Beer O'Clock: When In Winter...

Only in Ottawa can we go from above from above the freezing point, where we're wearing a sweater and a down-filled vest, to a deep freeze, where our parka just doesn't seem warm enough, in less than two days.

Welcome to winter.

Luckily, we Ottawans are a hearty bunch. When the snow has fallen and the wind chill makes the temperature feel like –20°C, we can head out and shovel our driveways, and break out in a sweat.

The best reward for enduring the bitter cold is to come inside, eat a chicken pot pie, and wash it down with a fine beer. But in winter, not any beer will do.

Enter this week's selection, from Québec, aptly named for this season.

Solstice d'hiver (Winter Solstice)
Brasserie Dieu du Ciel!
St-Jérôme, QC
Broue Ha Ha: $9.99 (plus tax, deposit), 4 x 341ml; 10.2% ABV
Beer O'Clock rating: 3.5 out of 5

This beer, a barley wine, is brewed in July and then aged for five or six months. As its name implies, it is released on December 21^st—winter solstice. And with its hearty flavours and high alcohol content, it is a perfect winter ale.

Dieu du Ciel is also planning to release this "vintage" again this coming June 21 (its one-year anniversary) and again on the next winter solstice, the anniversary of its release.

A deep, murky, copper-brown colour with a creamy, beige head, I immediately detected a caramel nose with clove and some nutmeg. The spice carries through on the palate with slightly sweet toffee.

There is a great hoppy finish with lingering alcohol that isn't overpowering, despite it's high content.

This is a nice barley wine—the nicest I've had—but I wouldn't want to drink more than one in a sitting. The second time I tried it (after my initial tasting and review notes), I split the bottle with Lori while we had some homemade chicken pot pie. The beer was a great match. And it was a great way to reward myself after shovelling the driveway.

I plan to keep my remaining two bottles to open on June 21^st and December 21^st. I may provide an update.

Sliante!