Batch No. 23185 (Williamsburg, VA) - Anheuser-Busch

mynie

Indiana

2.93/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours sparkly translucent amber. Smells of syrupy caramel malt and not much else. Not bad, but underwhelming.

Tastes like the aforementioned very thick malt and big dose of medicinal, fake vanilla. Like, I don't doubt that they used actual vanilla in the brewing of this beer, but it really tastes like that chemical imitation stuff. The thick caramel mixes with the fake vanilla to give off the not-entirely-unpleasant cheap candy vibe. It's not horrible, but I really doubt it's what they were going for.

I wouldn't be surprised if this beer was actually pretty good, when it was made as an experiment and not ultra-mass produced. As is, it's drinkable but off.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2012 04:38:29 | More by mynie

brewskifan55

Mississippi

3.38/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a snifter

A: Light amber/golden with a half finger head that lingers.

S: Corn, sweet, malty.

T: Suprisingly smooth. A decent combination of malts, caramel and corn. I get that familiar Bud taste, only a bit more enhanced. Light vanilla, but no bourbon aging.

M: Medium with creamy carbonation.

O: Of the 3 offerings in the mix pack, this one is the most palatable. An easy drinker, just nothing outstanding. Still, not offensive. If Budweiser is trying to get all crafty, they could do a whole lot better.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2012 16:02:29 | More by brewskifan55

EgadBananas

Louisiana

1.98/5  rDev -33.6%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2

Pours a golden colour, not quite amber. Bubbly, minimal white head. Not convinced it deserved the tulip I poured it in. Pale malts make up the bulk. I don't know if I'm actually getting a minute hint of vanilla, or if I'm just willing myself out of pity. Taste as well is just some slightly sweet pale malts. I know it's all malt, but it still seems corny. The feel, unlike the rest, is quite nice. It's light bodied, but it's creamy, not too overly carbonated, and is incredibly smooth on the palate. Unfortunately, that's not enough for me to call this anything but a publicity ploy. Budweiser gives you the green light to brew anything you want, and this is the shit you come up with? It's somewhat offensive.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2012 01:59:23 | More by EgadBananas

puboflyons

New Hampshire

3.48/5  rDev +16.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

From the 12 fl. oz. bottle marked 12276-WA24. Sampled on November 20, 2012.

The pour is a vibrant golden color with busy carbonation erupting toward a lingering off-white head.

I do note the slightest vanilla flavoring on the nose but I tend to pick up more sweet, pale malts. I did not get the bourbon as promoted.

The body has a decent, smooth medium texture to it.

The taste begins sweet with a hint of vanilla and a subtle bourbon note followed by a clean, crisp but short-live hop character. I hope you try this blindly and don't let the name "Budweiser" pre-determine your assessment. You may be surprised.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2012 23:11:08 | More by puboflyons

TMoney2591

Illinois

2.8/5  rDev -6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Served in a Lagunitas mason jar.

Finishing off the Project 12 pack with the vaunted (I'm sure somebody vaunted it) bourbon- and vanilla-aged amber lager. It pours a clear sunrise amber topped by a finger of off-cream foam. The nose comprises barley, light vanilla bean, very light oak, and a touch of funky wheat. The taste brings in more of the same, with that funky wheat gaining in potency and everything else sorta fading into the distance. That is, except for the vanilla, which spikes through with a sharp sweetness every now and again. The body is a light medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a slick feel. Overall, an okay amber lager, but one that doesn't express its aging very well, and one that devolves into muddled dissonance.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2012 21:44:31 | More by TMoney2591

chilidog

Ohio

2.68/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

I looked forward to this one the most but yet the most disappointed. I love a bourbon based brew. I guess bourbon staves is no barrel.
Pours a slight amber, egg white head, no real lace.
Aroma is bread, biscuit like.
Taste is so bud like, no bourbon to be had. All malt taste.
Mouth is smooth and rice like.
Overal, a-b steps into this craft beer seen with a toe, does not jump in the respective style. So close yet so far away.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2012 00:59:52 | More by chilidog

johnnnniee

New Hampshire

3.23/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a deep golden color with a good sized meringue heads that shows great retention and leaves a fair amount of lace. Smells of vanilla up front on top of very faint wood and a sweet grainy honey maltiness. Extremely light spicy hop aroma. The flavor is malty sweet with a rich almost caramel flavor atop some grain and honey. The vanilla and oak are quite subtle in the flavor but you can catch fleeting glimpses here and there. Medium body with a moderate to high level of carbonation and a creamy bubbly mouthfeel. Not a bad beer, in fact this might be my favorite mega brewery beer yet. I'd still buy something else before I picked this up again.

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2012 03:16:47 | More by johnnnniee

Tone

Missouri

3.28/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clear, copper color. 2/3 inch head of an off-white color. Great retention and decent lacing. Smells of sweet malt, hops, hint of pine, slight hop oils, slight earthy malt, hint of pale malt, and adjunct. Fits the style of an American Amber / Red Lager. Mouth feel is sharp and crisp, with an average carbonation level. Tastes of sweet malt, slight earthy malt, hint of caramel malt, adjunct, slight hops, slight metallic, and sugary sweetness. Overall, decent appearance and aroma. Body and blend are lacking in comparison.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2012 17:05:58 | More by Tone

Justin23060

Virginia

3.45/5  rDev +15.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A - 1.5 finger head that diminished but stuck around. Color is like bourbon as mentioned in notes.
S - Sweet malt, way more mellow than original Bud. No real hop presence.
T - Sweet with a bit of a linger. I get and like the vanilla thing, and not fake frosting vanilla like I was expecting. Hops only bitter.
M - Thin could have used a little more carb.
O - Nice. I was expecting fraternity beer with some vanilla extract, but got a nice mellow offering with some actual flavor. It's pretty straight forward and safe as expected. Knowing that Anheuser-Busch can produce something this tasty for only 96 cents a bottle is pretty impressive.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2012 05:01:06 | More by Justin23060

EagleTalon

Arkansas

3.33/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours out to a 1 inch white head that falls to a thin layer and color is light copper. Aroma is much like a Michelob original with a slight hint of vanilla and caramel. Flavor is also much like Michelob in that it has that signature AB yeast note along with macro-like grainy sweetness and some vanilla in there too. Hops are low-key. Mouthfeel is ok, still much like a Michelob. Overall this beer says "hey, let's take a marginally respectable all malt american premium lager and dick around with some crafty ingredients and see how many dumbasses buy it." It's not too bad if you consider the source. This was the best of the three in the Project 12 pack.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2012 04:05:49 | More by EagleTalon

pkalix

California

2.28/5  rDev -23.5%
look: 2 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

3rd of the sampler pack. batter than the last, for certain, but geez, do they really understand where they are in terms of the beer world? are they really that oblivious to the world of beer? but then, it sells so well. so it must be the consumers. who the heck buys this crap, anyway?
but again, this one is better than the last...
pours . . . . the same as the last two from this sampler pack- corn-y, yellow, etc...
tastes . . . . better than the last one from this sampler pack...
smells.... oh god... corn? malts, my butt...
overall, 2nd best of the sampler pack- i apparently opened the right side of the box to get the best one first. it went downhill from there. i hope my friends dont find out that i bought budwiper. sampler pack or not. i fell for the marketing. and the BS. competition, my BUTT. and why the heck would a company in BELGIUM buy budwiper? was it simply a monopoly piece? i bet THAT GUY was fired... funny thing is BA has it classified as a 'red lager'. kind of like classifying a chihuahua as a dog, dontcha think?

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2012 02:41:57 | More by pkalix

JMad

Texas

3.08/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured a light amber/ golden color with a solid foamy white head. The smell is malty and sweet with bread and just a small hint of vanilla and cinnamon. It doesn't really taste like a true amber just a sweeter version of budweiser and if you really 'try', you can kind of taste some vanilla. Feels medium bodied and smooth with a perfect amount of carbonation. This is an improvement from your average macro beer, nothing special but drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2012 03:50:30 | More by JMad

zeff80

Missouri

3.28/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A - Poured out a clear, golden amber color with a small off-white head. It left little to no lacing.

S - It smelled malty and sweet with some floral notes. Nothing very prominent.

T - Mostly with caramel and toasty malt. A slight bitter bite provides some balance.

M - It was crisp, sharp and smooth. A light to medium bodied brew with a clean finish.

O - Not stellar but better than their usual lineup of beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2012 04:34:44 | More by zeff80

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

3.25/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Budweiser Project 12 : Batch 23185

LOOK: Crystal clear copper colored brew with a bone white head and decent retention.

SMELL: Malty, with some Budweiser yeast and just a hint of wood from the addition of Bourbon barrel staves.

TASTE: Super clean malts, with caramel like sweetness and very soft vanilla and bourbon flavors that mainly just translate to extra sweetness. Generic hoppyness comes through and does a decent job at providing some bitterness to balance the brew. Finishes with a small sweetness with muted complexities. Would love the flavors to be stronger here.

FEEL: Medium bodied, crisp, mildly sweet with a small grainy hop bite.

OVERALL: A pretty decent beer, given Bud's usual offerings. Still, this falls quite short of being a good barrel aged beer. Most of the desirable flavors are meek here , but still pretty drinkable. My favorite of the project 12 series, tastes close to the Bourbon Cask Ale that they brew in the winter.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2012 22:43:51 | More by Stinkypuss

Reaper16

Alabama

3.1/5  rDev +4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12oz. bottle served at Egan's, Tuscaloosa, AL

The vanilla is pretty expressive in this beer's aroma, all things considered. You notice it first, before the house Bud character steps in. I can almost pick up on a woody note but the grain takes it over.

I can taste the wood from the bourbon barrel staves, but it is this light balancing agent. Nothing more. Sort of like how the beechwood works in Bud proper. But the barrel staves make for a rounder, maltier lager. The vanilla is the main draw here, as the malt bill isn't giving off a whole lot of flavor (despite the color).

Of the three small batch Buds I had yesterday this was my favorite. I wouldn't drink more than one (in fact, I wouldn't buy any at all) but I respect Bud's effort here.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2012 00:03:59 | More by Reaper16

chinchill

South Carolina

3.05/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

12 oz bottle served in a snifter. Has a nice clear amber body, but the small head is very short-lived.

The rather faint aroma [3.25] of vanilla is even more subtle in tasting. The bourbon stakes have too little influence for me to really notice; for me, there was more wood (oak?) than bourbon, but in any case very faint.

O: This tastes too much like a regular Budweiser (but notably more malty), and not enough like a special small batch craft brew. Still, flawless execution of a rather lame recipe, with a nice smooth feel and a semi-dry finish.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2012 00:21:03 | More by chinchill

boilermakerbrew

Indiana

3.2/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A- Pours a mid-gold, almost turning into amber color. About a 1.5 finger head that retains quite well, leaving a thin film of froth on the top. Little to no lacing. Clear as can be.

S- Very faint nose on this one. Slight hint of vanilla and sweetness on the nose. No detectable bourbon or oak flavor. Most of the nose is light malt and barley, with slight metallic hints of an AAL.

T- Basically the same as the nose. Starts off with light to mid malt flavors with a slight metallic flavor underneath, Hint of vanilla sweetness mixes in. The slightest oak flavor profile is in there somewhere, but not distinct. Ends like a light lager with a little metallic aftertaste.

M- Light, crisp, and easy to drink. Flavor profile is not heavy to affect the mouthfeel.

Overall, this Project 12 beer had the most going for it, but fell way short. The vanilla, oak, and bourbon flavor was virtually nonexistent. Not a bad beer, but not what it could have been.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2012 21:56:14 | More by boilermakerbrew

MrHurmateeowish

New Hampshire

3.63/5  rDev +21.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle purchased as part of the mixed 12 pack. Drinking out of a Samuel Adams perfect pint glass. Pours an amber body with nearly an inch of khaki-colored head. Wood and vanilla notes comprise the aroma. Tastes sweet and malty initially which fades to vanilla and finally to woody notes in the finish. Medium in body and carbonation. Quite drinkable. Not bad. I actually like it.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2012 00:45:40 | More by MrHurmateeowish

bashiba

Iowa

2.88/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Poured a nice light amber with a touch of copper, a thin white head that quickly dissipates into a light white ring of bubbles.

The smell is very mild, just a light bready sweetness.

The flavor is mild with a light malty sweetness followed by a touch of bitterness and a long lingering astringency.

The mouthfeel is very dry, maybe the only sign of the bourbon staves that I really detect.

Pretty average and boring, out of the 3 project 12 beers this one looked like it had the most promise, but turned out to be pretty boring and a bit flawed.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2012 23:32:45 | More by bashiba

dhannes

Wisconsin

3.8/5  rDev +27.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Poured chilled from a bottle into a Perfect Pint. Paid $12.49 for the sampler pack, which is about $2 more than regular Budweiser, but $1 less than true micros.

A=Nice dark amber, but too light for a "Red" Lager. Three finger head lasted about a minute.

S=Nice presence of barley and hops...very appealing. Stronger aroma than BMC's.

T=First sip was enjoyable (had warmed up to about 40º)--subtle flavor, more malt but a faintness of hops (this is the second of the four bottles from the sampler pack, but I don't recall too much from the first bottle, as I only had half the bottle and drank it out of a non-beer glass). Smoothness, but do not really detect vanilla and only a hint of bourbon flavoring. Budweiser yeast flavor is rather predominant--so much so, that it reminded me of a slightly stronger Budweiser.

M=Body is a bit lighter than true micros, and carbonation is a bit more than usual.

O=If you like Bud, this is a better version and could be a good stepping stone to craft beers. In the literature enclosed, A-B encourages people to vote on the three versions, so it appears that one of the three will be marketed year-round, probably as Budweiser Black (A-B recently got approval on the new label). I doubt I would buy this again, but would choose it over other BMC's with the exception of Batch 19.

2/13: Had my last bottle, paired with Pizza Hut Taco pizza, and was impressed. Increased appearance, taste and overall by quarter point each.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2012 19:55:55 | More by dhannes

alk3kenny

Georgia

2.15/5  rDev -27.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Project 12 rd 3 light amber... Appearance is very similar to the "deep amber" about the same color and the same quickly thinning head. Really want to smell the bourbon and vanilla in this but... I don't might be there faintly but probably because I'm really looking for it... Not much of a scent at all really... but not offensive either. Common theme with these beers is the sweetness... this one is very light but is really the only flavor in the beer as well. Easily drinkable mouthfeel is a bit creamier then the others, but no bourbon or vanilla notes to be found at all. Not that impressed with any of these beers but they are all at least drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2012 05:07:55 | More by alk3kenny

justintcoons

Pennsylvania

2.5/5  rDev -16.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Poured into a pint glass.

Appearance
Golden amber with 2 fingers of fizzy head that dissipates quickly. Excellent clarity and an absurd amount of carbonation.

Nose
Honestly this one smells a bit like urine. A touch of bourbon-esque sweetness, apple cider and caramel.

Taste
The bourbon and vanilla flavors are suspiciously absent. This really doesn't taste like much at all. There are some caramel and apple juice flavors. Perhaps a touch of bourbon-like sweetness. No vanilla whatsoever.

Mouthfeel
Medium bodied, crisp and clean.

Overall
Not horrible, but there's really not much flavor there. The promise of bourbon and vanilla were disappointing. Very light but not offensive.

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2012 20:45:14 | More by justintcoons