Beer pick of the week: Péché Mortel
December 2nd, 2008 by Jeff Holland in Drink
Péché Mortel (Mortal Sin)
Brasserie Dieu du Ciel!
St-Jérôme, Quebec, CAN
9.5% ABV
This Imperial Coffee Stout from Quebec’s acclaimed brewpub turned microbrewery has generated intense buzz among beer geeks since it has been penetrating U.S. markets, and with its hefty ABV and fair trade coffee infusion, it generates a pretty good buzz in just about anyone. Produced in 50-barrel batches only 4 times a year, it is a rare find that disappears quickly from beer stores shelves. If you like strong coffee and you like stouts, do yourself a favor—ignore the $5 per bottle price and pick up one or two for your next special occasion. Be sure to let it warm for 20 minutes or so on the counter to cellar temperature (about 55 degrees).
Péché Mortel pours an impenetrable black with a creamy, mocha-colored head of dense foam. The aroma is a dead ringer for a perfectly brewed cup of espresso with a hint of alcoholic burn. There’s more deep roasted coffee in the taste, along with a rich, dark chocolate flavor and bitterness. Layers of malt complexity emerge with each sip, mingling with spicy rum-soaked black cherry and whiskey notes. The creamy mouthfeel carries the chocolate and coffee bitterness deep into the finish, lingering like the finest truffle candy. If this is mortal sin, then I am going straight to Hell. Oh, yeah!
(Photo by Jeff Holland)
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