St. Ambroise - Oatmeal Stout

St. Ambroise - Oatmeal Stout

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits

Serving Type: 11.5 oz. twist-off bottle, poured into a mug

C’est une bière Montréalaise. And it comes in a strange 11.5 oz. bottle with a twist off cap. In the U.S. 12 oz. is the norm and imports from Europe and other metric-system-using countries usually opt for 11.2 oz., which works out to 33cL. 11.5 oz. works out to about 340mL, who know’s what they’re doing? Besides brewing great beer, of course.

This oatmeal stout pours incredibly dark. I always hesitate to call anything actually black, but this approaches about as dark as I’ve seen a beer. The head is a solid brown and is very thick and frothy. Chocolate and oatmeal pervade on the nose with a mix of sweetness and hops. Tons of lacing on the way down.

The body carries chocolate and oatmeal characteristics with a moderate caramel sweetness, but the toasted malts define the beer. The essence of coffee is clearly present. French roast for days. The beer is both dry and bitter with a serious body of smokiness. The finish again reveals a bit of the underlying sweetness, but the incredible char prevails.

Final Verdict: A-