Dieu du Ciel Solstice d'été (2013)


Yesterday was the Summer Solstice so it only makes sense to review a beer brewed for that very day - Solstice d'été by Dieu du Ciel. According to the bottle, this is almost five years old as it was brewed in July 2013, so I have no idea how long I've had this in my hoard.

Last year, I happened to be at Dieu du Ciel a year ago today and enjoyed this same beer on tap at their pub, so I'm excited to have this again!

Solstice d'été is a Sour Wheat Ale that's brewed with raspberries and tops out at 5.9% ABV.

Appearance: With this being nearly five years old, it still looks amazing: It has a rich reddish-purple raspberry juice appearance with a light pink head on top.

Aroma: It's held up really well over this time - it smells just like what I remembered from last year - raspberry jam and a hefty amount of sourness. The raspberry aroma is sweet yet decently tart. Reminiscent of the Lindemans Framboise I had the other day. Good deal of sourness in here, a hint of vinegar. That's about it.

Taste: It tastes like if I'm having toast with homemade raspberry jam. It's decently sweet yet has a sour presence that isn't overwhelming yet is enough to give me a bit of goosebumps after each sip. There's a certain amount of breadiness in here. It's quite dry and leaves behind a light sourness that's a bit reminiscent of vinegar for the aftertaste.

Overall Thoughts: Seeing that this is almost five years old, it aged really well - the fruitiness of the raspberries is still there and the sour presence of what I remember from last year's batch while at the brewpub is completely on point. Very refreshing for this incredibly hot, muggy summer day in Manitoba.

Happy summer solstice!


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