Winter Beer 2010
Innis & Gunn

Winter Beer 2010Winter Beer 2010
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From:
Innis & Gunn
 
Scotland, United Kingdom
Style:
Scottish Ale
ABV:
8.5%
Score:
84
Avg:
3.67 | pDev: 13.62%
Reviews:
22
Ratings:
32
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jun 16, 2013
Added:
Oct 05, 2010
Wants:
  3
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
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Rated: 3.5 by TheBeeraholic from Canada (ON)

Jun 16, 2013
 
Rated: 4.25 by KalanM from Canada (BC)

Nov 30, 2012
Photo of BrownNut
Reviewed by BrownNut from Florida

3.53/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
A - 4 - A similar clear, pretty, reddish brown to other Innis & Gunn variants. Decent looking head.

S - 3.5 - When I first poured it, I got a whiff of banana right out of the gate. But that faded away with the head. I was left with a light steely caramelly malty note. The metal component is unwelcome.

T - 3.5 - The light caramelly steely malty aroma carries over into the taste and a hint of the banana reemerges as part of a vague compound fruit and spice note. The spice, whatever it is, is slightly reminiscent of Christmasy spices. Nice malty caramel on the exhale/aftertaste.

M - 3.5 - Light-medium body

O - 3.5 - While this beer has substance, it feels like a building block of that substance is missing on the back end, causing it to finish a bit weaker and waterier than I'd like. There's tasty stuff before that though. It's not as good as their original, which is instantly likeable, with no discernible flaw other than maybe low complexity. This one is like that one but minus some things.

I think I drank this too cold, maybe just five minutes out of the fridge. I suspect its flavor would benefit from being drunk just cool instead. No idea why they call this a porter. It's very similar to their others, which aren't close to being porters.
Nov 25, 2012
 
Rated: 2 by Shakerman from Florida

Nov 22, 2012
Photo of gcamparone
Reviewed by gcamparone from Rhode Island

4.22/5  rDev +15%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a Samuel Adams pint glass.

A- pours a clear brown body with virtually no head or lacing

S- vanilla, caramel, light oak, frosting. Smells delicious.

T- Wow. So tasty that I can barely write down what I taste. Upfront I get some big vanilla cake (frosting and all) flavors which is probably due to the molasses. In the background is some oak and lightly toasted malt. Stunning.

M- medium high carbonation, medium body. Crisp and smooth.

Overall I was pleasantly surprised by this brew. It's barely a porter, but nonetheless it packs some delicious flavors. It's one of those beers that demands another sip. Only available for a limited time, so grab one if you can.
Nov 10, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by eristicrat from Georgia

Sep 29, 2012
Photo of joemcgrath27
Reviewed by joemcgrath27 from Canada (AB)

3.77/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
2011 vintage, part of the I&G gift pack
A - clear deep dark cedar red, thumb of head dissipated to a thin covering with some lacing
S - strong spice notes of nutmeg, cinnamon, and clove, and bread pudding
T - spices are still prominent but less so than the nose, a dense cake taste much like xmas cake, some light leafiness, light peat earthy finish
M - creamy and relatively light, mild spice tingle and warmth, booze is undetectable
O - its definitely a winter ale with its sweet spicy warmth while keeping that trademark I&G peaty scottish base, the 3 beer & glass gift pack is well worth the investment
Jul 20, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by Wordslinger from Canada (ON)

May 05, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by Ishogai from Tennessee

Mar 22, 2012
 
Rated: 3 by LukeONeill from New Jersey

Feb 27, 2012
 
Rated: 3.5 by SHCC from Massachusetts

Feb 22, 2012
Photo of beerthulhu
Reviewed by beerthulhu from New Jersey

3.4/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
A: Burgundy coloring when backlighted with a low to moderate rise of effervesce slowly building up to a scarce head that offered no lace. Meh.

S: Soft oaky and vanilla scents didn’t do a lot to entice or get noticed. Scotchy caramelized grains.

T: The flavor was warm scotchy carmalized grains, oaky barrel notes are clearly dominant. The fuggles and golding hops provide only brief intermittent glimpses of their fruity nature. Compliments of warm oak, pine-scotch and cask notes are evident. Cinnamon sticks, and spicy holiday orange notes add zest and some holiday spirit.

M: good and thick, chewy and full, with a soft carbonation factor. Dry toasty oak fade.

O: Overall as a winter beer the oaky barrel and alcohol take over the subtle holiday spirit of the beer. Moderate drinkability.
Dec 12, 2011
 
Rated: 4 by bigox420 from Canada (ON)

Nov 29, 2011
 
Rated: 5 by zillo043068 from New Jersey

Nov 23, 2011
Photo of chicagoabbot
Reviewed by chicagoabbot from Illinois

3.82/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
12 oz into a tulip...so much wood in this...and sweetness. Well, it is a Scottish ale, so I guess it is supposed to be sweet. Lots of depth both in nose and tongue here, but it's hard to say that it's awesome. These guys do a solid beer if this is your style, but it's not really mine. I'd like to try wood aged beer not aged in casks previously used for brown liquors. Recommend trying this once to taste it. It might be your style. Had as part of a gift pack.
Nov 13, 2011
Photo of donkeyrunner
Reviewed by donkeyrunner from Massachusetts

2.82/5  rDev -23.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Deep auburn with ruby highlights. Beautiful color. Thin head doesn't put up much of a foamy fuss.

Aroma is oak and black cherry.

The bottle says I should be tasting "orange zest, vanilla and oak." I get watered down black cherry cola. A mellow Scottish ale, I'm not sure how many shillings but not a whole lot. Buttery aftertaste.

Probably my least favorite from the I&G holiday pack. I do like their bottles though.
Oct 30, 2011
Photo of biboergosum
Reviewed by biboergosum from Canada (AB)

3.8/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
330ml bottle, part of the current gift pack, dumped lovingly into the accompanying branded flute glass.

This beer pours a clear, dark golden amber hue, with two beefy fingers of thinly foamy beige head, which leaves an amoeba-esque burp of painted lace on a selective side of the glass as it readily settles. It smells of edgy cask essences - woody astringency, caramel, vanilla, and treacle, to go with some otherwise-sourced brown sugar, earthy hops, and mild booze nose-twitchers. The taste is primarily caramel malt, warm and subtly coaxing, a light breadiness added to the mix, and some very faint barrel character, supplanted mostly by the herbal, earthy hops. The carbonation is really just a footnote, the body a solid medium weight, and nicely, agreeably smooth. It finishes still sweet from the caramelized, mirror-world malt, and lingering echoes of the barrel tryst that once was.

The least 'woody', house-feel of any I&G offering that I've yet experienced. And this is a surprisingly good thing, as the malt has a bit more room to shine, and it does just that. Warming to a tee, without any overt booziness. Winning in my book...
Oct 28, 2011
Photo of VelvetExtract
Reviewed by VelvetExtract from Massachusetts

3.58/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
A-Pours a very dark ruby/crimson color. Head is almost nothing. Just a ring of foam around the liquid like all the other Innis & Gunn brews I have had.

S-Soft and smooth. Smells barrel aged of course. Light citrus. Sweetness as well.

T-Lightly woody. Sweet with caramel and other similar flavors. Smooth flavor with vanilla. Faint citrus.

M-Still a lighter feel. Feel ls so smooth and rich. Silky and velvety. Ample carbonation.

O/D-I like this better than the Rum aged beer but not as much as the Oak Aged beer. This one is pretty good. Doesn't have any really memorable flavors. I can tell these guys don't plan on deviating on their system of brewing.
Sep 30, 2011
Photo of Kromes
Reviewed by Kromes from Georgia

3.47/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
A: Poured into an Innis & Gunn glass. A clear dark brown color with no apparent head.

S: A slight toasted malt, but mostly vanilla and oak.

T: Initial flavor is a sweet malt, but then the extreme vanilla and oak flavors kick in. Finishes sweet and buttery.

M: Light bodied and minimal carbonation.

O: It's aight. Nothing to write home about. Don't like the buttery taste in the finish. Hides the alcohol very well though.
Sep 20, 2011
Photo of evlu1441
Reviewed by evlu1441 from Canada (AB)

3.68/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
This is my third Innis and Gunn experience.

It pours a clear ruby-amber colour with a thin bubbly film of head. It's very effervescent with lots of bubbles rising to the top.

The aroma is subdued, but pleasant with lots of maple and slight oaky notes coming through.

Lots of toffee flavours start coming through right at the start. Sweet malt comes through with minimal bitterness. Towards the end, some alcohol bite comes through.

Overall, this is probably my favourite Innis and Gunn. It's okay for a Winter beer, but it's very available, so I'll probably get it again.
Sep 02, 2011
Winter Beer 2010 from Innis & Gunn
Beer rating: 84 out of 100 with 32 ratings