Winters Bourbon Cask Ale

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

With a name like this, if it were from a reputable microbrewer I would be disappointed - but it was actually much better than I expected from A-B. Lots of vanilla flavor, not much else - drinkable but not great. I rated this a little higher than it probably deserves because I feel it is a step in the right direction by A-B towards more adventurous beers.

12 oz. bottle. This beer pours a nice amber color with a decent amount of head. The aroma is an over the top vanilla extract that really turns it up as you attempt to drink this swill. I had to basically chug this beer to get all 12 oz down. Horrible, avoid this one.

bottle - Who bottles a beer and calls it a "cask ale"? Name notwithstanding, I gave this one a try. It was on sale at the bar. First, it pours amber with a thin head. Then there’s the aroma, or rather there isn’t. The aroma is barely there. I just smell a little vanilla. The flavor is very much dominated by the vanilla. There’s some caramel malt in there and I can’t even taste the bourbon that the name indicates is there. The taste is overly bland and the palate is on the thin side. The finish is sweet. It’s not terrible, but this beer really makes me wonder what the thought process at A-B is. I know they have or have had some good brewers there. No really, Stone Brewing hired one away from A-B last year. There must be some ability there. So what happens? Does the brewer make a decent craft beer, but then the execs get a hold of it and say things like, "well, this is alright, but what it really needs is more water!" and "Not bad, but there’s just too much flavor here!" Meh.

12 oz bottle from Woodmans on Gammon Road in Madison, WI (December 2006), consumed at a bit above fridge temperature from a Fitgers pint glass. Jolly what! I say, here are the fine gents at A Busch and sons, ltd, trying their hands at a fine olde English brew! Cheery Charles Dickens and tiny tim and a fine pint by the fire and all that. Well let’s see how this measures up, I must say I’ve got my knickers all twisted over this one! It’s a dull maple colour in the glass with a light bit of puffy head that dies away quickly, and it’s awfully bloody clear, hmm are they putting me on? Something about this makes me think that maybe this didn’t luxuriate in a fine English oak cask for months at a time....well, on to appraise the aroma: well, there’s sodding little vanilla in here, and precious little of anything else, maybe a few buttery toast points but thass about it....perhaps the flavour? well, the vanilla comes out here, plain as my white English arse, but it’s so godawful sweet and syrupy and hit-you-o’er-the-head-with-a-cricket-bat that you can’t taste anything else, except p’raps a bit of sour woody dryness at the finish. You can’t fool me, mates, this is bloody awful and I wants my ’alf a crown back!

I was surprised by this. It was actually fairly decent. What makes it is the nice vanilla aftertaste. the initial taste is a sweet the followed by the vanilla. Body is a too thin, but overall okay.

Small tan head that settles out quickly, lacing is spotty. Clear, deep amber color. Surprisingly attractive! Nose of vanilla and cherry cough medicine. Body is med/light somewhat creamy. Vanilla extract flavor dominates. No bourbon flavor or oak to really speak of. Maybe a hint of caramel malt. Lightly sweet, candyish flavors of vanilla and cherry. Finish is almost dry, thin and vanilla-y. Luckily i did,nt have to drop a $1.75 on this as a friend from work turned me on to one. Thanks Tommy!

A-B, are you serious?
The beer looks nice in the glass, kudos! The aroma is ridiculously contrived and the flavor is an over the top fabrication! Smells and taste like “bananas foster” vanilla extract garbage. The palate is thin and the finish tastes like a cheap McDonalds dessert.

Don’t ask me why, but I poured this at about 55-60 degrees. I know, I know. Stupid mistake. This was absolute shit. An aroma of vanilla extract and soap. Appearance was a crystal clear dark mahogany brown, with a nice head with zero lacing. Mouthfeel was average, nothing bad there. Flavor was like drinking watery vanilla extract WITH the alcohol finish. I will rerate when I try this again nearly ice cold, which is the way ANY AB product should be served. RE-RATE: Well, I let this one nearly get to freezing temps and gave it a go. The finish is much better and the vanilla isn’t so fake in the aroma and taste but of course the cold convers everything up. What it really reminded me of was some sort of amalgamation of a cream soda and a beer.