Beer Review: St Ambroise Apricot Wheat Ale

St Ambroise line of beer is put out by McAuslan Brewery based in Montreal and produces some of the best fruit flavoured beers I have ever tasted.

Craft brewers are a growing field in Canada, and indeed worldwide, and McAuslan is a prime example producing all sorts of interesting beers to tease the palette of even the most discerning of beer connoisseurs, and their apricot wheat ale is no exception.

Fruit beers are growing in popularity, and with good reason. These beers appeal to both the beer lover and those who would generally avoid beer.

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Beer is not something most people enjoy on their first sip it takes learning to enjoy it. True beer appreciation comes with an understanding of the subtleties of beer flavourings. Here are some great resources to learning more about beer.

I had a chance to sample this beer at the Ale House in London Ontario. I am a fan of wheat beers in general, but was a little worried about this beer, apricot is such a delicate flavour I was a little worried that the beer would overpower the apricot and destroy any chance of this being an enjoyable beer, but I am a risk taker when it comes to new beers so I thought I'd give it a shot, worst case scenario I don't drink it and am out a few bucks.

The nose has a clear apricot note with hints of the wheat beer, I expected the apricot flavour to be overpowering based on the nose, however the apricot flavour doesn't hit you over the head, its more of a undertone than a strong flavour, but I wouldn't say that's a bad thing. Its in the finish that the apricot comes out in force, but still not too strong. The lightness of the wheat beer did not overshadow the apricot, but nor did the apricot destroy the beer, when drinking this there is no doubt you are drinking a beer, this is no girly sweet fruit juice, this is beer my friends.

In short it was the best I could hope for in an apricot flavoured wheat beer.