St. Ambroise Vintage Ale

Bottle thanks to glouglouburp. Copper pour with thich off white head. Aroma of sweet malt and fruit. Tastes of sweet fruits with a purfume aftertaste. Sweet malts present with not much of a hop presence. Quite different and drinkable.

2007 bottle, thanks Pyrozoid. Rich copper appearance with nice fluffy head. Intense caramel nose and some sweet alcohol. Sharp, slightly bitter initial taste that mellows with caramel, sour fruit and some warmth. A bit sticky with a metallic-bitter aftertaste. Interesting, fairly refined, but not as special as I would have hoped.

Brassin 2007. Bouteille de 341 dans un tube en carton achetée chez La Barik (Trois-Rivières, QC). Arôme: Odeur de caramel et d’alcool. Apparence: La couleur est cuivrée voilée. Présence d’un moyen col mousseux et d’une fine dentelle sur le verre. Saveur: Goût de caramel avec une pointe de petits fruits foncés et d’houblons. Longue durée de l’arrière goût. Palette: Le corps est moyen avec une texture légèrement huileuse. Moyenne effervescence en bouche. Arrière goût légèrement astringent. (Rating #1980)

2007 Vintage. As I drink this it becomes more interesting, more complex. It is the mildest of Barleywines with a nice level of sweetness and a gentle hoppiness. Should have brought back a few more bottles from Montreal.

(Bottle from 1999, thanks omhper!) Pours hazy red/brown. The aroma is light oxidized with tones of cherries and unripe red currant alongside caramelly, syrupy and fudge-like notes. Undertones of dried fruits like prunes and raisins. Very malty and rater sweet on the nose. The flavour is medium to heavily malty with tones of caramel, fudge and syrup. Dried fruits and cherries are also notable. Medium to full sweet and light bitter. The mouthfeel is soft, oily and medium sticky. Near full-bodied.

1999 Vintage, Thanks to Oakes and to Jesse (kimchee?) for cellaring. Clear orange-amber with hardly any head. Boozy aroma, really whiskey-ish, with some oxidation apparent in the mineral-rich aroma. Soft, smooth mouthfeel is flat. Leaves a burn in the belly. Smooth, has some watery feel in the finish and lots of fruit in the body. Some sweetness at the end is a nice component. Mellow, and becomes fruitier and more outgoing with every sip: emerging banana, papaya, and apples make this a delightful sipper.
2000 Vintage, at same tasting: Reddish amber, clear, medium-sized beige head. Oxidation is apparent but less so than with the 1999. Is also breadier. Some carbonation. Some breadiness, a bit watery, oddly, with less complexity than expected. Breadier than the 1999, which is fruitier and woodsier. Rating for 2000 = 7-4-8-3-16

2000 bottle. Cloudy burnt red-brown with no head. Fuzzy thick intense heavy aroma wafts from the glass. Fruity and sweet aromas and flavors like a laced fruit pudding, bread with overripe peaches. Tastes past its prime. 7-2-7-3-14.

Bouteille de 341 ml, édition 2006, vieillie 2 ans. Arômes de whisky. Robe cuivrée, peu de mousse et effervescence à petites bulles. Relativement sucrée (sucre d’orge) et présentant des touches de fruits rouges, la bière rappelle un whisky. Finale moyennement amère, surtout lorsque la bière se réchauffe.

341 ml, 2006. Clear copper with a spongy white head. Nose is woody orange and toffee; slightly herbal. Tingly medium body but feels lighter. Alcohol sneaks up on you. Taste is candied orange peel, caramel, juniper and melon. Long bittersweet grassy finish. Well balanced, deep and complex. Good stuff.