St-Ambroise Vintage Ale Millésimée 2011
McAuslan Brewing
- From:
- McAuslan Brewing
- Quebec, Canada
- Style:
- English Barleywine
- ABV:
- 10%
- Score:
- 88
- Avg:
- 3.94 | pDev: 9.64%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 16
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Oct 13, 2018
- Added:
- Dec 17, 2011
- Wants:
- 1
- Gots:
- 13
SCORE
88
Very Good
88
Very Good
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Rated by boogerisu from Iowa
3.44/5 rDev -12.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
3.44/5 rDev -12.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
2009 vintage. Can definitely taste the toffee but pretty bland after that
Mar 22, 2015
Reviewed by dgilks from Australia
3.95/5 rDev +0.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
3.95/5 rDev +0.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Clear mahogany colour with a foamy, light tan head. Great lacing. Good head retention.
Deep, dark toffee flavour. Quite earthy and a little fruity.
Dark and brooding. Really sharp, bitter toffee. Earthy and fruity.
Medium-full body. Moderately-high carbonation. Not bad.
It all should be there but it doesn't quite gel. Nice bitter toffee but it needs something else here.
Jul 02, 2014Deep, dark toffee flavour. Quite earthy and a little fruity.
Dark and brooding. Really sharp, bitter toffee. Earthy and fruity.
Medium-full body. Moderately-high carbonation. Not bad.
It all should be there but it doesn't quite gel. Nice bitter toffee but it needs something else here.
Reviewed by Brenden from Ohio
3.87/5 rDev -1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.87/5 rDev -1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
About amber in color, perhaps just a shade darker, this beer is essentially opaque due to a mild cloudiness combined with its darkness. The head is a foamy but pretty tight half finger, tan in color, with good retention. Lacing is somewhat more than moderate in quantity and mostly patchy.
This is a pretty big barleywine, definitely of the English tradition, malty and strong. It's got lots of sweetness all the way through with notes of caramel and toffee, some dark fruits coming through as well but heavier on the creamier and more sugary stuff than many. Smoky brown sugar comes in there, too, and it's pretty heavy on the booziness without being completely overdone. The booze shows up more in the flavor, but it's noticeable on the nose to begin it. It has a mineral quality and a light earthiness, neither prominent nor heavy, just enough to get an idea of the malts used along with their somewhat bready quality. It does have a hoppy note to it, too, mostly floral and leafy to go with all the malts. Underlying all the way, and by no means a minor contribution, is a bite of spiciness both partly peppery and somewhat like allspice.
The body was pretty big, rolling smoothly without thinning too much, and with enough crispness to be lively and active. It doesn't go too slick or sweet, some dryness evening it out on the palate.
Jun 30, 2014This is a pretty big barleywine, definitely of the English tradition, malty and strong. It's got lots of sweetness all the way through with notes of caramel and toffee, some dark fruits coming through as well but heavier on the creamier and more sugary stuff than many. Smoky brown sugar comes in there, too, and it's pretty heavy on the booziness without being completely overdone. The booze shows up more in the flavor, but it's noticeable on the nose to begin it. It has a mineral quality and a light earthiness, neither prominent nor heavy, just enough to get an idea of the malts used along with their somewhat bready quality. It does have a hoppy note to it, too, mostly floral and leafy to go with all the malts. Underlying all the way, and by no means a minor contribution, is a bite of spiciness both partly peppery and somewhat like allspice.
The body was pretty big, rolling smoothly without thinning too much, and with enough crispness to be lively and active. It doesn't go too slick or sweet, some dryness evening it out on the palate.
Reviewed by bylerteck from Canada (ON)
3.75/5 rDev -4.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.75/5 rDev -4.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
From the mixed pack just released. From notes.
A - Copper pour with a ruby influence. Bright with a two finger off white head. Bright. Good carbonation, spotty lace and a half finger of retention.
S - Raisins, boozy fruits, sugar.
T - Quite sweet with some woody, boozy fruits, raisins.
M - A bit of burn in the finish. Mild to medium carbonation, full body.
O/D - Not the best vintage, but it was nice to sip. Seemed less developed and the alcohol seemed a bit too present for 2 years old. It worked OK though and had a decent depth of flavour.
Nov 18, 2013A - Copper pour with a ruby influence. Bright with a two finger off white head. Bright. Good carbonation, spotty lace and a half finger of retention.
S - Raisins, boozy fruits, sugar.
T - Quite sweet with some woody, boozy fruits, raisins.
M - A bit of burn in the finish. Mild to medium carbonation, full body.
O/D - Not the best vintage, but it was nice to sip. Seemed less developed and the alcohol seemed a bit too present for 2 years old. It worked OK though and had a decent depth of flavour.
Reviewed by mmapes from Colorado
3.74/5 rDev -5.1%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
3.74/5 rDev -5.1%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Once again, thanks Mathieu for the amazing trade.
Pours medium reddish carmel, with very little head. What's there dissipates pretty quickly.
On the nose, a subtle smell of citrus, oak(?), apricot-y fruit, malty grain.
FIrst impression: smooth, then a little bitter hops (after 2 years!) up front, followed by a long smooth mildly spicy finish. Later: hint of some darker fruit in the middle, more raisin-y/pruney, instead of the apricot on the nose. But it's not a fruity beer, it's more in the sweet carmel/oak family of tastes which I like well.
Jul 10, 2013Pours medium reddish carmel, with very little head. What's there dissipates pretty quickly.
On the nose, a subtle smell of citrus, oak(?), apricot-y fruit, malty grain.
FIrst impression: smooth, then a little bitter hops (after 2 years!) up front, followed by a long smooth mildly spicy finish. Later: hint of some darker fruit in the middle, more raisin-y/pruney, instead of the apricot on the nose. But it's not a fruity beer, it's more in the sweet carmel/oak family of tastes which I like well.
Reviewed by andrenaline from Canada (ON)
4.1/5 rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
4.1/5 rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Props to joemcgrath27 for including this in a trade some time ago. I've been holding onto it since last winter so that I could drink it side-by-side with the 2012 release. Curious to see whether a year of aging has changed the flavour profile at all.
A - Pours a slightly hazy ruby colour with a copper hue, finger of head with decent retention and some sporadic lacing. Not quite as nice on the presentation as compared with the 2012.
S - Loads of toffee and caramel, an earthy hop undertone, a touch of peppery spice and graham crackers with a hint of ABV noticeable on the nose.
T - The flavour profile is in contrast with the nose where the musty hop notes dominate over the toffee and caramel malts. A buttered bread flavour lingers alongside a bitter citrus rind flavour, a touch of ABV sweetness and some oak and musty caramels. The flavours definitely possess a bit more character than the 2012, offering up some more intense sweetness and lingering on the palette longer.
M - Medium bodied, velvety smooth going down and finishes surprisingly wet.
O - The aging seems to have enhanced the flavours and mellowed the ABV a touch. The "English" characteristics tend to be more pronounced than in the 2012. Definitely glad I was able to hold off consuming this brew until I got my hands on the 2012 for the side-by-side tasting.
Dec 21, 2012A - Pours a slightly hazy ruby colour with a copper hue, finger of head with decent retention and some sporadic lacing. Not quite as nice on the presentation as compared with the 2012.
S - Loads of toffee and caramel, an earthy hop undertone, a touch of peppery spice and graham crackers with a hint of ABV noticeable on the nose.
T - The flavour profile is in contrast with the nose where the musty hop notes dominate over the toffee and caramel malts. A buttered bread flavour lingers alongside a bitter citrus rind flavour, a touch of ABV sweetness and some oak and musty caramels. The flavours definitely possess a bit more character than the 2012, offering up some more intense sweetness and lingering on the palette longer.
M - Medium bodied, velvety smooth going down and finishes surprisingly wet.
O - The aging seems to have enhanced the flavours and mellowed the ABV a touch. The "English" characteristics tend to be more pronounced than in the 2012. Definitely glad I was able to hold off consuming this brew until I got my hands on the 2012 for the side-by-side tasting.
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