Dieu du Ciel! and Les Trois Mousquetiares

DIEU DU CIEL!

Loosely translating to ‘God in Heaven!’, or ‘Oh my God!’, Dieu du Ciel! produce one of the coolest looking (and tasting) beer ranges we have ever seen. Don’t just take our word for it though, ratebeer.com rate Dieu du Ciel! as the world’s 11th best brewpub, and the only non-US brewpub in the top 25.

Bolstering our current range are two brand new Dieu du Ciel! beers (new to Australia at least) – Rigor Mortis a suberb Belgian ABT/Quad and Equinoxe du Printempts – a Strong Scotch Ale brewed only once a year and flavoured with Canadian Maple Syrup. Our range now includes:

Rosée dhibiscus (Pinkish Hibiscus) - Hibiscus flower Wit – 5.9%

A smooth and soft Belgian style witbier, brewed with the addition of fresh Hibiscus flowers. The flowers give aroma, colour and flavour to the beer, and provide a tart, bittersweet finish. (limited stock)

Route des épices (Spice Route) - Peppercorn rye beer - 5%

A rye beer brewed with both black and green peppercorns. Chocolate, caramel, fruit, and spicy malt flavours are contrasted by a modest peppercorn aroma and a pleasant, spicy, tingling peppery finish.

Dernière Volonté (Last Will) - Blond Abbey-style beer - 6.5%

A complex spice and fruit character from a traditional Belgian yeast strain and the fresh aroma and flavour contributed by assertive (kettle and dry) hopping are rounded out by a robust but dry malt backbone.

Corne du Diable (Horn of the Devil) - American India Pale Ale - 6.5%

A red IPA inspired by those brewed on the west coast of North America. Smooth caramel malt flavours support assertive hopping – a sharp bitterness and powerful hop flavour and aroma.

Aphrodisiaque (Aphrodisiac) - Cocoa and vanilla stout - 6.5%

Black ale with aromas and flavours of vanilla, dark chocolate, bourbon and roasted malt. Mildly hoppy, with a touch of bitterness from the cocoa, it is very smooth and highly appreciated as a dessert beer. Brewed with organic fair-trade cocoa and first rate vanilla beans. Rated as the world’s second best stout on ratebeer.com.

Péché Mortel (Mortal Sin) - Imperial coffee stout - 9.5%

An intensely black and dense beer with pronounced roasted flavours. The addition of Fair Trade coffee contributes a powerful coffee taste and bitterness to this bold stout. Rated in the 100th percentile overall on ratebeer.com.

**Brand New**

Equinoxe du Printempts (Spring Equinox) – Strong Scotch Ale with Maple Syrup – 9.5% ABV

The marriage of two great traditions, Scottish strong ale, and Canadian maple syrup. The result is a brooding, complex ale – powerful malt flavours are superbly accented by subtle maple syrup sweetness. Added complexity comes from flavours of tobacco, dried fruits and peppery alcohol. Brewed just once a year, this beer will not last long.

Rigor Mortis ABT - Belgian Quadruple – 10.5% ABV

A strong dark ale inspired by by the famous brews made by Belgian Trappist monks. Incredibly complex, the beer presents intense malty flavours of red fruits, oak, chocolate and caramel, balanced by peppery spice from the Belgian yeast. Dieu du Ciel! give their own spin to the style. Not as dark and sweet as some of its Belgian counterparts, Rigor Mortis is incredibly elegant and remarkably well balanced. Highly recommended.

More information on all of the above beers, as well as pricing, can be found on our web store at www.internationalbeershop.com.au

LES TROIS MOUSQUETAIRES

We just received limited stock from another of Quebec’s fantastic craft breweries, Les Trois Mousquetaires. Founded in 2004, Les Trois Mousquetaires takes inspiration from the best of Germany, giving a slight French/Canadian twist to each beer. There has been a lot of buzz about this brewery for the past few years, we’re really happy to have three of their finest in stock:

Les Trois Mousquetaires Kellerbier

‘Kellerbier’ (which means ‘cellar beer’) is an unfiltered lager, the specialty of Germany’s renowned Franconia region. Les Trois Mousquetaires Kellerbier is a full-flavoured, unfiltered Pilsner, combining rich Canadian barley and herbal and grassy German hops, with added complexity and mouthfeel from the yeast.

Les Trois Mousquetaires Sticke Alt

Rare outside of it’s homeland of Dusseldorf, Germany, Sticke Alt is an Altbier taken to the extreme. Full and malty, Sticke Alt has flavours of dried fruit, molasses and strong herbal bitterness from noble European hops. The hops dry out the sweet malt characters, leading to a dry, lipsmacking finish.

Les Trois Mousquetaires Maibock

A strong lager with a rich and satisfying malt character. Brewed to be enjoyed in spring this is a satisfying take on the classic German style.

All come in 750ml corked bottles. Check out of website for more information.

WELTENBURGER

Last week we received a fresh shipment from Weltenburger Kloster-Brau, the world’s second oldest continually operating brewery (a mere 10 years behind Weihenstephaner!). Weltenburger specialise in the classic German styles – Pilsner, Dunkel and Bock. What they do, they do very, very well. Fresh stock includes:

Weltenburger Kloster Pils – a balanced North German Pilsner, herbaceous and grassy with a firm, refreshing bitterness.

Weltenburger Barock Dunkel – a superb Dunkel (dark lager), this beer is all about rich malt flavours of caramel and baking bread.

Weltenburger Asam Bock – this Doppelbock (strong dark lager) is like the Barock Dunkel with everything turned up to 11. Rich, malty and warming – a definite staff favourite.

And returning for the first time in 5 years is:

Weltenburger Hefeweizen Dunkel

A dark wheat beer balancing fresh malt flavours of caramel and chocolate with the traditional weizen tart finish, and spicy clove/banana yeast character. A great beer for Spring, anyone who doesn’t think they like “dark” beer should try this.

URBOCK

This German inspired Urbock is one of Germany’s best beers, and it’s brewed in Namibia! Brewed just once a year, this 7% ABV dunkler bock has heaps of toast, caramel and roasted nut malt flavours, soft alcohol bite, and a clean, crisp finish. Very impressive indeed.

PORTER 19 SPECIAL

We have a great special on the fantastic Pardubicky Porter 19. This interesting beer is a Czech take on a Baltic Porter. Weighing in at a hefty 8% ABV, this is not dissimilar to a quality German Doppelbock, although the malt character of Porter 19 is slightly more toasty than its German equivalent. Malty, rich and incredibly satisfying, while it lasts we have 500ml bottles of Porter 19 on special for:

$6.50 EA // $21.99 4PK // $92.99 CTN (20)

FATHERS DAY

Sunday 5th of September is Father’s Day. We have some great premade beer packs to choose from (check out: http://www.internationalbeershop.com.au/special_packs.asp), including a brand new Spring Pack. This years pack is an absolute cracker - it contains 12 beers handpicked to suit the weather and food of spring, from light, thirst quenching pilsners, to fragrant, bittersweet fruit beers to rich, malty porters. We can also tailor a selection to each Dad’s own tastes, just send us an email or come down to the store for our advice.

WA STATE AMATEUR BREWERS COMP

Attention homebrewers – entries are open again for one of WA’s most prestigious amateur brewing competitions, the “WA State Amateur Brewers Competition’. Full details are up at: http://wasabc.org/, in short entries must be at a designated drop off point before September 5, before judging takes place on September 11 and 12. There are stacks of prizes to be won, not to mention feedback from some of WA’s best beer judges.

New Beers, Beer News & Sale

It’s been an exciting few weeks - heaps of new beer has arrived and even more has been ordered. We don’t have nearly enough room to store all of these fantastic new arrivals, and desperately need to clear some space! So we introduce: The International Beer Shop’s Great Spring Cleaning Sale 2010. Check out a some of the sale items below.

The reason why we are having the sale is the great new ranges we have instore, or are expecting instore in the coming months. Brand new for us this week were some absolutely amazing French ciders and calvados from Domaine Dupont, the Czech classic Budvar (Budweiser) Dark, the ever popular Belgian Wit Blanche de Namur in 750ml corked bottles, and White Rabbit’s new beer – a honey spiced White Ale. More details below.

Besides these brand new arrivals, fresh stock of some old favourites returned this week, including:

Brewdog Tactical Nuclear Penguin

Brewdog Sink the Bismarck!

Blanche de Namur

Desperados

Carling Black Label

Tanner’s Jack

Satan Red

Satan Gold

Speights Old Dark

Schlenkerla Weizen

Sunner Kolsch

Weltenburger Barock Dunkel
Weltenburger Hefeweizen Dunkel

Before we get into it, a quick note that Beer & Brewer Magazine are running an Australia wide people’s choice competition to expose Australia’s best beer venues, including pubs, bottlestores and homebrew shops. Check out all the details at www.beerandbrewer.com. We’d love to make the shortlist of top bottlestores - if any of our members would like to vote for us check out: http://www.beerandbrewer.com/index.php?option=com_rsform&formId=4


FLOREFFE

Located in Wallonian Belgium, the Abbey of Floreffe (latin for “flower”) was founded in 1121. A brewery was commissioned within the Abbey in 1250. Brewing continuing unabated until the French Revolution in 1794, when the monks where chased from the Abbey, and the premises put up for sale.

In 1850 Floreffe was preserved, and transformed into a college, but it wasn’t until 1960 that the headmaster resurrected the Floreffe label (in a move to fund the upkeep and maintenance of the buildings and gardens).

Today Floreffe commissions a range of 5 core beers, brewed at the nearby Lefebvre Brewery. Floreffe’s focus is on crafting subtle, enjoyable beers and the entire range is noted throughout Belgium for their quality and consistency. The range includes:

Floreffe Blonde – a light and spritzy Belgian Ale in the vein of Leffe Blonde, with some interesting spicy complexities and a fruity malt balance.

Floreffe Dubbel – a rich and warming Belgian Brune / Abbey Dubbel. Smooth and creamy, with notes of chocolate, dried fruits and anise.

Floreffe Tripel – a subtle and enjoyable interpretation of the iconic Belgian Tripel style.

Floreffe Prima Meilleure – a big, bold Quadrupel/ABT, bursting with flavours of ripe tropical fruits, caramel and anise. A dry, spicy finish provides fantastic balance.

Blanche de Bruxelles Wit – a refreshing, slightly tart Belgian witbier, and great example of the trademark citrus, chamomile and coriander flavours.

Also back in stock after a lengthy absence is Lefebvre’s Saison 1900, a refreshing and light interpretation of the classic Belgian farmhouse style.


DOMAINE DUPONT

We’ve talked at length about the Domaine Dupont Cidery in previous newsletters. Suffice to say, there are not many, if any, cideries anywhere in the world that command the respect and adulation heaped upon Domaine Dupont.

Located in Normandy, France, Dupont produce traditional sparkling ciders and calvados (apple brandy). We are really excited to have just received fresh stock from Dupont, including some brand new ciders and calvados:

Cidre Tripel 2009 – a 10% ABV tripel fermented cider, made primarily from the bittersweet Mettais apple. Pouring like a champagne, expect incredible aromas and flavours of tart apples, chicory and oak. The tart, dry finish makes Cidre Tripel particularly well suited to pairing with food or sharp cheese.

Givre Ice-Cider 2008 – the new vintage of Dupont’s amazing ice-cider. Frozen apples are picked and pressed, resulting in an amazingly concentrated sweet cider, with rich, intense flavours of caramelised apples and candied citrus. Serve as an aperitif, or with dessert or cheese.

Le Pommeau de Normandie – a 17% ABV blend of one-year-old calvados, and mout, apple juice that has fermented to around 1% ABV. After being carefully blended in oak casks, Pommeau is transferred to 4-5 year old 400L oak casks, where it is carefully matured for at least 30 months. Perhaps Dupont’s greatest creation, Pommeau displays amazing complexities of vanilla, crystallised apples, prunes and toasted hazelnuts. Absolutely amazing.

Cherries in Calvados – cherries are handpicked, washed and then bottled with calvados. They mature for 6 months, and can be enjoyed on their own, or as a dessert dressing.

Before we get into our sale items, brief notes on the two other brand new arrivals this week:

White Rabbit White Ale – the follow up to the hugely popular White Rabbit Dark Ale is this “Australian White Ale”. Inspired by the coriander seed, juniper berry and orange zest flavours of quality Belgian witbiers, this Australian twist sees less yeast characteristics, as well as the subtle influence of the local honey with which the beer is conditioned. Very sessionable, but with enough complexity to keep you coming back for more.

Budvar Dark – the Czech favourite is now available in Australia. Anyone who thinks they don’t like dark beer should give this a go, the subtle flavours of baking bread, caramel malts and roasted nuts are universally delicious.

Black & Gold Cornish Orchard Cider – a bittersweet cider from the heart of the English cider stronghold.


SPRING SALE SPECIALS

While stock lasts get:

Weihestephaner Hefe

$69.99 / Case (20) (BB: 20/08/10)

Weihestephaner Tradition

$69.99/ Case (20) (BB: 19/08/10)

Lindemans Tea Lambic Beer

$11.99 / 4PK :: $69 / Case (24) (BB: 29/10/10)

St Benoit Brune

$15.99 / 4PK :: $84.99 / Case (24) (BB: 29/09/10)

Courage Directors

$19.99 / 4PK :: $69.99 / Case (16) + free glass (BB: 15/10/10)

Youngs Double Choc Stout

$76.99 / Case (16) + free glass (BB: 24/11/10)

Schmucker BioPils

$17.99 / 6PK :: $62.99 / Case (24) (BB: 29/09/10)

Sunner Bio-Colonia Kolsch

$15.99 / 4PK :: $59.99 / Case (20) (BB: 07/10)

Saranac Pale Ale

$17.99 / 6PK :: $61.99 / Case (24) (BB: 08/10)

Matilda Bay Big Helga

$15.99 / 6PK :: $59.99 / Case (24) (BB: 06/11/10)

Mash Summer Lager

$11.99 / 6PK :: $39.99 / Case (24) (BB: 09/09/10)

Weihenstephaner World Cup Gift Packs

3 x Weihenstephan Beers + Glass, $14.99 ea

Westmalle Dubbel

$4.99 ea (BB: 05/08/10)

Bush Blonde

$6.49 ea (BB: 06/10/10)


FATHER’S DAY SPECIALS

As well as the Spring Clearance specials listed above, we have a stack of great Father’s Day gifts, including merchandise, glassware, beer!, and pre-made beer packs. Check out the full list of packs at: http://www.internationalbeershop.com.au/special_packs.asp


BALADIN TASTING

This Friday from 4pm we’ll be running a free intstore tasting on two of Italy’s best craft beers – Baladin Super and Baladin Elixir. Both are mysterious and distinctive strong ales, given their own unique twist by mysterious and distinctive head brewer Teo Musso – who plays music to his fermenting wort to inspire the yeast! There are some great specials on the Baladin range for the rest of the month.


BEERTASTERS TASTING

Beertasters still have a few seats left for next Thursday’s beer tasting event, a monthly beer appreciation night held upstairs at Mt Lawley’s The Flying Scotsman. The theme for August is “Changing Seasons” – a small group will be guided through 8 different beers, progressing from lighter spring offerings to full bodied, dark winter treats. Tickets are $30 each, which includes beer and finger foods. To reserve a seat, email Anthony at beertasters@hotmail.com


BRUNSWICK BEER SHOW

Attention homebrewers - entries are now open for the Brunswick Beer Show. Full information is up here. $1.50 / entry, with only one 330ml bottle required. The International Beer Shop is the Perth drop off point, entries and forms are due by 20th October.

That’s it for us this week, congratulations if you made it this far – there’s been a lot to get through.

Cheers

The International Beer Shop Team

Winter Selection

Picking up where we left off last week, we have just received some fantastic new arrivals - many of which have never been available in Australia before. Particular highlights come from New Zealand's Renaissance Brewing Co, Scotland's Brewdog and the UK's Thatcher's Cidery. We also have great specials on Youngs Double Chocolate Stout and Weihenstephaner Gift Packs - check out all the details below.

And a quick reminder that we are open on Sundays from 12-6pm. Come down for exclusive Sunday specials, beer tastings, or just to have a chat about beer.

NEW ARRIVALS

Renaissance Brewing Company

New Zealand is fast becoming an epicentre for fantastic craft beer, following in the pioneering footsteps of their American craft brewing brethren. It is not just the gastronomic and gourmet culture of New Zealand that has made it particularly well suited to this movement - geographic factors make New Zealand particularly well suited to the fickle art of hop production. Like Northwest America, parts of New Zealand are ideal for producing fragrant and distinctive hop varieties, and have born the aromatic standouts Nelson Sauvin, Riwaka and Motueka hop varieties. New Zealand's hop industry also farms unique adaptions of Cascade, Willamette and Pacific Hallertau (among others), all with strong regional characteristics.

Founded in Marlborough in 2005, Renaissance is born from the goal of leading the renaissance of microbrewing in New Zealand. Every bit a craft brewery, Renaissance has stripped the brewing process back to the very basics - removing modern automation, utilising instead the pre-industrial hand methods of the 18th Century. Producing only a range of ales, Renaissance's mission statement is "intensely rewarding ales for the enlightened palate". In the five years since production commenced, Renaissance have won numerous awards and trophies, a fine reflection on their fine beer. From Renaissance we have:

Discovery American Pale Ale

A classic US style pale ale, and a great showcase of the distinctive New Zealand hop varieties. Akin to a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, this is packed with up-front citrus and grapefruit flavours, and finishes with a drying bitterness/acidity.

Elemental Porter

A misunderstood and under-appreciated style, Porter is an approachable and satisfying dark ale. Lacking the robust burnt-toast bitterness of its bolder counterpart the Stout, Porter is all about subtle rich chocolate and dark fruit flavours, and a soft, lingering finish. This is a complex and highly enjoyable example of a traditional, roasty London porter. Renaissance recommend drinking this beer as an accompaniment to dark chocolate, coffee or berry-based desserts, blue cheese or even barbecued meats.

Craftsman Chocolate Oatmeal Stout

This beer is intended as the 'Big Brother' to the Elemental Porter. It is brewed using the same crystal, brown and black malts, and then enhanced with the use of organic rolled oats, for smoother mouthfeel and richer body. Cocoa nibs are also added to the beer, during the mash, and in the boiling kettle, and again during fermentation. The result is a rich, roasty, flavoursome stout, dominated by luscious earthy chocolate notes. An ideal dessert or winter's night beer..

Stonecutter Scotch Ale

Renaissance's flagship beer is this fine example of Scotch Ale, or Wee Heavy, described by the brewery as the 'red wine' of their range. It is a rich, full bodied ale which incorporates a smorgasbord of malt driven characteristics including caramel, toffee, licorice, chocolate and other roasty flavours. Nine different malts are used to produce this ale, which also displays a soft raisin-like fruitiness, and a scandalous level of drinkability.

Brewdog

We are always excited to receive another shipment from the Scottish iconoclasts of brewing Brewdog, as they continue to innovate and improve with each batch. It would seem that there is no end to their relentless pursuit of perfection and innovation... or is there? Check out Brewdog's latest invention, a 55% ABV monster presented inside taxidermied squirrels, dubbed The End of History: http://www.brewdog.com/blog-article.php?id=341

Hardcore IPA

This is the first time we've had Brewdog's new and improved second batch of Hardcore IPA - the same recipe which took out Gold in the Imperial India Pale Ale category at the 2010 World Beer Cup. The fact that this modified recipe is an improvement on the first batch is certainly saying something - last time round it sold out in less than a week.

According to Brewdog this incredible beer is the most heavily hopped in the UK. It has a whopping 150 International Bittering Units (IBUs), lashings of Centennial, Columbus and Simcoe hops in aroma and flavour, a rich malt profile and 9.2% ABV alcohol. However, like all truly great beers, the hallmark here is balance. Combine all of these extreme flavours and the result is most often an overtly in your face drinking experience, but this is where Hardcore IPA really differs. It is amazing how balanced and drinkable this beer is. Everything is presented in perfect harmony, and together transcends the sum of all parts. Like Brewdog's 5AM Saint, we consider this beer a 'must try' for all beer enthusiasts.

Abstrakt AB:01

Brewdog's new Abstrakt series is underway - limited release, small-batch beers made, like everything Brewdog, to question the conventional wisdom on brewing and push the boundaries of beer. Essentially it will be the new outlet for Brewdog's immense creative energy, with many different experimental/ concept beers in the planning stages. AB:01 is the first beer in the series, a Belgian Quadrupel brewed with a difference. Produced at De Proefbrouwerij in Belgium (a large contract brewery who give us much of Mikkeller's greatest work), this strong dark Belgian ale is fermented with yeast cultured from a bottle of the revered Westvleteren 12˚, and whole vanilla pods. Highly collectable, each batch of Abstrakt is individually numbered and strictly a one off.

Thatchers Ciders

Thatchers have been crafting small batch ciders from their farm in Somerset, England for over a century, using only the best locally grown cider apples, traditional recipes and often oak casks for maturation. We have just received a varied selection of these top ciders, including some single variety showcase ciders. Thatchers have also taken over production of Green Goblin, an oak aged cider previously produced by the eccentric Wychwood Brewery. Our current range of Thatchers ciders includes:

- Green Goblin - a full flavoured, bittersweet blend aged in 100 year old oak vats.

- Katy Cider - a light dry cider, fragrant and softly sparkling. One of Thatchers' single varietal showcase ciders.

- Old Rascal - a medium dry blended cider. Crisp, clean and very balanced.

- Cox's - naturally sweet and juicy, this single varietal cider is produced only with the finest Cox's apples.

- Gold - a smooth, refreshing and fresh tasting cider.

- Pear Cider - a refreshingly light, smooth pear cider. Enjoy it chilled, or over ice.

- Vintage 2009 Cider - we have very limited stock of this medium dry, oak aged cider. Produced with only the best apples of the 2009 crop.

Other new arrivals this week included:

Issaquah Menage a Frog

Brewed at Rogue's Issaquah Brewery in Washington, USA, this Belgian style triple uses only top quality pilsner malt, Belgian candi sugar, saaz hops, water and a specially selected Belgian yeast. The result is a monster of an ale, full of rich complexities, and a spicy, dry finish.

Erdinger Urweisse

Brand new from Germany's Erdinger Brewery is this cloudy wheat beer, brewed to one of the brewery's original recipes from over 120 years ago. Specialty malts and hops are used, as is a different strain of yeast to the house strain. The result is said to be a spicy and full-flavoured hefeweizen. Unfortunately we haven't had a chance to sample one yet, lucky it's almost the weekend!

More information, including prices, should be up on our website in the next few days. Please contact us if you have any questions, or to reserve any stock.


BEER SPECIALS

A reminder that we still have some great sales specials available including:

Weihenstephaner World Cup Gift Packs

The World Cup is over, so take advantage of this great offer on Weihenstephaner's World Cup Gift Packs, containing:

1 x Weihenstephaner Hefe 500ml

1 x Weihenstephaner Kristall 500ml

1 x Weihenstephaner Dunkel 500ml

1 x Weihenstephaner World Cup Glass

For just $14.99.

Youngs Double Chocolate Stout

The first stout to be made with added chocolate, not once but twice! First created in 1997 this is a dark, ruby coloured stout that is almost black from a distance. A distinctive chocolate flavour with a smooth and velvety finish. Pale ale malt, crystal malt, roasted barley, chocolate malt, special blend of sugars, Fuggles and Goldings hops, real dark chocolate and chocolate essence. Melted chocolate bars are added to the boil and the essence is added after filtration. The combination of chocolate and beer is surprisingly easy to drink.

We've put together the perfect winter night, with 500ml bottles of the decadent Youngs Double Chocolate Stout on special for:
- 2 x 500ml bottles: $12.00 + a free Youngs pint glass
- 16 x 500ml bottles: $76.99 + a free Youngs pint glass
(limit of 1 glass / customer)


The Old Brewery - Progressive Dinner

Following the success of their beer and cheese matching night earlier this year, The Old Brewery (located in the old Swan brewery) is running a progressive beer and food matching dinner on Friday August 27. Chef Greg Farnan will match 5 of the brewery's award winning beers with five robust courses. For more information, contact Sage at: functions@theoldbrewery.com.au