Winters Bourbon Cask Ale

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

Picked up this brew since I didn’t have a wide selection at the store I was at outside of the standard Bud, Coors and Miller...just cracked one open and was immediately overwhelmed by the strong vanilla aroma, which was remarkably pleasant. The bourbon ’hint’ is evident immediately upon hitting the palate, but quickly dissolves into a watery, flavor-lacking brew. Carbonation is high. After a few swigs, I took another gander at the bottle and noticed it was an AB product, which explains just about everything. Would question the ’limited edition’ tag as well...not the best, but would take this over a Bud or Bud Light any day and twice on Sunday...

Draught at 69 Taps. Dark gold color with small beige head. Very weak aroma and flavors. Spicey and a little malty with some vanilla. Too light and boring though.

Pours a medium dark amber with a frothy off white head. Aromas of bannana, vanilla, with a hint of spice. Some of the aromas carry over into the flavor here with hints of spice and bananna with the vanilla coming through nicely at the end. My main disapointment was the lack of sweetness here. Average mouthfeel, though a little swooth. Slightly bitter end. Not bad all around.

Bartender at Appleby’s poured me a tumbler to sample with the promise that it was a "pretty good beer". Didn’t know it was A-B and it wouldn’t have mattered. It had a sort of bourbon-like quality, it also had a artificial vanilla and paper-like quality as well. Thin body and a little sticky too. I ended up ordering a Guiness instead. I think I chose wisely.

Had on tap. Could not taste any bourbon in this, which I expected from the name, although maybe it was just because it was served way to cold and in a frosty mug at a local chain establishment. Best thing to say is at least AB is trying.

Bottle. Pours dark amber with white head. Aroma of actual vanilla with a hint of caramel. Taste is pretty bland for a winter ale, but considering it is A-B it is a winner. Probably never buy it again unless it is the best choice on tap, but thanks for a decent effort.

The aroma was banana and caramel with an extremely strong vanilla influence. The vanilla presence was sickly sweet in the nasal passaged. Caramel malt was present as was a strong fruity and estery presence. The beer poured crystal clear amber with an off-white head that rose well and fell slowly to lace the glass. The flavor was caramel and toffee with an odd presence of vanilla and perhaps a hint of oak. The flavor had some chocolate and reminded me of Cocoa Puffs in character. The body was medium light and a bit watery. The finish was even with lasting impressions of vanilla and chocolate with caramel. Not a bad beer, but nothing to try to find. 12 ounce bottle.

Orange coppery in color, with a thin head. An immediate pleasing vanilla aroma hits the nose. Definite vanilla flavor with little to no real hops presence. Overall its a nice sipping brew.