#441: Innis & Gunn Winter Beer – Innis & Gunn, Edinburgh, Scotland Happy Thanksgiving, my lovelies. Yesterday I mentioned that I had a couple of Innis & Gunn beers to get to, and this one rounds it off. It’s the brewery’s winter seasonal, a porter brewed with molasses, checking in at 8.5% ABV. Without further delay, let’s dive in. Pours with an off-white/ivory head, quite substantial and creamy in appearance. On the nose I was expecting more of a fruitiness, perhaps the color and description threw me off. Instead, it’s suggesting a sweet beer lies ahead. It’s very cakey, with notes of vanilla, frosting and oak all wafting about. It might sound bizarre, but it’s actually quite nice. On the palate, the beer takes on a richer texture than I expected, bordering on syrupy, but never quite crossing the threshold. Instead, there’s just enough carbonation to keep it from feeling too heavy. This wraps the flavors up securely, allowing you to enjoy the subtle touches of the beer, revealing vanilla, oak, bit of roast and quite a bit of fleshy fruit in the form of plum, and perhaps blackberry. The Verdict: Like most Innis & Gunn experiences I’ve had, it’s quite nice. It isn’t my favorite from the range (I think the spiced rum beer might have my heart in that department), but there’s enough going on here to keep things interesting. Just don’t expect to have your socks knocked off.

#441: Innis & Gunn Winter Beer – Innis & Gunn, Edinburgh, Scotland

Happy Thanksgiving, my lovelies. Yesterday I mentioned that I had a couple of Innis & Gunn beers to get to, and this one rounds it off. It’s the brewery’s winter seasonal, a porter brewed with molasses, checking in at 8.5% ABV. Without further delay, let’s dive in.

Pours with an off-white/ivory head, quite substantial and creamy in appearance. On the nose I was expecting more of a fruitiness, perhaps the color and description threw me off. Instead, it’s suggesting a sweet beer lies ahead. It’s very cakey, with notes of vanilla, frosting and oak all wafting about. It might sound bizarre, but it’s actually quite nice. On the palate, the beer takes on a richer texture than I expected, bordering on syrupy, but never quite crossing the threshold. Instead, there’s just enough carbonation to keep it from feeling too heavy. This wraps the flavors up securely, allowing you to enjoy the subtle touches of the beer, revealing vanilla, oak, bit of roast and quite a bit of fleshy fruit in the form of plum, and perhaps blackberry.

The Verdict: Like most Innis & Gunn experiences I’ve had, it’s quite nice. It isn’t my favorite from the range (I think the spiced rum beer might have my heart in that department), but there’s enough going on here to keep things interesting. Just don’t expect to have your socks knocked off.

#440: Innis & Gunn Spiced Rum Finish – Innis & Gunn, Edinburgh, Scotland I’ve got a couple of Innis & Gunn selections I’ve been meaning to get to, so I’ll be doing that over the next two days. Before I get into the beer, I’d like to credit Innis & Gunn for being more conscious of their suspect packaging. I’ll never fathom why marketers insist on clear bottles that are basically tractor beams for lightstrike, but at least in some cases they’ve upgraded to taller four-pack holders to protect the beer from light. Well done there. Today we’ll take a look at Innis & Gunn Spiced Rum Finish, finished over oak and infused with, obviously, spiced rum. Checks in at 6.9% ABV. A cleary buttery copper hue here, with a gentle cap of off-white foam. On the nose, it smells like what you might have been expecting based on the description. There’s the hint of malty sweetness wafting about for a second, but this quickly falls to the wayside, as the notes of rum, spice and a bit of vanilla take over. As with many Innis & Gunn beers, it isn’t all that different from actually smelling rum, just with less of an alcoholic sting. And on tasting, it’s really a delightful beer. It’s moderately carbonated, and this is just enough to break things up a bit and keep the flavors bearable. Coupled with the substantial mouthfeel, the flavors of rum, damp wood, and vanilla shine bright, and underneath it all there’s a toffee butter character that always seems to be tucked into Innis & Gunn beers. Awfully nice. The Verdict: The more Innis & Gunn I drink, the more I realize that sweet, buttery toffee is a component of all their beers. Not everyone will like that, but I do. Especially in this beer. Spiced rum plays with it very, very well.

#440: Innis & Gunn Spiced Rum Finish – Innis & Gunn, Edinburgh, Scotland

I’ve got a couple of Innis & Gunn selections I’ve been meaning to get to, so I’ll be doing that over the next two days. Before I get into the beer, I’d like to credit Innis & Gunn for being more conscious of their suspect packaging. I’ll never fathom why marketers insist on clear bottles that are basically tractor beams for lightstrike, but at least in some cases they’ve upgraded to taller four-pack holders to protect the beer from light. Well done there. Today we’ll take a look at Innis & Gunn Spiced Rum Finish, finished over oak and infused with, obviously, spiced rum. Checks in at 6.9% ABV.

A cleary buttery copper hue here, with a gentle cap of off-white foam. On the nose, it smells like what you might have been expecting based on the description. There’s the hint of malty sweetness wafting about for a second, but this quickly falls to the wayside, as the notes of rum, spice and a bit of vanilla take over. As with many Innis & Gunn beers, it isn’t all that different from actually smelling rum, just with less of an alcoholic sting. And on tasting, it’s really a delightful beer. It’s moderately carbonated, and this is just enough to break things up a bit and keep the flavors bearable. Coupled with the substantial mouthfeel, the flavors of rum, damp wood, and vanilla shine bright, and underneath it all there’s a toffee butter character that always seems to be tucked into Innis & Gunn beers. Awfully nice.

The Verdict: The more Innis & Gunn I drink, the more I realize that sweet, buttery toffee is a component of all their beers. Not everyone will like that, but I do. Especially in this beer. Spiced rum plays with it very, very well.

#374: Independence Day 2012 – Innis & Gunn, Edinburgh, Scotland It would’ve made a much greater deal of sense had I put up this review on July 4th, right? Sadly, that’s not how I do. On July 4th I drank Orval with my lobster dinner. Deal with it. Onto today’s beer, a limited edition brew to mark the American Independence Day of July 4th. It checks in at 7.0% ABV, brewed with American hops and Scottish barley, though I couldn’t find specifics on either one. This one foamed up carefully and slowly. At first I was a little concerned that there would be no attractive layer of foam gracing the top of the beer, because such things make me happy. But it didn’t let me down, as an off-white rim of foam did appear, capping off the rubyish red/scorched amber body. A dip of the nose above the rim and the following mental sequence occurred: VANILLA VANILLA VANILLA VANILLA VANILLA VANILLA. And a slight skunkiness… I’d assume the clear bottle had a role to play in that one. Sigh. A particularly sweet beer indeed. Innis & Gunn does seem to lean ever so slightly towards sweet with its beers, so that’s no surprise, but even for them this is uncharted territory. As evidenced by the nose, there’s a massive hit of vanilla from front to back. You never really forget that it’s there. This is joined by a touch of caramel, in a buttery sense, which in this context I quite like. The feel on the palate is interesting, kind of a cross between syrupy and well-carbonated, one over taking the other at different parts. Oaky bits in the finish, as well as the faintest touch of booze. The Verdict: As I hammered throughout the review, a pretty sweet beer here. Quite nice, though, as it’s well-supported by the body, and the flavors are lovely.

#374: Independence Day 2012 – Innis & Gunn, Edinburgh, Scotland

It would’ve made a much greater deal of sense had I put up this review on July 4th, right? Sadly, that’s not how I do. On July 4th I drank Orval with my lobster dinner. Deal with it. Onto today’s beer, a limited edition brew to mark the American Independence Day of July 4th. It checks in at 7.0% ABV, brewed with American hops and Scottish barley, though I couldn’t find specifics on either one.

This one foamed up carefully and slowly. At first I was a little concerned that there would be no attractive layer of foam gracing the top of the beer, because such things make me happy. But it didn’t let me down, as an off-white rim of foam did appear, capping off the rubyish red/scorched amber body. A dip of the nose above the rim and the following mental sequence occurred: VANILLA VANILLA VANILLA VANILLA VANILLA VANILLA. And a slight skunkiness… I’d assume the clear bottle had a role to play in that one. Sigh.

A particularly sweet beer indeed. Innis & Gunn does seem to lean ever so slightly towards sweet with its beers, so that’s no surprise, but even for them this is uncharted territory. As evidenced by the nose, there’s a massive hit of vanilla from front to back. You never really forget that it’s there. This is joined by a touch of caramel, in a buttery sense, which in this context I quite like. The feel on the palate is interesting, kind of a cross between syrupy and well-carbonated, one over taking the other at different parts. Oaky bits in the finish, as well as the faintest touch of booze.

The Verdict: As I hammered throughout the review, a pretty sweet beer here. Quite nice, though, as it’s well-supported by the body, and the flavors are lovely.

#332: Rum Cask Oak-Aged Beer – Innis & Gunn, Edinburgh, Scotland Innis & Gunn Original is damn excellent. There’s certainly something to this trend of barrel-aged beer. The good ones tend to be… well, really good. But as far as Innis & Gunn goes, I’ve only ever had the original. Then the Rum Cask-aged Innis & Gunn started popping up on my local shelves. Can’t turn that one down. Checks in at 7.4%. So a surprising amount of head on this one, and I was especially surprised by the sturdiness and creaminess of it. Usually with a stronger brew, these fizzle out quickly and leave a tiny barrier between you and the beer, but this one stuck around for a while and looked quite attractive on top of what is a gorgeous beer. Deep, dark, ruby red highlights, with some dark purple or fuschia tones tucked in there as well. The aroma is one you’ll want to spend a little time with. You certainly get the rum, but there’s plenty more going on here; I get a strong burnt sugar overtone, with some dried fruit and vanilla tucked underneath that as well, with just a touch of booze. I love a good barrel-aged beer, but it’s not uncommon to run into some problems with them. Some of them can easily end up being all barrel and no beer, and it’s almost as if the barrels strip the beery identity away, getting lodged in the wood somewhere. That is most certainly not the case here. You’re perfectly aware that you’re drinking a beer. A very good one, one whose flavors marry beautifully. I’d say a more distinct vanilla flavor comes out to play, and we come back to that burnt sugar touch, joined by a touch of hot spiciness, both of which I would imagine come from the rum barrel. It certainly has that liquory, boozy quality, but it’s remarkably well-blended into the rest of the body. Raisins and maybe even dried apricots come out a bit, and you’re constantly reminded of the beer’s strong, malty base, providing ample sweetness. Bit oaky in the finish, and a pinch of alcohol gently stings the back of the throat. The Verdict: Complex, deep, dark flavors intertwined with a touch of alcohol and a rich, malty body. Great, great stuff.

#332: Rum Cask Oak-Aged Beer – Innis & Gunn, Edinburgh, Scotland

Innis & Gunn Original is damn excellent. There’s certainly something to this trend of barrel-aged beer. The good ones tend to be… well, really good. But as far as Innis & Gunn goes, I’ve only ever had the original. Then the Rum Cask-aged Innis & Gunn started popping up on my local shelves. Can’t turn that one down. Checks in at 7.4%.

So a surprising amount of head on this one, and I was especially surprised by the sturdiness and creaminess of it. Usually with a stronger brew, these fizzle out quickly and leave a tiny barrier between you and the beer, but this one stuck around for a while and looked quite attractive on top of what is a gorgeous beer. Deep, dark, ruby red highlights, with some dark purple or fuschia tones tucked in there as well. The aroma is one you’ll want to spend a little time with. You certainly get the rum, but there’s plenty more going on here; I get a strong burnt sugar overtone, with some dried fruit and vanilla tucked underneath that as well, with just a touch of booze.

I love a good barrel-aged beer, but it’s not uncommon to run into some problems with them. Some of them can easily end up being all barrel and no beer, and it’s almost as if the barrels strip the beery identity away, getting lodged in the wood somewhere. That is most certainly not the case here. You’re perfectly aware that you’re drinking a beer. A very good one, one whose flavors marry beautifully. I’d say a more distinct vanilla flavor comes out to play, and we come back to that burnt sugar touch, joined by a touch of hot spiciness, both of which I would imagine come from the rum barrel. It certainly has that liquory, boozy quality, but it’s remarkably well-blended into the rest of the body. Raisins and maybe even dried apricots come out a bit, and you’re constantly reminded of the beer’s strong, malty base, providing ample sweetness. Bit oaky in the finish, and a pinch of alcohol gently stings the back of the throat.

The Verdict: Complex, deep, dark flavors intertwined with a touch of alcohol and a rich, malty body. Great, great stuff.

#314: Innis & Gunn Original – Innis & Gunn, Edinburgh, Scotland A review I had to get to sooner or later. It seems it’s that kind of week so far; doing bucket list reviews. Innis & Gunn as a company was kind of an accident. The original idea was to create something like “Ale Reserve Whisky,” so beer would’ve been placed into the barrel, set to age, and then removed and discarded, so whisky could take its place and be infused with ale flavors. Apparently the beer was too good to get rid of. Innis & Gunn Original is aged in oak Bourbon barrels and matured for 77 days, imparting all sorts of lovely flavors into this 6.6% ABV brew. I always get annoyed when I see these clear bottles, I can’t help it. But I will say, it did look very, very, very appealing when I pulled it out of the ‘fridge. Looking at it in the bottle, it really does look quite a bit like whiskey. It has that scorched orange color that the drink is so well-known for. The head creamed up initially, but quickly settled out to the thin rim you see there. The aroma is just damn delightful. Tons and tons of vanilla, to go along with strong toffee and caramel, and a touch of that whiskey-ish booze. And yet somehow it still manages to taste like beer, even with all of the flavors that have been imparted. The vanilla continues to come right on through, though it’s comparatively soft when you stack it up next to the nose. Certainly strong caramel and toffee flavors take up a good portion the room, joined by an underlying smokiness and that rich, warming whiskey-ish flavor that hangs on the edges. All of these flavors are wrapped nicely in the body, which has a nice “oomph” to it. Oak comes through in the finish, as it always does. The Verdict: A must try, quite simply.

#314: Innis & Gunn Original – Innis & Gunn, Edinburgh, Scotland

A review I had to get to sooner or later. It seems it’s that kind of week so far; doing bucket list reviews. Innis & Gunn as a company was kind of an accident. The original idea was to create something like “Ale Reserve Whisky,” so beer would’ve been placed into the barrel, set to age, and then removed and discarded, so whisky could take its place and be infused with ale flavors. Apparently the beer was too good to get rid of. Innis & Gunn Original is aged in oak Bourbon barrels and matured for 77 days, imparting all sorts of lovely flavors into this 6.6% ABV brew.

I always get annoyed when I see these clear bottles, I can’t help it. But I will say, it did look very, very, very appealing when I pulled it out of the ‘fridge. Looking at it in the bottle, it really does look quite a bit like whiskey. It has that scorched orange color that the drink is so well-known for. The head creamed up initially, but quickly settled out to the thin rim you see there. The aroma is just damn delightful. Tons and tons of vanilla, to go along with strong toffee and caramel, and a touch of that whiskey-ish booze.

And yet somehow it still manages to taste like beer, even with all of the flavors that have been imparted. The vanilla continues to come right on through, though it’s comparatively soft when you stack it up next to the nose. Certainly strong caramel and toffee flavors take up a good portion the room, joined by an underlying smokiness and that rich, warming whiskey-ish flavor that hangs on the edges. All of these flavors are wrapped nicely in the body, which has a nice “oomph” to it. Oak comes through in the finish, as it always does.

The Verdict: A must try, quite simply.