Katy and Sasha are the contributors for Ottawa Beer Events! They
have distinctly different palates and in this segment they go
head-to-head tasting Solstice d'été (Framboise) by Brasserie Dieu du Ciel.
Katy:
Sometimes I think I miss a lot of amazing beers by being unilingual and concentrating so much on the Ontario beer scene. This brew, Solstice d'été (Framboise) by Montreal brewer Dieu du Ciel, unfortunately confirms my suspicion and makes me want to learn French and maybe move to Montreal.
Brewed only twice a year, Dieu du Ciel adds fresh raspberries (not concentrate, not juice, not syrup) to the fermentation stage which produces a lovely ruby red colour that manages to shine through the brown bottle. The aroma is like a fresh basket of ripe raspberries – slightly sweet, but with a subtle tartness. The taste is pure summer. At the front there's a raspberry sweetness that's balanced by a sharp Berliner Weiss tartness. This is the perfect beer to celebrate summer and to celebrate raspberries!
What grabbed my attention when pouring this beer was, of course. the
colour. It pours bright red like a glass of cream soda. Based on the
aroma I anticipated a strong raspberry flavour. And that's just what I
got.
If you can get past the tartness the raspberry really
shines through. There definitely wasn't a drop of raspberry juice
spared in the making of this beer.
I would drink this
again on a nice hot day if I'm looking for a refreshing fruit beer. The
tartness definitely makes it a slow sipping beverage however.
Available at Bières Du Monde (181 Rue Principal Aylmer, QC) - lesbieresdumonde.com
