dkachur (897), Charlottesville, Virginia, USA Nov 21, 2007 Sigh. Got this one out of curiosity. I’m ashamed that my place of employ carries it, but I can buy a single cheaply (and this is going to personify cheapness and disappointment, I fear). Before I open the damn bottle, I predict this is going to have a hint of something mediocre, only to be boldly punctuated by something much, much less than that. Pours bronze with a good, foamy head. So far, so good. Aroma? Artificial vanilla. Not much else. I’m about to sip. Will I be blasted across the face with artificial vanilla-ness to be followed with a mere shadow of pisswater? We shall see... The vanilla kinda comes in the middle, not as artificial as I expected, a kinda full bodied experience at the forefront, and then... crap. Guess I called it. Guess I’ll pour this one out, head to Sam Smith and a hot shower for some consolation and wait for the next AB seasonal and go through this entire exercise of self-flagellation once again... sigh...
arventresca (171), Greenville, North Carolina, USA Aug 21, 2008 Bottle. Pours dark amber with white head. Aroma of actual vanilla with a hint of caramel. Taste is pretty bland for a winter ale, but considering it is A-B it is a winner. Probably never buy it again unless it is the best choice on tap, but thanks for a decent effort. BlackDonald (1039), North Carolina, USA Aug 9, 2008 Same as a the Michelob Vanilla Oak. Has that sweet cotton candy, sugar cookie. graham cracker maltiness. Tastes artificial, extracted and micro filtered wood chips. dwaggs2 (93), Warrensburg, Missouri, USA Jul 18, 2008 Horrible. Tasted like a cookie. This is not what a winter beer is suppose to taste like. Had no idea it was AB’s beer. I really wanted to get into this beer but couldn’t. This was like eating a vanilla wafer. jcdsmack (46), Henderson, Nevada, USA Jul 17, 2008 I think this beer is okay I only have had it from the bottle. I think the problem with it is it’s more vanilla than bourbon flavor for sure. It’s a little thin untill it warms and then it’s just too heavy on the vanilla. Not saying it’s bad but Iwould have liked it more if the could have balanced the bourbon vanilla and malt flavors a little more. Noticed some hints of chocolate on the finish. All in all not bad for what it is seasonal AB. Would never buy it in the bottle again but might try it on tap, mainly because I belivee its offered mostly at chain type restaurants like Fridays or whatever. MakeItDrinkIt (66), Portland, Oregon, USA Jul 14, 2008 Beautiful copper hue with a medium thin tan head. Aroma is thick with vanilla, and a touch of light-brown sugar. Flavor is immediately overpowering vanilla, and a bit medicinal. This pretty-much masks any supressed ’Bourbon Barrel Oak’ that might (or might not) have been in the batch. Never really get a chance to find anything but a big fake vanilla bean in this beer. Too bad - too much vanilla - can’t finish - bleh!
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