Popular beer with cult following back at the LCBO after nearly a decade

Apr 17 2023, 9:57 pm

Péché Mortel is back at the LCBO after years of it being off the shelves.

This restock is a welcome announcement for craft beer lovers in the city.

The name means Mortal Sin in French and is brewed by Dieu Du Ciel, a brewery in Quebec. Péché Mortel is known for being one of the first imperial stouts to infuse quality coffee during the brewing process a decade ago.

Imperial stouts are full-body beers with intense flavours like roast, caramel, chocolate, and smoke.

The beer has a cult status in the craft beer community in Ontario and has had notoriously limited releases here. It currently has a 98 rating on BeerAdvocate and a 93 rating on Beer and Brewing.

The last time it was on LCBO shelves was eight years ago in 2015 when it was available in bottles.

Since the disappearance from the LCBO, people have gotten their sinful fixes by picking up bottles while in Quebec or in specialty shops in the city at marked-up prices.

The return of the glorified beer, in a new can form has people snapping them up in a frenzy.

Customer Dave G. spoke to blogTO about how he “bought all 48 cans that were shipped” to his local LCBO. “Knowing it only comes periodically, I knew I needed to get it!” he explained.

When asked about what lengths he’s gone to attain the beer during its absence, Dave disclosed that he’s driven to Quebec four times to buy it.

Beer lover AJ explained that he “bought a six-pack for the nostalgia factor. Péché Mortel is very nostalgic, it’s one of the beers from a time when there weren’t many craft beers in Ontario.”

It’s not only nostalgia that’s driving the sales but the fact once it sells out, it may be another number of years until it is offered again in the city.

“The scarcity of Péché Mortel much like the taste of the beer itself is bittersweet,” adds AJ.

Industry insider Kevin, a consultant for beverage alcohol agencies, tells us the experience and taste of the beer are best at the brewery in a glass because the nitrogen creates a foamy creaminess that can’t be recreated fully when packaged.

However, he was “pleasantly surprised by how the quality translates into a can.”

LCBO confirmed with blogTO that it will be a limited-time offering due to its seasonality. They also informed us that the two locations with the most stock are the Atrium at Yonge-Dundas and Queen & Coxwell.

blogTO EditorsblogTO Editors

+ Dished
+ Booze
+ Food News
ADVERTISEMENT