This was the first craft brew I ever tasted and was my go-to for hanging out with my friends. Easy to drink, a lot tastier than the commercial adjunct lagers & local (for me). Just like all of the St-Ambroise Series it's easy to find & perfect when in need of a thirst-quencher.
St-Ambroise Pale Ale
Brewed by McAuslan Brewery
Type: American Pale Ale
Region: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
ABV: 5%
Hops: Cascade, Willamette, Golding, Hallertau
Malts: Toasted Wheat, Malted Barley
IBU: 35
Appearance: 7/10
Upon searching for information on the label, I found a little background to the creation of the beer and what it represented. The description resembles the one on the website. There is a Best Before date printed on the upper left corner, which is much appreciated, especially for this kind of beer style. The ingredients are listed without much detail. The quantity and the ABV appear clearly on the front label as well as the beer style although the style inspiration lacks. The absence of advice such as the suggested serving temperature, the proper glass, some pairings, the aging potential. Somewhat important information like the initial and final gravity, the aromas and flavours you should be able to taste, the SRM and the IBUs are also missing. The beer is around 8–9 SRM, it is clear and has a large white head made of a myriad of irregular bubbles with quite an adequate retention. There is a presence of moderate carbonation and when I swirl the glass (for a more powerful bouquet), the foam gets creamier and more homogeneous. It’s off to a good start for the looks, a clear pale amber robe and the substantial bright white head that lingers as I enter my nose.
Nose: 10/15
The main aromas emerging from the glass are reminiscing of zesty lemons, tea biscuits, caramelized grapefruit pulps and pungent botanics. As it warms up a little, I get more complex spices, resembling white pepper, a faint crème brûlée odour, and a distinct sweet and floral whiff. The hop profile is clearly focused on citrus, floral notes & spiciness and they balance each other quite well, resulting in a subtle fruity & perfumed bouquet. On the other side, the malt aromas detonate for an American Pale Ale, overpowering a bit the delicate hop scents.
Mouth: 9/15
The body is light due to a low ABV but well supported by the effervescence resulting in a respectable mouthfeel. There is a subtle presence of sugars balanced by a pleasant bitterness. The flavours mirror what was presented on the nose with a more acute presence of floral and peppery notes and a mild maple and butterscotch touch coming from the malts. There was also a whisper of red berries and banana, probably emerging from the yeasts, that stick out on the retro-olfaction.
Finish: 5/10
It was smooth and dry making it seem more bitter, so it resulted in an easily drinkable pale ale that despite the seemingly more bitter finish, still came down without harshness. The aftertaste developed a more roasted butterscotch caramel taste which at this point was a little too much for the style and evoked a more buttery, diacetyl flavour.
Overall: 62/100
Even though there was a clear citrusy components from the hops, the style should have fallen a bit more under the English side of the pale ale with the characteristics of the malts. The butterscotch, crème brûlée and caramel flavours are pretty much accepted in the English pale ale, but the American pale ale should boast less caramel and more aromatic hops. The hop profile showed delicacy with some zesty citrus and spicy floral notes but were not far off the chart. The mouthfeel and the finish befitted the style as well as all the vital characteristics of the beer such as the SRM, ABV, IBU, etc. In general the beer is well executed in the style, except for the overpowering caramel and diacetyl notes which don’t belong in a proper American pale ale. The bitterness and the sweetness supported one another and it resulted in a pleasant taste.
3 word description:
Floral, caramelly & citrusy