Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel! Grande Noirceur Russian Imperial Stout at 9% ABV (C$3.22 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 341 ml, bottle date 28-Sep-2015, reviewed 15-Feb-2016)
Appearance: unrelieved opaque black, one finger of creamy light beige head, moderate retention and lacing. (4/5) Aroma: dark roasty malt, coffee and bitter chocolate, lightly ashy. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium-full body, moderate-low carbonation, dry mildly bitter finish. (4/5)
Quite dry for the style, with low sweetness. Surprisingly non-existent alcohol presence given the moderately high ABV. One of my big problems with Imperial Stouts is the tendency to very high sweetness, making them syrupy and cloying, but this thing is very well-behaved. (16/20)
8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
