Route de Epices/Peche Mortel

One thing that consistently surprises me about Atlantic City is the availability of interesting alcohol. I’m not talking about the top shelf elixirs or cleverly contrived cocktails found at the various casino bars; there’s a lot less novelty there than anyone is willing to admit. Instead, I’m referring to the omnipresent liquor stores, which are well stocked with fascinating (and reasonably priced) wines and beers from around world.

Two recent finds, Route des Epices and Peche Mortel, come from Dieu Du Ciel microbrewery in Canada.

Routes des Epices

In their words:
Routes des Epices (French for “Spice Route”) is a rye beer brewed with both black and green peppercorns. Initially the beer reveals flavours of fresh grain and malt, which give it notes of chocolate, caramel and fruit. The pepper flavour and aroma is fully revealed in the finish, which leaves a pleasant, spicy, tingling sensation on the tongue.

In my words:
If anything, I think Dieu Du Ciel is underselling just how potent this beer is. The nose is full with the aromas of freshly baked rye bread, cracked pepper, and coffee; there’s a definite maltiness encompassing the nose as well, which does lend hints of caramel.
For all of this, the beer is surprisingly crisp, with the body falling somewhere between the light and medium ranges. The pepper leaves not only “a pleasant, spicy, tingling sensation on the tongue,” but also a light burn in the back of the throat; consider yourself warned if you don’t like the spice.

Peche Mortel

In their words:
Peche Mortel (French for “Mortal Sin”) is an intensely black and dense beer with pronounced roasted flavours. Fair trade coffee is infused during the brewing process, intensifying the bitterness of the beer and giving it a powerful coffee taste. Peche Mortel is brewed to be savored; we invite you to drink it in moderation.
Peche Mortel was born in our Montreal brewpub in October 2001.

In my words:
This descriptor is much closer to the mark. The nose is a riot of fresh coffee grounds and bittersweet chocolate with a warm maltiness surrounding. The coffee and chocolate continue onto the palate, with their full, roasted flavours being contrasted by a pleasing bitterness. Though the body is only medium, this beer is amazingly rich.

Now these are just two of the beers available from Dieu Du Ciel; if you’re interested in either of them or want to see what else they have to offer, I recommend you visit their website. They’ve also got brewpubs in Montreal and St. Jerome, in case you happen to be wandering through the area.