St. Ambroise IPA

IPASlav · Post by **IPASlav** » Tue Jul 26, 2011 8:49 pm

They just tapped a keg of it at C'est What when I happened to be there with my family tonight...

I was chasing two boys (one who's potty training and kept balking) around the fish tank so please so I didn't take any really good "review" notes, nor was my attention really on the beer, but here's what I can tell you:

A: rusty amber colour, not much of a head, may have just been the pour...

S: Not much going on in this pint, (lack of head maybe, and it was really cold), but there was some nice citrusy floral notes.

T: It's not an AIPA, if that's what you're expecting. Apparently I've read that it's supposed to be a hybrid, but I see mad tom as more of a hybrid. This is English...still nice...good malt backbone...and again with the citrusy floral stuff.

Not sure of the ABV, but it seemed rather low. If it's higher than 6% then they did a good job of hiding it....

If you're expecting/wanting an American style you'll be disappointed, but if you can like it for what it is, you might enjoy it...I did, but I was happy to have just about anything in a pint glass during that meal...

Cheers everyone,

Bobsy · Post by **Bobsy** » Tue Jul 26, 2011 9:03 pm

A friend ordered a pint at C'est What and I had a sip. Doesn't seem too bad at all. Very English. Dry with some sweetness, some herbal hop. I think it would be intriguing on a cask. Interesting, but I still ordered the Cheshire Valley IPA instead.

IPASlav · Post by **IPASlav** » Tue Jul 26, 2011 10:26 pm

Just read that it was 6.2 abv....didn't seem that strong to me at all...

JesseM · Post by **JesseM** » Wed Jul 27, 2011 10:50 pm

Enjoyed it somewhat but was a tad disappointed. Seemed too off balance and everything just didn't mesh well together, IMHO. Maybe they can tweak it.

Frere Ambroise · Post by **Frere Ambroise** » Thu Jul 28, 2011 8:44 am

Looks like this will be pouring at "No One Writes to the Colonel" on College St. very soon. I will post a list here once the places are confirmed.

I did have a couple pints at the brewery last week for the launch with Peter McAuslan himself. He described that he wanted a "British style IPA with a NA twist" and is completely thrilled how this turned out. Being a British style, he wanted an IPA that had high drinkability ... even though it is at 6.2%.

There is the hop floral on the nose and in the finish yet very smooth on the palate while drinking it. Almost too smooth as it goes down so well IMO.

The IBU is 53 - so it is more than our Pale Ale but definitely less than NA-style IPAs that are out there.

There are only 56 kegs that crossed the border into Ontario - I hope you do get a chance to raise a glass of this special limited release.

Cheers,
Barry

cratez · Post by **cratez** » Sun Jul 31, 2011 6:39 pm

Tried this at C'est What? on Friday. Didn't take any notes but I recall it being very fruity, herbal and floral with a balanced English hop character and medium bitterness. It drank really well, almost too easy for the weight, but hopheads looking for another Smash Bomb will likely be disappointed. Still, it's a good quaff if you're in the mood for a British-style IPA.

For those in the London area, this will be on tap at Gambrinus very soon. Cheers!

Frere Ambroise · Post by **Frere Ambroise** » Tue Aug 02, 2011 10:49 pm

Beer Bistro

C’est What

Barque

Woolwich Arms

Burger Bar

No One Writes to the Colonel

Bar Volo

Gambrinus

Cheers,
Barry

SteelbackGuy · Post by **SteelbackGuy** » Wed Aug 03, 2011 11:34 pm

Frere Ambroise wrote:Beer Bistro

Gambrinus

Cheers,
Barry

Excellent. Thank you!

cratez · Post by **cratez** » Thu Aug 04, 2011 12:38 am

cratez wrote: For those in the London area, this will be on tap at Gambrinus very soon. Cheers!

SteelbackGuy wrote: Excellent. Thank you!

You're welcome!

carguy · Post by **carguy** » Thu Aug 04, 2011 8:52 am

I called the Woolwich Arms yesterday, and the person I spoke to on the phone had no idea what I was talking about. Said the only St. Ambroise they have is the Apricot Wheat and Pale Ale.

G.M. Gillman · Post by **G.M. Gillman** » Thu Aug 04, 2011 5:44 pm

A classic, English-style pale ale. The best pale ale/IPA brewed in Canada I've ever had. Reminds me of fine real ales in England and the old Ballantine IPA.

Not to be missed, and hopefully will become a permanent part of "la gamme" at St-Ambroise.

Gary

P.S. Must not be consumed too cold but even so there are plenty of hops in this.

Frere Ambroise · Post by **Frere Ambroise** » Fri Aug 05, 2011 10:04 am

The Wooly has some -- Ben is the bar manager there - great guy. Request to speak to him and he'll tell you when it will start pouring. Perhaps they are chilling the kegs...possibly waitiing for a line to open as well.

Cheers!

Lecocq · Post by **Lecocq** » Fri Aug 05, 2011 12:59 pm

Any chance of this being available in bottles in Ontario??

Belgian · Post by **Belgian** » Fri Aug 05, 2011 2:31 pm

It is like a big lemony English Pale. Lots of well worked-out hop flavors instead of a barrage of hop bitterness.

Newsflash: the IPA style is heating up in so-called East Canada, and a few years ago we were moaning how few there were.
Any predictions?

I mean, besides several kinds of tropical-fruit IPAs (that is already a given.)

cratez · Post by **cratez** » Sat Aug 06, 2011 12:48 pm

Tried it for the second time at Gambrinus and picked up a lot more earthiness, in addition to the traits I described above. Quaffed a Mill Street IPA right after, which seemed to be the hoppier of the two despite its noticeable caramel, bread, and roasted malt character. I preferred the Mill St. offering.