Winters Bourbon Cask Ale

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

With a the name "Winters Bourbon Cask Ale" I’m thinking this beer would be over the top with hearty flavor. However, knowing its brewed by A-B my expectations were scaled back. The beer was right where I thought it would be, just a hint of caramel, oak and vanilla. It makes me wonder if A-B brewed an excellent beer then blended it with a pale lager. It has a watered down taste to it.

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.

A reddish brown appearance with a moderate beige head. A strong vanilla, caramel, and plum aroma. The flavor is very much vanilla with some caramel and bit of whiskey in there also. This isnt bad but it starts tasting like a vanilla ice cream cone after a while. It was interesting but I probably wouldnt buy it again

4/14/07: Bottle.
Red-brown body and slightly hazy. Sugary malt nose. Bubble gum, caramel and molasses flavors. Finish is sweet, burnt and caramel.

12 oz. bottle courtesy of DarkElf. If I didn’t know it was an AB product, I wouldn’t have recognized it as such. Pours dark copper color with a large white head. Aroma is heavy with the spices, caramel malts and barrel notes, a little grassy and grainy as well. Flavor is initially sweet, with lots of spice, some vanilla and an occasional odd bitter floral note. Medium body and gentle carbonation. Not bad.

The tap handle reads "Winter’s Bourbon Cask Ale", though I don’t know who "Winter" is... Caramel brown body, with a thickish, though short-lived head. Nose is sweet, caramel, mixed with vanilla, a bit of bourbon, but vanilla is king, here. Taste is short and sweet, slick wih the caramel and toffee, a hint of the vanilla and honey, but then it’s off the palate until next sip... Very light in the finish, medium at best in the body.... Had at the Nomad World Pub, tonight...the manager, and the bartender, were both apologetic about this selection. Not a beer I would order with any confidence, or enjoy with any thoroughness...not bad, mind you, but...eh...at least they’re trying...

Pour is a light brown with a nice sixed white head. Aroma is deffinatly vanilla with a bit of wood smokyness in there. Flavor is super vanilla with a odd creamyness. I agree with the rater that compared this with a cream soda. Still this is kinda tasty to have just one an evening.

Bottle. Coppery with a thin nearly white head. Aroma is sweet with some vanilla, very little bourbon, and no roasted malt. The vanilla flavor is evident and is good, not much for bourbon flavors, and a lot of caramel sweetness. A little cherry cough syrup in the background. Fairly low carbonation and a light mouthfell that still hides the alcohol completely. Not complex by any means, but very drinkable. As with all A-B beers, ratings will suffer from the "I hate big breweries" mentality.