmund
Reviewed by Sigmund from Norway

4.48/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5
341 ml bottle, from Vinmonopolet. ABV is 9%. Pitch black colour, moderate brown head. Aroma of roast malts, coffee and caramel, also some vinous notes. The flavour has a well balanced sweetness, notes of roast malts, coffee and dark bitter chocolate, a hint of caramel, also distinct bittering hops. Smooth and pleasant to drink. Excellent beer.
Apr 19, 2022
Photo of DaveMaciolek21
Reviewed by DaveMaciolek21 from New Jersey

4.09/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Pours black as night, with the viscous texture of well-used motor oil. The nose and flavor are at once roasty and smoky, with any harshness balanced by dark semi-sweet chocolate. A legitimate Russian-style Imperial, worthy of a Czar--a stout to be reckoned with.
Jan 24, 2022
Photo of mntlover
Reviewed by mntlover from Tennessee

4.1/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
2017 Pours black small coco layer of head falls fast to ringed bubbles, only wisps of lace.

Aroma is smokey, bitter roasted malts, anise, dark chocolate charred molasses.

Taste is like the nose smokey, dark roasted malts, dry bitter dark chocolate, anise some charred molasses hints of dark fruits. Finish is very dry with bitterness not so much from hops but just the malt, anise and dark chocolate bitterness. Unique and enjoyable so different then a lot of stouts today , more like an aged classic.

Mouthfeel is medium smooth and mellow carbonation.

Overall an enjoyable treat and change from todays crazy sweet desert stouts.
May 17, 2021
 
Rated: 4.21 by morrowd3 from Vermont

Apr 26, 2021
 
Rated: 3.55 by khargro2 from Tennessee

Feb 15, 2021
Photo of TerryMills
Reviewed by TerryMills from Tennessee

4.12/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
2016 bottle .

Heavy hitter in the roasted department ... It is a one trick pony pretty much , it has intense, somewhat bitter, roasted char from start to finish with just enough malt sweetness mid sip to combat the bitterness ..

This beer doesn't have the subtle hints of flavors that unfold but it doesn't need any apology for that , this is a fine beer.
Feb 06, 2021
Photo of SABERG
Reviewed by SABERG from Massachusetts

4.16/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured from a 2017 version 12 oz bottle into the test glass.
A - Ebony wood colored back drop, hides everything inside. Carbonation presence yields a lovely mocha colored thick frothy cap. Lacing is ring after ring of evidence.
S - Char, dark toast out of the toaster, bakers chocolate, some blackberry, caramel, and some fig and espresso.
T - Dark bitter cocoa, cigar wrap tobacco, earthy hop element keeps the offering grounded. dark roast malts a hint of anise all combine to make a wonderful medley.
M - Start is bitter and dry, midway through, a semi sweet thread develops acting as a balance beam of sorts. The finish is that bakers bitter chocolate and lovely. The body is delicate and avoids the heavy oily side. There is no hint of the 9% abv.
O - A stout worth finding, the roast, cocoa, bitter model are the antithesis of many of todays stout offering and frankly a welcome one for me. The body and pallete are simply wonderful.
Jan 03, 2021
Photo of TooManyGlasses
Reviewed by TooManyGlasses from Canada (AB)

3.99/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Bottled Sept 2015 - many years pre COVID-19....
Pours oily black with scant reddish brown head.
Aroma of caramel malt, molasses, roasty and slightly smoky, hint of licorice, chocolate. As warmed notes of graham cracker giving a s’more like scent.
Tastes initially of caramel, chocolate, grainy malt sweetness, with flavours of dark fruit, molasses - at the back end there is a slightly astringent earthy, coffee like bitterness.
Medium full mouthfeel - roasty but smooth and silky - molasses hangs with the caramel on the palate but finishes with a slightly sharp bitterness.
Dec 27, 2020
Photo of Beersnake
Reviewed by Beersnake from California

4.54/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
2017 bottle. Poured from fridge temp. Pours jet black with a small amount of brown head. Nose is classic Russian imperial stout, which is a nice breath of fresh air in a world filled with pastry stouts. Big notes of black licorice, roasted malts, molasses, and dark fruits. The taste is incredible. To be totally honest, I wasn't expecting a huge burst of flavor like this after the nose. Wow was I wrong. This is so complex and flavorful. A bit of bitterness and a bunch of sweetness. Burnt wood, licorice, maple, dark chocolate, cherries, a bit of nuttiness, and a bit of campfire smoke. The aftertaste is more bitter than sweet - a bit of burnt rubber, a touch of tobacco, and some charred wood. I actually love that. This is three years old, and I get the feeling that this could be aged for a long time and possibly get a bit smoother. Simply amazing, with a thick and creamy mouthfeel. Long aftertaste, and the alcohol (9%) is completely hidden. I will definitely seek this out again.
Dec 06, 2020
Photo of micada
Reviewed by micada from New York

4.03/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Almost 5 years old Dieu du Ceil Grande Noirceur Imperial Stout.

October 2015 bottle poured cool and fast to a tulip glass. Very fragrant chocolate upon opening the bottle. Pours a dark cola brown, with just a thin persistent ring. It has a very prominent roastiness, teetering on the flavor of a rauschbier, thought not THAT strong. Maybe a tiny, faint hoppiness on the very tip of it, but that gives way to a huge 80% cacao malty backbone with more roastiness all around. Its 9% ABV is no slouch, and it tastes even bigger than that...very hot presence, but not distracting. It’s a dominant flavor made for sipping. I took one big mouthful, and it is a bully. It lacks finesse, but oozes a confident stout core.

I don’t think there are any adjuncts in this, and I don’t think it has any barrel aging. I might be wrong. It’s very solid as is.
Sep 26, 2020
 
Rated: 4.18 by mtnwesdew from New York

Aug 11, 2020
 
Rated: 4.38 by BeardedWalrus from North Carolina

May 31, 2020
 
Rated: 3.67 by Bandi from New York

Apr 14, 2020
Photo of metter98
Reviewed by metter98 from New York

4.03/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
A: The beer is jet black in color. It poured with a quarter finger high tan head that left a thin layer of bubbles covering the surface and a narrow collar around the edge of the glass.
S: Light to moderate aromas of licorice are present in the nose.
T: The taste follows the smell and is mostly dominated by flavors of black licorice and has notes of dark and roasted malts. There is a moderate amount of bitterness.
M: It feels a bit more than medium-bodied and dry on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This Russian Imperial Stout is has a lot of licorice in it and is quite dry and bitter.

Serving type: bottle
Apr 14, 2020
Grande Noirceur from Brasserie Dieu du Ciel!
Beer rating: 91 out of 100 with 468 ratings