Having just called all beer reviews into question, I thought it was time to post another beer review.

Solstice d’hiver (Winter Solstice)
Brasserie Dieu du Ciel!,  St-Jérôme, Quebec, Canada
Style: Barleywine
11 oz. Bottle

Aroma: Aromatics are unexpectedly light. Bready with light toast. A bit yeasty. Faint dark fruits; fig. Light alcohol. Perhaps some hints of chocolate.

Appearance: Dark red amber. A bit murky with floaties (an old bottle?). Very small, off-white head dissipated almost immediately.

Flavor: The light aroma was deceiving. There is a lot going on with the flavor. Burnt sugar and bittersweet chocolate. Fresh dark fruits; dark cherries, plums, wet raisins, and some orange citrus on the tip of my tongue. The bitterness is high, but it balances sweetness of the malt.  Lingering finish of burnt caramel and earthy hops. Loads of fruit and chocolate come through even more clearly as it warms. Slight tartness. Not sour, but fruity tart.

Mouthfeel: Medium-high body. Carbonation is medium-high despite having almost no head. Prickly and bitter.

Overall Impression: A delicious and highly fruity barleywine. The bitterness does a nice job of balancing the malt without going over the top. I wish there had been more to the aroma. Nice complex malt. I like the bittersweet chocolate notes. Not something one finds in barleywines all that often. Although not my favorite of the style, it is a nice beer for sipping on a cold winter’s evening.