Winters Bourbon Cask Ale

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

Draught: I’m glad that I didn’t find out this was an AB product until I sat down to type in the review. Knowing it was an A-B product may have unknowingly rated it lower than I should. Anyway, this one pours a clear, dark amber color. There was about no head and no lacing at all. The nose was a bit weak, but still pleasant. Whiffs of toffee, caramel and vanilla. The taste ws a bit more substantial, with notes of the toffee, slight oakiness, and it was slightly sweet. It was fairly silky and smooth going down also. This was actually not bad. It is NOT a cask ale, and I really didn’t detect any bourbon flavors in it also. Re-rate 1-19-2006: Boy, is this different from last year. The vanilla is now overpowering. There is a bit of a dry, metallic aftertaste that comes with a hint of bitterness. What happened????

Light vanilla/bourbon aroma, some vanilla in the flavor, but awfully watery and otherwise uninteresting. Could use some more aging in the bourbon casks.

Bright orange copper color with a diminishing ecru head. If this was given to me blind, I would have never guessed that its name included bourbon. I do catch a whiff of perhaps bourbon vanilla, but am hard pressed to find anything else, except a touch of eau ’d malt liquor. Plenty of vanilla in this one. Certainly not your father’s bourbon cask, unless your father living from 1920 to 1933. Light malt liquor undertones. A premium malt liquor with a dash of vanilla.

On tap at MacGregors in Henrietta, NY. Clear amber color with minimal head. A little light on body and alcohol for something that was supposed to be in a bourbon cask. Artificial vanilla flavor. The finish tastes just like a crappy pale lager with adjuncts. This was a cheap attempt at sophistication. Much like the brewery, this beer is for people who want to appear sophisticated without actually doing any work, or learning anything.

Smokey chocolate nose, copper, pours a small tan head. Taste is treacle, sweet, average. A big Thank You to my dear Friend Helen.

Draft. Amber body, flat with no head, vanilla nose. Sweet with vanilla notes. Not very good.

Had this one at the Blues v. Sabres game tonight. Poured a red with a medium white head. Aroma is somewhat malty, lots of vanilla in there, as well as some wood esters and mild hop citrus. Flavor is...interesting. The vanilla is kind of nice, and you can taste the barrell, which is nice. I think if they would have given this treatment to a better base, say an Amber Bock or a Bareknuckle (I said better, not good), they might have been on to something. As it stands the weak, watery base works hard against the beers few good character points. There are hints of malts, hops, and even yeast (shocking!), but it’s heavily watered down, undoubtedly in an attempt to remain palateable to this brewer’s target audience of watery fizz drinkers. At least (lowest ranked) St. Louis beat (highest ranked) Buffalo.

Bottle. Pours a copper-red body with a small white head. Strong vanilla aroma, some faint dark fruit, toffee, and plum-ish raisins. Artificial candyish vanilla flavour and toasted bread. Falls apart throughout. Hints of alcohol warmth.