Winters Bourbon Cask Ale

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

One of the better AB products I have ever had, but that doesn’t say too much. Poured an amberish color with no head at all. Aroma of Budweiser, a little cream soda, and maybe some couch syrup? Flavor was cream soda with a Bud finish. Thin and pretty carbonated.

Clear and deep amber-orange. Thin, quickly fading head. Nose was reminiscent of sugar water and faint vanilla. Texture was thinner than I expected. Malts were rather one-dimensional; some toast. Vanilla notes were synthetic tasting/smelling. Plastic off-flavor was also annoying. Aftertaste was really bad, like a cheap cigar. I once said A-B could brew a good beer if they really wanted to; they just didn’t have the will. Perhaps I should retract that statement, because I’m beginning to think otherwise.

12oz bottle from Degarth, thanks again.

How is it this is a cask ale from a bottle? I don’t get it. Copper color with no head. The aroma is sweet and really not too bad. I get some dark fruitiness, some wood planks, vanilla (or cream soda) and faint smoke. The flavor on the other hand starts off tasting like a soda. Then it moves into a bourbon flavor. Seems to taste only vaguely like beer with a hint of dark fruitiness in there somewhere.

"Snowman tap" at Zeke’s. Clear amber. Small head disappears fast. Sweet caramelly nose and cream soda aroma. Cream soda to the max flavor overload. Mainly sweet. Medium carbo, decent mouthfeel is thankfully not sticky. Can’t get over the cream soda thing.

Clear copper, thin white head. Surprisingly faint aroma of Pepsi Cola. Flavor is vanilla and okra, with a touch of bourbon and cucumber. Surpring that this is an AB product, but questionable execution. On draft at Barley’s, Knoxville.

This was drinkable, very comfortable, and warming. It comes off rather cheaply--the net effect of the large-form carbonation and the flavors is to suggest a Cherry Vanilla soda. Not bad, certainly not bad. It’s just not very subtle.

Bonus Bottle from Purchase at Ledgers Berkeley; Nose of vanilla beans and some caramel; rusty red with a small tan head; heavy vanilla flavor, they must of used real beans because it doesn’t have an artificial flavor or nose; a little caramel shows up, but I couldn’t detect any alcohol warmth! I had some really good vanilla porters, but this kind of sucks! But still better than Bud Light!

The aroma has a little bourbon but not as much as I had hoped for. There is also caramel malt, a little vanilla, and oak. The appearance is amber with a small head. The flavor has all the elements from the aroma, and like the aroma they are not quite as pronounce as they should be. Still, the favor is unique and good. It is degraded some by an unusual bitterness and a cooked vegetable taste. But, thankfully they too are light. The palate is thin.