St-Ambroise India Session Ale
McAuslan Brewing


- From:
- McAuslan Brewing
- Quebec, Canada
- Style:
- American IPA
Ranked #4,493 - ABV:
- 4.9%
- Score:
- 83
Ranked #34,033 - Avg:
- 3.6 | pDev: 6.94%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 12
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Jan 07, 2023
- Added:
- Sep 07, 2014
- Wants:
- 0
- Gots:
- 7
With a St-Ambrosie Session IPA, you can enjoy all the hop aroma and flavour of a traditional IPA. With a lower alcohol content, this unfiltered IPA, is the perfect choice to be enjoyed again and again.
IBU: 55
IBU: 55
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by thehyperduck:
Reviewed by thehyperduck from Canada (ON)
3.6/5 rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
3.6/5 rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Tallboy can from TBS; dated May 13 2016 and served moderately chilled.
Pours a hazy blonde colour, capped off by a full inch of frothy white head. It lasts for less than five minutes, steadily wilting until replaced with a wide, foamy collar surrounding a few patchy islands. Messy, discontinuous ring of seafoam lacing; looks good. Orange and grapefruit rind dominate on the nose, along with notes of apricot, lemon meringue, lychee and some lightly floral notes. There's also a light note of bready, caramelized malt; something that a lot of other session IPAs can't seem to be bothered with.
Enjoyable, but this 2.5 month-old can is starting to show its age - the Cascade and Chinook still come through, but the Citra not so much. Light notes of doughy pale malt sweetness and diacetyl are swiftly overcome by citrus and stone fruit flavours - particularly orange and grapefruit, with suggestions of apricot. The fruit dies off in the latter half of the sip, which is where notes of pine, herb and floral hops begin to assert themselves, particularly as the glass warms. Weakly astringent finish with an almost soapy aftertaste that I'm not too keen on. Light in body; not too thin, but a bit watery, even for a session IPA. Very crisp though, with prickly, biting carbonation levels. Pretty refreshing.
Final Grade: 3.6, a B. St-Ambroise ISA is decent - I don't dislike it, but it also doesn't seem like something that I'd be inclined to seek out repeatedly. I understand that this can is a little old, but it was sitting in a well-chilled Beer Store for most of that time, and 2-3 months old (while not even close to ideal for IPAs) still isn't anywhere near "expired". I'll try to keep an eye out for fresher stock, and in that event, I'll update the review - because this sort of stuff is most fairly judged as fresh as possible.
Jul 24, 2016Pours a hazy blonde colour, capped off by a full inch of frothy white head. It lasts for less than five minutes, steadily wilting until replaced with a wide, foamy collar surrounding a few patchy islands. Messy, discontinuous ring of seafoam lacing; looks good. Orange and grapefruit rind dominate on the nose, along with notes of apricot, lemon meringue, lychee and some lightly floral notes. There's also a light note of bready, caramelized malt; something that a lot of other session IPAs can't seem to be bothered with.
Enjoyable, but this 2.5 month-old can is starting to show its age - the Cascade and Chinook still come through, but the Citra not so much. Light notes of doughy pale malt sweetness and diacetyl are swiftly overcome by citrus and stone fruit flavours - particularly orange and grapefruit, with suggestions of apricot. The fruit dies off in the latter half of the sip, which is where notes of pine, herb and floral hops begin to assert themselves, particularly as the glass warms. Weakly astringent finish with an almost soapy aftertaste that I'm not too keen on. Light in body; not too thin, but a bit watery, even for a session IPA. Very crisp though, with prickly, biting carbonation levels. Pretty refreshing.
Final Grade: 3.6, a B. St-Ambroise ISA is decent - I don't dislike it, but it also doesn't seem like something that I'd be inclined to seek out repeatedly. I understand that this can is a little old, but it was sitting in a well-chilled Beer Store for most of that time, and 2-3 months old (while not even close to ideal for IPAs) still isn't anywhere near "expired". I'll try to keep an eye out for fresher stock, and in that event, I'll update the review - because this sort of stuff is most fairly judged as fresh as possible.
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by mwrseeley from Canada (ON)
3.69/5 rDev +2.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.69/5 rDev +2.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
First off, it smells fantastically like mild fresh buckwheat honey. It also looks great and it retains it's head and lace very well. The taste is on the hoppy side but a bit weak as if diluted. It's not bad, it's just not on par with the inviting aroma. I would drink it again, especially if I find in on tap; this review is based on a can purchased from the LCBO.
Jan 07, 2023Rated by Pmicdee from Canada (ON)
3.94/5 rDev +9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.94/5 rDev +9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Nov 20 2023
Sep 15, 2018Reviewed by patre_tim from Thailand
3.24/5 rDev -10%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3
3.24/5 rDev -10%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3
Straw with a light haze, no carbonation and 3 fingers of whitish head.
Smells of pine, caramel and citrus with hints of pineapple.
The taste follows the nose.
Very light body, with little carbonation.
A very light, moderately hopped session ale. Drinking in Muskoka, Dec 17th, 2017.
Dec 17, 2017Smells of pine, caramel and citrus with hints of pineapple.
The taste follows the nose.
Very light body, with little carbonation.
A very light, moderately hopped session ale. Drinking in Muskoka, Dec 17th, 2017.
Reviewed by smcolw from Massachusetts
3.67/5 rDev +1.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.67/5 rDev +1.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Hazy, dirty gold color. Smallish head. Spots for lace.
Rather devoid of any smell.
The flavor is great improvement. Tha pale malt is typical and is subsumed by the stronger hop. Black pepper finish. Good predictable body and carbonation. Overall, a decently made session IPA.
Sep 04, 2017Rather devoid of any smell.
The flavor is great improvement. Tha pale malt is typical and is subsumed by the stronger hop. Black pepper finish. Good predictable body and carbonation. Overall, a decently made session IPA.
Rated by ewpass from Canada (PE)
3.65/5 rDev +1.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.65/5 rDev +1.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Hazy gold with great head and lacing. Mild citrus nose. Medium body with resinous finish and soapy feel. Collective Arts does it much better.
Aug 21, 2017
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