Complex and Warming Brew from Anheuser- Busch
Written: Nov 03 '06 (Updated Dec 14 '06)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Complex and interesting
Cons: Body a little too light
The Bottom Line: This is a good tasting winter brew from A-B that could have been even better with some added effort.
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| Bryan_Carey's Full Review: Winter's Bourbon Cask Ale |
Winter is easily my least favorite season. As a hot- blooded male, I prefer basking in the warm sunshine next to a swimming pool over strapping on a pair of snow skis and I often count down the days until the weather returns to the 80+ degree mark once again. But there is one thing that helps me to forget the dreariness of the season before us: Winter seasonal beer. Winter beers are often spicy, rich, and warming and they help make the cold season a little more bearable. One newer winter seasonal introduced just last year on draft is now available in bottles in many markets. It is Winter Bourbon Cask Ale, a seasonal brew from Anheuser- Busch.
Basic Characteristics of This Product:
Winter Bourbon Cask Ale pours to a copper color with a clear body that releases aromas like oak, brown sugar, vanilla, and caramel. The head of foam on this beer looks promising at first but diminishes rapidly, just like it does with most Anheuser- Busch products.
Tasting this beer reveals some flavors that are evident in the aroma along with a few that are not. More than anything, the taste of vanilla dominates followed by the flavor of brown sugar, caramelized malt, toffee, and a woody taste. There is little in the way of hop taste, but it is there, lingering in the middle of the tongue following each sip.
Anheuser- Busch brews this beer using dark roasted caramel malts and Madagascar vanilla beans. The beer is aged in bourbon oak casks to produce its unique taste. This ale contains six percent alcohol by volume.
Food Compatibility:
Winter Bourbon Cask Ale is a sweet tasting beer and it would make a good product to drink with dessert foods. It could be consumed with just about any type of dessert product from chocolate cream pie to cookies. Its sweet flavor also makes it a good after dinner beer, consumed in place of dessert.
Final Thoughts:
Anheuser- Bush is the king of beer companies with control of a very large share of the American and world beer markets. This giant among brewers is gradually expanding its mostly bland product line to include craft beer products and some of its efforts have been respectable. Winter Bourbon Cask Ale is one such effort. It is a beer made with a unique recipe and with a unique taste that is different from anything else in the A-B lineup.
This beer was first released last year as part of a growing effort on the part of A-B to brew more beer products that appeal to beer connoisseurs. The Michelob specialty line has already produced some good beer and now the company has expanded its offerings to include this winter ale. It was first brewed last year but was available only on draft. Now, it is sold in bottled form so that consumers can take it home and enjoy it during the holiday season.
Winter Bourbon Cask Ale does offer a good degree of complexity with a combination of flavors not found in many beer products. Rather than make a winter ale similar to those of other brewers (full of cinnamon, nutmeg, and other spices), A-B decided to try something a little different. They went for a taste that is more vanilla- like than spicy and they aged their product in bourbon casks. The result is a beer that is sweet with the taste of vanilla dominating but that also offers flavors of oak, caramel, and other interesting tastes.
The body of this beer is a little lighter than I would have liked and this fact costs Winter Bourbon Cask Ale a few points in my final rating. It is a very easy beer to drink thanks to its sweet, dessert- like qualities and its lack of much bitterness. But it isn’t as rich and chewy as I would prefer. A little more body would improve this beer.
Overall, Winter Bourbon Cask Ale is an interesting beer from the folks at Anheuser- Busch. It could be even better if the brewers paid more attention to the amount of ingredients and beefed this beer up a little bit, as well as adding a little more hop taste. But this is still a good effort from the people at Anheuser- Busch. It offers a complex, warming taste and it helps get my mind off of the cold season that lies ahead.
Be sure to Click the Links Below to Read Reviews of Other Anheuser- Busch Products:
Budweiser:
Budweiser
Bud Light
Bud Ice
Bud Ice Light
Budweiser Select
Michelob Products:
Michelob
Michelob Light
Michelob Ultra
Michelob Amber Bock
Michelob Black & Tan
Michelob Honey Lager
Michelob Marzen
Michelob Pale Ale
Michelob Pumpkin Spice
Other Anheuser- Busch Beers:
Busch
Busch Light
Natural Light
Natural Ice
Anheuser World Select
Recommended:
Yes
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