Rating 2006's Winter's Bourbon Cask Ale

I had given up hope of finding this in my area until a visit to my local supermarket. There, on a small display was Anheuser-Busch's Winter's Bourbon Cask ale, brewed in October 2006. I bought a six pack of longnecks and headed home.

Appearance (0-3 pts): Amber colored with ruby highlights. The head is off white. Three points.

Aroma/Bouquet (0-4 points): A sweet malty aroma with a slight vanilla finish. The bourbon gave it a slightly off smell, not bad, but not desirable. Three points.

Taste (0-10 points): Nice balance of malt and hops. Sets a nice backdrop for the vanilla bourbon flavors to play out. A very smooth beer, with moderate mouthfeel. Ten points.

Overall Impression (1-3) points: I have to admit that I wanted to like this beer before I opened the first bottle, so my rating may be affected. I found the Vanilla Bourbon finish very nice, but very cloying after a couple of beers. But still very drinkable! Two Points.

Total: 18 points!