[12/14 Update: Now Available Dieu du Ciel Solstice!]

[9/25 Update: According to Dieu du Ciel President, Stéphane Ostiguy, Solstice dHiver should be in the states by the end of fall if everything goes according to plan and Rigor Mortis ABT, hopefully during the winter. This schedule could easily change, of course.]

(Montreal, Canada) – An email is out to Shelton Brothers reps for a timetable on two beers shipping from one of the, if not the most, respected craft breweries in Canada. Presumably, Dieu du Ciel Solstice dHiver and Rigor Mortis ABT will arrive in the U.S. either later this year or in early ’09.

Rigor Mortis ABT is one of the more admired representations of the style; it ranks in the top ten at RateBeer. Description off of the official brewery website: “Strong brown ale inspired by the beer brewed by Belgian Trappist monks. Very little bitterness, this beer has intense malty and sweet flavours, mixed with the taste of chocolate and caramel. It presents complex red fruit and spice flavours due to the type of yeast that is used during the brewing process. This beer is at its best only after it has aged for six months. The Rigor Mortis are complex beers designed and brewed with patience and care in the tradition of the great Belgian Abbey beers.

This beer won a gold medal (first place amongst 10 gold medal winners) at the adjudicated ‘MBeer’ contest during the Mondial de la Bière in Montréal in 2006.”

Solstice dHiver or “Winter Solstice” is a 9% Barley Wine: “This noble winter beer is brown in colour with flaming red highlights. It has a complex aroma of fruits, alcohol and hops. Its taste is delicately sweet and liquor-like with a hint of burnt caramel. It is a very bitter beer with aromas and flavours reminiscent of red fruit. The aftertaste is accentuated by the wonderful flavour of hops.

The Solstice d’Hiver is brewed only once a year in the month of July, and is then aged for 5 to 6 months before being put on tap on the 21st of December. This aging process is necessary to achieve an ideal equilibrium between the sharp bitterness and the other flavours in the beer. Also, every year, two 50 liter kegs are put aside. One is served as of the following 21st of June, after one year of maturation, and the other is served as of the following 21st of December (a year and a half of aging) to accompany the new batch.”

Rigor Mortis showcases an ABV of 10.5%. Both beers have been around for several years but this is the first time they are being sold outside of the brewery. Solstice turns 10 this December.