Alike and Unlike Juxtaposition: Drinking a Grande Noirceur and a Peché Mortel Simultaneously

Tonight I set out on a two-beer-mission that led to three typos in this sentence already (as they are 9% and 9.5% ABV beers and I always drink rated beers quickly - faster than I'd like!)

Being a publicly professed lover of all things beers Dieu du Ciel, and no less an outed fan of imperial stouts, I couldn't look a gift horse in the mouth.  That is, a few days past, an as-yet-unseen Dieu du Ciel beer came to my attention at my local dealer's Metro: a Grande Noirceur Imperial Stout (the 9%er).  For obvious reasons, I picked up a few (a few to drink, a few to age and drink eventually), especially since bottled oddities of DDC brews seem to come and go while being much more frequently gone.

After doing my personal review of the Grande Noirceur (trans. The Great Darkness recalling the Duplessis era of Quebec history which is reflected in name and label image, seen below), in which I commented on parallels to Peché, I did a web search to learn the availability of this fantastic beer only to discover (unsurprisingly) that this is allegedly the base for Peché.  [Correction: alleged is the operative word here, as the brewer has tweeted to me that this isn't so and that they are distinct recipes!  I got this information from several comments on beeradvocate AND ratebeer, as well as a stand-alone web page - hopefully this correction will end the rumours I have inadvertently participated in - which was why I used allegedly just in case!]

Thus, rather than simply post my review of the Grande Noirceur, I thought I may as well drink them alongside one another and add the comparison.  I will begin, however, with my original thoughts on le Grande Noirceur (which evolve in direct contrast):

This beer is about as black as promised and, like all good imperial stouts, is an experience in extremes.  The dark body is capped by a creamy and lacy mocha head of decent retention.  The aroma is dominated by bitter cocoa and coffee as expressed by a deeply roasted malt, with a faint hint of dry, nearly stale nuts.  The taste, however, loses everything except the cocoa, but gains in that immensely, before a finely drying, earthy and lightly piney hops finish.  To the mouth, this delicious beer offers a sticky feeling to a full body, with appropriate warmth alongside just a hint of its strength.  All in all, I loved this beer and drinking it made me question whether I liked it more than a (bottled) Peché Mortel.  Grade: A/A+

Here are my original thoughts from my first Peché, first posted here (with additional and even greater praise for the Nitrogen-tapped version here):

To begin, let me just say that this beer is bold in every way, but also deserving of the very high praise it has received!  Into the glass, this mortal sin pours a jet black that seems almost thick and creamy, resembling motor oil in more than color but, fear not, not in consumptive appreciation!  An excellent foamy, yet creamy brown/mocha head with superb retention and a good lace arises.  Indeed, this beer offers an excellent head that allows deep expression of the aromas, which are dominated by bold, deeply roasted coffee notes with hints of stout malts exemplified by oats, though these are very negligible in contrast to the overwhelming coffee aroma that would be near indistinguishable from a freshly brewed espresso.  On the tongue, this delicious, but bold, strong (9.5% ABV), and bitter beer begins with light oak and oat notes, though these are quickly eradicated by the bitter drying of extremely strong coffee flavours that entirely mask the alcohol.  Some chocolate alongside hoppy dryness is discernible if considered explicitly, but everything is muted by the force of the bittering coffee.  Everything one would expect from the style.  Quintessential.  Not for everyone, but near perfect for those who'd like it! Grade: A

Now, in direct juxtaposition, the differences are exposed while the similarities are simultaneously intensified.  As evidenced by the photo below, the Grande Noirceur offers a darker head - more befitting of the mocha description - whereas the Peché should perhaps be called tan in contrast.  Both are bold and extreme beers in their own right, but with back-and-forth sips (before finishing the Grande first then the Peché) it becomes obvious that the Peché is like an amped-up, more extreme version of this very dry, very bitter, yet very delicious masterpiece of brewing.  In this sense, the Peché offers a longer lasting dry finish with an earthier lingering boldness and obvious espresso bitterness (that is obviously more extreme to both nose and tongue), though it becomes less observable as it warms.  After a sip of the Peché, the Noirceur seems comparatively tame, though both mellow as the sips go on and as one grows accustomed to their extremes.

In a nutshell, both are truly wonderful marvels and choosing would be impossible, though the Grande Noirceur caters to the milder moods of extreme decisions and desires, while the Peché is a no-holds-barred assault on the senses.  If you almost like Peché, try a GN if/while you can find one.  If you truly love Peché, I am sure you too will like its base this other DDC imperial stout.

And, on that note, let me re-evaluate my original A rating for a Peché, and give it a borderline A/A+.  If I should somehow only have access to one beer for the rest of my days, neither of these would disappoint me.

Beer News Roundup

Today, I mention and link to three interesting news items.

The first... well, it's kind of my duty to mention even if I am a bit reserved about it.  Beer Smith 2, software for home brewers, has been released as an open beta .deb for users of Debian Linux variants (Ubuntu, Mint, Debian, etc) (and is already available for users of the two big-name OSes).  It is always excellent news when niche software comes to GNU/Linux, and I am thrilled to hear it, so why am I reserved?  It isn't exactly standard practice to release shareware for Linux (since it isn't exactly philosophically akin to the FOSS movement), nor to release open beta tests as shareware.  I don't oppose charging (or paying) for the final version (or for its creator to profit from his labour) and, when I get around to home brewing - which I will assuredly eventually do, and you will assuredly hear about - I will try this software before making any such decisions, but I am not sure that its features are that much more substantial than those offered by the entirely free (in both senses, as in beer and speech) Brewtarget and a few web searches. I will, one day, however try both and report back, but unless Beer Smith truly wows me, I can't see paying money for closed-source software if it is only marginally better than a free and open source alternative (that is more in line with my vision of software) that should suffice to fulfill necessary tasks (though I also can't see not trying it out to see since it is free to try!)  But, admittedly, my gut impression might be wrong, and Beer Smith could be the software of my dreams when I turn my learning about home brewing into practice and, if so, I will eat my words, but in the meantime, don't take my skepticism to mean that I don't appreciate this Linux offering, nor that I don't wish to hear from Beer Smith users generally - and Linux ones specifically - about the reasons it is indispensable.  Let me know!  I realize this sounds more negative than I intend it and, to the makers of Beer Smith, it is greatly appreciated that such niche software is available for Linux and, even if I prefer FOSS, I truly do value the availability of wider user choice in software for Linux.  I encourage any brewers out there to try both - and others - and to use that or those which fulfill your needs.

Up next, we have a Long, Dark Voyage to Uranus... Ummm, yes, that is actually the name of a new so-called "Uranal Imperial Stout" from Gravenhurst, Ontario's upstart Sawdust City Brewing.  At 85 IBU and 8.5% ABV this beer, like most imperial stouts, seems extreme for the casual beer drinker!  The brewery says so itself, saying the beer is "2.57 billion SRM... is loaded with rich, sinful flavors of chocolate and espresso... [and] has a big bitter kick... not for the faint of heart."  Yet, they are only brewing 500 litres and it will only be available while supplies last at select beer bars (such as Toronto's barVolo, Burger Bar, and Smokeless Joe's, amongst some venues elsewhere as noted in Sawdust's blog).  There is a hint in the announcement post that it may appear at The Only Cafe's Winter Beer Fest - let's hope since, if you have been reading along, you should be well aware that I love a good Imperial Stout!

Finally, the new Ottawa location of Mill Street's Brewpub (complete with unique beers not available at the Toronto brewpub *sniff, sniff*) has opened it's doors ahead of its official opening Friday.  If you live in Ottawa, you should check this place out for the beers and the view!

That's all for now folks!

Coffee, Not Darkness, is the Common Thread: Péché Mortel and LB Mocha Porter

Yesterday turned into a stout/porter evening but the commonalities were more from the coffee infusions than the styles (a porter and an imperial stout), though both were drank from an imperial pint glass.

The Mocha Porter, a seasonal offering from Lake of Bays Brewing, was the lighter of the two in many ways beginning with a 5.2% ABV.  It pours a dark brown with a very attractive creamy brown-ish (not to say mocha!) head that has a medium-light lacing.  On the nose, cereal and fruity maltiness is more prevalent than the lesser notes of coffee, chocolate, and cherries.  Flavor-wise, it is again closer to an original porter with a nice fruity graininess alongside biscuits and only a moderate and well-balanced mocha addition.  This nuanced flavor is in contrast to the bolder coffee porters of trend that often overdo the coffee, at times to the detriment of the beer itself.  On the tongue, it is smooth yet chewy while fairly full bodied.  A very nice porter, all-in-all, that is reflective of the style more broadly while still with those chocolately-coffee notes to appeal to a wider (and at times more specific) audience.  I would gladly drink this beer again!  Grade: A-


Dieu du Ciel's (Translation: God in Heaven!) famed imperial coffee stout, Péché Mortel (Mortal Sin) finally arrived at the LCBO and allowed me a simple chance to try it.  To begin, let me just say that this beer is bold in every way, but also deserving of the very high praise it has received!


Into the glass, this mortal sin pours a jet black that seems almost thick and creamy, resembling motor oil in more than color but, fear not, not in consumptive appreciation!  An excellent foamy, yet creamy brown/mocha head with superb retention and a good lace arises.  Indeed, this beer offers an excellent head that allows deep expression of the aromas, which are dominated by bold, deeply roasted coffee notes with hints of stout malts exemplified by oats, though these are very negligible in contrast to the overwhelming coffee aroma that would be near indistinguishable from a freshly brewed espresso.  On the tongue, this delicious, but bold, strong (9.5% ABV), and bitter beer begins with light oak and oat notes, though these are quickly eradicated by the bitter drying of extremely strong coffee flavours that entirely mask the alcohol.  Some chocolate alongside hoppy dryness is discernible if considered explicitly, but everything is muted by the force of the bittering coffee.  Everything one would expect from the style.  Quintessential.  Not for everyone, but near perfect for those who'd like it! Grade: A


That's all for now folks, though my delivery of Cameron's Oak Aged seasonal offering arrives today and I promise to share my thoughts soon, though lengthy holiday travel-times tomorrow may postpone the next review slightly!

Southern Tier Oats Warm the Winter Chills

As a fan of oatmeal stouts generally, I couldn't resist the allure of Southern Tier's Oat (Imperial Oatmeal Stout) while recently shopping South of the border, especially since the LCBO only carries two of their products in Ontario regularly and this is not one of them.

At 11% ABV and, once again, in a 650 ml bottle, this beer either makes for one hell of a night or is otherwise better shared with a friend or two.  On this occasion, I went with the latter option and my review will probably benefit from this decision!

The head poured more thinly than I'd expected and receded nearly as quickly, a quality I find unappealing in a stout of any sort, though its mocha-brown colour alongside the deep, dark brown opacity of the beer itself were more reflective of the style.

Aroma-wise, I was happily greeted with the standard oats and grainy goodness typical of such ales.  The aroma itself was faint, but inviting.  The notes of deeply roasted malts covered (and facilitated) its more subtle chocolate and coffee traces, and its strength was also hinted at by a slight whiff of alcohol.

There truly is a triple part (at least) to this beer's taste.  First, coffee comes through before the malted oats take over while the finish is dominated by a drying combined with the warmness of the high alcohol percentage.  You truly can taste this beer's many strengths (yes, alcohol, but also oats and deeply roasted malts) though it is balanced enough to dry out in closure and warm you up towards your next sip.  At times its strength left me almost thinking I was drinking a barley wine in its place.

As far as the mouthfeel goes, it had a moderate carbonation and body alongside a healthy winter-warming, but seemed a bit syrupy or perhaps chewy.  While chewiness is desirable, the syrup sensation (in combination with the alcohol) in ways evoked a slight resemblance to some sort of dry liqueur.  In a sense this was unique and a bit different from most other stouts/imperial stouts/oatmeal stouts, yet it also took me away from appreciating the oats that drew me to this beer initially and slightly turned me off... yet, as noted in the flavour, its balanced drying kept me desiring 'just another sip.'

While I do enjoy both standard and imperial stouts, I do prefer the oatmeal variety and for that this beer draws me in, but (being the first imperial oatmeal stout I have ever seen, let alone tasted) I am not sure that they work entirely in conjunction.  Something about it kept me coming back for more, and I am glad Southern Tier did this for it makes me believe it is the dual-style variance more than the brewing that makes me a bit ambivalent.  Perhaps it is the super-high alcohol content that complicates what is otherwise a more appealing chewy meal for me, though not so much that I would say I didn't enjoy it!  Its strengths are wonderful and rich, but it may take its extremes a touch too far - at least for me.  B