Abita 25th Anniversary Vanilla Doubledog

February 20th, 2012 by Scott in Other Beer Reviews

It’s no secret I’m a big fan of Abita. One reason is that like Abita, I was born and raised in Louisiana. I didn’t like beer before I started drinking Abita Amber, and over the years since the Abita brewery has given me plenty of different beers to try, including Purple Haze, Jockamo IPA, and Andygator.

2011 was Abita Beer’s 25th anniversary, and to celebrate they brewed up a special version of Turbodog and bottled it only in 22oz bottles. The label screams New Orleans with its wrought-iron design, and I really like the design.

So let’s get down to it. The beer smells like Turbodog, which shouldn’t be much of a surprise since it’s a variant of the popular brown ale. However, the taste is a bit different. It has a smoother flavor than regular Turbodog and the vanilla flavor is definitely present. Coffee and chocolate flavors also are in there, but not many hops. Thick mouthfeel, but the taste doesn’t linger very long.

I believe this is a limited release (and it was released in 2011), but I have seen bottles hanging around the liquor store here recently. I’ve kept a few bottles as part of my beer stash to have on future occasions, but you might still be able to find this one. It’s not a very expensive 22oz bottle either; it should run you $5 or less.

I actually find it a little strange that I’m a few years older than Abita, but I guess I never thought about it before and Abita’s been around New Orleans as long as I can remember. Either way, happy anniversary Abita and thank you for the delicious beer!