Innis and Gunn: Rum Cask Oak Aged Ale – A complexity of sweetness

Brewed by Belhaven, Innis and Gunn’s Rum Cask Oak Aged ale is, in my view, a seriously underrated beer. According to “Larsblog”, Innis & Gunn’s regular Oak Aged edition “has met with a divided reception among beer enthusiasts”, and I assume this applies to the rum cask edition as well. Whatever the case may be, I found Innis and Gunn’s Rum Cask Oak Aged ale really fun to drink, and I highly recommend it to any sweet tooth out there.

The body appears as a delicious looking mahogany color. In terms of head, well…there’s not much to speak of really: It’s tiny and short lived, which has been my experience with their other oak aged products. The lacing is a bit thin and runny as well. But, the aroma and taste make up for whatever is lacking in the head and lacing. Taking a whiff uncovers a complexity of sweetness: Vanilla, baby bananas, oak, and a touch of rum seem to culminate in an overarching aroma that reminds me of something like butterscotch. Innis and Gunn really concocts a wonderful treat for the nose with this rum cask version. The taste is much like the aroma. It starts out sweet – almost like candy, dissipates into a variety of flavors like vanilla, bananas, and rum, and then coalesces into a sort of butterscotch kick. Overall, however, the vanilla taste and aroma are (thankfully) more reserved than their standard, but still enjoyable, oak aged version. In fact, the synthetic feel of the vanilla focus in the standard version is what some people don’t like about it. The finish in the rum cask version is sweet, spicy and just a tad boozy, while the mouthfeel is slightly watery with average carbonation. 

The casking process used by Innis and Gunn is interesting and somewhat laborious. Again, “Larsblog” provides a detailed description of how this beer is casked.

Links

Ratebeer: http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/innis-gunn-rum-cask-oak-aged-beer/80407/ 

Innis & Gunn: http://www.innisandgunn.com/

Image credits

Beer Street Journal: http://beerstreetjournal.com/

BrewDog: There is no Santa – Basic, but Tasty

If you’ve had BrewDog’s “Santa Paws”, then “There is no Santa” will probably be a bit of a letdown. It’s not that this milder model is substandard when compared to other Christmas brews out there. Indeed, it’s simply not. Yet “There is no Santa” just seems so bland compared to “Santa Paws”. I should note that my sample of the former came after sampling the latter. If you’ve tried neither, than I suggesting trying this 4.7 percent ABV Christmas beer first and then move up to the stronger and more complex “Santa Paws”.  

It pours with a dark brown color and a fair-sized beige head. The lacing is sufficient – sticky, but somewhat sparse. The aroma is magnificent – much like “Santa Paws – and certainly Christmassy. Ginger is front and center, supported by some malty notes and brown sugar. Much like the Santa Paws, the hops seem to be a bit overdone in the context of spicy ginger. But, acclimation comes after only a few generous sips. 

If you’re looking for a tasty, low ABV Christmas beer, then I can say that BrewDog’s “There is no Santa” is really a good place to end up.

BrewDog: Santa Paws – If Mom made Christmas Beer…

If Mom would brew Christmas beer alongside the girth of Christmas cookies that come out of my parent’s kitchen, it would undoubtedly come close to BreDog’s Santa Paws. If you’ve had BrewDog’s “There is no Santa”, then this one will certainly seem somewhat familiar, albeit far better. In terms of the subtlety of the spices, this brew is certainly among the best Christmas beers of the season. And it has to be one of the most underrated beers of the season.

Its post-bottle life begins with a dark brown color with a slightly reddish hue, which I found totally befitting for a holiday brew. The beige head is somewhat reserved, yet resilient and sticky. The aroma is – for me at least – magnificent. On the first whiff, one can immediately detect ginger, and on the second whiff comes caramel, cinnamon, and clove: It smells like BrewDog batched this with Mom’s Christmas cookies. Admittedly, the taste is a bit less of a show piece when compared to the aroma. The spicy ginger taste is sort of a strange when blended with the rather generous amount of hops. Still, after a few sips, the strangeness becomes more familiar and the holiday mood resumes. Given the 8.2 percent ABV, I was pleasantly surprised to find no hints of alcohol.

I will certainly crack one of these open on Christmas day, and I suggest you do the same. Be sure to share one with Mom. Who knows, maybe sharing will plant the seed for her own Christmas brew next year.