La Montagnarde [Brasserie Des Rocs Ambree]
Brasserie de l'Abbaye des Rocs s.a.

4.72/5  rDev +18%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Blurry pumpkin bronze with a stained yellow, fattened, lasting cap.
Scented of blood orange, spiced rum, pineapple, lilac, green grapes, watermelon, algae, allspice, ginger, and grilled peaches. Yeah, uh, it smells fucking awesome.
It begins through the mouth with a slathering caramel sweetness. This progresses towards dates, green raisins, honeydew melons, and plantains. A cutting Pinot Gris acidity develops, tempered with a sweet Reisling edge. Yeast adds continuous dough and pepper. Spice brings orange rind. Hops hammer in traces of mint and dried grass.
Medium bodied, fully formed with an everlasting, nonobtrusive carbonation.
This is drinkable is cheek-puffing gulps, and fully lives up to the des Rocs standard. This is possibly their most under rated.

Much love unto Bighuge.

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4/5  rDev 0%

3.9/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

330ml Bottle from the Ottawa LCBO for $3

Appearance – Hazy brown colour with an above average size fizzy beige coloured head. It’s hard to make out the carbonation level due to the darkness of the beer and there is some fair lacing. The head lasted for 5 minutes before it was gone.

Smell – Malts, grapes/raisins, plums, yeast

Taste & Mouth - There is a below average amount of carbonation and I can taste malts, caramel, and some yeast. There is also some dark fruit flavour.. grapes/raisins.

Overall – Reminded me of a Rochefort 8 with a touch less spice and booze. A decent beer, but my bottle was 7.5% when I was expecting a little more oomph since it is usually 9% by the looks of things. Well worth trying though.

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4/5  rDev 0%

3.5/5  rDev -12.5%

3.5/5  rDev -12.5%

3/5  rDev -25%

4.08/5  rDev +2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Orangish amber color in a chalice glass. Light beige foam crowns & remains dense. When disipating nice lacings decorate on sides. Fresh fruits, spices & candy aromas will enjoy your nose. Palate is flavored with the same hints, leaving an smooth aftertaste. Alcohol is present but masked in a sugary sensation. Excellent companion in a paused drink-time.

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4/5  rDev 0%

4/5  rDev 0%

4.3/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Appearance: dull amber, brown, thick with unfiltered yeast; fine, sand coloured head with great retention; fine looking Belgium beer

Aroma: faintly herbal, and floral, with a touch of cinnamon; very light, but there's depth to it, drawing you in; some caramel, vanilla

Taste & Mouthfeel: toffee pudding and some vibrant, almost juicy fruit - cherry, peach, grape - which turns quickly to a dry, crisp finish; lightly acidic with sharp carbonation contribute to the brisk finish, a good play to cut through the initial sweet malt and yeast esters; as the rest of the bottle is poured and remaining settled yeast fills the glass, it obviously becomes much more full bodied (a little buttery) and the fruit flavours more pronounced, with a creamy texture - the whole thing really smooths out

Overall: flavour and particularly aroma is all over the place, surely coming from a great yeast strain - it's exciting and intriguing with great feel and flavour

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4.5/5  rDev +12.5%

4/5  rDev 0%

3.94/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Served slightly chilled in a tulip glass, 330 ml bottle at 7.5%. Colour is a dark amber, fairly opaque with a solid dense white head, shows really solid retention.

S- notes of estery yeast, clove and nutmeg, banana/fig notes, some caramelized dark malts with a deep dark spiciness. Light spiced fruit notes like dark banana bread with dark fig caramel.

T- a smooth balanced start, dark brown sugar, full caramel with a nutmeg and cinnamon spice, transitions to some peppermint toward the end. Bring a some pleasant lemony yeast esters throughout which blend nicely, the caramel thickness and sweetness is rich but balanced quite well by the yeast and spicy hop bitterness. Finish is caramel and nutty, salted pecans.

M - full bodied with a pleasant mouth filling creaminess, a crisp and restrained carbonation that works quite nicely. Finishes off crisp, a good balance between a rich brown sugar body and enough carb to make it a refreshing amber ale.

Overall this hits a good balance, and conforms to its style. There is a bit of a dominance. Of the caramel brown sugar but also a pleasant yeast and bitterness but these could be played up a bit, this is an enjoyable Belgian and really good for the price. Some nice lemon yeast, maybe could use a touch of hops. Worth trying for sure.

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3.84/5  rDev -4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Hazy amber color with a thick thin head with short retention and apparent carbonation. Some floating particles.
Sweet aroma with notes of caramels, crystalized fruits, some pine, cloves and other spices.
Flavor is sweet but it is relatively well balanced by its hops and alcohol content. Notes of molasses, crystalized fruits, peppery yeast, grape juice, overripe plums, mild ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, guava, Poir, fig jam and honey. Dry aftertaste with a medium bitterness.
Medium body that feels lighter with appropriate carbonation. One great example how to hide alcohol, the 9% abv feels incredibly lower.
Very good Belgian Dark Strong Ale with great complexity bringing lots of fruits, hops, malts and spices to the table. At some point I had to stop searching for more fruits in my palate. Although sweet, all those components make it pleasant and not cloying. Proof that you do not need to add sugar to make a good BDSA.

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4/5  rDev 0%

4.75/5  rDev +18.8%

4/5  rDev 0%

4.25/5  rDev +6.3%

4/5  rDev 0%

4/5  rDev 0%

4/5  rDev 0%

4.25/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

3.75/5  rDev -6.3%

4.5/5  rDev +12.5%