Winter’s Bourbon Cask Ale is Distinctively Smooth

My friend has always had a wide selection of good beer in her fridge. You could always rummage around and find two or three really cool beers in there that you like and hadn’t had in a while, or had always wanted to try. Last winter during said rummaging, I pulled out a Winter’s Bourbon Cask Ale, took one look at the Anheuser-Busch label on the bottom and put it right back in the drawer.

“No, try that one,” she insisted.

“It’s weird. You’ll like it.”

“Okay,” I said and took her weird beer for a test drive.

It’s distinctive flavor comes from being aged in Bourbon Barrel Cask Staves and apparently they age it with natural vanilla bean. You can taste the vanilla but it’s a very smooth aftertaste. It’s the bourbon I sensed. It has a warmth to it that is surprising and the flavor is really distinct. Winter’s Bourbon reminds me of drinking a heavier European ale with their fruity tones, that are almost buried under the heavy hops.

The Anheuser Busch website recommends you pair it with full flavored foods, such as corn chowder, triple cream cheese or pork roast. I think that it’s because the flavor of this beer will overpower anything else you are eating, so you can’t eat delicate or light food with it. It is only available seasonally from November through January.

I like it though and highly recommend it. Enough that I picked up a six pack of it this year.

Written by Gidge, who is a mother of a 5 year old boy and 3 year old twin boys. A transplanted Hoosier, die-hard Colts fan and professional call center manager, she likes long walks on the beach, penguins and playing ping-pong. Her turn-ons include sleep and silence. Read all about her life here.