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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In early 2014 good fortune smiled on Innis & Gunn. We were offered a small quantity of very rare oak barrels which had formerly been used to mature a famous 18-year old Single Malt Whisky from the Scottish Highlands.
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
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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6/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6
Bottle shared at Leighton’s. It pours clear deep amber with a small beige head. The nose is sweet, cherry, vanilla, artificial, dried cranberry, earthy, smoke, charred wood and burnt hay. The taste is toasty, earth, sweetish, wood, light spice, light smoke, dried fruits, artificial stuff, burnt plastic and light alcohol with a shortish dry finish. Medium body and average carbonation. Not too bad, just no depth to it whatsoever.
Tried
from Bottle
on 11 Feb 2015
at 12:19
8.4/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 9
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
Bottle from Sainsbury’s, High Wycombe. Shining copper colour. Raisins and oak up front, maybe some glac? cherries too. Vanilla and sherry before sweet Speyside malt with a hint of Dolly Mixtures comes through. A little spicy nibble of alcohol before sweet raisins return. And more vanilla and glac? cherries. It’s sweet throughout, but somehow never quite overdone. There’s no stickiness at all - the tiniest hint of dryness and fizziness unexpectedly, almost magically, hold it off. Instead it’s smooth and rich and warm and indulgent. A gorgeous beer; probably the best I’ve had from them. Yay!
Tried
from Bottle
on 31 Dec 2014
at 16:41
8.1/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
33cl bottle from Sainsburys, Bracknell. A bright golden amber colour with a short lived white head and lots of carbonation; clean whisky aroma; clean whisky-lead taste, sweet and toasty with a soft rolling malty body; and a slightly cloying sweet finish. This remind me of a sherry cask Speyside malt; the best Innis & Gunn beer I’ve come across.
Tried
from Bottle
on 28 Nov 2014
at 09:59
4.4/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 5
Flavor 2
Texture 4
Overall 5.5
Bottle from SB cons 2014-10-11 Göteborg AR: caramel, wee tones of whiskey infused something AP: ruby clear, frothy quickly deminishing head F: caramel, bread syrup, syrup bread, sugary feeling, smooth carbonation, medium low bitterness, this one is way to sweet and no traces of the whiskey - must have been stores there for just a few seconds
Tried
from Bottle
on 11 Oct 2014
at 14:17