St. Ambroise Oatmeal Stout

Highly debated as the best oatmeal stout in Canada, the St. Ambroise Oatmeal Stout (ABV 5.0%; IBU 45) from Brasserie McAuslan Brewery in Quebec is something I've had before, but have yet to review on Brewji.

The story of the first time I had this stout is part of the reason why I needed to give it another go. I was at a friend's birthday party one summer, woke up hungover after too many jello shots that were made in muffin trays (don't ask...), and my friend, being part Irish and part German, had no hangover.

He handed me a beer, told me it was "like a Guinness, but tastier and feels like breakfast". He wasn't wrong. If you are new to stouts, as I was at the time, you will realize how this trumps a Guinness any day of the week. I opened the bottle, poured myself a glass, and it tasted like a coffee-hinted stout with a feeling of "Hey, no more hangover!"

St. Ambroise Oatmeal Stout by Brasserie McAuslan Brewery

Let's get to the most recent events with this brew, shall we? Seeing as I've had this before, I snapped the picture before I opened the bottle because I didn't know if I would remember to take a picture while drinking it.

I sniffed the brew and got hints of roasted cocoa malts, coffee, and even a slight hint of what I think is oatmeal...maybe it's just because the name of brew is oatmeal stout, but I swear I smell it. There's a little bit of something else too, can't quite put my finger on it though.

On first sip, I immediately could taste cocoa flavours, with roasted malts and coffee hints. It is so well crafted, it's undoubtedly the best oatmeal stout I've ever had -- and stouts are my forte.

The taste goes through stages for sure. The first taste feels like a smooth cocoa-oat taste under a solid stout top. The second taste flows into a coffee hinted flavouring, and thirdly finishes with a caramel malt-y taste. This then flows into a lingering aftertaste of malts and coffee. The taste factor alone is enough to win this beer an award!

The "mouthfeel" as beer people call it, feels like a thicker than normal beer (obviously, it's a stout), but it's creamy and smooth at the same time. It lacks a lot of carbonation that other types of beer have, but as is the case with most stouts.

Now, this may actually be a beginner (stout) brew; if you're going to get someone into stouts, let them compare this brew vs. a Guinness. Tell them that most people drink Guinness and ask them which one they think is better. Something tells me that the majority will pick this oatmeal stout.

Also something to note -- don't serve this beer at ice cold temperatures! It's best served a little warmer than normal to allow the flavours to work their way over your taste buds.

The bottom line on this brew: It's cheaper than most stouts, it tastes better than most stouts, and it comes in a 6-pack of bottles. What do you have to lose? Grab some and enjoy!

The St. Ambroise Oatmeal Stout gets an exceptionally well-crafted 9.5 / 10

STORM WATCHER Winter Lager

I'm back from my hiatus! Guess what I picked up this time? Another brew from the folks at the Vancouver Island Brewery, that's what! I figured they've been great so far with every brew of their's that I've tried. So I popped into the liquor store and made the choice to go with another one of their seasonal brews. I had a little voice in my head that said "Well, you like everything else they make..." I picked up a 6-pack of the Storm Watcher Winter Lager (ABV 5.5%) for my bro at work. You can find this at most BC Liquor Stores; I got mine at the Northgate location.

Vancouver Island Brewery - Storm Watcher Winter Lager (ABV 5.5%)

On pour, it has a caramel-amber colour, and the head dissipates quickly. It smells quite sweet, with a honey lager-like aroma. Before I even took a sip, I felt like this brew had more characteristics of an ale than a lager. I'm pretty sure this lager was made for ale-lovers.

The first sip sat well with my taste buds. The overall taste had hints of honey, caramel, and cereal-like tastes. It's not crisp and clean like most lagers, but the way it's flavoured has more of an ale characteristic. A lot of people might not be on top of that, but I find that it works quite well in this case. It's designed to be served really chilled, and it has a sweeter taste that I really like.

It definitely differs from other winter lagers, like the Rickard's Oakhouse winter lager. This doesn't have a hint of oak at all, but both are solid winter lagers, despite what other "beer people" think. I can't speak for them, but I am a real person with normal taste buds, and this is what I think.

So if you're in the mood for a bit of a sweeter lager that will go down smooth, something different for a change, I suggest snapping up a pack of the Storm Watcher. It's great for a rainy day (maybe that's why they named it Storm Watcher?), which we see a lot of, living on the west coast.

Overall, the consensus from my buds: This beer is light-tasting, sweet, refreshing, and smooth.

The Vancouver Island Brewery Storm Watcher Winter Lager gets an enjoyable 8.0 / 10

DEAD GUY ALE

I saw this bottle at the liquor store and read "Dead Guy Ale", I figured it'd be bold. Either that or it would taste like something you should only drink if you're dead. Anyway, I took the bottle home and chilled it in the fridge.

The Rogue Ales Dead Guy Ale (6.5% ABV) is a German-style Maibock. Now, from what I've learned, Maibocks are actually a type of lager, but maybe I've been misinformed, as Rogue calls this one an ale. What is a Maibock? Well, let's first start with a Bock. A Bock is traditionally a strong lager which was developed in Germany. A Maibock is a type of Bock, one that is enjoyed mostly during Spring festivals, particularly in May. There are other types of bocks, just Google them to find out more.

Now, when I poured this into my glass, there was originally about a quarter inch of head, which as you can see from the picture, dissipated quite quickly. There was an immediate smell which took over the room, and I realized this was going to be bold. I originally thought at this moment that maybe the "Dead Guy" part of the name had to do with the smell, but then I was able to pick up notes of fermented fruit, lots of bread-y malt, some hops, and complex strong notes that I still can't decipher. By the way, the "Dead Guy Ale" name is derived from the Mayan "Day of the Dead" also known as "All Souls Day" (Nov. 1st).

On first sip, I had to take a baby sip. It's so densely packed with flavour, and the flavour is so strong, that it takes a long time to get used to it. I'm not saying it's a bad thing, I'm saying you really got to savour this brew. I was immediately caught off guard, and had a bit of a negative reaction, but after awhile I realized that what I was tasting was actually really well put together (as I began to understand what I was tasting).

There is a blast of bread-y malt, this overwhelms the hearty brew. It also has hints (if your taste buds can take it) of toffee, burnt sugar, and maybe fruit. Either way, this is full of flavour. It's a baby-sipper, savoury brew. Did I like the taste? I am still new to strong beers myself, but after acquiring the taste of this maibock, and now that I look back on it, I quite enjoyed it. Also -- don't chug it, that's for sure.

What food would I pair this with?
I immediately think of a delicious pasta with a tomato-based sauce, and spicy Italian sausage to go with this brew. Either that, or get some super old cheese, like an aged cheddar to nibble on while sipping this.

The Rogue Dead Guy Ale gets a lively 7.5 / 10