Solstice D'hiver Réserve Spéciale En Fût De Bourbon
Brasserie Dieu du Ciel!

 

Appearance: A turbid dark brown without a head
Smell: Dark stone fruits, malt, molasses, ethanol, woody aromas
Taste: Rich sweetness, plum, cherry and toffee notes
Mouthfeel: Milky smooth with low carbonation
Overall: An excellent barleywine, with dark rich flavours that mask the high alcohol percentage very well

From a November 10, 2020 bottle

Murky brown chewy looking appearance with a sparse bubbly fleeting tan head. Mild pleasant bourbon notes compliment by fig, brown sugar, and stone fruit notes. Moderate body, mild carbonation, velvety mouthfeel.

★★★★
Puissant et sucré!
En cette fin de samedi après-midi, j'ouvre cette bouteille de bière sachant ce qui m'attendrait. Une puissance sucrée vient me réconforter dans cette défaite épique que j'ai subie aux charlatans de Belcastel. Je menais pourtant outrageusement au milieu de la partie, mais je me suis fait donner une solide raclée...

Serving: Bottle
Bottled: (Consumed Dec-15)


It pours darker than I remember the non-barrel version being. Murky brown with a nice, finely-bubbled beige cap that leaves subtle lacing. The aroma is pretty noticeable upon cracking the bottle. Filled with dark fruits, some nutty oxidation, caramel, dark bread. The flavor is a nutty, treacley, buttery, caramely, toasty, ever-so-slightly-roasty experience with a touch of vanilla-bourbon notes and some bitterness and alcoholic warmth to finish it off. The feel is nice and dry for as strong as it is with a fluffy feel to the carbonation and a complex, warming finish. This is an incredibly nice beer. Especially coming in out of the cold on a Sunday night, putting on some music and sitting by the tree. As it warms I feel like it things out a bit and gets a bit sharper. This took away a little bit on the flavor and overall. That said, this is a great beer.

4.25...4.5...4.25...4.5...4.25

 

On draft, 25cl glass

Hazy dark copper colored, thick tan head. Good head retention. Big bourbon and malty aroma. Similar taste. Medium bodied, super smooth

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From a 12oz bottle, dated 2015-09-25. Served in an over-sized tulip. Mille fois merci to TheDoctor for both the bottle and the glassware - tres gènéreux!

Pours a semi-opaque burnt caramel with cheerful honey highlights and a scant half-finger of head that was gone before I really got a good look at it. Leaves a thin latte collar and a small, wispy island that looks like Papau New Guinea.

Nose of toasted barley, rye whiskey, fig jam and green, leafy herbs.

Sticky date pudding. Tastes of dark, caramelized brown sugar and vanilla cream, with a rich, soul-satisfying, sinus-engulfing bourbon booziness. Cherries, plums, cigar wrappers, and just a kiss of hop bittering on the tongue at the finish.

Feel is smooth and mouth-coating, medium-hefty with no more than enough carbonation to get the job done.

Overall, sweet, merciful Dionysius, that was mighty fine! Not a beer for the faint of heart, it is a full body experience, from the bourbon fogged sinuses to the flaming gullet to the tingling toes and the bruises on the forehead from staggering into doorways.

 

 

12oz bottle poured into a snifter
Bottled 1/11/16

A- pours deep brown in color with a ruby hue, one-finger foamy off-white head that reduces to a thin film floating on top and a ring around the edge

S- very fruity aroma up front with notes of berries, fig & raisin. Fruity notes of are followed by aromas of brown bread, caramel, molasses, brown sugar & toffee. Undertones of oak barrel with adds earthy wood, as well as light coconut and vanilla. Smells very reminiscent of a fruit cake and reminds me of a Belgian Strong Ale

T- sweet caramel and toffee up front mix with fruity notes that follow the nose, with an emphasis of raisin, fig, dried cherry and dried cranberry. Mid-palate gives flavors of fruit cake with a bready yeast and a hint of spice. The finish brings out some barrel character; caramel, vanilla and light bourbon, lingers of more sweet caramel, dark fruit and alcohol

M- medium-heavy body with moderate-low carbonation leads to a foamy mouthfeel that finishes slightly viscous and warming

O- nice fruit notes throughout, the barrel character was subtle, but there. a big, boozy, spicy fruit cake