Origin: Scotland
Type: Strong ale
Color: Reddish brown
Alcohol content: 6.8%
Recommended serving temperature: 7ºC/45ºF
Brewery: The Innis & Gunn Brewing Company Ltd.
Today I have chosen to write about a beer I have just tried. I do not usually do that. I normally prefer to let my impressions on a beer sit for a little while, maybe even have a second one on another occasion so that I may contrast these first impressions with others I have at another moment, in different circumstances. This also keeps me from getting too caught up in my excitement over a new beer, and making a post little more than an exercise in flattery. I therefore take the opportunity to apologize if this is the case now.
The beer to blame for bending my normal procedure is the Innis & Gunn Rum Finish, a Scottish beer which mixes two of my favorite things in life. Actually, I am going to try to sound a little less like an alcoholic (but only a little less), two of my favorite things to drink: Beer and rum.
Now, you might think that such a concoction is no different from what college students drink on a Saturday night. Yes and no. The first difference is there is no rum in here, but only beer aged in oak barrels previously used to age rum. The second and most important difference is that this is actually good.
The Innis & Gunn Rum Finish is reddish brown in color and when you pour it it develops a moderate amount of creammy brownish foam which reduces pretty fast.
The first smell really surprised me here. I expected to get something stronger and alcoholic, directly reminding me of rum, but what I actually got was the smell of sweet liquor. Much like in the case of Port wine, the smell is sweet and alcoholic and oaky, but you cannot really distinguish precisely what type of liquor has been used. You get some toffee and caramel like flavors from the malt, making the overall aroma nice and sweet, but you can feel some pang in there from the alcohol.
This made me tread lightly and take a small first sip, soon followed despite my precautions almost reflexively by another much larger sip. The truth, and it is not necessarily a good thing with 6.8%ABV, is this beer is easier to drink than you would expect from the alcoholic oakiness in its smell.
The taste in your mouth is that of spices and matured fruits, something which blends in perfectly with the oakiness. The oakiness itself also does not disappear, nor does the rum from the barrels, giving the beer a strong and aged feel, nevertheless nicely accompanied and balanced somewhere in the middle by the sweet and soft points from the same rum and the malts.
The moment however where the rum really displays its taste and character is in the finish. Up to that moment it had barely shown up in the sweet liquor-like smell and in the spices and sweetness of the taste. The moment you swallow this beer, though, these three hints come together and you are left with a spicy sweet alcoholic finish which cannot be mistaken.
The finish, I have to say, is pretty intense and makes me appreciate the fact that this beer does not have a lot of carbonation. If this beer had the carbonation found for example in Pilsens, I would have a real fourth of July in my mouth.
I am now thinking that this could be my new favorite after work beer. Sweet, oaky and nurturing but with a strong ruthless finish. Perfect to lift you up after a stressful day.
The brewery recommends pairing it with game meats like venison and duck and mature cheeses served with chutneys and relishes. I like the idea of game meats, like this beer, complex and delicious. A great way to end your day.
Comments
Post a Comment