St-Ambroise Millésimée 2006
McAuslan Brewing

7 years in bottle

Poured from a 341 ml. bottle into my St-Ambroise Millésimée 2006 snifter.

Appearance: A 2 finger head forms above a body that looks like light leather mixed with really dark peaches. A little trail of lacing around the glass.

Smell: Fruit cake, dark fruits, toffee and burnt sugar.

Taste: A bit of alcohol fuel in the finish with some candi sugar, dried fruits and some dry herbs in the finish.

Mouthfeel: Some low bitterness with a nice long presence that lends a certain creaminess to it.

Overall: Subtle, not brash but a bit faded, If you have one, break it out now.

This one has cellared MUCH better than the '07 (consumed in the same evening).

A: Clear, copper-bronze with an off-white head, thin ring of retention leaves a little leg.

S: Orange-rind, brown sugar, toffee, candied pineapple, figgy pudding.

T: Bitter orange-rind, candied pineapple, caramalized raisins, figs, oak, balanced bitterness, sherry-like with a slight alcohol warmth.

M: Well-attenuated, moderate body & carbonation.

D: A good drinker, especially considering the weight!

Pours a gazed brownish orange with a creme head. Not really getting much off the nose. Just some caramel and wood really. It's nice. The flavor is great! Smooth slightly fruity aspect. Mounds of malts. Just a touch boozy. At first I thought it was way over the top, but it quickly calmed down and doesn't really bother me at all. Nice woody caramel tones. Slick and smooth feel. Low, but nice carbonation. Man. This is pretty damn good. I can only imagine how much nicer it will be in 5 years.

Thanks to brewandbbq for this surprise. An outstanding beer.

A - hazy orange, beige head holds up well with a bit of lacing.

S - big caramel malt sweetness, smooth alcohol, no hops

T - MALT, MALT, MALT. Wow, layer upon layer of caramel goodness, along with some leather notes. Sweet, but it must be well attenuated, as there sure isn't much for hops to balance. Distinct orange marmalade finish adds a unique twist at the end.

M - Very full and med-low carbonation. I thought it would be more syrypy, but it is surprisingly creamy as I move it around my mouth and the carbonation tickles. BIG alcohol is very warming, but not at all out of place.

D - a most excellent sipper, and the marmalde finish is a unique twist every time.

A most elegant drink, it has a certain classiness to it, as opposed to some of the big brash US barleywines that smack you in the face. Superb, I wish I had more to cellar, as I can see this only getting better with age.

Thanks to Popsinc for the bottle!

Got a couple (the last 2 at this location actually) at a local corner store. Came in a nifty fancy pants cardboard can just like fancy pants single malt whisky! Neat!
Next year maybe they could dump the can, and sell it in a six pack that way they might be able to charge less than $6 per bottle! OK OK I understand that they want people to realise this in not a lawnmower beer.

Served in a "unibroue maudite" bandy style glass...

Rich malt aroma and flavor, faint alcohol feel at the noze, a little toffee/burt caramel. Hops (said to be goldings) are well balanced. Nice medium orange color, good head retention.

Exellent beer, they should make this yearound.

First beer I review in a spell, hope I'm not too rusty 'cause I didn't pick a lightweight.

So thankful that McAuslan reissued this beer after 4 years of silence. The only barleywine locally made had been sorely missed. Pours as lovely as I remember. A gentle bead rises in the center of the glass to feed a diminutive cream coloured head that sits atop the warm amber to copper nectar.

Aromas are rich and inviting as a hefty dose of malt spreads the nostrils, to be followed by notes of candied fruit and christmas fruitcake. Some spicyness beats a path for a further sweet assault as hints of honey and malt rebound for an encore before fading to a caramelly/heathery close.

Flavours and mouthfeel are more subdued than what I remember from years passed. The body was somewhat drier than what I was expecting but still presented some structure. Warm malt flavours greet the palate up front and are rapidly joined by candied fruit mild caramel and spice. Just as quickly, however, a minty and peppery alcohol bite washes over the flavours and leaves in its wake a somewhat clumsy bitterness on the back of the tongue.

I have been an unapologetic booster of McAuslan for as long as they have been brewing beer. For my limited beer dollars they are and have pretty much always been my go to brewery and as long as they keep producing these types of gems I will give them my loot. It was a long time coming for the 2006 Vintage Ale, and now that it's here I will be spreading the good word.

Santé

A- Nice creamy beige head. Decreases quickly but leaves a sticky lace on glass. Cloudy (unfiltered) orange colour with a nice reddish tinge. Not very bubbly.

S- Mild malty odour. Fruit (citrus and plum). Alcohol dominant.

T- Very malty up front with a long lasting and quite strong hops aftertase. caramel, plums (alcoholic plum pudding). Alcohol feel is very strong.

MF- Soft, smooth and thick almost chewy feel. This is really a wonderful aspect of this beer.

D- A sipping beer for cold days and nights. Alcohol goes quickly to your head.Llike other good strong beers, this is one to sink into.

McAuslan 2006 Vintage barley wine in a fancy package.

Pours a clear copper orange with a thick white head that sticks to the sides of the glass.

Caramel malt aroma with some crisp citrus hop notes.

Huge malt flavours dominate. Lots of molasses and caramel, sweet raisins and a bit of hazelnut. There are some definite dried fruit flavours also, figs and dates come to mind, a hint of cherry. The sugar is balanced with orange peel hops and warming but mellow alcohol. Body is thick and syrupy with moderate carbonation.

A lot going on here and fantastically balanced. Doesn't get much better than this.