La Gauloise Ambrée - Brasserie Du Bocq

Sigmund

Norway

3.68/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

330 ml stubby bottle, as Bocq Gauloise Ambrée, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 5.5%. Deep golden to amber colour, huge lasting head, slightly off-white. Pleasant and well balanced aroma of malts, brown kandi sugar and fruity hops, also distinct spicy notes. The mouthfeel is maybe a bit thin, and the beer is not very sweet. The flavour has some notes of brown malts and toffee, and the hops in the finish are very moderate. Easy drinking and undemanding.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2011 21:32:03 | More by Sigmund

Petertauro

Spain

5/5  rDev +39.7%

05-18-2013 11:35:10 | More by Petertauro

jazzyjeff13

United Kingdom (England)

3.3/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A 330ml bottle with a BB of Nov 2012. Picked up ages ago from Lidl (4-pack) and stored in my garage.

Poured into a Delirium chalice. Bottle conditioned. A clear marmalade-amber colour with plentiful carbonation. Produces a large head of creamy off-white foam with good retention; it lasts for ages before settling as a thick surface layer. Aroma of sweet, fruity yeast esters with notes of banana, candy sugar, faint spice/herbs and stewed hops. A hint of solventy booze in the background. Pleasant and uncomplicated.

Tastes of mild caramel malt with a fruity yeast character and a dry finish. Notes of banana, candy sugar, subtle clove, faint coriander, earthy yeast, herbs and stewed hops. Slightly sweet, with a warming whiff of alcohol at the back of the throat. Perhaps a hint of cardboard/sherry. A dry quality upon swallowing, accompanied by a very mild bitterness. Mouthfeel is smooth and tingly, with good carbonation and nice body. Somewhat astringent, with an aftertaste of earthy, fruity yeast esters and stewed leaves.

Not bad; a decent Belgian ale that drinks like a slightly darker blonde. A pleasing fruity yeast character that doesn't challenge your palate, making this an easy-drinking brew. Won't blow your socks off, but perfectly quaffable at the price I paid. Worth sampling if you come across it.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2012 00:29:46 | More by jazzyjeff13

Rochefort10nh

New Hampshire

3/5  rDev -16.2%

11-18-2011 19:50:12 | More by Rochefort10nh

BlackHaddock

United Kingdom (England)

2.75/5  rDev -23.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Brown dumpy 33cl bottle, best before 3 Sept 2012, poured into a Hoegaarden Grand Cru stemmed tulip a year earlier.

No sediment left the bottle, so my beer was a clear amber colour with a large dose of head, white and clean looking: the head gave some good lacing as the beer level sank.

Toffee molasses in the aroma.

Thin in body depth, but not weak in flavour: malts dominate, however a tart bitterness is just below the surface and this didn't sit well with me at all.

This is another Bocq beer that fails to float my boat.

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2011 17:19:53 | More by BlackHaddock

wl0307

United Kingdom (England)

3.75/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Coming in a 330ml short brown bottle, BB 30/11/2012, served lightly-chilled in Hapkin’s tulip-shaped short-stemmed sniffer.

A: pours a lightly hazy, dark copper colour with beautiful reddish hues, coming with a thin beige froth settling slowly to a sheet to last on top of moderate level of carbonation.
S: the nose is full of aromatic amber malts, lightly burned sugar, sweet herbs like coriander seeds, orange-zest like fruitiness, berry syrup, underlined by a deeper layer of yeastiness that sends much Yakult-like sour-sweetness around.
T: an effervescent swallow of semi-spicy & bitter-sweet malts is followed by a lightly chewy and herbal-ish mid-taste with black tea-ish undertones. Lingering are mild fruit esters, old citrus zests and aromatic sugar, with but a token presence of hop bitterness scattered in the end.
M&D: despite the effervescent palate initially, the beer drinks rather smooth and a healthy body is demonstrated throughout the drink. Overall I find this ale a rather quaffable example, and the lack of undesired sweet edge definitely makes it more appealing to an English Bitter lover like me. An understated and likable ale all in all.

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2011 19:38:46 | More by wl0307

benfons

Belgium

3.55/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

A: hazy amber colour, nice creamy head

S: loads of malts, some caramel and hops

T: also the malts and caramel with a sweet acidity too it

M: undercarbonated, creamy but it wouldn't hurt it if it was a bit creamier

O: ok beer, but not great. I can't really figure out why it got an award

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2011 21:28:40 | More by benfons

Squelch

United Kingdom (England)

2.93/5  rDev -18.2%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

appearance: Slightly brown and hazy, thin to non-existent head.

Smell: Nothing, I mean nothing in the nose for this beer.

Taste: Bland upfront. The only reason you would know it was a belgian is because of the finish, which is ever so slightly estery.

Mouthfeel: Watered down. Slightly smoky and puckering. medium carbonation.

Drinkability: This is not a beer I would buy again. Good for quaffing, but not the best i've had from Belgium.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2011 18:00:27 | More by Squelch

bellebouche

France

4.13/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Never come across this beer before. Bought the Ambree in 33cl bottle over a brune and blonde variety.

Tasted 14/4/10 from a 33cl bottle. 5.5% ABV.

A. Light golden hue, not as dark as I was expecting. Poured a small fine head that shrank back to nothing. Some slight rings of carbonation constantly rising.

S. Stunning fresh hop wafts. lightly spiced, slight syrip aroma. Grassy. light

T. Delightful, dry, thirst quencher, smooth

M. Light, frothy - no substance or apparent alacohol flavours.

D. Huge surprise, very pleased with this beer. Wish I'd bought more.

On promo via discount supermarket LIDL, was €3/litre. Complete giveaway at this price. Will return to buy more.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2010 16:33:36 | More by bellebouche

ThaCreep

Belgium

3.7/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Aromas of hops in the nose. The beer is soft and reserve some smoky notes. It also has a good bitter, pungent enough even if just this spicy, in addition to being ubiquitous, is not really convincing. The taste of hops is it enough grass in the mouth and gives strength to the body and finish. A lack of diversity in flavor, except the spicy character, but nevertheless a refreshing beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2010 13:36:18 | More by ThaCreep

Absumaster

Netherlands

3.48/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A clear, copper beer with a lacing head.

Smell of candisugar and caramel malts. Some yeast notes that remind me of stock.

Taste is lightly fruity with some sharp bitterness. The beer is definatelly Belgian with some higher alcohols. Maybe some coriander. A pretty bland beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2009 22:10:40 | More by Absumaster

thierrynantes

France

3.45/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Beer bottle (33cl.), tasted in 2001.

Appearance : amber color, with a dense white foam head.
Smell : malt and hops, highlighted by notes of smoked and caramel aroama.
Taste and mouthfeel : lightly roasted flavors of malt, with a little dry bitterness.
Drinkability : a good beer in the style Belgian amber ale.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2007 20:42:12 | More by thierrynantes

rec

Australia

3.5/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Amazing, thick, foamy head with brilliant retention, and below lay the hazelnut coloured body. The smell is a little lacking, with malt, nuts and yeast most obvious.

The taste is equally lack-lustre, and while not bad, lacks complexity and tastes quite watery. Flat would describe the mouthfeel and aftertaste; lacking appropriate carbonation and with a tinge of metalic sourness on the otherwise dry and mild finish.

It's not terrible, easily better than almost all local brews (Australia), but there are so many better Belgian import options - I wouldn't buy it again.

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2007 12:48:05 | More by rec

3Vandoo

Quebec (Canada)

3.9/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Super amber beer with a clear amber body that shows a superb head, magnificient. Smell very fresh, when I poured the beer a snice smell of honey and hops came to tease my sense. Some shy notes of malt are also present but the clean smell of hops takes over.

Well, now that the problem, not really great, not really balanced and the hops takes over, also some notes of acidity comes and play with my nerves. An aftertaste of sourness is present, not great.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2005 05:34:25 | More by 3Vandoo

Globetrotter

Virginia

3.55/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

My bottle looks just like the picture. The ribbon to the left of the wheat is blue for this version. It is gold for the "blonde" and red for the "brune." I think the brewery missed a great marketing ploy by keeping the girl's hair blonde. She should be a blonde for the blonde, a red head for the ambree and a brunette for the brune. Oh well. Ingredients conform to the purity law. Best before 10/14/04, I opened it on 4/22/04.

Good looking cloudy copper pour with lots of little particles that leave vapor trails through the liquid. The head starts a good three fingers thick and the consistency of whipped cream. This settles to about 1/2 finger, then stays and stays. Nice lace completes the picture. The nose is full of raspberry and other sweet fruits in addition to sweet Belgian yeast. The mouth is well carbonated and medium bodied. There's a definite sweetness to the taste, but the predominant impression is barley, perhaps perfumed barley. There's not much in the way of hops, just an ever so slight dryness at the back of the throat. The aftertaste is primarily yeasty. This is an acceptable Belgian ale, but not what makes that country's beers so great.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2004 18:40:11 | More by Globetrotter