Route Des Épices (Ale Rousse Au Poivre)
Dieu de Ciel deserves its impressive reputation - their newly bottled brews tick all of my boxes, and if they were more readily available it would be tough to buy something else. Sweet, spicy coriander aroma wafts upwards from this ruby red liquid, and its medium white cap. Good retention and lace is left behind on the glass. Initial taste is fruity and malty with only the slightest hint of spice, and even some mint lingering at the back end. After a few more sips this transitions into a warmer pepper profile. Holy crap, it was good before, but this development makes it one interesting brew. The mouthfeel is perfect - quite thick and with medium carbonation delivering an explosion of flavour and heat to the tongue. A pint would definitely be enough as the pepper intensity increases with each sip, but I'd love to have a sixer of this in the fridge.