Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel Rigor Mortis ABT

**Aroma:** “Medium-strong ester profile with plums, cherries, and banana, and a touch of spiciness. Maybe a touch of floral hops as well. Malt is present with toasted-bread aromatics.” **Flavor:** “Bubblegum and more bubblegum. There’s an enjoyable deep caramel character, and the fruit esters are pleasant—dried fruit with some tropical notes—but it’s hard to get past those bubblegum esters. This beer could use some additional bitterness or carbonation to balance. As it warms, the sweetness starts to go away and is replaced by more spicy notes.” **Overall:** “A nice attempt with a lean toward the bubblegum side of the yeast ester spectrum. It could be a top scorer if it just had something else to provide a touch more balance: bitterness, carbonation, or even some alcohol. As it is, it’s very good, but the simple ester profile detracts from the great malt profile. Very sweet compared to the others.”

“Nutty breadcrust nose with a substrate of mild phenol. Light hints of American hop resin, with apricot and golden currant esters plus vanilla oak notes. Rich toffee, fig, and sweet-roll malt flavor. Low soft hints of clove and a touch of pepper phenol.”

**Aroma:** “Toasty caramel malt sweetness with low spicy phenolics, similar to a saison. Subtle fruity ester profile of dates, cherries, and plums. Low green pepper note. A bit of the mild/earthy/ spicy Noble hops aroma.” **Flavor:** “High fruitiness with rich dark fruits of plum, cherry, and raisins. Slight phenolics balance well with the fruit. Aftertaste is fruity with slight alcohol note. Toasty and biscuit malt sweetness. Nice smoothness in this beer. Some slight Noble hops bitterness and earth- iness help to cut the sweet. Subtle malt sweetness and light fruity character are overtaken by a rather strong spicy Noble hops flavor and bitterness.” **Overall:** “High carbonation, fruit, and a great warming all in balance. Well- centered in the style. Has all the makings of a great quad, but hops are a bit too forward—almost as much Noble hops character as malt and fruit.”