Winters Bourbon Cask Ale

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

Dark copper color with a thin head. Slight bourbon aroma with a bit of chocolate. It tastes like water with vanilla extract. Not that it’s entirely terrible, just not decent beer.

(draught) Dark amber, very little head. Slightly sweet aroma. Flavor was sweetish malt, definite bourbon and some hints of oak. Only a little vanilla. No great, but decent. I wonder what it would score in a blind taste test if people didn’t know it was an A-B product?

Sampled February 2007
Pours with a frothy, initially two-finger thick, creamed amber colored head that fairly quickly disappears. The beer is a brilliantly clear, deep ruby color. The aroma is a mix of cherries, vanilla, touches of boozy bourbon. Really it is predominantly a mix of fruit notes and vanilla and I don’t detect much, if any wood character in the nose.

The beer has a medium to light heft to it, with just a touch of palate coating character. It is quite smooth tasting with the notes of vanilla really coming through, though not in an overwhelming way. It has a light sweetness to it, and a finish that is a mix of caramelized malt and toasty grain notes. A light fruitiness (the cherry is most noticeable again) is here as well, though it seems to be at a lower level than in the aroma. This is interesting, not nearly as bad as I was expecting, though it is not exactly something I would ever try again. In the end it is just a bit too lackluster in character for me to get excited about. It is a solid beer though, and I can see this appealing to the macro-beer drinker who is looking for something interesting.

Purchased: <a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/Places/ShowPlace.asp? Liquors, Tucson, AZ

very much the taste of vanilla extract which is kinda weird for a beer. but considering it’s anheuser busch, i can’t expect too much. but it was good considering the makers. the best of the AB bunch so far which ain’t saying much

Bottle. Pours copper with a moderate white head. Aroma is sweet vanilla and bourbon. Flavor is initially almost exactly like vanilla extract. After adjusting a bit, it gets slightly more complex, adding some caramel malt, bourbon, and faint woodiness. Initially seemed strong on the vanilla; by the end seemed strong on the bourbon. Moderately interesting and better than I expected from A-B, but really unbalanced.

With a name like this, if it were from a reputable microbrewer I would be disappointed - but it was actually much better than I expected from A-B. Lots of vanilla flavor, not much else - drinkable but not great. I rated this a little higher than it probably deserves because I feel it is a step in the right direction by A-B towards more adventurous beers.

12 oz bottle via goldtwins (thanks!). Pours a clear dark amber with a large beige head. Nose is malty with some vanila and a hint of wood. Taste is somewhat sweet...some vanilla, some toasted grains, some mellow earthy hops. Thin mouthfeel, watery light bodied, high carbonation.

Pint draft. Pours red, with thin quickly dissipating off white head. Aroma is bitter oak and bourbon. Flavor is dominated by bourbon, but it is not overpowering. I would have this again in the abscence of better choices. However, one is enough - not a session beer IMO. Judging by the other reviews, I would say that A-B is still fiddling with the recipe. 1/30/07; tried again in same restaurant. No bourbon, all very strong vanilla aroma and flavor. Will not try again.