Winters Bourbon Cask Ale

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

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.

Brown 12 oz bottle, twist off cap. It says limited edition and at only 130 ratings, it must be. Born on 11/10/06. Everybody should at least try this once, AB is making a good effort at these craft beers. Pours like a darker brownish yellow clear lager. Smells like pine, lemons and perhaps a hint of whiskey in there too. The starting flavor is an odd & interesting personality of old time candy. Tastes like a higher alcohol rating than 6% and 6 is high for an AB product. Has a hoppy or malty bitter finish that lingers. I don’t remember AB ever making such a bitter & offensive brew. I think they have thrown out the idea that they should not offend their drinkers. Is an AB IPA or bitter stout far behind? I repeat, everybody should at least try this once, AB is really making a good effort to address the craft beer market. The only reason i rated this kind of low is I don’t like IPA or bitter stout, but I know many of you do. By far the best spice/herb/veggie beer I’ve tasted.

Sampled from a 12 oz brown bottle this beer poured a fizzy chestnut color with a large caramel colored head. The aroma was tangy vanilla and root beer. The flavor was strong artificial vanilla followed by an overwhelming bitterness and a toasted marshmallow undertone. The finish is sour, tangy and bitter. There is some effort here but the beer falls short.

Bottle. Pours clear orange amber with a off-white head. Vanilla toffee nose. Body and carbonation tending to light. Vanilla toffee taste. Just a guess from the faint taste hints, but it seems like this beer might have spent the better part of an afternoon in a bourbon barrel. I’m not sure if that qualifies as barrel-aged.

Not my favorite seasonal, but not the worst either. Bottle. Nose of vanilla, caramel, chcolate and toffee.

12 oz. bottle from Plaza Liquor - Pours a clear copper color with an average size off white head. Head fades to a typical A-B thin ring around the glass. Aroma is a light, sweet oak. The vanilla comes out nicely in the flavor along with some caramel malt. Thin palate. Light to medium body. Nice try A-B. Just needs more body and hop presence. Worth a try.

Bottle: Dark amber with an off whtie head. Aroma, woody, sugary, oak. Flavor, thin oaky vanilla. Just bland and icky. Tasted like alcho-pop. Ugh. Never again.

Pours a clear dark amber with a very short lived white head. Smell is thin sweet and metallic malt with some artificial vanilla flavor. Taste is very vanilla like and otherwise thin and malty with light bitterness and very watery. Thin vanilla soda like and not good. Drinkable, but highly artificial.