The 2-4 Days of Christmas Day 6: Innis and Gunn Limited Edition Highland Ale

Beer # 254 Innis and Gunn Limited Edition Highland Ale

Innis and Gunn Brewery

Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
Independent Brewery
Oak Aged Ale 7.4 % ABV 
Brown Glass Bottle 330 ml.
$5.95 (Canadian) At the LCBO

Twitter: @InnisandGunnCA


Another beer for the holidays. Innis and Gunn from Edinburgh is a great brewery for coming up with one shot and limited edition beers. This version has been aged with Highland Scotch whisky barrels.

Onto the tasting...

Pours an orange/amber, the colour of a nice honey. The head is off-white, short and made up of small to tiny bubbles. The aroma is very scotch-like. Notes of honey heather, spice, figs vanilla caramel and fresh baking. There are also woody notes, sharper than if it was aged in a barrel more like if chips were added.first sip is sweet and creamy. Honey is very present as is some toasty vanilla and bread. If we poured some maple syrup into this we could call it "French Toast" beer. Aeration gives us a nutty toasty fig and honey finish.


Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 


Cost: 5/6 PASS
Colour: 5/6 PASS
Beer Style: 5/6 PASS
Re-Order:  5/6  PASS
Experience:  5/6 PASS
Christmas Cheer:  5/6 PASS

Final Thoughts:

Much of what you would come to expect from an Innis and Gunn beer. Toasty, smooth, slightly creamy. The scotch notes work well with the style of beer, and the overall beer is very good. Mind you, there is where I start to run into some problems. This taste almost exactly like every other Innis and Gunn beer. It's starting to become too hard to tell them apart. Perhaps it is time to take this beer in a new direction? Other than that the beer is definitely worth the price of admission.

CJT


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The 2-4 Beers of Christmas: Day 24: Rare Oak Pale Ale Innis & Gunn

Beer # 188

Nickel Brook Brewing Company

Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
Independent
Oak aged Pale Ale 5.8 % ABV Clear Glass Bottle 330 ml.

$3.25 (Canadian) At the LCBO

Twitter: @InnisandGunnCA

Back again to Innis and Gunn... The oak aged beer people. They age all of their beers in oak barrels. This one is aged in Scottish Oak. 

Finally This is the last post of the 2-4 Beers of Christmas. I have a few Pint Jockey Adventures posts coming up for you and then we return to our regularly schedule beer blogs. 

Onto the Tasting:
Pours a bronze-gold colour with an off white head made up of small bubbles. Aroma is smoky and meaty with some light toasty grain. First sip is rich and sweet like fresh maple sap before it is turned into syrup. Woody, with some light smoke, a hint of caramel and vanilla, but very clean. Very delicate flavour. Aeration brings out some citrus and a hint more caramel/maple.

Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 



Cost: 5/6 PASS
Colour: 5/6 PASS
Beer Style: 4/6 PASS
Re-Order:  4/6 PASS
Experience:  4/6 PASS
Christmas Spirit 4/6 PASS


Final Thoughts:

Certainly one of the lightest and most refreshing of the Innis and Gunn beers. But to me it is lacking something... not sure what. a little too thin, perhaps.



Cheers And Beery Christmas


CJT


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The 2-4 Beers of Christmas: Day 5 Innis and Gunn Rum Finish

Beer # 168 Innis and Gunn Rum Finish

Innis and Gunn Brewery

Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
Independent
Oak Aged Ale 6.8 % ABV Clear Glass Bottle 330 ml.
$2.75 (Canadian) At the LCBO
Twitter: @InnisandGunnCA


As the weather turns significantly whiter, and the holiday season approaches, my thoughts turn to rum (and eggnog, and of course both... in large  quantities). So when I saw Innis and Gunn's Rum Finish beer I knew it would fit in with my 2-4 Beers of Christmas. Innis and Gunn if you are not aware is a Scottish brewery famous for oak ageing all of their beers. And several times a year they put out a special series. Around Canada Day they do a Canadian Whiskey aged beer, and they also do a vintage beer each year that is suitable for ageing. Now I did look back and I have done Innis and Gunn "Rum Cask" but the the tasting for it was very different to this one and this is "Rum Finish" So I will call this two separate beers.

Onto the Tasting...

Pours a dark honey amber with an off- white head made up of small bubbles. Aroma is oaky, sweet molasses, fruity with a hint of spice.first sip is woody and smoky with a big hit of rum. Dark to caramel malt comes of after and the hops are little herbal and spicy right at the end. There is some vanilla and dark sugars, some toasty caramel. Aeration amps up the rum and woodiness. finish is slightly tart and citrusy.

Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 



Cost: 5/6 PASS
Colour: 5/6 PASS
Beer Style: 4/6 PASS
Re-Order:  2/6 SO-SO
Experience:  4/6 PASS
Christmas Spirit 4/6 PASS


Final Thoughts:

Innis and Gunn is a good beer but it never sits well with me. I never seem to enjoy it as much as I would like. While quite tasty and flavourful... I just never seem to want to drink one. However, do not let that stop you. Try this beer, especially if you are a rum fan.

Cheers And Beery Christmas


CJT


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Beer # 129 Cameron's Deviator Doppelbock Oak Aged Series

Deviator Doppelbock Oak Aged Series

Cameron's Brewing Company

Oakville, Ontario, Canada
Independent
Oak Aged Doppelbock 8.6 % ABV Brown Glass Bottle 341 ml
$2.50 (Canadian) At LCBO 
Twitter: @CameronsBrewing

Ashamedly this is my first trip down to Cameron's Brewing. I am not a stranger to their beer, yet I haven't yet posted about them yet. Opened in 1997, Cameron's is certainly one of the pioneering craft breweries in the GTA and are well known in the craft beer circuit. Their Rye P.A. is spectacular (hopefully I will get to one soon). They are always big at OCBWeek, so I hope to see some there.  Tonight's beer is a German style doppelbock, that has been aged in Kentucky bourbon barrels for 6 months.


Enough with the set up... onto the beer:

Very dark chestnut in colour with a caramel coloured head made up of small bubbles. Aroma is very earthy, wood, portobello mushroom, malt candy, vanilla, and licorice. taste is black licorice, vanilla, turbinado sugar. As the taste progresses coffee, oak, cream, and a twinge of bitterness come out. It is not unlike horehound candy, malty, licorice, and a touch of medicinal qualities.The oak ageing has done wonders for the complexity of the beer, giving it a whisky feel. The alcohol is evident and warming but does not detract from the beer. The finish is dark caramel almost butterscotch. Aeration shows off the high alcohol, and brings out the oak in a big way, especially the bourbon.

Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 


Cost: 5/6 PASS
Colour: 6/6 EXCEPTIONAL
Beer Style: 5/6 PASS
Re-Order:  5/6 PASS
Experience:  5/6 PASS


Final Thoughts: 

a deep dark brooding beer perfect for contemplation. Complex, earthy and Delicious. One of these is enough. The alcohol is hot and sets in quickly.  Enjoy one by yourself or share one or two with a friend.


Cheers

CJT


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