Over the Xmas holidays I decided it was time to rummage through my ever-expanding beer cellar (I am good at collecting, bad at drinking). In doing so I came across two bottles Peche Mortel I had been holding on to. Peche, of course, is Montreal craft brewer Dieu Du Ciel’s Imperial Stout. Dark, big and black, it is a nice candidate for aging being over 10%. And the bottles I came across were no ordinary Peches. One was a bomber of the 2007 edition given to me by the owners from their private cellar when I visited the brewpub back in 2010 (you can read a piece on that visit here). The second is a 2010 edition that had been aged for 1-year in bourbon barrels, given to me by their Alberta agent during a visit a couple years back. (See, I told you I was lousy at drinking special beer.)

As it worked out I also had a new bottle of Peche Mortel hanging around at the time purchased, I think, in October. And thus, a three-way pseudo-vertical tasting was borne. The bourbon barrel aging of the one slightly throws off the verticalness of the vertical, but, really, who cares. It is fun to do anyway.

Let’s start with the new one as a baseline. It is deep, inky black with a rich, dark tan head that offers a bold landscape and leaves behind some lacing. In the aroma I pick up dark coffee, dark chocolate, dark molasses and dark fruit. Did I mention that it has a deep, dark aroma?

The front flavour is expresso mixed with Burnt Almond chocolate bar (okay a gourmet, fair-trade version of that). The middle is sharp with some bitterness and tougher coffee character. The finish draws out the dark fruits and a lingering warming that is quite pleasant. Linger also has a distinct chocolatey roast character. It is a full and intense beer. The alcohol is well hidden and the beer is neither too full nor too sweet. Unbelievably balanced yet inense all the way through. There is a very good reason why it is one of the most highly respected beer made in Canada.

Next up the 2010 aged in bourbon barrels. It pours identical, although lacking the same kind of liveliness in its overall impression. The head is not quite as big but still leaves some lacing. The aroma is quite different, dominated by bourbon, sweet oak, vanilla and touches of raisin mixed with a soft coffee roast, dark chocolate and hints of alcohol.

The taste is similarly altered. I still get a molasses sweetness upfront but now mingles with vanilla and a sweet brwon sugar note. The middle sharpens up with some rounded roast, the wood flavours and touches of chocolate. The back end and linger give all the space to the bourbon, some roast and more bourbon. Noticeable alcohol warming on the linger as well.

Overall it is a beautiful beer made on a beautiful beer base. Any other base beer would get overwhelmed by the barrel effects combined with aging in the bottle. Not so this beer. It might be just hitting its stride right now. Maybe it is a good thing I am a hoarder.

You would be amazed at the delights that lurk in the basement cellar of this pub.

The 2007 edition is similarly inky black and holds its dense head surprisingly well. Carbonation is a bit lighter than the fresh version, but still present. The aroma offers dark coffee and molasses, some dark fruit builds at end. Smooth and silky in its smell. It seems softer than the fresh version.

I still get soft malt, molasses, plum, raisin, hints of chocolate upfront. The middle still sharpens but not too much. A bit of alcohol and a bashful roastiness rises. It dries out in the finish as the alcohol hits home, evaporating from your tongue. Very little roast or bitter ending. quite smooth and velvety at the end.

At almost 8 years old, the stout-y edges really have softened, but the beer holds on quite nicely. I has matrued into a balanced, melded beer – the flavours flow into one another seamlessly. No significant (or at least bad) signs of oxidation and it held its carbonation surprisingly well. It has matured into a true sipper. Seems barrel-aged in a way even though it is not. The alcohol has become soft and rounded.

All three beer are stand-outs. Even at 8 years old, it shows every sign of being well-crafted and delicious. It speaks volumes about the quality of the brewing at DDC that Peche holds itself together for so long. Each beer is distinctly different, but you can see how each began life with the same design.

The experience reminds me that high quality beer, if cellar-able by design, can withstand aging. And that it is not about making the beer “better”, it is about slowly evolving its character, giving you a very different beer a few years in from what you had originally.

Makes me think that conducting a three-way isn’t such a sin after all.