St.Ambroise Vintage Ale Millésimée 2011 - McAuslan Brewing

IronDjinn

Alberta (Canada)

4.22/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

From a 341 ml brown bottle, came in a cylinder canister. Pours out a hazed yet brilliant deep amber hue, short tight creamy off-white head that retains.

Sweet toffee in the aroma, spikes of tropical fruit, spicy yeast, dry grains, bready malt, mild chocolate, dried apricot, leafy green hops.

The malt up front in the flavour has a rich, cake-like character, toffee and spice, finishing with dry leafy hops, with a warming alcohol that lingers on the palate and in the throat on the aftertaste.

Mouthfeel is full although on the lighter side of that spectrum, full creamy velvety texture, low carbonation.

Very enjoyable English Barleywine, it manages to stay within the parameters of the style yet is not toned down. Aroma is more complex than the flavour, however the flavour still delivers a solid enjoyable experience. I'll be picking up more while it's still available.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2011 05:10:10 | More by IronDjinn

wizo

Quebec (Canada)

4/5  rDev +1.5%

02-10-2013 20:38:36 | More by wizo

KalanM

British Columbia (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev -4.8%

12-31-2012 04:25:42 | More by KalanM

andrenaline

Ontario (Canada)

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.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2012 03:47:02 | More by andrenaline

ThinkAgain

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev +1.5%

11-20-2012 12:38:30 | More by ThinkAgain

pin

Australia

3.5/5  rDev -11.2%

11-19-2012 01:46:07 | More by pin

EzraAtom

California

3.75/5  rDev -4.8%

09-15-2012 21:47:22 | More by EzraAtom

oldp0rt

Quebec (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev -11.2%

09-15-2012 14:37:14 | More by oldp0rt

LampertLand

British Columbia (Canada)

3.45/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

St.Ambroise Vintage Ale Millesimee "2011 Edition" @ 10% , a 341 ml bottle of English Barleywine served into a oversized wine glass
A-pours a deep orange , bit cloudy because of being unfiltered , small off white head leaving no lacing along the glass
S-strong floral/herbal fermentation
T-candied fruit dominates from the start followed by resiny hops leading to a crisp dry finish
MF-low carbonation with a strong medicine like aftertaste , could be the 10% ABV (?)
Ov-this beer needs to be cellared to mellow the alcohal perhaps , but it won't happen in my cellar , this beer is well made just not my thing

cheers LampertLand

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2012 19:16:09 | More by LampertLand

Kristin87

4/5  rDev +1.5%

09-04-2012 01:35:09 | More by Kristin87

Jeffo

Netherlands

3.6/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Got this one at Depanneur Peluso in Montreal. Just an increadible shop for Quebec craft beer.

From a bottle into a snifter
Vintage: 2011

APPEARANCE: Pours a small, medium looking, off-white head with good retention. Head fades to a swirly wisp and ring. Burnt umber orange in color, slightly hazy, with medium carbonation evident. A foamy ring remains until the end but leaves no lacing down the glass.

SMELL: Caramel and butterscotch on the nose. Light melon notes and some spicy booze as well. Bold enough for sure.

TASTE: Pale malts, caramel, butterscotch and melony sweetness through the middle into a spicy and boozy finish. Bold and persistent aftertaste of sweet caramel malt, spicy alcohol and a touch of bitter floral notes as well. Quite flavorful, but perhaps a bit too boozy at this point.

PALATE: Medium body and medium carbonation. Very creamy smooth on the palate, goes down fine with a little scratch at the swallow and finishes slightly sticky on the palate. Good feel. A little more weight and less burn would help, but this is solid.

OVERALL: This is a good beer and has plenty of aging potential. It's a little too hot right now, so don't be afraid to give it 2-3 years before opening. I can imagine a beer of this quality will improve nicely over that period of time. Another quality McAuslan brew. I am continously impressed by these guys. Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2012 22:13:35 | More by Jeffo

artemh

Alberta (Canada)

4.25/5  rDev +7.9%

08-25-2012 14:36:01 | More by artemh

chickenm

British Columbia (Canada)

4/5  rDev +1.5%

08-10-2012 01:14:03 | More by chickenm

Foudebiere

Quebec (Canada)

4.5/5  rDev +14.2%

06-19-2012 23:50:57 | More by Foudebiere

joemcgrath27

Alberta (Canada)

4.38/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - hazy reddish bronze, thumb of tan head retained well leaving consistent lacing
S - butterscotch and brown sugar, light herbal, and a hint of alcohol, all soft and subtle
T - big hits of butterscotch candy, pepper and light herbs, mildly fruity, with gentle alcohol sweetness
M - medium body, very creamy smooth, gentle bitter and drying alcohol, this is dangerously easy to drink
O - outstanding in its balance and complex flavour and super drinkability, you will forget this is a big ass barley wine and you'll be buzzed before you know it

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2012 01:28:10 | More by joemcgrath27

schopenhauerale

British Columbia (Canada)

4/5  rDev +1.5%

06-13-2012 21:04:48 | More by schopenhauerale

CookstLiquor

British Columbia (Canada)

3.98/5  rDev +1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Nice rich copper brown colour, with minimal beige head. Has all the delicious aromas in the nice that you might expect from the style--dark fruit, sweet malts. On the palate there's a pleasant booziness along with the dark fruit and even a touch of dry sherry notes. Barely any hops detectable. This is all about the malt. Would be a great post-meal sipper. Split the bottle with a friend.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2012 18:27:59 | More by CookstLiquor

papat444

Quebec (Canada)

3.9/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 341 ml. bottle into, you guessed it, my St-Ambroise Millésimée 2006 snifter.

Appearance: A semi clear amber-copper body, kind of like cognac but with less brown. Big thick foam (light tan) and good retention.

Smell: Fruits and some spices. Not as strong as previous versions.

Taste: Cloves, herbs, bit of dark fruits and raisins. A nice balance between the sweetness and the spices with neither or taking dominance.

Mouthfeel: Spice bitterness (restrained) with a bit of chewy texture to it.

Overall: I liked it and it was better than i expected when compared to the others. The 2009 was my favorite but this one is a close second.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2012 11:23:17 | More by papat444

Agent1

Alberta (Canada)

3.05/5  rDev -22.6%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Although we all may be jumping the gun at this point, I still wanted to try this "vintage ale" after stumbling into it at my local store. To my surprise, I had no idea St. Ambroise had released this. Now, most Barley Wines need some time to age, but I was too anxious to see how this stacked up to Half Pint's Burleywine -- another Canadian-made beer.

Appearance - Poor head retention. Not a whole lot to look at here. The color is a nice, rich amber. This ale appears to be filtered, yet according to their website, it is not. Not a very active beer.

Smell - A hint of barley coming through on the nose. Maybe a little bit of brown sugar, toffee and an odd characteristic similar to plastic (Goldings hops?). This hoppiness is rather faint on the nose. A little too much alcohol is preset here. Not the greatest aroma I've experienced to date for a Barley Wine. A little too bland for me, personally.

Taste - Much too sugary. Keeping in mind that this is a Barley Wine and it most likely needs to age, at this point, it seems to currently be unbalanced and out of check. I would be much more interested in opening this beer anywhere from three to four years from now. Oak, toffee, caramel, Goldings hops are noticeable in the taste (not so much on the nose), very sweet malts, a little bit of bread, barley and other subtle classic ingredients to your standard Barley Wine. Much too 'boozy' for me and it distracts from everything else.

Mouthfeel - Hits you hard on the back on the mouth, near the throat. Also along the top of the mouth. Again, the alcohol is much too prevalent. It really cuts through. This needs some time to age.

Overall - This is much too unbalanced for me at this point. Like most Barley Wines, maybe a year from now (or even two or three) this beer could become more complex and remain just as sweet, but in a good way. Other flavors need time to mature. Some people may find this vintage ale drinkable at this point in time, but for me personally, this is WAY to sugary and has too much alcohol cutting through. It needs time to ferment. That being said, it got me fucking hammered by the end and I still may go out and purchase another bottle to age for quite a while. Not a bad Barley Wine by any stretch! Just not the best.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2012 03:55:55 | More by Agent1

Brianhophead

Alberta (Canada)

4.23/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A- St. Ambroise Vintage 2011 is a deep amber, sort of coppery colored ale. Carbonation is minimal with only a few bubbles rising lazily through the glass. Head is dense, off white, and lasting.

S- First impressions give me an aroma that is bright and brassy, somewhat juicy. Up front maltiness starts off bready with hints of caramel. These move into notes of leather and the faintest whiff of earth. Finish is herbal and hoppy, giving me wood, herbs, and grassiness all mixed in with one another.

T- St. Ambroise Vintage 2011 is full bodied and malty, with an almost buttery mouthfeel. Body is full without being cloying or overpowering, which is nice. Vintage Ale's flavor doesn't entirely follow the nose, giving me butterscotch up front. Center is rounded and smooth, lending a slight woodiness to the profile. Finish is slightly dry and just a little bit bitter, in a woody English sort of a way.

This beer is big, malty, and well bodied as a barley wine should be. The nice thing is, Vintage Ale doesn't cross the line into oppressive the way some barley wines can. The one thing I would like to see is for the flavor profile to have the juiciness I found in the nose. Beyond that, nicely done.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2012 03:48:22 | More by Brianhophead

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

4.03/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

341ml bottle, packaged in a simple, stylish cardboard tube. And only six bucks for a vintage ale from so psychologically far away? Tres bien! Into my souvenir Dieu du Ciel glass, then.

This beer pours a frosted window, dark orange amber hue, with two fingers of tight, foamy, and somewhat creamy pale beige head, which maintains stubborn retention as it slowly creeps down the side of the glass, leaving some puffy swathes of splattered lace in its trail.

The aroma, after a few nods toward letting things warm up a bit, is complex caramel toffee malt, sweet sugary candy, some zingy, kind of herbal hops, and an iota of edgy booze. On the tongue, I get some nice sharp caramel, a smidgeon of breadiness, mild fruity holiday spice, herbal, leafy hops, and a subtle, loosely metallic alcohol warming. Fairly on the nose old ale tendencies, for sure, and good ones at that.

The bubbles are quite restrained, permeating the palate in their background support role only, the body a solid, hefty medium weight, and decently smooth amongst the throttled acrid booze. It finishes with a reminder of the caramel that pays the bills, level in its sweetness, 'dry', even, especially in light of the lingering noble hops and still lowly simmering alcohol.

A satisfying vintage (re: 'old') ale, with definite old world barleywine crossover characteristics - the booze, though, seems ahead of its time. Fuddy-duddery aside, this is just peachy for sipping, with the temperature finally moving to seasonal mercury levels, and the snow seeming to surpass its anemic fervor of late.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2012 23:15:08 | More by biboergosum

wordemupg

Alberta (Canada)

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

341ml bottle poured into tulip 13/1/12

A clear amber with some tiny particles and a fair amount of bubbles feeding a bright tan two finger foam, a couple minuets of retention and just a couple patches of lace

S lots of cotton candy and caramels, a little spicy hops and some tropical fruits, smells great

T what I smell but spicier and there's some booze in there I didn't smell

M full and silky, a little sticky on the lips and just a little heat, aftertaste lingers sweet and spicy

O nice and malty with some spicy sweetness, booze needs to mellow a bit but that's too be expected from a young barley wine

this reminded me that I have a few of these from 2009 and I should drink one soon. I'm thinking at 5.5$ I'll be stashing a few of these away too see how they taste in a few years.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2012 08:44:20 | More by wordemupg

MattyV

Ontario (Canada)

4.5/5  rDev +14.2%

01-11-2012 05:18:49 | More by MattyV

JOaikido

Quebec (Canada)

3.8/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

341 ml bottle.

A- Deep copper with nice beige head. Looks just as it should.

S- Alcohol noticeable. Dried fruit. Malt.

T- Malty with plummy and spicy notes and a solid if unoriginal hops bitter back that lingers.

MF- Medium-thick. Warming.

D- Great sipping beer as expected.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2012 01:22:56 | More by JOaikido

leaddog

Alberta (Canada)

4/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance - Medium amber/caramel hue with nice clarity. Pours with a dense foamy cream-coloured head, about a finger-width.

Smell - Plum and caramel aromas are predominant, almost dessert like.

Taste - Strong plum flavours. Caramalized flavours with a bit of breadiness, like a bread pudding. ABV is balanced nicely in this brew (not too overpowering).

Mouthfeel - Despite the dense bubbly head that came out, quite smooth and creamy. Bubbles are hardly detectable. Slight bitterness in the aftertaste.

Overall - For the style of extra strong ale (or barleywine), I was surprised by how well balanced the alcohol and flavours are in this brew. The plum flavours were very pleasant and reminiscent of the winter season.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2011 04:47:43 | More by leaddog