Barrelmaster's Reserve: Highland Cask
Innis & Gunn Brewing Co. in Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland 🏴
Scotch Ale / Wee Heavy Regular|
Score
6.49
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At Innis & Gunn we've discovered that the key to imparting great depth of flavour lies in finding the perfect partnership between beer and barrel. After that, it's a rare combination for our brewers' time-served expertise, and the patience and respect that they have for the age-old process of oak maturation. Innis & Gunn Barrelmaster's Reserve perfectly embodies this approach.
Following its lengthy time spent in cask, the beer has developed a fragrant aroma of spice and rich toffee. The barrels have also imparted notes of heather honey, raisins and marzipan, making for a beautifully-balanced, complex ale, capped with a deeply smooth finish.
Malt: I & G Ale Malt, Crystal Malt & Wheat
Hops: Super Styrian
Maturation: 18-year old Single Malt Whisky casks from the Scottish Highlands
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Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6
Bottled. Brownish amber colour with a small white head. Aroma is whisky, some vanilla, floral an mild diacetylic tones. Flavour is diacetyl, some floral, vanillaish and some toffeeish tones. Quite a tyypical I&G product.
Backlog
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 5.5
(Bottle) Brownish amber colour with frothy, off-white head. Malty nose with caramel, dried fruit, oak wood, figs, nuts, vanilla and spices. Malty taste with notes of caramel, dried fruit, raisins, oak wood, red apples, nuts, spices, vanilla and a fairly low bitterness in a sweetish finish. Medium body, quite sweet. Not much whisky character, possibly too sweet and not very complex. Enjoyable.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5
Bottle at a friends. Pours clear deep amber, nose is burnt toffee, malty, vanilla, taste is sweet, creamy, toffee, vanilla.
Appearance - 4 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7
Copper color with a off white layer on top. Bready, toffee and some oak in the aroma. Medium + body and a soft carbonation. Tad sweet. Mild whiskey, mild oak, bready and toffee in the flavor. Not very much master…
[Bottle from Systembolaget in Sweden]
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7
How: Bottle.
Where: Systemboalget.
Appearance: Clear brown colour with a quickly fading off-white head.
Aroma: Caramel, bread, sweet malt.
Body:
Flavour: Caramel, sugary, sweet malt, dried fruit.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5
Bottle shared at the ’Beers of London’ Tasting MkII, Bespin Cloud City - Hyde Park zone, thanks to Paulo 11/02/15. Clear golden amber with a moderate off white head. Nose is pale malts, grassy, caramel, light apricot. Taste comprises watered down BA notes, toffee, vanilla, caramel. Medium bodied, fine carbonation, semi drying close. Pretty subtle on the BA front, @BA light, BA on the cheap? Not a total car crash but don’t hold any at the store for this Bois!
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5
11th February 2015
Bottleshare at Leighton’s flat. Big thanks to Paul for bringing this one by request. Clear amber beer, small pale cream colour head. Palate is light and semi dry, mild fine carbonation. Light malts and mild dried fruits. Very mild whiskey and a trace of spice. Lacks the big oaky vanilla buttercream hit of most I&Gs. Light dry finish with a mid spicy linger.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5
Bottle shared in London - big thanks to Paul. Pours perfectly clear gold with a foamy white head. The nose holds some dusty toasted sugars, mild caramel. Medium sweet flavor with some caramel, mild peat, toasted bread. Medium bodied with average carbonation. Sugary finish with mellow peat notes, caramel, some citrus accents. Tasty enough.