Bourbon Vanilla Cask Ale from AB

Hmmm, we picked up a 6 pack of this for the hell of it. I'm somewhat torn. I love vanilla, and it's very vanilla, so that's good there... On the one hand, it's almost kinda good, looks pretty and has an interesting vanilla taste with a touch of bourbon. On the other hand, when I think about it, it tastes a lot like a bud that's been spiked with imitation vanilla and stuck in a bourbon barrel...

That would be interesting to try as a HB.

Smaller barrels are available also, they just wont be immediately ready for beer storage. They are usually new mini-barrels, which would require your own toasting, swelling, and i would store some bourbon in it for quite awhile to get the flavors into the barrel (only bad thing is the bourbon will most likely be over oaked at that point, blending would be an option though). Can be alot of work, and even get a little pricey but you won't need 60 gallons of beer either.

The bourbon vanilla porter is on deck for me

This isn't like that though, it's a rather light similar in style to bud... Sort of. It's a little bit above bud but not a lot. It would be good with a good cream ale base instead I bet.

Oak barrels are pretty expensive, but I'd think you could get a similar effect from toasted oak chips and a little bourbon added. In fact I'd be surprised if this was actually stored in oak barrels, but you never know...

I saw this on sale at our grocery store and nearly bought it. I had a fantabulous beer at Flossmoor Station last year that was a bourbon stout aged in an oak barrel. So, I was very interested to see what AB would do with such a combo. Then I read that it had vanilla beans in it.

I has a Stoney's vanilla stout (or was it a Porter) once several years ago and decided right there and then that vanilla & beer don't play well together. At least to my palate. Just my opinion!

debtman7 said:

Hmmm, we picked up a 6 pack of this for the hell of it. I'm somewhat torn. I love vanilla, and it's very vanilla, so that's good there... On the one hand, it's almost kinda good, looks pretty and has an interesting vanilla taste with a touch of bourbon. On the other hand, when I think about it, it tastes a lot like a bud that's been spiked with imitation vanilla and stuck in a bourbon barrel...

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I picked up a sixer of this on Thursday night and tried it last night. This is exactly what I thought. It tastes like a bud spiked with lots of vanilla flavor. I'm really disappointed.

If they're going to brew this, why not at least go for a nice malty base to balance off the vanilla and bourbon.

Orpheus said:

If they're going to brew this, why not at least go for a nice malty base to balance off the vanilla and bourbon.

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A malty base would require, oh, that they spend some money on malt...

the_bird said:

A malty base would require, oh, that they spend some money on malt...

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LOL, yeah. I guess I'm just tired of being disappointed. For once in my life I'd like to be pleasantly surprised. I'd like to open a AB product and go, "Holy ****! Taste that malt! The hops! Wow! They really cared about this one."

I don't really have a problem with Bud, but don't tease me with a name like "Winter's Bourbon Cask Ale" which sounds like it'd be an amazing brew, and then pull the carpet out from under me with Bud and vanilla extract.