Michelob Celebrate Vanilla Oak

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

Bottle shared by Robert at SL via sloth, a big thanks to both of them. The pour was copper to amber. Aroma had lots of candy, vanilla, marshmallows (Bert nailed that one), corn grains. The flavor was toasted marshmallows, cotton candy, caramel, vanilla, bubble gum, and fruits. Body was barely carbonated, a bit sticky, but not too thick. Drinkable, but not something I’d return to. Many thanks to both Robert and Bert on this one!

Pour is reddish amber with no real head other than a ring of light brown around the glass...smell is sweet with oak and some vanilla, but not overwhelmingly or richly...its like it is just there...also alcohol...thin watery mouthfeel...some vanilla, but sourish malt flavor really dominates...sticky sour finish...

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.

Bottle. A screw cap was the first hint of trouble. A dark color with a laced white head. Cream soda like flavor with vanilla, sweet cherrys and a painful finish. Rating from Dec 2005 notes.

The bottle, attractive thought it is, reads rather oddly. "Celebrate Michelob?"...not something I often do, but I’ll give it a whirl. Clear caramelly crimson color, slim, soon gone head. Big vanilla nose, ripe and rich, highly aromatic, accompanied by notes of cherries and raw bourbon. Alcoholic content is also very evident, just from the smell. Smooth on the palate, with massive vanilla flavor. Tasty, but we have a problem. There’s not enough malt, hardly any hops, and a real thinness that does not match up with this 10% abv. Who thought that was a good idea? You rarely find doppelbocks that strong, heck, we’re almost talking Samischlaus here, and there’s just a paucity of body and character. You get the vanilla and the bourbon and the booze, but it’s too much for a beer so light. Feels very raw, one get ripped so easily....vanilla malt liquor, anyone? I had an open mind going in, and applaud A-B for trying, but they goofed up on this one. Glad it was a gift.

09.30.05 From bottle, A-B booth, GABF. Nice enough color is quite obviously colored to make it appear darker than it is. Thick with an artificial vanilla flavor and aroma. Tinny with undertones of pitch. Loads of heat, the alcohol is intensely burning the eyes and nose. Wood only barely noticeable. Vanilla will not go away, lingers with sweetness of corn and metallic tinge. Odd stuff that I never would have tried if it wasn’t at GABF.

Sampled from 2006 vintage torpedo bottle found in a basement. Vanilla extract nose. Similar body.

On tap at EBF.... What is that shit.The representative of anheuser-bush explain to me that beer was old in oak barrel and taste vanilla flavor and he sayed to me he love Montreal and blablabla..So i try the beer with a lot of enthousiasme.Humm that beer taste like a crap malt liquor..Corn and alcohol..Thas is a crap beer like the other Anheuser-bush beer....