St-Ambroise Apricot Wheat Ale - McAuslan Brewing

eduardolinhalis

Switzerland

3.63/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

330ml bottle served in a Thumbler glass.

A: Pours an absolutely clear orange color forming a medium white and bubbled head. Medium retention and only few lacings left

S: Sweet and fruity. Apricot juice, sweet grains, honey, vanilla and wheat. Yeasts

T: Sweet upfront. Strong notes of apricot. Sweet grains, wheat, honey, vanilla and wheat. Overall a slightly sweet beer. Apricot pie. with a light hoppy bitterness in the very end. Canadian yeasts which can also be felt on Unibroue beers. Interesting...

M: Light to medium body. Good carbonation. Fruity and bready aftertaste

O: Good drinkability. Good Fruit beer

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2013 19:49:00 | More by eduardolinhalis

Haydn-Juby

Quebec (Canada)

3.88/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served from a 341ml bottle to a Pilsner glass

A: Nice transparent blonde color with bubbles constantly streaming towards the head. The head itself was somewhat disappointing however and died of fairly quickly. I believe it is a filtered wheat beer and perhaps the first filtered one I've had so cloudiness was non-existent.

S: Smells very appealing. Perhaps the best aspect of this beer. The apricot is very evident and the smell is extremely fruity. Not much is detectable besides the apricot.

T: Once again apricot is the dominant flavor in the beer. Very fruity when it first touches the palate but near the end of the sip it develops a rather displeasing graininess. Very light pale malts are also detectable but are more hidden among the apricot. Could be seen as slightly watery as well.

M: Good clean finish. The carbonation is accurate and not to much allowing the beer to go down smooth.

O: I like this beer and its very cheap seeing as i live 2hrs from Montreal. I could see it pairing well with tropical fish dishes and being a refreshing patio beer, despite the fact that i'm drinking this in mid winter. I would recommend trying it but might not be worth the price stretch if you can't get it as cheap as I can. Probably will buy a few sixers of this in the future.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2013 00:24:56 | More by Haydn-Juby

MUSHROOMCLOUD

Texas

3.39/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pale, golden color - 1/2" white head falls to a cap quickly. Big bubbles clinging to the side of the glass and a fine bead continues fromt he bottom of the glass. Some wispy lace.

Unmistakable apricot aroma...fruit and not too perfumey. Some wheat character but faint.

Apricot fruit and sweetness mid palate...not much before and it doesn't linger too long after. Very one-dimensial but a plus for me that it doesn't remain sweet but finishes very dry.

Thin and crisp, medium carbonation....summer time thirst quencher.

Decent overall...I appreciate the dryness of it. Falls in the upper third of fruit beers for me.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2013 03:33:51 | More by MUSHROOMCLOUD

mfnmbvp

Illinois

3.3/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12 oz. bottle, no bottled on date present.

A - Extremely thin, light copper colored body, with a beautiful creamy looking white head, that goes down significantly quick.

S - Smells like delicious creamy apricots, almost smells to me like an apricot Chobani yogurt. Kind of a pungent smell in there, somewhere.

T - Tastes almost exactly how it smells. Kind of a bitter sour apricot taste going on. Subtle notes of apples and maybe cinnamon spice in there also, as the beer warms. Not remarkable, but definitely very distinctive, and still a nice beer to sip on, with only a 5% abv.

M - Watery, the apricot flavors linger on nicely for a bit though.

Overall, this beer reminds me of some strange type of apricot cider, or something. Not super spectacular, but definitely worth trying.

McAuslan St-Ambroise Apricot Wheat Ale ---3.5/5

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2012 16:30:18 | More by mfnmbvp

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

3.65/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Snagged up a bottle of this at vintage estates (Ohio) for $2.79

A - A nice clear golden amber with a mild orange tint. Tons of bubbles and a 1/2 inch of frothy head that quickly dispatches to a lace ring.

S - I'll be damned the others are right it smells like an apricot preserve or jam. The wheat is also very noticeable along side of sugary malts.

T - Well the wheat and yeast do give it a beer like taste so it's not like your drinking juice. The fruit flavor in this is pleasant but more prickly with tart fruit and sharp carbonation. The wheat does come back in the finish yet it does not come off very sweet at all.

M - Light and crisp with a sharp bubbly level of carbonation. Kind of like champagne.

Overall since this got great reviews I guess this is what people like in a fruit beer. It is rather tasty but couldn't imagine sessioning two. Especially at 3 bucks a pop. Worth a try though a very well crafted fruit beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2012 01:01:07 | More by DrDemento456

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Once more, I do not know precisely how this beer came to be in my possession, but I am guessing that it was courtesy of previous reviewer and local in-person trader, Tone 77. I also have no idea why I am suddenly on a bottle kick and why so many of them have been fruit-wheat beers, but it is soon coming to an end. I gotta get back to The CANQuest (TM)!

From the bottle: "Ale with Apricot added"; "Apricot Wheat Ale".

My pour created just over a finger of rocky off-white head with decent retention. Color was a solid amber with NE-quality clarity. Hey, what gives with filtering a wheat beer? Nose smelled like apricot preserves and suddenly I was back in business. I subjected myself to some lesser fruit/wheat beers recently and this was a welcome return to the norm. Mouthfeel was soft, not watery, and the taste was really like apricot preserves. Yum! Finish was semi-sweet and very refreshing. I wished that I was in Montreal getting ready to watch some hockey ...

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2012 00:28:09 | More by woodychandler

Scrylol

Alberta (Canada)

3.6/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a two finger white bubbly head. Lots of lacing. Body is golden in color.

Nice apricot aroma backed by slight tropical notes. Little malt backbone in there. No hop presence.

Solid wheat taste with slight apricot and various tropical notes. Bready malt flavor on the back. Little bitterness.

A little bit too watery, but nice carbonation. Drinks very easily.

A decent fruit beer, only if you like apricots.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2012 02:56:42 | More by Scrylol

greenrowan

4.38/5  rDev +21.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I bought this beer because I really enjoyed St. Ambroise Framboise beer and I am generally a pretty big fan of fruit beers.

As other reviewers have noted this has a strong apricot smell/taste but was surprisingly not sweet as I expected. It had a nice sour finish, somewhat reminicent of a cider.

I found it to be a really easy drinking beer and I would definitely recommend it to those out there who like fruit beers.

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2012 04:17:12 | More by greenrowan

DaftCaskBC

British Columbia (Canada)

4.1/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Notes from the 2012 BC Trailer Tasting Camping Tour with Rutager.

A: Amber liquid with excellent clarity with a 1/8" white head.

S: Apricots, yeast and wheat.

T: Apricots, yeast, wheat and grassy hops.

M: Medium viscosity and a low level of carbonation.

O: A very refreshing wheat beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2012 20:45:19 | More by DaftCaskBC

tone77

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a brown 11.5 oz. bottle. Has a dark golden color with a 1 inch head. Smell is dominated by apricots. Taste is apricots, but not sweet, a bit of wheat tang, refreshing. Feels medium bodied in the mouth and overall is a different and pretty good beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-14-2012 04:21:04 | More by tone77

thehyperduck

Ontario (Canada)

3.93/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

341 mL bottle from the LCBO (via the brewery's summer sampler); best before Jan 31 2013. Fruit beers have never really been my thing, but I decided to get this fruit-heavy 6-pack on the basis of past experience with McAuslan. I love their pale ale and oatmeal stout, so who knows - maybe they'll be the first brewery to really wow me with a fruit beer.

Pours a pale, clear golden-amber colour, topped with one finger of fizzy, foamy white head. Like many fruit beers, the head doesn't retain for long, soon dissipating into a thin film with some scant lacing left behind. Clean, fresh aroma with plenty of apricot/peach character, alongside some lesser sweet, bready wheat malt and a hint of strawberry. Nice to be able to detect some beer-like traits on the aroma - sometimes these fruitbiers smell syrupy, overbearing or artificial, but this is none of those.

And fortunately, that theme is continued into the flavour - while there is plenty of juicy, fruity flavour, this is not something I would mistake for an alcopop. Apricot and peach flavour is prominent throughout the sip, alongside a modest backbone of sweet wheat maltiness. Notes of mango and banana as well, with a pleasant, drying finish that helps cut through the juicy sweetness of the fruits. The flavour improves as it warms - this is one to serve only a little chilled. Light-bodied with firm, spritzy carbonation that gives the brew a crisp, almost tongue-scrubbing mouthfeel. Easy to toss back, and very refreshing.

Not a complex brew, but the apricot flavour is exceptionally well-integrated, and seems authentic (i.e. not syrupy or otherwise off-putting). Sometimes I feel like I am overly critical of this style, but it's nice to find an offering that is worth another purchase some day - probably next summer.

Final Grade: 3.93, a respectable B+. St-Ambroise Apricot Wheat Ale is a pretty good summer refresher. By wheat beer standards it's not particularly impressive, but it's quite good for a fruit-infused brew - and anyone who counts themselves among the fans of that style should definitely give this stuff a try. I haven't had Aprikat in a long time, but I would be comfortable ranking this ahead of that particular Alley Kat offering (the only other apricot beer I have tried).

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2012 07:31:07 | More by thehyperduck

mick303

Ontario (Canada)

3.8/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a large head of white foam, leaves no lacing. Quite a bit of carbonation, with a bright golden colour and not any noticeable haze to it.

This beer (as I should have expected) smells strongly of apricots. They are at the forefront and quite rich and mouthwatering. Aromas of the malt also come through.

Flavour is quite balanced. The apricot flavour is present but not overwhelming. A fair bit of sweetness present. Hops take a backseat to the wheat, which bring some bready flavour.

Mouthfeel is good, has a medium body. Finish is of dried apricots with a touch of honey sweetness.

This beer is quite interesting. Don't pass it off as a fad beer because in its own right it achieves quite well in terms of flavour balance and depth. Highly drinkable and interesting beer. Seek it out for an interesting summer beer on a warm day.

Serving type: bottle

07-06-2012 21:03:40 | More by mick303

JerzDevl2000

New Jersey

3.03/5  rDev -16.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Picked this up recently in Totowa since I never had it before. I'm not a huge fan of this style and after having this, I was reminded why. While this isn't a bad beer, this has quite the artificial taste and feel to it and only die-hard fans of apricot or this style would enjoy an offering such as this one.

This had a decent pour to it, with an appropriate hue of apricot that was clear and a moderate amount of head. The aroma wasn't really there and neither was the lacing. As for the mouthfeel, it reminded me of syrup with too much fruit flavor underneath it. Just a hint of cinnamon-like spice with dough to boot. The carbonation wasn't really here either once the bubbles in the head settled and overall, the pieces didn't mesh well here. I would not guess the flavor or style on the first try since there's too much going on here and not enough notes to complement the overpowering fruit feel of this beer.

The alcohol here was light and didn't add or detract from this beer. yes, it's hot out today but this is too heavy to be considered a "lawnmower beer". It's only worth a try once since I haven't had anything like this, but then again, I can't imagine anyone else brewing something this mediocre.

Serving type: bottle

07-01-2012 22:19:47 | More by JerzDevl2000

BGDrock

Ontario (Canada)

4.13/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: copper, apricot colour; produces minimal head which fades fast; surprisingly clear

Aroma: apricot jam! aroma just burst from the glass

Taste & Mouthfeel: great, full but light mouthfeel; medium to light body; apricot flavour is perfect, not overwhelming and not too sweet; carbonation almost gives the feel of "fuzz"; hints of strawberry and peach too; finish is slightly dry

Overall: a rare time when being one dimensional is a good thing - stays focused, delivering a fresh, easy-drinking, interesting beer (and perfect for summer)

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2012 01:20:48 | More by BGDrock

dansmcd

Australia

3.58/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Clear pale amber body under a quick thin white head fading to a ring.

S - Big apricot and sweet tinned peach.

T - The apricot and peach follow on but with a lesser intensity, and joined by a bread backbone.

M - Thin body, medium body.

O - A bit different but likable. A cross between a lambic and an hefe.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2012 13:30:28 | More by dansmcd

psuKinger

Pennsylvania

3.3/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Bottle picked up at Vintage Estate, poured into a standard pint glass.

A: Pours a translucent golden color, considerably more clear than I would expect from a wheat, with a big (2 finger) white head on top.

S: Big nose of Apricot. Maybe a touch of bread underneath, but mostly apricot. And lots and lots of it.

T: There's not a whole lot going on here other than apricot. Whatever hint there is of "wheat", it isn't strong. What wheat is there, combined with classic malts, rest in the background, as apricot is the main player here. And perhaps just a tough of hop bitterness on the back end, that accompanies the apricot nicely.

M: Light with strong carbonation, and a sour twinge on the finish that stays with you a bit.

D/O: As I worked through the bottle, the excessive apricot flavor really wore on me. This was worth a try, but I don't feel much of a need to repeat it.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2012 23:40:31 | More by psuKinger

danieelol

Australia

3/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours yellow golden with not a massive amount of head.

Aroma is artificial smelling fruit, vaguely apricot-y. Hard to detect much else past this- perhaps a bit of malt.

Taste is more fruity syrup, perhaps a bit apricoty. Yeah, there is some malt detectable here also.

Mouthfeel is sour with some bitterness. Lowish on body, fairly substantial carb.

The beer you get when you don't want a beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2011 12:16:16 | More by danieelol

SebD

Ontario (Canada)

4.15/5  rDev +15%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: It has a nice golden/orange colour to it. It has a nice white head that dies down moderatly and has some lacing.

Smell: The aromas definitly give out hints of apricots, peaches and a blend of tropical fruit that hits you in the face with some bready malts and a perfume like smell.

Taste: Like the aromas, it has a very nice fruity taste, getting some apricots, peaches and tropical fruit with some bready malts in the back and some suddle hops that give it a very slight bitterness.

Mouthfeel: It has a medium-high carbonation with a nice balance and feel.

Drinkability: It's a very smooth drinkable beer accompanied with good flavours and aromas. Yummy!

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2011 21:28:22 | More by SebD

phiberoptik

Ohio

3.95/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a light, bright golden yellow with reddish hues. Very similar to an apricot. The head is a bubbly white that dissipates quickly.

Apricot right up front. No guessing on this one. Apricot with a wheat finish and hints of some yeast at the end.

Apricots, wheat, a hint of sweet that turns to a dry tongue afterwards.

Light bodied with subtle carbonation. I expected more crispness but this was mellow.

This is exactly what my wife wanted when she picked this up. A great, light, but full flavored fruit beer. My only specific criticism is the lack of crisp carbonation that I typically expect from bright fruit beers like this.

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2011 01:24:35 | More by phiberoptik

Rutager

British Columbia (Canada)

3.63/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance. Pours a clear, amber-straw with over a finger of foamy, just off-white head.

Smell. Big, big apricots, strong and a little perfumey. Toasty light grains are barely detectable..

Taste. Big apricots, but also oranges, mango and pineapple. Sweetness is there and a little bitterness in the end that saves the day.

Mouthfeel. Lighter body but slightly sticky, medium-high carbonation.

Overall. Too much apricot, not enough wheat beer. The fruit is pretty much all there is, and it tastes slightly fake.

Serving type: bottle

10-05-2011 02:34:54 | More by Rutager

ConchobarNessa

New York

3.63/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance- Pours a nice straw off-orange color. Nice head that quickly becomes a light film of tiny bubbles over the liquid, some lacing.

Smell- The smells are nice, reminded me alot of candied peaches. It smells refreshing and sweet, as I expected from an apricot brew. That said, I felt the smells, while being great, were somewhat light. I expected a more pronounced fruitiness in the nose.

Taste- Wonderful taste, plenty of apricot but relatively little of the familiar taste of wheat. Wish there had been a bit more wheat going on.. But that said... An apricot beer is wonderful and this one is a great example of why, the taste of this beer is what makes it a winner though I expected something sweeter.

Mouthfeel- Not outrageously carbonated or under carbonated, I felt it had the mouthfeel just right and finishes crisp and dry, quality bubbles that persist throughout the drinking experience.

Overall- This is a solid shelfer. I don't think it'll enter my regular rotation but its something to keep around for a change. It goes down real well and can be paired easily with food or without. That being said, I didnt find myself wowed by the beer either, it gives a solid performance but has some peers that might outshine her in some categories.

Edit: Lowered my score a bit because it has alot of potential but needs a little tweeking. Note that this brew needs to be enjoyed slightly warmer than fridge temp (We are talking late october north-east temp here..) to be really tasty.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2011 03:08:54 | More by ConchobarNessa

BigPlay1824

New York

2.95/5  rDev -18.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Enjoyed in a pint glass

A: pours a perfectly clear light orange to peach color with a small amount of carbonation bubbles, pours with a thin finger of white fine-foamed head that lingers just gently on the top, leaves absolutely no lacing
S: apricots and a nice fruity sweetness immediately pervade the nostrils, something reminiscent of peach hard candy is present
T: interesting taste, the apricot is definitely there but its backed off a bit by something that works its way in mid sip, has a nice creaminess to it that really reminds me of a creamsickle
M: strong carbonation tingle, very thin on the palate, leaves a distinct fruit taste on the palate not necessarily apricot but it seems like peach
O: a nice fruit brew, a bit thin and a bit too strong on the tangy fruit taste, overpowers the wheat aspect

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2011 23:51:50 | More by BigPlay1824

tvv375ia

Iowa

3.85/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

poured from 11.5oz bottle into pint glass

A-poured a cloudy amber/orange with visible particles suspended with less than a finger of head that disappeared quickly

S-apricot/peaches with some breadiness

T-sweet apricot bread taste

M- light carbonation

O-nice fruit flavored wheat beer

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2011 00:44:29 | More by tvv375ia

Roke87

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

341 mL bottle, chilled and poured into a pilsner glass.
Best Before: Dec.31/11

Appearance- Pours a clear slightly on the darker side golden colour with a finger and a half of thick white head that quickly resides to a nice soapy film on the top, leaving an average amount of lacing throughout the glass till finish.

Smell- The smells are quite inviting to be honest, very sweet and fruity with lots of the apricot coming through on the nose, some mild bready malts in there as well, but mainly dominated by the apricot which gives off a sweet almost “fuzzy peaches” candy like aroma.

Taste- Just like the smells, very sweet and fruity again with lots of the apricot coming through as well on the palate. Some very mild bready malts in the finish, but all in all it does exactly what it says it is, an apricot ale.

Mouthfeel- Light bodied with lots of carbonation going on in this one, it is very smooth and crisp on the palate finishing with a fruity dryness very similar to wine.

Overall- I wasn’t shocked and awed by this one, but I definitely wasn’t disappointed either. It says exactly what it’s going to be and follows through with it in one of the best presentations of a fruit beer that I have tried thus far, the apricot smell and tastes are very prevalent and it comes through as a sweet candy like concoction that is smooth and crisp right till the last sip, it was rather good to be honest, I’ve definitely had worse fruit beers, and this one is an amazing summer drinker on that nice hot day when you just need something cold and refreshing.

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2011 04:57:49 | More by Roke87

Stocean1

Ontario (Canada)

4.05/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - poured a one finger head on tap at the kiwi - lots of lacing and slowly subsided to a nice collar of foam - colour of apple cider

S - huge apricot citrus smell - oranges- wheat - really nice - floral hops

T - apricot and orange balanced out with a wheat backbone - peppery in the finish - floral - coriander?

M - smooth (as always at the kiwi) and light to medium bodied with some carbonation - nice little bitterness in the after taste

O - very nice offering on tap - definitely enjoyed it more than from a bottle

Serving type: on-tap

08-31-2011 20:49:20 | More by Stocean1