St. Ambroise Vintage Ale

Brewed by McAuslan Brewing
Style: Barley Wine
Montreal, Canada

Bottle from trade with Boutip. Thanks Phil! Pours a rich copper color with a fat foamy off white head. The aroma is sweet from fruit and pretty hoppy. Taste is semi sweet and very malty. The flavors of plums and/or apricots come through in the finish while keeping the alcohol very subdued. A very nice barleywine.

Hazed dark copper with a thin bubbled on the edge white film. Wet acorn nose.menthol plum flavor that leaves a twang of starburst candy orange flavor. 3 7 7 5 16

Bottle from boutip. Pours hazy, sparkling deep copper with an average sized fizzy off-white head, diminishes to patches, spare lacing. Aroma is heavy malt (candy, caramel, bread), average hops (perfume, fruit), average yeast (dough) with notes of honey, alcohol and apple. Long duration, average sweetness, acidity and bitterness; creamy alcohol and nutty caramel malt candied fruit and yeast flavor. Full bodied, creamy texture, soft carbonation and metallic finish.

2006 Vintage, Slight hazy golden -amber beer with a deep cognac like glow. The beer pours a nice off white yellowish head and the aroma is very complex. First impressions in the nose are herbs, honey, barley, flower pollen, butter caramels and a fine accents of warm spices like cardemom, nutmeg and birth wood. The aroma evoluates in a great way when it warm a little, the cognac and brown rhum touches are integrated in a perfect way. The taste is rich and very elegant, it is very Barley wine like, The butter Caramel, the smooth slight sugary cereals, and the Baba au Rhum and Cognac touches are so well in composition. In the second fase, the interesting selection of hops are comming to the forground. The mild, warm, and slight sugary body is very well countered by the refreshing hop-bitters and the refreshing accents of herbs. A great beer with a complex afthertaste. I do hope to try this again from an older vintage. Thanks Joris for sharing this one.

(Bottle, 2001 vintage) Pours a murky brown body with descent beige head. Aroma of brown sugar, citrus, roasted malt, toffee, and vinous. Flavor of toasted malt, maple syrup, and spicies. Thanks for sharing Walt! (Bottle, 2006 vintage) Pours a clear amber body with a small white head. Aroma breadiness, sweet caramel malt, light candish berries, and florals. Flavor of malt, lightly skunky hops, dried fruits, paint thinner, and caramel. Thanks for sharing Peter! 7/3/6/3/12

Crap, I’m not sure what year this was, and my digitcal camera picture is too low-res for that. Anyway, aroma of pear, and light caramel mostly. Flavor includes more dried fruit and plums, molasses, caramel and dark sugars. Fairly dry finish, and a toast aftertaste. Very good stuff.

[2001 bottle] Sweet pumpernickel aroma with dried fruits and a touch of nuttiness. Pours an opaque almost purplish garnet with only a thin ring and central patch of white. Delicious and smooth cereal grain married very well to sweet dried fruits and a tangy bitterness. Full body with modest carbonation and a rounded finish. If you have a 2001 bottle that you’ve been saving, IT’S READY! Epitome of smooth.

Bottle Vintage 2006. Hazy amber with a nice creamy head. Wonderfull aroma of butterscotch, roasted malt, nuts, alcohol, hops... Taste is caramel, roasted malt, plums, sweetness, a complex bitterness and an interesting hops profile. Amazing beer!