Canadian Cherrywood
Innis & Gunn

500 mL bottle from the LCBO; best before Feb 2027 and served barely chilled. I wanted to do something special for my 4100th review, and I think this'll do nicely. It's also thematically appropriate, as I just returned from a traditional Scottish-style wedding in Fergus, Ontario. BYOK - bring your own kilt.

Pours a brownish black bean colour with brilliant crimson red highlights; it's crowned with more than an inch of frothy, pale beige-coloured head that lasts for the better part of five minutes. A sudsy cap and collar remain indefinitely, with a respectable swath of lace swiping around the glass; looks great so far. Lots of wood on the nose, with hints of toffee, rye whiskey, vanilla, dates, leather and spicy, herbal hops.

The flavour profile is robust & intriguing: cherrywood and rye whiskey are the most notable aspects, but delving deeper reveals a richness of depth & complexity. This includes, but is not limited to, notes of toffee, raisin, vanilla, berries, cocoa, brown sugar, old leather and fruit pudding. Earthy, herbal hops, rye whiskey, maple syrup and a cinnamon-esque spiciness round out the back end, with wood, vanilla, earthiness and light-moderate whiskey booziness lingering into the aftertaste. Medium-full in body, with middling carbonation that adds some liveliness to this brew's smooth mouthfeel. Good drinkability for a strong ale - I could easily be talked into another serving.

Final Grade: 4.18, an A-. I don't know if Canadian Cherrywood is Innis & Gunn's best beer, but it's certainly the best one I've had in a while. Anyone who enjoys Canadian rye whiskey will probably love this immediately, but the cherrywood - and to a lesser extent, the maple syrup - add another layer or two to this strong ale, and the end result is a fantastic product that came pretty close to blowing me away. My only regret is that I only bought one bottle - and to be fair, this wasn't cheap, but it's totally worth the price of admission. If you somehow manage to find a bottle of this, buy it immediately.

 

 

 

500 ml bottle in a special container. Served cod into a pint glass and listed at 7.1% ABV. Best before February 2027. Cost was about $9.30 CDN from the LCBO.

Appearance - Rich auburn colored brew with a small half finger of tan head. Good clarity when held up directly to the light.

Smell - Lots of wood, hints of smoke and the signature vanilla and oak aroma mixes in as well. Robust and intense aroma.

Taste - Lots of wood, slight amount of sweetness, trace of vanilla, ome leathery flavors, good depth and slight fruit inclinations. Good intensity.

Mouthfeel - Medium0full bodied and light on the carbonation, a fine sipper and while not chewy, has a textured mouthfeel.

Overall - One of the best and more complex offerings from Innis & Gunn over the years, a very welcome treat this close to Canada Day.

I believe this is a different version of their 8.3% Canadian Cherrywood finish beer.
Pours a nice brown ruby color. 1 finger of foam. Smells a little smokey mixed with vanilla extract. The foam head dies down faster than what I wanted it to. Keeps minimal lacing around one side of the glass but not much at all.

Tastes slightly of smoked beer with some burnt caramel and a couple drops of vanilla extract mixed in. Easy to drink.
I'd get this one again but the price tag slightly turns me off at around $12.65 plus tax for a 500ml bottle. Other than that, this is a good beer.

INNIS AND GUNN HAS A HISTORY ON LYING ABOUT THEIR BARREL AGED BEER, so who knows.
This beer is better than the other I've tried by them.