Brasserie McAuslan St. Ambroise Vintage Ale Millésimée (2014) Barleywine at 10% ABV (C$5.49 from South Trail Co-Op, 341 ml, no bottle date or best before)
Pours a clear medium to deep amber with one finger of loose beige head diminishing quickly to a thin skim, spotty lacing. (3/5) Nose is toffee and caramel, candi sugar, dark fruit and spice, with a boozy edge. (8/10) Taste starts burned sugar sweet and gives way to building bitter as the sweet fades. (8/10) Medium to heavy body, slightly slick texture, low carbonation, sticky mildly bitter and boozy finish. (3/5)
Very similar to last years’ vintage, with a lot of warm sweet toffee upon pouring, dark fruit and booziness following shortly thereafter. Bitterness comes forward as the sweetness fades, and is more of a burned sugar acridness than a grassy or floral hop bittering, but isn’t unpleasant. The ABV is very well-behaved, and this doesn’t feel like a double-digit beer, even when allowed to warm from cellar temperatures (per the label) before drinking – my infrared thermometer said 15ºC when I opened it, and it warmed beyond that while drinking. I’m not sure whether the warmer temperature helped with the harshness I noticed last year, or whether this year’s vintage is smoother, but either way this one does seem slightly more civilised. (15/20)
7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
