St-Ambroise Oak Aged
McAuslan Brewing

 

 

Dark amber with a hint of haze, and little carbonation. Topped with 2 fingers of off white head.

Smells of malt, a hint of scotch, a hint of oak.

Tastes of sweet malt, oak, a fair toasted quality, and wood.

Slightly syrupy body, light, foamy carbonation.

Got today in Waterloo, drinking it at Kitchener Motel, Oct 19th, 2016. Surprising oak quality which is impressive. Still its quite drinkable. Having it with an Octoberfest Sausage.

 

 

341 ml bottle served at cellar temperature into a Guinness tulip-esque glass. Purchased a 6 pack from the LCBO for $13.70 so cost is about $2.30 CDN for a bottle.

Appearance - Bright copper colored beer, some haziness and capped with close to a finger of ivory head. Some carbonation show sup through the glass and some streaks of lacing left behind.

Smell - Some of the signature Pale Ale aroma, with some light hoppy notes and plenty of caramel, toffee and molasses malt smells. There's also definitely some oak-aged notes and vanilla, making it reminiscent of Innis & Gunn, yet distinctly different.

Taste - Bright hoppy and earthy notes of front with medium bitterness. Signature caramel and faint molasses flavor of the original. Definitely some oak-aged notes imparted here as well and faint traces of vanilla.

Mouthfeel - Smooth and silky, good body and respectable carbonation. Drinks like a big brother of the original.

Overall - Impressive stuff for the anniversary edition, it's hard to say whether it's an improvement or not, given that the base pale ale is very good already, but the added oak-aged touches with vanilla, make for a different yet satisfying quaff of it's own. Certainly worth a try while available.

 

 

Tasty winter warmer variant from St Ambroise. Maintains elements from the pale ale variant while adding the oak barrel component. Not overbearing and definitely worth the try. Bottled from LCBO.

341 mL bottle from a six-pack picked up at the LCBO; no best before date. Served at cellar temperature.

Pours a hazy golden-orange hue, displacing about one finger's worth of frothy, off-white tinged head. It recedes continuously over the next couple of minutes, depositing a few patches of lace as it is reduced to a modest-sized collar. I'm getting butterscotch toffee, woody oak and vanilla on the nose, with mild suggestions of apricot, floral hops and citrus. It's hard to dismiss the Innis & Gunn vibe I'm getting from this one.

The flavour profile follows the nose to a tee. Caramelized sugar, bready, biscuity malts and stone fruit flavours interact pleasantly with the woody oak and vanillin imparted by the ageing treatment. The hops, although not dominant, become a noticeable presence toward the finish - leafy and earthy, with hints of citrus and resin. Lingering oak/vanilla and caramel sweetness in the aftertaste, but it fades rapidly. Good mouthfeel; approaching medium in body, with a soft, almost creamy texture and gentle carbonation that produces a film of tiny, prickly bubbles on the tongue. Easy-drinking; you can tell that this is a strong beer as you sip it, but it's a strong beer that I could drink one after another without issue.

Final Grade: 3.82, a respectable B+. St-Ambroise Oak Aged is a good pale ale that will definitely appeal to the I&G set - but for a 25th anniversary beer, it does seem a little underwhelming, and falls marginally short of the (admittedly high) standards set by most of the other brews in their portfolio. Personally I'd prefer their regular pale ale over this one, but different strokes and such - this is still a very well made oaked beer. It's just not what I'd call a memorable one, or something that I'd return to regularly.

Purchased as a 6pk at the LCBO for just under $13.00. 341ml bottle served at 4deg C in a draught glass

A- Opens well and pours a 1" high white head that lasts for nearly 5mins before film out. Very dark gold colour and filtered clear.

S- Nice malty base with hops. The oak is not really there though.

T- Very malty. Low on the hops. The oak is there but not a lot of it. Not too bad but not great. Definitely could use more hops.

M- Pretty creamy.

O- Not bad but not great. Can take it or leave it but will not buy again.

Food Pairing

This ok brew went ok with...... Meatball poppers. Put a nice dipping sauce on the side

Enjoy

 

 

 

 

 

 

St-Ambroise Oak Aged from McAuslan Brewing. Bought a 6 packs for 8,99 here in Montreal.

So the look of it: Orange and brown with a finger of white head. Medium carbonations.

The smell of it: Orange roasted, with some malt and a touch of vanilla on the background.

The taste of it: Light, sweet and orange with a touch of vanilla and cherry on the aftertaste. It's smooth but the aftertaste is much better than the taste and the swallow.

So overall would I recommend it? Sure but not for a 6 packs, bought individual because you will get quickly get tired of it