Name: Brasserie Dieu du Ciel’s Route des Epices
Origin: Canada, Quebec
Style: Rye Ale/Spiced Ale (5.3%)
Appearance: This ale is a clear, deep bronze colour, it pours with a medium yet short lived head.
Taste: The aroma is heavily fruity, bearing smells of both raisins and berries. The initial flavours lend towards grains, but these are very quickly taken over by the dominant fruity flavours. Raisins, plums and apples all show up with notes of caramel. A very pronounced peppery flavour exists from the start to finish of each sip. It finishes with a sweet and spicy aftertaste that lingers in the mouth.
Mouth Feel: A very soft drinking ale, it leaves spicy hot feeling in the mouth from the peppecorns used in this ale.
Final Thoughts (5 out of 5): It is a rare occasion that I drink something that shakes the foundations of my beer drinking experiences. This is one of those beers. A fantastic and unique tasting beer, this goes down in my books as one of the 5 star beers. What I find amusing is that this was not the beer I had ordered at the restaurant, though I am sure glad the screwed up the order.
Name: Tree Brewing Co. Spiced Reserved Ale
Origin: Canada, BC
Style: Spiced Ale (7.6%)
Appearance: A deep copper coloured ale, that pours a medium head. This dissipates into a filmy top that does have good longevity.
Taste: A sweet raisin-based and spicy aroma. The flavours start with a sweet, fruity-base. Notes of raisins and apples are easily detected. These flavours are over-shadowed by its heavy spices. Cinnamon and All-spice, with subtler flavours of nutmeg make this beer strongly remind me of spicy eggnog. The beer finishes with a piney, spicy aftertaste that lingers. As the beer begins to warm slightly, the flavours lend themselves more the ‘eggnog’ side. Yum. The very high ABV is unnoticed completely.
Mouth Feel: A very creamy, easy drinking beer.
Final Thoughts (4.5 out of 5): Out of all the spiced Christmas ales I have had, including the ones I have brewed this is the best. This is the eggnog of beers, being sweet, spicy and delicious all over. At nearly 8% ABV, one pint of this I found myself wanting to sing Christmas carols to the neighbors.