A-B winter brew

[fatboy570]

Found a sixer of A-B Winter Bourbon Cask ale today and decided to give it a try. Not bad for macroswill, supposedly aged in bourbon barrels with a touch of vanilla added. The vanilla- bourbon taste wasnt quite to my liking, but it did have a nice malty taste with little hop bitterness and flavor. They could improve on it, but it beats Bud Light any day

[Mill Rat]

Originally posted by fatboy570
...it beats Bud Light any day Not saying too much there!

[ratman03]

Originally posted by fatboy570
Found a sixer of A-B Winter Bourbon Cask ale today and decided to give it a try. Not bad for macroswill, supposedly aged in bourbon barrels with a touch of vanilla added. The vanilla- bourbon taste wasnt quite to my liking, but it did have a nice malty taste with little hop bitterness and flavor. They could improve on it, but it beats Bud Light any day

Corona beats Bud Light... But you wouldn't catch me drinking Corona. :rolleyes:

Vanilla in beer = yuck.

[Seymour]

I found a place that sold singles last year, and picked up one bottle of their winter beer. I agree the vanilla was pretty heavy-handed. I also recently picked up one bottle of Breckenridge's Vanilla Porter. Tasted like a vanilla milkshake. WAY too sweet.

[ScottKingofBeer]

I just had a sample of this yesterday at a pub somewhere in Idaho. I think its terrible even for macro-swill. The body was every bit as week as a bud light and although a reddish brown color, the beer was completley translucent. The bourbon oak flavor was barely perceptible over the outrageously over spiced vanilla flavor. If I put an entire pound of fresh vanilla beans in the secondary fermenter for a five gallon batch of homebrew I doubt it would have as much vanilla flavor as this did. I do not believe that AB brewers are incapable of making a high quality craft style brew. I think they deliberately make bad tasting craft style brews as a marketing ploy against craft/microbrewers. Its the big boys way of saying to the small percentage of their beer drinkers who would even try this: "see what funky, strange, bad tasting beers craft brewers are making? You best stick to the inoffensive and tasteless fizzy yellow swill you have been drinking your whole life." It's a shame too, because something like this could be a very good brew. I would want more oaky bourbon flavor with a subtle vanilla flavor and a few more spices to balance it out a little. Some clove and a little anise might do the trick. Maybe even a touch of ginger. The beer kind of inspired me to make a winter brew. It didn't inspire me to drink this travesty in front of me however.

[cewldre]

Originally posted by ratman03

Vanilla in beer = yuck. [/B]

I tried a vanilla porter the other day and thought it was very good. I don't usually like vanilla, but this one was good. (to bad I forget who made it)

[steveh]

Originally posted by cewldre
I tried a vanilla porter the other day and thought it was very good.

I have too, and was surprised how much I liked it. OTOH, vanilla character in a bourbon cask-aged beer can be expected...OTOH again, A-B shouldn't have had to add vanilla beans.

S.

[ratman03]

I'm all for throwing the kitchen sink in beer, but vanilla is one flavor I don't want to taste. This is my personal preference of course, and this is not to say that it cannot be done tastefully.

[ratman03]

Originally posted by ScottKingofBeer
I do not believe that AB brewers are incapable of making a high quality craft style brew. I think they deliberately make bad tasting craft style brews as a marketing ploy against craft/microbrewers.however.

Helluva theory. Certainly possible.

Either that, or it's because they feel they have to hit consumers over the head with the taste they are going for. Big winemakers do this all of the time (e.g., yellow tail). Big obvious flavors are needed to win over unsophisticated consumers.

[steveh]

Originally posted by ratman03
This is my personal preference of course,

I understand completely, and when I first heard of this Vanilla Porter I put the flavors together in my head and couldn't fathom them tasting at all good, but again - I was pleasantly surprised.

S.

[MichaelM]

I really enjoy Breckenridge's Vanilla Porter...

[BigHead]

I thought that it was ok but would drink a regular Bud over that any day. I did try, at a friends constant nagging, a smoked porter from Stone I think it was. I did like that beer much to my surprise. Anybody here tried it?

[ClockworkOrange]

Got a few bottles of Stoney Creek Vanilla Porter (Thanks Deco). Tasty stuff.

[Seymour]

Is this the beer you're talking about, Bighead?

http://www.stonebrew.com/tasting/smoked/index.html

I've not seen it in my area, but the only Stone beers we get routinely are the Arrogant Bastard and the IPA. Surely someone else here's given it a spin. Sounds pretty tasty.

[unkle bik]

Originally posted by ratman03
Vanilla in beer = yuck. [/B]
Likewise for Coke. That stuff tastes like cake batter.

I'm all for new flavor trends in beer.But some are getting way out of hand and vanilla is one of them.

[ratman03]

Originally posted by Seymour
Is this the beer you're talking about, Bighead?

http://www.stonebrew.com/tasting/smoked/index.html

I've not seen it in my area, but the only Stone beers we get routinely are the Arrogant Bastard and the IPA. Surely someone else here's given it a spin. Sounds pretty tasty.

Stone makes a very good smoked Porter.
Alaskan Brewery makes the best one I've tasted: http://www.alaskanbeer.com/

Of course, if you like smoke there's always rauchbier :)

[ClockworkOrange]

Stone's Smoked Porter is tasty stuff. Just had a bomber two nights ago. One of my favorite porter's(Yuengling's doesn't count, I liken that more to a black lager than a porter). Making room for some Double Bastard and Oaked AB that I'm picking up on Friday. Would love to try the Alaskan someday.

[ScottKingofBeer]

How do you like the oak aged bastard? That has intrigued me but I have yet to try it.

[ClockworkOrange]

I'm picking a sixer of the oaked up on Fri. Will try to post a review in the tasting notes section.