Limited Edition Highland Cask
Innis & Gunn

 

 

look: Clear copper and off white head.
smell: caramel, fruit, vanilla. Nice nose .
taste: Much like the nose. Oak, caramel, vanilla, touch of Scotch. Not an amazing brew by any means but a damn pleasant one.

I am pulling stuff out of my refrigerator that I had completely forgotten about! I am not kidding when I say that the bottle backlog is out of control. I will be glad to return to The CANQuest (tm) when all is said & done.

From the bottle: "Oak Aged Like No Other Beer"; "Brewed In Small Batches"; "Oak Aged Beer"; "Beer Aged In Malt Whisky Casks"; "This special bottling of Innis & Gunn has been matured in oak barrels which ha previously been used to mature 18-year old single malt Scottish Whisky from the famed Highlands region of Scotland. The result of this unique maturation is a smooth, complex and warming beer with a classic Highland malt character."; "We hope you enjoy this beer as much as we do."; "Carefully Matured for 71 Days Prior to Release"; "Approved for Bottling [undersigned] Andrew Gourlay [;] Master Brewer [undersigned] Douglas Gunn Sup".

I Pop!ped the cap, but I employed a VERY gentle pour since I could see that some lees had settled in the punt of the bottle. As such, I only got a brief finger of foamy, light-tan head that quickly fell to wisps. Color was Deep Amber/Light Copper to Copper (SRM = > 13, < 17) with NE-quality clarity. Nose had a sweet, liqour-like smell, but I would have been hard-pressed to identify it as single malt Scottish Whisky. Mouthfeel was medium. The taste was definitely oaken, but not overpowering. Warming, I got coconut and caramel flavors beginning to assert themselves. It was certainly easy-drinking and at 7.1%, a little dangerous. Finish was semi-sweet, not suggesting that it was bitter in any way, but more to the idea that it was not outright sweet. Tasty, but not really in my wheelhouse.

 

 

Smells like a horrible beer. Thankfully it tastes better than that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

At best this is a boring looking beer. Rusty orange, with no head, no lace, no fizz - nuthin' of what you'd usually expect. On the down side, for the novice beer drinking it's flat out off putting with lots of chunky bits of yeast in suspension throughout the glass. So be warned, don't be letting the yeasty bits bother you, and trust in your dishwashing skills - it's not you.

Big malty scotch nose, so if you're a scotch drinker this is for you. Sugary, boozy, lots of butterscotch. Very sweet to drink, no carbonation, slight bit of alcohol, somewhat thin bodied. I&G stuff is usually lots of big vanilla, but no so much in this case.

Nothing speacial, a bit to much like liquid candy. Forgettable.

 

 

 

 

 

A 330ml clear glass bottle with a BB of Dec 2012, so it's somewhat out of date. Acquired a while back from Trembling Madness in York. Comes in a fancy box, which will hopefully have kept the light away. A limited edition brew aged in 18 year old Scotch whisky casks for 69 days.

Poured into a tulip pint glass. A bright coppery-amber hue with good clarity and medium carbonation. Forms a small head of frothy white foam that lasts for a few minutes before disappearing. Aroma of fruity malt with notes of dried fruit, caramel/toffee, oak, brown sugar, mild roastted grain, vanilla and a subtle hint of whisky. A warming whiff of alcohol in the background.

Tastes of caramel malt with a rich, fruity character and a mild finish. Notes of dried fruit, caramel/toffee, brown sugar, oak/wood, mild vanilla, faint roasted grain, delicate hints of whisky and understated stewed hops. A touch of boozy warmth in the background. Attenuated and quite complex, but with little bitterness upon swallowing. Mouthfeel is smooth, dry and tingly, with pleasant carbonation and decen body. Could feel a shade more substantial to match its strength. Mildly astringent, with an aftertaste of fruity malt, oak and faint sweetness.

Another barrel-aged oddity from I&G. Could look better; the aroma/flavour are alright but nothing special given the treatment this beer has received. Body could be thicker. A decent beer but not amazing - their brews often seem to have an overdose of oak and a weak beer base that results in an unbalanced concoction. Darker malt might have improved this one. At any rate, drinkable but no need to seek it out.