Try?
How much would
you pay for a bottle of beer? For most people, probably not more than a few
dollars would be the expected answer. For my part, I’m usually willing to go
a bit higher (though even I have my limits). It’s all a matter of
priorities, and for me, spending money on a highly prized beer is not a
problem. I imagine a philatelist doesn’t mind parting with his or her hard
earned bucks to acquire a rare stamp in much the same way. Again, it’s all
personal priorities.
Over the holidays, I spent about $61 to get my hands on a bottle of St Ambroise Oatmeal Stout. A lot of money for a beer, you say. And you would be right. And to be fair, the entire sum didn’t change hands just for the beer. Allow me to elaborate below.
You see, I happened to walk into the local Costco Wholesale Warehouse, and
spied an assortment of about ten beers for $16. There were some really
tempting beers included, some of which I had not yet had the pleasure of
sampling. Some I have reviewed already. The one that really caught my
attention, though, was a bottle of, you guessed it, St. Ambroise Oatmeal
Stout.
So, I spent $45 to join Costco. And OK, we had been thinking of joining a wholesale club anyway. And then $16 for the sampler. But in all honesty, I probably wouldn’t have done all this but for that wonderful, beautiful, bottle of Canadian stout. The point of this? This is one very special beer.
St Ambroise Oatmeal Stout (or, as they pronounce it up north, oot-meal stoot) was a regular inhabitant of my beer fridge in Rhode Island. It was (and perhaps is) available in New England. Brewed in Montreal by the MaCauslan Brewery, I have fond memories of sipping it in Montreal and at Oldenberg’s Beer Camp.
At Beer Camp, Tabernash Brewing’s Jeff Mendel gave a speech and mentioned how well his brewery’s weiss beer worked in scrambled eggs. Not to be outdone, Peter McAuslan, also a guest speaker, touted the merits of oatmeal (as in stout) for the morning meal. Personally, I prefer my beer a bit later in the day, but I’d be hard pressed to turn down a St. Ambroise Oatmeal Stout at any time.
Here’s what the brewery has to say about their beer:
At the World Beer Championship in 1994, St-Ambroise Oatmeal Stout received the second highest rating of the over 200 beers in the competition and won one of only nine platinum medals awarded. Brewed from 40 percent dark malts and roasted barley, this intensely black ale carries strong hints of espresso and chocolate. Oatmeal contributes body and a long-lasting mocha-colored head to this well-hopped beer.
St Ambroise Oatmeal Stout
pours to a jet-black color with a thick creamy tan
head and a chocolate coffee nose. Rich and full-bodied in the palate, the
texture is oily and silky smooth. There are huge notes of rich dark
chocolate, licorice, and espresso. At the same time, the beer is remarkably
smooth as it slides across the tongue. The finish is nicely balanced with a
huge roasty bitterness, perhaps more than you would expect from an oatmeal
stout. The bitterness lingers nicely on the tongue with a light hint of
minty grassy hops.
An absolute delight, and one of my favorite all time beers. If I could, I would give this one six stars. It’s that good.
Over the holidays, I spent about $61 to get my hands on a bottle of St Ambroise Oatmeal Stout. A lot of money for a beer, you say. And you would be right. And to be fair, the entire sum didn’t change hands just for the beer. Allow me to elaborate below.
You see, I happened to walk into the local Costco Wholesale Warehouse, and
spied an assortment of about ten beers for $16. There were some really
tempting beers included, some of which I had not yet had the pleasure of
sampling. Some I have reviewed already. The one that really caught my
attention, though, was a bottle of, you guessed it, St. Ambroise Oatmeal
Stout. So, I spent $45 to join Costco. And OK, we had been thinking of joining a wholesale club anyway. And then $16 for the sampler. But in all honesty, I probably wouldn’t have done all this but for that wonderful, beautiful, bottle of Canadian stout. The point of this? This is one very special beer.
St Ambroise Oatmeal Stout (or, as they pronounce it up north, oot-meal stoot) was a regular inhabitant of my beer fridge in Rhode Island. It was (and perhaps is) available in New England. Brewed in Montreal by the MaCauslan Brewery, I have fond memories of sipping it in Montreal and at Oldenberg’s Beer Camp.
At Beer Camp, Tabernash Brewing’s Jeff Mendel gave a speech and mentioned how well his brewery’s weiss beer worked in scrambled eggs. Not to be outdone, Peter McAuslan, also a guest speaker, touted the merits of oatmeal (as in stout) for the morning meal. Personally, I prefer my beer a bit later in the day, but I’d be hard pressed to turn down a St. Ambroise Oatmeal Stout at any time.
Here’s what the brewery has to say about their beer:
At the World Beer Championship in 1994, St-Ambroise Oatmeal Stout received the second highest rating of the over 200 beers in the competition and won one of only nine platinum medals awarded. Brewed from 40 percent dark malts and roasted barley, this intensely black ale carries strong hints of espresso and chocolate. Oatmeal contributes body and a long-lasting mocha-colored head to this well-hopped beer.
St Ambroise Oatmeal Stout
pours to a jet-black color with a thick creamy tan
head and a chocolate coffee nose. Rich and full-bodied in the palate, the
texture is oily and silky smooth. There are huge notes of rich dark
chocolate, licorice, and espresso. At the same time, the beer is remarkably
smooth as it slides across the tongue. The finish is nicely balanced with a
huge roasty bitterness, perhaps more than you would expect from an oatmeal
stout. The bitterness lingers nicely on the tongue with a light hint of
minty grassy hops. An absolute delight, and one of my favorite all time beers. If I could, I would give this one six stars. It’s that good.
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.
(B)=Bottled
(D)=Draft
