St-Ambroise Scotch Ale
McAuslan Brewing

St-Ambroise Scotch AleSt-Ambroise Scotch Ale
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From:
McAuslan Brewing
 
Quebec, Canada
Style:
Scotch Ale / Wee Heavy
ABV:
7.5%
Score:
85
Avg:
3.75 | pDev: 12.53%
Reviews:
78
Ratings:
144
Status:
Active
Rated:
Dec 26, 2021
Added:
Oct 25, 2002
Wants:
  8
Gots:
  15
Formerly known as McAuslan Scotch Ale
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by ludachris:
Photo of ludachris
Reviewed by ludachris from Canada (ON)

3.6/5  rDev -4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Its deep chestnut brown body gives off rich mahogany red highlights when held up to the light. Small streams of carbonation steadily move upwards along the sides of the glass. Just under two fingers of whipped and whispy light tan head sit on top.

Gooey alcohol soaked dates let me know it's a scotch ale right off the bat. Butterscotch, toffee, and caramel add further layers of sweetness to the nose. Although very sweet, the alcohol component does have a medicinal quality to it. This just inches to a 4.

Both the alcohol and hop character surprised me in this one, both of which swirl around at the back of the palate. The alcohol isn't overpowering but is medicinal and subtley astringent while the hops have an earthy bittering quality to them. All of the sweetness takes place at the front of the tongue, consisting of dates and figs with toffee peaking through,

The balance is a bit off and the feel is a tad too filmy for my liking. It's light to medium body sports an average amount of carbonation for the style, which is a bit less than what I'm use to in other beers.

Overall, this is a decent scotch ale from a brewery that I was expecting more from. From start to finish, there's nothing overtly wrong with this offering, I would, however, have liked to see a fuller body and bigger sweetness. It's worth a try but Traquair and Jacobite will still remain my go-to's.
May 26, 2011
More User Ratings:
Photo of kevofficiel
Reviewed by kevofficiel from Canada (QC)

3.32/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
Sainte Ambroise Scotch Ale got it in a 12 mix packs for 16,99$

Look: Deep red colour almost brownish. Brown lace around the glass

Smell: Malt. Roast caramel. Molasses

Taste: roasted malt, caramel, molasses. Taste like a scotch drink to me

Feel: Full body. Light to medium carbonation. A bit of a alcohol burn that for a 7,5 ABV but nothing too bad.

So overall would I recommend it ? Hmmm yes sure just nothing special.

Would I buy it again ? No for me it was not a easy drinking beer.
Dec 26, 2021
Photo of BPVandenbroek
Reviewed by BPVandenbroek from Canada (AB)

3.2/5  rDev -14.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
In the glass, St. Ambroise is a deep red color with leathery highlghts. The head is thick, dense, cream colored, and shows decent retention.
The nose is definitely thick and malty. My first impression is of a sort of caramel sweetness coupled with what smells like dates, raisins, and brown sugar. Hints of leather and damp earth provide depth. After leather and earth make their appearance the overall aroma seems to revert to its slightly alcoholic rum and raisin aroma.
On the tongue, St. Ambroise is rich, full bodied, and strangely dry in its overall mouthfeel. Flavors start off with rum and raisin, moving into a dryish nutty flavor. Then, the flavors revert to a slightly cloying, raisin tinted sweetness before moving into an oddly lasting, dry finish.
This Scotch ale was a little disappointing. The flavors and aromas were kind of mismatched and out of balance. The malt flavors were a cloying rum and raisin sort of sweetness. Lacking were the rich, leathery, quality caramel flavors of malt I usually look for in this type of beer. Too bad.
Apr 23, 2021
 
Rated: 3.71 by Teion from Canada (AB)

Feb 11, 2021
Photo of Alexc11
Reviewed by Alexc11 from Canada (QC)

3.62/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Deep drown with reddish hue color. Almost no head. Very malty taste for sure with caramel flavours to go along with it. Maybe a hint of coffee. Aroma more on the vanilla (extract) and caramel side. Feels and looks like a cola; that is it has carbonation on the level of a cola. Bitterness kept to a minimum. Good beer if you like this style.
Apr 10, 2019
Photo of BucBasil
Reviewed by BucBasil from Rwanda

3.43/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
A: Poured from the tap into a pint glass. The beer is a dark red color with a finger of off-white to light tan head. A little light for the style.

S: Light malt aroma but not much going on. Not bad but nothing special.

T: Classic scotch ale taste. Heavy on the malt - caramel, boozy, earthy character.

This was just an OK beer.
Mar 01, 2019
Photo of LocalBeerGuy
Rated by LocalBeerGuy from Canada (SK)

4.5/5  rDev +20%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
a little boozy good smooth wee heavy with some IBU's good looking beer to enjoy when cold.
Aug 02, 2018
Photo of LampertLand
Reviewed by LampertLand from Canada (BC)

3.84/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
McAuslan Brewing 'St.Ambroise Scotch Ale' @ 7.5% , served from a couple of 341 ml bottle's purchased for $1.85 each
A-pour is amber from the bottle to a dark amber in the glass with a small thin tan head leaving a spotty lace along the pint
S-malty
T-sweet & malty , with hints of butterscotch & vanilla
MF-ok carbonation , feels full bodied
Ov-ok beer & scotch ale
prost LampertLand
Apr 20, 2016
 
Rated: 3.5 by Kmat10 from Canada (AB)

Mar 09, 2016
 
Rated: 4.21 by kvadiat from Canada (AB)

Feb 20, 2016
 
Rated: 3.49 by al_al1357 from Canada (ON)

Nov 27, 2015
 
Rated: 4 by theDuck from Canada (QC)

Nov 25, 2015
 
Rated: 4.18 by therubicon from Delaware

Oct 29, 2015
 
Rated: 3.9 by Jeremy7 from Canada (BC)

Aug 03, 2015
 
Rated: 3.78 by beerboy21 from New Hampshire

Jul 04, 2015
 
Rated: 3.75 by schopenhauerale from Arizona

May 25, 2015
 
Rated: 3.75 by rugene from Canada (QC)

May 22, 2015
 
Rated: 3.64 by Borbly from Canada ()

Apr 26, 2015
Photo of mactrail
Reviewed by mactrail from Washington

2.64/5  rDev -29.6%
look: 3 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5
Coppery brown color with a brief foam in the snifter. Some alcohol fumes and whiff of burnt sugar. Medium body with average spritz.

Slightly sweet, but the malt is the main event. Perfumey caramel taste and maybe a little smoke. Bitter edge but no real hop flavor. Starts out mellow and ends with a back of the throat resiny sensation for the finish.

After a few sips I find I ma feeling kind of queasy. I"d never touch a Scotch Ale if they all had this fruity leaf mold dirtiness. From the 341 ml bottle purchased at the BC Liquor Store in Ladner, near Vancouver.
Apr 04, 2015
 
Rated: 3.96 by SputnikMonroe from Canada (QC)

Mar 11, 2015
St-Ambroise Scotch Ale from McAuslan Brewing
Beer rating: 85 out of 100 with 144 ratings