To say we love Innis & Gunn would be an understatement. We tried this outstanding beer a couple of years ago and the moment it hit our palate is when we fell; More than likely due the fact that is aged in oak barrels much like red wine which we prefer to white. As you can see you from the picture above we have even bought them flowers. Last year they came out with a Toasted Oak IPA and we simply had to get our hands on some before it hit the shelves in store! So we wrote to them and to our excitement they sent us some samples!
The toasted oak IPA as you can see above pours a delicate pale gold. On the nose It has aromas of freshly mown grass (which I’m sure is in abundance in the highlands) and grapefruit. Due to the oak ageing it has gone through on the pallet it is full of rich vanilla along with a zesty floral notes and a light bitterness from the hops. This is a full bodied beer with a crisp refreshing finish.
In our allotment we also received a Lager and another product called Smokin’ Gunn. The Lager is made from Naked golden oats which are grown without husks which sweetness and flavor during the brewing process. This beer is complete with a smooth and refreshing finish, a great summer sipper for your nights on the patio with some shrimp on the bbq.
The Smokin’ Gunn is a limited edition from the brewer. Smokin’ Gunn was proposed by David Ashton-Hyde, the head bartender at the Hind’s Head in Bray, as a “Sour mash beer with northern brewer hops, rauch smoked malt & maple syrup aged in Jack Daniels whisky casks – a rich beer with a strong fragrant hop, smoky & minty with a Jack Daniels finish”. This is definitely a smoked meat and cheese or fine cigar sipping beer. Not for the faint of heart!
As you can see from our fridge shot here this is the only beer for us. Others can try and play in our sandbox, but only for a short time. We also scored an awesome T-shirt that we wear with pride as Scotland is in our roots, and now our blood vessels as well.