Winters Bourbon Cask Ale

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

Pours a five finger cream head that fades quickly to a thin layer leaving some lace. Clear amber color. Slight vanilla nose. Light-medium carbonation and light-medium bodied. Flavor is sweet, smooth vanilla and some hops, kind of like a vanilla coke without the fizz but with hops. Not like any cask ale I have tasted, no hints of bourbon. $1.75 for a 12oz from Barb’s Beer Emporium Concord, NH.

I’m a sucker for flavored beers. I don’t know why. And this one is another one of those flavored beers. From my mug, I can smell an amount of vanilla, and a very slight yeasty smell that may be similar to yeasts that produces strong citrus flavors. In tasting this, the citrus flavor comes out stronger than the vanilla. But these two flavors overpower the hint a hint of malt. There is no hop in the taste at all. The beer is a beautiful red color, with a very slight head of white foam. It’s not a bad beer, and drinkable up to about two bottles. But the strong, sweet vanilla taste is what limits the amount I could drink in a sitting

Crystal clear amber color with a decent but quickly dissipating antique lace colored head. Vanilla and pine cone aroma. Vanilla beans and sweet malt dominate the flavor. If there are any hops in this beer, they probably waved the flowers over the boil once or twice. Although there is some mild bitterness after the swallow. This is odd but interesting. I hate to give the Evil Empire credit for anything, but this is a pretty decent effort (at what, I don’t know).

Twist-off bottle, undated. Pours a clear Mahogany red with a solid tan head. Oaky, malty aromas. Light-to-medium body, creamy mouthfeel. Early toffee character. Caramel flavor dominates. Sweet flavor balance. Subtly vanilla notes. Very late oak dry finish.

Heavy vanilla and caramel notes. Hints of whiskey, light hops. Pours an orange amber and is quite sweet. Very popular in the St. Louis area.

12 oz. bottle. Sweet vanilla and nutty aroma. Amber body with decent head. Had a carbinated sweet vanila cream soda flavor. Had a vanilla sweet aftertaste on palate. A warming effect of the alcohol so could be a winter warmer if on sale.

12 oz bottle born on 10/19/07: Bright cherry and amber pour with a thin white head. The nose is sugary sweet with notes of cherry and vanilla. A nice dose of sweet chocolate and burnt caramel follow up the fruit. Thin, lagerish body. Starts sweet and ends really sweet. A moderate dose of gooey caramel starts things off, with lighter notes of candied cherries. The finish is straight Sugar Babies. Interesting take for AB, but a beefier base beer would definitely offset the excessive sweetness.

Interesting to see that Dogbrick bought the same $7 draught in a plastic cup at NW arena. Poured an interesting apple ciderlike clear brown with not much head at all. Aromas of spice and a touch of vanilla. Flavor is caramel, vanilla, and some nutmeg. Palate is medium bodied but a little too watery. Pretty drinkable though for an AB beer. Reminded me some of the Michelob pumpkin ale but more vanilla in this.