Bush Ambrée - Brasserie Dubuisson Frères sprl

Labeorphile

Texas

4.03/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Poured from an ~8 oz bottle into a Chimay chalice. Nice cloudy, amber color, but with little head that quickly disappears.

Smells like a typical Belgian ale, malty and yeasty, but with strong hints of alcohol, which is expected given the high ABV.

Taste is sharp and malty with a punch of booze, almost distracting. But the mouth feel is good. Creamy and bubbly and kind of pops.

Overall a solid strong ale, but would taste better with less booziness.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2013 01:56:10 | More by Labeorphile

Hunter

Arizona

2.99/5  rDev -22.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

Appearance: Clear copper ale with a thick head of dense bubbles that dissipate quickly, Little lacing.

Smell: Alcohol.

Taste: Holy cow - strong alcohol is the first, dominant taste. There is some hint of spice, malt, etc. but nothing comes close to that first hit of boozy heat.

Mouthfeel: Scouring on the tongue.

Overall: This is closer to a finishing brandy or a barelywine than a beer. Wish I had more to say about this, as it received some great reviews from others and I want to like it, but...the alcohol dominates.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2013 02:14:09 | More by Hunter

coltsr2

United Kingdom (England)

4.7/5  rDev +22.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Wow!...Lovely beer!...pours a nice dark honey with little head whci soon dissolves to nothing....nice lacing and reasonable carbonation with a few bubble streams popping up in places..

Aroma is subtle...more malty than hoppy.. a nice simple fresh sweet aroma..

Taste is just pure divine...a truly beautiful experience....feels slightly sweet but with a nice yin yang bitterness relationship that makes this a perfectly balanced beer!...

Mouth feel is rich, thick and solid as you would expect with such a high gravity beer...full, semi sweet, luscious and frothy as the carbonation hits the tongue....this is what high gravity, full bodied, desert wine style speciality beers are all about!....lovely stuff!

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2013 16:02:16 | More by coltsr2

Novels

Illinois

4.45/5  rDev +15.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Thoroughly enjoyed this. Poured from a bottle into oversized wine glass at Monk’s Pub in downtown Chicago. Has a hazy, buckwheat honey color with brown hues. No head, but great lacing left on the glass- tan/white in color. Texture is extremely impressive, very thick without being haughty. Tastes like heaven, or hella caramel, whatever you want to call it. Amber malt, bittersweet finish and dry personality. Great.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2013 18:02:06 | More by Novels

Beer-A-Lot

Virginia

3.94/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Very nice appearance, golden color, decent head and lacing on glass.

Maybe just a little weak on the nose.

This beer doesn't taste like 12 % at all. Easy drinking, some decent fruit flavors. A little too sweet in my opinion. Not the best I've had, but not the worst either.

Again, the mouth could stand to be a bit more rich and creamy or have other qualities to balance the hoppiness.

This is a pretty solid PA, but far from the best. It's worth trying if you like the style. Satisfying but not necessarily extremely memorable.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2013 01:16:22 | More by Beer-A-Lot

spoony

Colorado

3.5/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

From a small (8.2 oz, I think) bottle into a wine glass.

A-A normal pour produced a short, light-tan head that receded quickly to a thin ring. Not surprising given the high ABV. The brew was cloudy and golden/amber color with a few streams of visible carbonation.

S-Smell was slightly funky, but mostly sweet, doughy, and highly alcoholic. The alcohol was slightly medicinal and warming in the nose.

T-Taste was also quite sweet, doughy, and boozy. The medicinal alcohol was very noticeable on the finish, but it never felt "hot" to me, which was surprising.

M-Medium to heavy for the style, with a slick and coating mouthfeel. The carbonation was also thick and chewy.

O-My expectations of a simple, highly boozy pale ale were met here. The flavors are not bad, but are mostly overwhelmed by the alcohol, which leaves you with a sweet, sort-of cough syrup-like approximation of a pale ale. I won't go searching for this brew again, but it was not terrible by any means.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2012 19:38:51 | More by spoony

UCLABrewN84

California

3.68/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a hazy dark orange with a foamy khaki head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Foamy streaks of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, yeast, fruits, and grape juice. Taste is much the same with an alcohol kick on the finish. There is a mild amount of spice bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a very crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer but the alcohol is pretty noticeable and makes the flavor a bit abrasive.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2012 07:17:03 | More by UCLABrewN84

Immortale25

Florida

4.06/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a snifter. Label says 20/08/14

A- Pours a medium amber color with a full two fingers of off-white head that retains quite a while before gradually reducing to a thick ring around the edge of the glass and a mostly solid sheet of surface foam. Thick cobwebs of lacing slide down the glass.

S- Sweet-smelling Belgian yeast character with some toasty malt. Alcohol fume is noticeable but surprisingly light. Rich yet subtle with notes of banana and pecan.

T- Incredibly smooth for the ABV as the Belgian candy sugar sweetness dominates creating wonderful balance with the alcohol. Fruity esters and yeast overtones come into play which compliments the booze. Speaking of booze, it starts to take its toll as the heat rises in the flavor. Notes of raisin, caramel and brandy. Very little bitterness.

M- Dry and mellow without much alcohol burn. Medium-high carbonation and a light-ish body.

O- Packs a punch without being too overwhelming. Certainly a sipper, but is refined enough to greatly appreciate.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2012 05:46:10 | More by Immortale25

ToasterChef

Maine

3.18/5  rDev -17.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A chilly bottle of Scaldis Amber is poured into a chalice.

It is a clear amber liquid with lots of clinging carbonation. The head is thin and greyish and is made up of small bubbles. It is disappearing quickly.

The beer has a strongly alcoholic aroma. There is also some Belgian candi sugar sweetness. There is also a vague bitterness, but it isn't very strong.

The beer certainly tastes strong, but it isn't difficult to consume (which was a minor fear I had). Lots of good amber malts with a little bit of sweetness that doesn't come across as overly sugary. Alcohol flavors in the finish.

The beer is quite warming with only the slightest burning as I swallow. Coating is thick and somewhat sticky. Alcohol and carbonation provide a big tingling sensation.

This beer takes the strong of Belgian Strong Pale Ale to heart. It is much stronger than other beers of this style and therefore has some traits that I haven't seen in similar beers. Some will be put off by this beer's strength, but if that doesn't bother you, it is a fine beer to slowly enjoy.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2012 01:03:22 | More by ToasterChef

MsNitch

France

2.68/5  rDev -30.4%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Bush Ambree 33cl 12% 5€20

"strongest belgian beer"

A: Rosey copper with bright coral color when in the light, thin white head that falls quickly, heavy lacing

S: Alcohol, meaty malt caramel sweet and belgian yeast. As warmed the smell gets a more bread tone.

T: Alcohol, vodka caramel on back of the tongue, but weak hints at a malt, spices and a musk of fermentation.

M: Chewy, sticky with lingering ethonal in the back of the throat.

O: Off balance as it falls into the pits of becoming a liquor. The warming of the liquor didn't help the tastes which were hard to get into the mouth because of the burning eyes. At 12% the alcohol is wacky, but nothing I haven't seen before. Heavy handed, which leaves the brew rather a novelty instead of a drinkable delight.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2012 13:05:12 | More by MsNitch

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.78/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a hazy golden orange to amber in color with moderate amounts of visible carbonation and a significant amount of yeast particles in suspension. The beer has a finger tall creamy light beige head that slowly reduces to a couple of small patches of medium sized bubbles, a thin film covering the entire surface of the beer, and a thin ring at the edges of the glass. Moderate amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Moderate aromas of caramel malts, candi sugar, and fruity yeasts with lighter notes of vanilla and alcohol.

T: Upfront there is a caramel malt sweetness that is accompanied by the candi sugar flavors. After that there are lighter flavors of the fruity yeasts, vanilla, and alcohol.

M: Slightly heavier than medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Smooth with moderate amounts of alcohol warming.

O: This beer is rather sweet, more so than I expected for the style but not cloying... Not the easiest beer to drink as the alcohol is quite present in the taste/smell/mouthfeel. Enjoyable but definitely a beer that needs to be sipped over a couple of hours. This would be perfect to sip in front of the fireplace with a nice cigar on a cold winter evening.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2012 01:55:59 | More by dbrauneis

smakawhat

Maryland

3.65/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from the bottle into a tulip glass. Good till February 27th, 2014.

A real nice body color on this, amber red, to crystal glowing orange, with a real nice slow rising thin sized cola carbonation. Head makes a soapy off white and sticks around briefly but falls and seems to manage a decent collar. Really beautiful looking.

Classic Belgian yeast and sucrose like candy, with a little hint of alcohol taking away from the sweetness. Clean, airy. Solid and simple.

A very thin mouthfeel, almost kind of weakend kool-aid watery a bit. Palate comes across a little hot with a light malt presence, and a big spicy character with alcohol sweetness. Vodka burning a bit, with a classic almost empty palate. Light hits of honey on the finish, with much of the aftertaste bringing the interest.

Overall this isn't bad, but has a real weak body that doesn't seem to carry the palates flavors. It feels lighter than 12 ABV, but does come off just a little boozy and tasteless. It's ok, but I don't think it's also very easy to drink or enjoy.

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2012 19:19:49 | More by smakawhat

vickersspitfire

Texas

3.9/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours out a semi dark copper color and is topped off with a nice thick head that could float a anvil. The head is an off white color and sticks around for quite a while and is accompanied by some good lacing. The floating fermentation looks very inviting! The aroma is rather light but very complex. There’s plenty of yeast, dark fruits, esters, caramel, fig, mild grape and malts in the smell. It has a much lighter body than you would expect, very drinkable, but still on the lighter side of being medium bodied oddly enough. All of these flavors blend together into one wave that just slowly rides over the tongue. No cloying sweetness, crisp finish. With a dash of medicinal herbs mixed in, this beer is just simply incredible in its subtlety and complexity.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2012 05:06:11 | More by vickersspitfire

srandycarter

California

3.85/5  rDev 0%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours only slightly murky copper, small ringish head, very spotty lace.

S - Booze, juicy fruit, sweet tropical fruit, malt is present but overwhelmed.

T - Hot as hell. The booze is first, followed by estery fruits, juicy fruit, bitter end.

M - Medium body, good carb, hard to balance but did a pretty good job. Finished on a slight candy note.

D - A sipper.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2012 00:26:57 | More by srandycarter

duracell

Quebec (Canada)

3.85/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

330mL into a snifter. 11.8% ABV

A - Pours an amber color with a clear body showing an abundant carbonation. Meadium, white head with a medium retention leaving a thin, off-white, topping. 3.5/5

S - Malt sweetness, bready yeast, stron estery notes (dark fruits, apricot), caramel, herbal, almost earthy, spicy and boozy aromas. Really complex blend! 5/5

T/M - Malt at first with a thin carbonation. The alcohol gives a hot burn on the palate. Very boozy which makes a very dry feeling. Medium hop bitterness at the end blended with caramel and esters that linger well. Smooth on the palate. Body on the full side. 3.5/5 - 4/5

O - Really poor drinkability because of the overpowering alcohol. It really spoiled my tasting! Fortunately, aromas are exceptional and bring this brew above the average. 3.5/5

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2012 01:04:48 | More by duracell

metter98

New York

3.7/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: The beer is slightly hazy golden yellowish amber in color and has a moderate to high amount of visible carbonation. This is a beer that necessitates a tulip glass as it poured with a three finger high off white head that has good retention properties, consistently leaving a small head covering the surface and lots of bubbles coating the sides of the glass.
S: There are moderately strong aromas of fruity yeast in the nose along with notes of caramel malts and candi sugar as well as hints of alcohol and vanilla.
T: The taste has the malty sweetness of a triple but is also accompanied by enough hops to prevent it from being cloying. Notes of candi sugar and caramel malt flavors are also present, along with some hints of alcohol.
M: It feels a little more than medium-bodied, a bit smooth and somewhat thick on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation. There is some warming from the alcohol.
O: This is a beer that needs to be slowly sipped and makes for a good choice to finish the night with. It almost seems like a hybrid between a whiskey and a beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2012 03:06:53 | More by metter98

atr2605

New York

4.23/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A-pours a soft red amber with an off white head with good retention
S-pear,raisins
T-more raisins and pears, met with nice hop bitterness to balance the sweetness. Booze is hidden well
M-medium, high carbonation, light for the abv
O-really balanced and flavorful. Exceptional for the alcohol content

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2012 01:41:14 | More by atr2605

eduardolinhalis

Switzerland

4/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

250ml bottle served in a chalice.

A: Pours a beautiful clear amber color with many tiny particles suspended inside. Forms a small tan head and retention is low. Not many lacings are left in the glass, however a small layer remains on the top for a long time

S: Very sweet and Belgian style, I mean, sweet candy, honey, Belgian yeasts, sweet grains and alcohol

T: As the nose. Sweet upfront. Sweet candy sugar, sweet grains, honey, Belgian yeasts followed by a mild but pleasant hoppy bitterness

M: Creamy heavy molasses body. Medium to low carbonation. Aftertaste is sweet and bitter at the same time

O: Great beer. Belgian to the bone

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2012 17:31:50 | More by eduardolinhalis

Trinidad

4.48/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I would give this a five but I believe it was expired. Can someone explain how to read the expiration, thanks! Okay, I'll write more. I love the little bottle, love that it is from Belgium. I love that is 12 percent alcohol. It looked nice in a glass. The smell was wonderful. Fruity. The expiration is impossible for me to read. I think it actually from 10, If so, it was still amazing. Wife asked why there was stuff floating, one of the reasons I think it was expired. It was still drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2012 20:46:42 | More by Trinidad

spinrsx

Ontario (Canada)

3.65/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz Bottle from the SAQ Quebec for 3.50$

Appearance - Clear amber colour with an average size fizzy off white coloured head. There is a low amount of carbonation showing and there is some faint lacing. The head lasted for only a few minutes.

Smell - Malts, dark fruits, toffee, herbal notes

Taste & Mouth - There is an average amount of carbonation and I can taste raisins, malts, and some toffee/caramel. The booze hits fast and there is a warming feeling immediately. There is also some herbal/leather/anise flavours. It ends with a boozy malty dark fruit flavour.

Overall - Holy booze! This beer might need some age to tone down the alcohol flavour.. Still an interesting beer to try, but not something I'd grab again. It's basically like a barley wine but without the sweetness.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2012 00:46:11 | More by spinrsx

kojevergas

California

3.3/5  rDev -14.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served on-draught into a stemgoblet at Beachwood BBQ in Seal Beach, California. Cost was $7.50. Reviewed from notes. Expectations were above average just because its Belgian and prominent.

A: Pours a 1.5 finger head of lovely cream, mocha white colour, good thickness, and great retention. Colour is a clear dark copper.

Sm: Cream, clean crystal malt, honey, biscuit malt, and yeast. A moderate strength aroma.

T: Crystal malts, biscuit malt, heavy fermentable sugars, nice cream, a milky note, and very mild pale hops. Nicely balanced. Refreshing. A bit too milky, with overdone sugars. Built decently well. Too full-bodied for its lack of complexity.

Mf: Delightfully smooth and wet. A bit creamy, to its credit. Not too thick or too thin. Moderately heavy on the palate. Complements the flavours well.

Dr: Very drinkable, especially considering the high ABV - which is very well hidden. I might have it again from a bottle, preferably aged. Recommended only for big fans of the style.

B-

Serving type: on-tap

05-20-2012 00:33:00 | More by kojevergas

jtierney89

New Jersey

4.65/5  rDev +20.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Pours a deep orange slightly amber hue with tawny highlights. Some haziness but you're able to see through the glass. Bright white head, kind of thin but seems to be lasting a while.

Nose is big but not nearly as big as expected.

Head finally dissipated. Lots of fruit on the nose with noticeable booziness. Sweet raspberries and peaches, light touches of tart green apple. Orange marmalade, sweet belgian candy underneath. Caramel and toffee. Smells like an ice cream parlor and a candy store combined. Big jammy scents. I love it.

Wow, much lighter in body than expected and as the brewery describes, deceptively drinkable. Incredibly subtle flavors. Amazing. Some heat on the swallow but not much. Lots of effervescence, slick mouth feel. On the lighter side of being medium bodied oddly enough. Peaches and honey, dark fruits beneath, sticky caramel covered apples, some tart sweetness. All of these flavors blend together into one wave that just slowly rides over the tongue. No cloying sweetness, crisp finish. With a dash of medicinal herbs mixed in, this beer is just simply incredible in its subtlety and complexity.

Incredible incredible brew.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2012 03:14:07 | More by jtierney89

hustlesworth

Ohio

4.3/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A- pours a murky burnt orange amber with yeast particles. Head is thin and unimpressive but expected for such high abv. Swirling the tulip easily rebuilds the foam and small spots of lace form.

S- caramel and soft fruity notes of melon, banana, pear, orange, cherry, and cedar. Woodsy, vanilla and candy-like, with a bit of berry tartness.

T- big sweet heavy flavor like fruits covered in caramel and brandy. Apple, pear, grape, vanilla, fig, melon, banana, some pineapple alcohol bitterness and vodka, rum and mint. There's little to balance out the sweetness except for a flash of noble hop, making this one a sugary liquid dessert but not cloying.

MF- viscous and juicy with very lively, prickly carbonation. Cooling feel. Alcohol is felt mainly in the chest along with moderate dryness on the cheeks.

D- this is a pretty intense beer. Alcohol and sugar battle it out for twelve rounds with sugar winning by decision. This 8+ oz bottle is the perfect serving size for this potent beast, as any more would be a bit too much. Having a tulip with a 0,25L market makes it even cooler.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2012 06:01:49 | More by hustlesworth

LiquidAmber

Washington

3.83/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Review from 2/2011 notes. Poured into a Gulden Draak tulip. Pours a medium orange amber with numerous floaters. Thin head and little lacing. Sweet malt and slightly sour aroma. Light fruit, sweet malt, Belgian yeast and caramel. Booze fairly evident and overwhelms the otherwise pleasant flavors. A satisfactory pale Belgian ale, but nothing really outstanding.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2012 05:42:16 | More by LiquidAmber

sfprint

Germany

4/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: dark orange with a hint of red. dense, large column of aggressive rising carbonation. 1.5 finger head
S: yeasty, plastic, citrus/pineapple, green apple, banana
T: very intense, but expected for 12%, alcohol comes off as tartness, very good for the high alcohol content, but not nearly as tasty as the Noel. Dark citrus, peach schnapps, punch.
M: Medium body, thick, subtle carbonation.
O: Good, but pretty intense and not for regular drinking.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2012 01:55:44 | More by sfprint