Kentucky Vanilla Barrel Cream Ale
Alltech's Lexington Brewing and Distilling Co.

 

I got a bottle of this beer from my old college roomie whom bought a sixer of it at my local meijer store. It poured a clear amber with very thin white head that is not leaving any lace. The scent had subtle vanilla notes. The taste was nicely balanced and easy to drink with strong vanilla presence. The mouthfeel was medium in body and had good carbonation. Overall it is a great beer.

 

One of the best smelling beers I've ever had. It literally smells like vanilla cookies.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is a 12oz, bottle poured into my Bourbon Barrel Snifter glass. There is just a slight white head that disappeared as fast as it appeared. There is an ample show of carbonation in this clear, very light brown brew, leaning toward orange.
The aroma is vanilla, just sweet vanilla.
The flavor is sweet vanilla with a very slight oak dryness to the finish. I was hoping for a little bourbon bite and more oak flavors. This is a vanilla cream soda beer.
The feel is medium creamy, slightly dry to the finish.
This is good. OK, I would like it better if the vanilla was subdued and the oak and bourbon notes were showcased a bit more here.

 

 

On tap, surprisingly, at a local pizza shop. The appearance is clear, golden, some bubbles. Smell is mostly vanilla, with a hint of bourbon. The taste follows the nose , both of which I liked. This is an unusual beer with its cream soda like taste but the bourbon on the back end makes it work. Not sure how many of these I could drink, but for that 16oz. , it was delicious.

Poured hard from a bottle into a snifter glass, forming a ton of frothy light white head. Color is a clear amber. Smell is sweet and icing-like vanilla. Taste follows the smell, a bit artificially sweet vanilla, a hint of bready. Light bodied with moderate carbonation even after the hard pour. Not bad, but the artificial sweetness wasn't my thing.

 

 

 

 

Hints of a coffee/latte with a first note of vanilla. Sweet but not overpowering with a light and refreshing taste. Oak and ale comes in on the last note but doesn’t linger which makes me want to take another drink! If you are into a sweeter, creamier ale then this is the beer for you. Would be a great beer for all seasons and would be paired nicely with a dessert or even by it’s own with the refreshing taste.

 

 

Thin head, good bubbles. First sip, tastes like cream soda. Sweet, prominent vanilla flavor. Can't really taste any hops. Thin body, very easy to drink, refreshing. Fun to drink !

 

Not sure why it is rated so high. Tastes and smells like air freshener

Pours a gem clear, rich amber gold (SRM 5-7). A thin, off-white foam is short lived, leaving spotty lace on a double-walled pint glass. Columns of carbonation are perpetual.

Wow! They're not kidding with the vanilla and cream. The aroma is very similar to Cool Whip, with a faint touch of Jack Daniels. Toffee and saltwater taffy are also quite evident. The likeness to cream soda is remarkable.

Flavor follows the nose, with the whiskey being more noticeable. Cream and coconut cream are front and center, along with taffy. Initially, the finish is a bit astringent, though after a few sips, that all disappears, leaving only a pleasant, moderately long afterglow.

The body is light and crisp with a soft, silk texture. While alcohol is posted at 5.5%, given the aroma and flavor, it is shockingly absent. Carbonation is light.

This is a fun and exciting twist on the normally uninspiring Cream Ale. I bet this would work just as well as a Kentucky Common. I enjoyed it on a cool and sunny mid-Spring afternoon while a light breeze rustled through the trees.

 

 

Purchased as a six-pack from Kroger for $10.99. Poured into a nonic pint glass.

L - Bright copper with a one-finger cream head. Head dissipates quickly.
S - Vanilla, birch, and corn. A bit of bourbon is present, but not too noticeable.
T - Vanilla and corn notes are very upfront. Hints of toffee and caramel. Finish is a bit of a watered-down vanilla. Well-balanced.
F - Extremely drinkable. Refreshing. Medium-light body with light carbonation. It'd be super easy to crush a six-pack without realizing it.
O - All things considered, this was pretty underwhelming. A great cream ale for sure, but a very average brew. I'd recommend giving it a try, but be warned: the vanilla is muted, the toffee is barely noticeable, and the bourbon notes are merely "technically" there. I probably would buy this again for game night parties, but that'd be the only reason.

Slightly glowing transparent amber under a light 3-finger vanilla pudding head holds promise... especially since this is the 5th bottle of a 6-pack picked up late last week. Vanilla is certainly the name of the game here. Bordering on the cloying, it is not an overpowering scent and reminds me of a boozy creme brulee. The vanilla is still there in the taste, but any sweetness is nicely cut by a bitter bourbony creaminess that gives only a slight bite as I swallow it. I can't drink more than one of these at a go, but then why should I deprive myself of one tomorrow.

 

The vanilla was just overwhelming for me. The beer looked good when poured, had a good head, smelled okay, but the flavor didn't impress me. I would not purchase it. The bottle was left by my future son-in-law. I may have to talk to my daughter.

 

 

 

 

 

Smell & taste of bourbon vanilla beans. Well balanced ABV, vanilla and bourbon to this cream ale. Bourbon lovers should try it!

Pours a clear light amber. Sweet vanilla aroma. Bold vanilla body. Perhaps too bold. Fades to a unpleasant bitterness. Creamy. Not bad but I wouldn't drink another one...unless that's all there was to drink.