Michelob Celebrate Vanilla Oak

Brewed by Anheuser-Busch InBev
Style: Spice/Herb/Vegetable
St. Louis, Missouri USA

Amber-red translucent body with pretty much no head and little lacing to speak of. Smell is dominated by vanilla with some wood/oak notes. Malty sweetness, vanilla, and hints of oak dominate the flavor. Light to medium bodied. On the lighter side of medium-bodied, really... Vanilla, oak, with some malt dominate the flavor. Not as drinkable as it could be. Reminds me in a lot of ways of Winter’s Burbon Cask Ale, More complexity with a little less vanilla and oak would make this beer but not quite as good. Worth the 9$ per bottle? Not sure, An okay beer anyway, but not sure I’d get it again.

Michelob Oak-Aged Dark Vanilla Premium Lager, Vintage 2005 -- I had picked up a bottle of this earlier in the year and decided to save it until the 2006 bottles hit the shelves. The 2006 is out and has been out for a month or so now, but to be honest, I had forgotten that I had this bottle! Oh well, there’s still 5 hours of 2006 left, so I’m drinking it now... Michelob Oak-Aged Dark Vanilla pours a deep reddish caramel amber color and is quite clear. There’s hardly any visible carbonation (although I’m not overly surprised since it is over a year old and only had a twist off cap). There is a golden brown crown that develops from pouring, but that quickly disappears. The aroma is a moderately sweet caramel with undertones of vanilla and oak. Initially, the flavor is malty and sweet with a hint of oak. Then some of the woody oakness starts to come through with some dark vanilla (I say "dark" because it isn’t the same vanilla as vanilla ice cream might be) and pleasing alcohol. Then the finish starts a bit dry, but then becomes malty sweet with a lingering oakiness. There is a noticeable warming alcohol effect. The oak and vanilla are apparent, but not over done or fake tasting. I am quite impressed! Even though there isn’t much visible carbonation, there is some that I can feel on my tongue as I taste the beer. This beer has a medium body with a smooth mouthfeel. Overall I would say that this is a pretty good beer from a macro brewery. Actually, the more and more of the bottle I drink, the more and more I become impressed with it. I’ve definitely had worse beers from better breweries! -- By the way, don’t drink this beer straight out of the fridge. The aroma was flat and the flavor had a unpleasing sharp malt extract and alcohol bite at colder temperatures. However, after letting it breath and come up in temperature awhile, I found this beer to be quite pleasing regardless of below average reviews it seems to be getting. Also, for whatever reason, the last glass of the bottle had a lasting veil on top that produced some light lacing... 24 oz bottle (10% ABV, 28605 SN05) from West Side Liquor Store in West Harrison, Ohio.

orange/amber with no head. tastes like cream soda. alcohol is hidden. medium bodied. aroma of cream soda. yuck.

Bourbon and alcohol in the smell. Also over-the-top vanilla aroma and taste. Significant white head on lagerish body. Lagerish below medium body and sweet sugary finish. Little carbonation. The kids liked it. A bit much but interesting coming from Michelob.

Bottle from the Celebrate Gift Set. Poured into the snifter that came with the set. Orange-amber pour with only spotty bubbles around the edge. Nose is vanilla, alcohol notes, wood, caramel, sweet malts and candy. Taste is pretty much following the aroma - malty and sweet with vanilla, wood, bourbon notes, light candyish hints and soft alcohol. Body is light and slick with only mild carbonation. Finishes with more candyish notes, sweet malts, light grassy notes, wood, and vanilla. Not that bad, actually!

Amber color. Not very thick or rich. Some slight vanilla with lots of sweetness. Enjoyable. Alcohol’s pretty well hidden, too.

Nice amber, red pour with virtually no head. Vanilla aroma once you get past the intense alcohol, which does have hints of bourbon or cognac. Sweet taste, not really a lot of vanilla, more dried fruit and an overpowering booziness. I think they cut some corners with quality ingredients if they even used the real ingredients they list. Heck, I like vanilla. As advertised, it’s a good after dinner drink and I hate to say it, pretty good.

Michelob Celebrate Vanilla Oak Bullet bottle (750 ml) Recent bottling, celebrated 12/06 Moderate pour into accompanying tulip glasses. Poured a clear dark amber with an average mostly diminishing head. Smelt of strong fake vanilla extract and faint bourbon. Taste was upfront strong sweet imitation vanilla followed by more sweet fake ’nilla, although more subdued and a light grain and bourbon oak bitterness. Palate was medium light to medium bodied, creamy, lively carbonated, lightly alcoholic. Overall, a sweet vanilla beer. Too sweet. It covers up any other taste that could be found, although I doubt there is much to uncover underneath. Bourbon oak taste seemed more present last year.