St. Ambroise Vintage Ale

Brewed by McAuslan Brewing
Style: Barley Wine
Montreal, Canada

Vintage 2006

Pours a cloudy orange with an off-white head. Strong butterscotch aroma, creamy and buttery with notes of alcohol. Aroma is strong but well-balanced. Sweet butterscotch malt and light diacetyl. Finish with a faint tartness, and sharp, citrusy hops. Silky smooth body with perfect carbonation. What a treat of a beer - many thanks to HogTownHarry for the bottle!

bouteille, édition 1999,2000,2001,2006, meilleur bière jamais brassée au Québec, en 2006 j’ai bu l’édition 1999 qui était en parfaite forme, longueur en bouche exceptionnelle, grande bière. l’édition 2007 est de loin moins bonne que les autres versions, 8,0% alc/vol

2001 bottle, courtesy of footbalm (thanks Eric!). Pours a slightly cloudy iced tea brown with reddish highlights and a tan head, limited spotty lacing. Malty sweet aroma of caramel, vanilla and dark fruits. Flavor is not as sweet as expected, with more dark fruits, caramel, and a gentle toastiness. Palate is smooth and silky, with minor carbonation. This is definitely mellowed out, and for the good; no alcohol detected, and overall a very enjoyable experience.

2006. Very good looking pour. It does have a super-creamy, short-lived cream colored head, decent lacing. Hazy amber body, multiple shades of the color represented, layered in the glass. The aroma is extremely alcoholic; seeing as that seems to be the only downfall of the nose I thought I’d just get it out of the way first. A two-part aromatic assault follows initial ethanol notes, an equal blend of lush, soft citrus like nectarines and other soft-skinned, fuzzy tree fruits....and then there’s the other half, an amazing presentation of Madiera wine, sherry, hard caramel candies, flowers galore, marshmallow. If not for the alcoholic inferno burning away my nasal cavity with each inhalation, a superior score would be required for such a graceful blend of malts. The flavor is raging with alcohol and complex malts, both of a caramel and fruit persuasion. Bitterness from hops is mild to moderate and lends an acidic touch at the finale of each small sip. This is definitely, exclusively a sipper. Sweetness is high and lasting. I really am surprised that this beer is as warming as a glass of Cognac and also as much fun to drink; it even sips as slowly as one. Cognac flavors take over, with notes of dessert wines and vanilla. Finishes sweet with lingering caramel and fruit, alcohol warmth substantial. The mouthfeel is warming, softly carbonated, very velvety and lightly spicy. Very good, even if incredibly hot. I’m impressed. I can only imagine how much this has the potential to improve over a few more years - a revisit is in the future.

Pours a hazy grapefruit juice color. Like a murky burnt orange with almost no head. Light white bubbles form a ring around the top. Dark, fruity malt aroma is mostly evident, with a touch of some sweetness in there too. Maybe some candy sugar. The taste is very much like th aroma. Sweet malts, a little caramel, candy sugar, nd fruits make up most of the taste characters. Definitely get a good dose of alcohol throughout the experience. Pretty sweet on the palate, with a nice barley wine bitterness left in the aftertaste. This was very nicely balanced and quite enjoyable. Bravo.

Brown bottle, 341 ml, 9,4 %, brewed on January 15 1999, Old Stock VI evening, savoured on March 23 2007; eye: dark amber, suspended matter, hazy, no effervescence, beige head; nose: Madeira, stale, light caramel, a hint of acrid hops; mouth: syrupy, Madeira, honey, lightly hopped, finale in acrid hops with a hint of caramel, lightly acrid, not much carbonation, grainy texture, medium body; overall: better fresh FRANÇAIS Bouteille brune, 341 ml, 9,4 %, brassée le 15 janvier 1999, soirée Vieux Stock VI, savourée le 23 mars 2007; oeil : ambrée foncé, matière en suspension, voilée, pas d’effervescence, mousse beige; nez : madère, éventée, léger caramel, petite pointe de houblon âcre; bouche : sirupeuse, madère, miel, légèrement houblonnée, finale en houblon âcre avec une petite pointe de caramel, légèrement âcre, peu carbonatée, texture granuleuse, corps moyen; en résumé : meilleure jeune

2001. Cold, it was good, not great, not bad. There was obvious aging in here, wet cardboard tatse mostly. It was also quite flat but it might not have been all that carbonated to begin with. It has a very good thick mouthfeel and lots of tasty big malts. Once it warmed the aged taste went away for the most part and it turned into a great beer, full in character.

Vintage 2001. Misty bourbon pour. Nose of wet grass and sweet scotch. Small hints of oxidation are undeniable. Taste of wet cardboard fades inevitably into viscous and chewy malts. Cinnamon bread soaked in caramel, laced with molasses. Fairly predictable aside from an outside hint of sweet corn. Warmth gently melts away the rough edges. Palate is quite full, and polished. Although the impact of age leaves this one somewhat tired, it seems to suggest a timeless quality. Thanks for sharing, Eric!