JULY/AUG 1998

VOL.3 NO.7

Taste of the Month -- Some Foods and Drinks Make Bigger Impressions Than Others

The middle of June took me to Montréal for a stint as a judge in the first Concours International de Bières de Montréal, or Montréal International Beer Competition, which was held in conjunction with the 10-day Mondial de la Bière. It was there, during the competition's blind tasting, that I sampled the Taste of the Month.

The category was Stout and our panel had three of them to try. The second two didn't really matter, though, because I was so completely blown away by Stout No. 1 that there was no way the second or third could ever reach the same point total. Said stout was full-bodied and silky -- an almost sure sign of oatmeal having been used in the mash -- as well as rich, flavourful and delicious. As I found out later, my co-panelists were in complete agreement with me.

The beer was the St. Ambroise Oatmeal Stout from McAuslan Brewing of Montréal and it went on to win a well-deserved award as the best stout at the Mondial. If you have never tried this marvellous beer, you should do so at the first available occasion. But be forewarned: I have come across and sampled stale St. Ambroise Oatmeal Stout in the United States and it does not even begin to hold a candle to the fresh stuff, so do try to get your bottles from as reputable an agent as possible.

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