Don de Dieu

Rating: 7 out of 10

This one is brewed by Unibroue in Quebec, and you know to expect good things from Unibroue.

Great story behind it - it's named after Samuel de Champlain's (the founder of Quebec) boat - The Don de Dieu. Quebec came to be known as the land of the "somewhat of a great people" and the Don di Dieu is regarded as "somewhat of a great beer." (Full story here from Unibroue's site).

Don de Dieu, the beer, is a triple wheat ale (Belgian strong pale ale), refermented in the bottle on a yeast base (an "ale on lees" - referring to the yeast sediment). I got a 12 oz bottle sporting a 9% ABV.

I started with a golden pour with a decent 3/4" fluffy white head that dissipated rather quickly. The smell is delicious - citrus, banana, yeast and pear - some great wheat beer aromas. It smells a lot like a good white wine, but not quite as potent - more subdued.

The taste featured some spices and a mixture of other flavors like sherry, wine, honey, molasses and some florals. The mouthfeel is strong and a little thick, very nice. The overall dominant flavor is lemon - it's a bit like a hefe but with a bit more complexity. The aftertaste is smooth and refreshing - more fruits and a little hop sharpness.

Overall I'd compare it favorably with a Duvel. Well done and another great Unibroue brew.

By John on March 3, 2008 @ 10 PM with 0 Comments

Don de Dieu

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