Winter’s Bourbon Cask Ale

Winter’s Bourbon Cask Ale

Michelob Brewing Co.

“During even the coldest of weather, warm up to the smooth, robust taste of our Winter’s Bourbon Cask Ale. Full of rich aromas that you find in the winter months, hints of vanilla and flavorful hops, this is a beer that is great for pouring into a large tulip glass and enjoying with friends around a fireplace.”

6.0 abv

While I was looking for my next winter beer to review I saw an interesting looking beer. It had a snowman on the front and said that it was aged on bourbon oak casks with whole Madagascar vanilla beans. It wasn’t until I was checking out that I noticed that it was made by Michelob, but I’ve heard some good things about their new beers so I decided to buy it.

As you may know Michelob is not a small brewery (which is what I usually go for in these articles), but it is Anheiser-Busch’s specialty brewing devision. It takes it’s name from a beer developed by Adolphus Busch in 1896 as a “draught beer for connoisseurs”, so I guess it kind of fits. Michelob beer was introduced in 1908 in a limited two-barrel bottling and remained a small percentage of Anheiser-Busch’s total beer production until 1961 when a new method of pasteurization was discovered that did not diminish its flavor. More recently Michelob has released several specialty beers some of which include Amber Bock, Honey Lager, Pale Ale, Marzen, Pumpkin Spice Ale and of course Winter’s Bourbon Cask Ale.

Winter’s Bourbon starts off malty and sweet with a little bit of hoppy bitterness and ending with a hint of vanilla (maybe a little more than a hint). It has a smooth sweet flavor.  This is definitely more of a winter spice beer than a winter warmer, though the 6% abv does give you a slightly warm sensation. It’s definitely a bit sweeter than I like but it’s not a bad beer, the vanilla isn’t too overpowering. I’ve had other vanilla beers that went way overboard with the flavoring.