Porte Du Ciel ("Gate Of Heaven")
Friars' Brewhouse

 

750ml bomber: Batch #76 Bottle #94: Cork came out with a loud pop! This one pours a fairly clear dark amber color. There was a good sized off-white head on it. About no lacing. The aroma is interesting. It smells a bit like spruce. Also notes of grain, breadiness and some faint toffee. The taste is good. Lots of flavors, but melded together. I get some breadiness, toffee, citrus, a touch of bitterness. Interesting. Not a typical saison.

Corked bomber purchased at the wine store in Bar Harbor for $10.49. Batch 77 bottle 11. The label says it's an 'Ancestral French Ale' and no ABV is specified. Poured into 2 tekus and a tulip and shared. The bottle is a very thick glass, probably to contain the high carbonation. The cork nearly flew when I popped it and was accompanied by a loud 'POP'.

Pours a murky, muddy, dark brown with a huge light tan head, that settles down a little but persists throughout.

Aroma is a very unique smell that none of us could put a label on. It reminds me of something I've eaten in the past, but couldn't recall from memory. It's a sweet, candy-like, spicy aroma.

Taste was similar to aroma with some citrus peel and astringent bitterness thrown in. It seems to improve as it warms.

Mouth was fizzy, medium-thin, easy to drink except for the oddness of the flavor/aroma.

Overall, a very interesting and unique beer, but a style that perplexed me more than awed me. It could be an attempt to make an Orval-like saison, as it has some similarities. This is not something I'd seek out again.

Batch #76, bottle #24. Poured from a 750 cork and cage into a tulip, the beer is a rich, deep, ruby-tinted caramel coloring with a low profile, foamy, bubbly, off-white head. Aromas of rich toffee, strawberries, brown sugar, toasted grains, a solid bread backbone, berries, and roasted overtones. Very rich and heavy aromas. Flavors are surprisingly tart and sweet forward, with notes of berries and cherries, tart citrus highlights, sugary sweet profiles, and subtle toffee notes. Hints of herbal highlights throughout, with notes of cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, all spice, and coriander. The body is full and robust, with a slick endfeel washing away the short lived linger of rich, bready aftertaste. Good beer. Heavier characteristics than most saisons, but tasty.