St. Ambroise Pale Ale

Pours amber into a shaker. Fluffy pancake head slowly recedes leaving sheet lacing. Sour caramel aromas. Sour from front to back with a lasting bitter hop finish.

Pours out a light copper color with a small to moderate white head. Aroma is of some sweet malts and a little grassy/earhty hop note there too. Taste is very drinkable, sweet malts, slight fuity notes and some hop bitterness lingering throughout.

Bottle. Pours a clear orange with a pale off-white head that lasts for a good amount of time. The aroma is a bread-y dry with some sweet caramel. The hops seem not to be that noticeable. Malts are pretty dominant. The flavour is a bit funky. Orange and orange rind are in the initial flavour. As the flavour progresses, the caramel notes come through as well as that nice breadiness. Some light spices show itself more towards the finish. This is all fine, though, some funkiness begins to arise from here. Towards the back of the tongue, there’s a weird soap-like flavour to it and a light bitterness. I like bitterness, but I think the other flavours make even the lightest of bitterness somewhat unpleasant. I’m not too fond of this brew.

12 oz bottle. Pours bold copper color with lots of bubbles and beige head. The aroma is sweet and malty with some raspberry, chocolate, lime, peach, and nectarine notes. The flavor is malty and somewhat tart. It dries out with some woody, earthy, and herbal hops. There are some dusty, toasty notes in the finish. Drinkable, not outstanding.

Tasted 7/31/08. 12oz bottle. Filtered with an amber hue. Clinging off-white head. Caramel aromas with a berry undertone. Medium bodied with caramel and estery flavors. Bitter and dry with a tingling finish. Slight oak and burnt toast flavors. Toffee malts and citrus bitterness. Graham crackers and mild cinnamon. Good palate and quite nice.