My Journey to Craft Beer: A Provocative Review

I literally remember that day like it was yesterday.  It was nearly six years ago at a family gathering for Christmas 2006 when my brother gave me an Innis & Gunn Oak Aged Beer and inadvertently created a monster.

I had somewhat drifted away from beer over the years before this as I had just started to get bored with what I thought beer inevitably was; which as far as I knew consisted mainly of Macro-brewed American Pale/Light/Adjunct lagers for the most part.  Sure, I had tried La Fin du Monde (which I enjoyed but simply considered a way to drink 9% beer that didn't taste like those 9% beers guzzled by high-schoolers seeking a buzz), Maudite, Guinness, and a smattering of other beers, but too few and without any systematic insight into what I was drinking nor a fair ground of assessment or an evolved palate to appreciate the difference.

Innis & Gunn changed all of that.  It was sweet, chewy, dessert-like, with excellent vanilla and caramel notes present both to nose and mouth.  It was a revelation!  A sign from the beer gods that beer need not be bland, served at taste-numbingly-cold temperatures to mask its flaws!  A sign that beer could be more than a tolerable vehicle for the dissemination of alcohol!  It was delicious!  Not good, or sufficient, or merely nominally different from any other beer... it. was. delicious!

It made regular beer undrinkable for me as I grew accustomed to it and then, through exploration with friends (notably Riley who blogs here and here though not about beer), I learned more and began to discover the diversity of amazing flavours beer offers.

Riley had been rating beer and on our get-togethers we'd drink new things and share them two ways thereby diversifying our options.  Eventually, I took up ratings too and started to watch the list grow, to notice my tastes and experiences expanding, and before I knew it I was reading, writing, and thinking about beer more than I'd ever imagined I would (and still far less than many a beer-rater, if far more than most folks I know).  (And, btw, appearances to the contrary notwithstanding, I actually don't drink too much of it at once very often and have even grown to lament the alcohol, wishing rather to enjoy the beer over the buzz.)

Though I would often call Innis & Gunn my favourite beer (and adored its 2007 Limited Edition IPA - for reasons unlinked to style as it represents that style poorly), and though I would turn many onto the beer and repetitively be called an ambassador for the brand (at one point keeping a count of those I had turned onto the brew - a count I lost in the dozens), I would even move away from this, but not without a lasting reverence for both the taste and historical role this beer served in my "Brewed Awakening."  It is, and even to my ever-evolving palate remains, a delicious beer.

That said, I have since discovered many I enjoy far more and, though I rarely drink an Innis & Gunn these days, I still periodically enjoy one and I fondly taste each of their unique special offerings, seasonals, and one-offs.

Innis & Gunn does one thing remarkably well: allow their beer to acquire excellent, sweet, caramel/vanilla/butterscotch notes from the oak barrels it is aged in - aromas and tastes that suit their beer to a tee.  They have inspired many an oak-aging brewer; many to success and some to failure.  However, I am not quite certain they are excellent brewers - in fact, they admit that Innis & Gunn was discovered accidentally by a beer they intended to discard which they had hoped would impart characteristics into the wood to bring back to a whiskey.  One can only presume the level of brewery masterdom applied to a beer intended for disposal would imply that the beer had not been optimally and carefully crafted.

The beer itself is quite unique - in its sweet flavour and in terms of style labelling - though is dominated by oak notes from the maturation process rather than specific beer characteristics of traditional beer styles.  Often called a Scottish Ale, but less because it shares many characteristics with such beers than because it doesn't really fit into other style categories and is simply brewed in Scotland.  Many of their other beers are similarly unique (Rum-Cask, Spiced Rum Finish, Canada Day) and presumably come from a similar base.  Though that style non-conformity is not a bad thing, and could arguably be a good thing portending ingenuity, it is when they apparently misappropriate styles that they get themselves into trouble with beer geeks and where their brewing shortcomings most expose themselves.

It was about a year after my first discovery of Innis & Gunn that I had their aforementioned 2007 Limited Edition India Pale Ale - and I was even more wowed.  This was like an Innis & Gunn on steroids: even more caramel and vanilla, and loads of creamy butterscotch.  It was then that I began discovering more about beer and for the first time found myself on beer advocate where I accordingly found myself appalled that many were upset this was called an IPA.  Having tasted two so-called "IPAs" at the time - this and Alexander Keith's - I really had no idea what offended people so, though someone said they admired the strong hops character of this beer.  It turns out this comment was made by someone who knew as little as I knew about beer at the time, for this made me presume I liked "hoppy" beers, a term I had learned but knew nothing of.  (Which led to my pending request for "something extremely hoppy," while in San Francisco - could it have been a Pliny at the wrong time in my beer journey? I will never know - that got me a shock I would now love to recreate now that I have learned to appreciate what was then appallingly offside to my taste buds!)

That said, I still recall the taste of that I&G IPA and still think I would love it - though I recall it as having about as much resemblance to an IPA as a gueuze probably does to a Miller lite (which is to say, just about none at all).  In fact, I believe the box may have simply said this was the same recipe with hops added during the oak maturation process.  To me (regardless of whether I am recollecting correctly) this doesn't make for an IPA - even if it makes for one of the most delicious beers I have ever tasted.  I think those expecting something resembling a Pliny may have been as off-put by this as by a Keith's when expecting an IPA that actually reflected common characteristic aroma and tasting notes, even if those two are still so vastly different.

Yet, the typical, light-amber Innis & Gunn beers are usually damn good - loved by many, hated by few - despite their stylistic uniqueness.

But then things get dicier... and I start to sound more like a beer geek as my appreciation of stouts and porters grows.

First, Innis & Gunn released their first stout - aged in Irish Whisky Casks.  I reviewed that beer here and therein note that "it wasn't a great stout, nor a great limited edition Innis & Gunn offering."  I even remarked to others that I had a difficult time even considering it a stout since its tastes were much more like a brown ale - cola like - and its body quite lighter than a stout's would/should be.  Regardless, it wasn't egregious, just not great as an I&G one-off nor as a stout.

Then, I picked up their newly released Winter Treacle Porter.  This beer pours a clear amber body - nothing like a porter - with overwhelming aromas of nothing but molasses (or treacle).  The taste has a tiny hint of oak and roasted malts, but is also vastly dominated by molasses.  The body I honestly don't recall as this became one of three beers I poured down the sink this year.

Maybe I just don't like treacle or molasses much - and I admittedly don't, but I don't mind hints of it in my beer - but that is all this beer is!  The treacle dominates even the oak and any underlying resemblance this beer may have had to a porter.  I certainly see no evidence that this beer is anything but a treacle-doused amber-coloured beverage that could just as easily be alcoholized, food-coloured water for all of the beer notes, let alone porter notes, that are evident.

However, perhaps I now sound like those bashing the IPA and I acknowledge this apparent hypocrisy - in fact, it is self-consciously part of the reason for this post!

In my beer journey, I have come to realize that despite my - personal, so very personal - taste for the I&G IPA, it is (as lamented) no IPA.  It is a butterscotch version of their original offering (or something close to that with allegedly more hops) and, if you like that, and don't expect otherwise, it is delicious.  Perhaps if you like treacle/molasses, this is the same, but if you want to try a porter, this will be immensely disappointing.  I realize that, at least, this time around I&G put Treacle in the name (unlike with the Butterscotch "IPA"), but I suppose my provocation here is to actually brew a solid stout, porter, and/or IPA or, in the absence of that, to at least avoid mis-labelling these experiments that play on my (now diminished) brand loyalty and style loves without meeting some resemblance to the product you claim to be selling.

I truly would love to taste a porter - a real porter - made and oak-aged by Innis & Gunn but, claims to the contrary notwithstanding, it seems they have yet to make one.

Southern Ontario Beer News & Upcoming Events Roundup

Apparently, the LCBO will soon be stocking a handful of beers from Halifax's Garrison Brewing, including their Black IPA, Grand Baltic Porter, Winter Warmer, Pilsner, and Spruce Beer.  Though I have had none of these seasonal releases of Garrison's, I have had a few of their fine beers and this is certainly a solid craft brewery and I intend to try each of these offerings while they are available in Ontario.  I shall report back!

On the events front, three have caught my attention, but others will no doubt arise:

The first is The Only Cafe's Beer Fest slated for February 3rd and 4th, which will include sampling booths for at least 14 Ontario craft breweries, plus guided tastings, live music, and a meet and greet with Taps Magazine folks.  Oh, and British Columbia's Central City Brewing, and Quebec's highly praised Dieu du Ciel (!!!), and Microbrasserie Charlevoix (brewers of the esteemed Dominus Vobiscum Abbay ales!!) will be represented as well by Keep6Imports!  I just might have to attend both days... and not leave!  Fortunately, The Only has a backpacker's inn so I won't have to leave!  I promise to report back, but don't expect detailed notes - especially if Peche Mortel (at 9.5%) shows up in nitro taps!

Second, is Great Lakes Brewery's Project X, a regular event held the second Thursday of every month (at 9pm I believe?) that always offers a one-off cask/real ale alongside samplings of numerous other beers and paired food.  Each event costs $10 and requires a $10 membership (that comes with a T-Shirt).

Finally, if you just can't wait to try the new Innis & Gunn Irish Whisky Cask Stout (or have an overwhelming desire to drink I&G paired with haggis), The Monk's Table is hosting a reservation-only Innis & Gunn/Haggis paired dinner tasting on January 24th.  I probably won't be making this one, but would love to hear your thoughts!

If you know of more interesting craft beer events in the Southern Ontario area, feel free to share them in the comments.  I will report back on any of these I get to...

Some More Innis & Gunn Special Releases

This season's Innis & Gunn pack contains two new (or limited?) releases as well as the original and a glass.  The first is a winter warmer style ale, entitled Winter Beer 2011 (at 7.4% ABV), while the other is a Spiced Rum Finish on the original product (at 6.9% ABV).

The Winter Beer 2011 pours a decently thick, fizzy white head with light-to-moderate lace and fair to light retention.  Color-wise, it presents a festive dark copper/reddish color with little visible carbonation outside of the head.  Aromas of fruity malt, orange rind, and toffee are more present than the faint traces of vanilla, cloves, oak, nutmeg, and butterscotch (appearing in diminishing strengths in that order).  The flavor is much more balanced than an original I&G'S with a drying finish to a sweet but fruity smooth flavor that evens out with equal parts of oak and winter spices, such as nutmeg and cloves.  It is, indeed, warming, but not excessively so and is mostly smooth on the tongue without excessive carbonation.  Similar to the original but more of a 'beer' for those who feel the original is not enough of one to count.  Grade: B+ (though admittedly this is less of a true winter warmer than it is an I&G, so as a WW it would be more like a B-)


The Spiced Rum Finish offers a nice creamy, yet frothy white head with moderate retention yet negligible lace.  It is amber in color, while clear with only thin wisps of visible carbonation, darker than the original but much lighter than the Rum Cask product.  Aroma-wise, this ale is only slightly more spiced than the original, but this goes along with the expected caramel, vanilla, toffee, and oak notes that are essentially this brewery's signature.  The flavor starts out similarly but finishes more spicy and balanced.  Yet, part of what makes Innis & Gunn exciting is its extreme imbalance and this may be slightly more akin to other beer, but also less remarkable, since there are many better 'other beers' as there are many better Innis & Gunns.  Not as rum-like as the Rum Cask, but spicier, so if you think that is what the Rum Cask product lacks, this beer might be perfect for you.  Fairly light-bodied and crisp.  Nice but not incredible.  Though I would gladly drink it again, I prefer both the Rum Cask and the whiskey notes in the original, though its spiciness almost gives it a festive winter-warmer resemblance.  It might have better fit that style than the one above, oddly enough.  Grade: B


Apologies for being brief, but my two-month old needs me.  (It is actually his exact two-month birthday today!)


Watch for tomorrow's pending reviews of two fine beers: Lake of Bays Mocha Porter and Dieu du Ciel's Péché Mortel, which are both very, very good beers to say the least!

Innis & Gunn Highland Cask Review and the Risks of Beer Snobbery

It will come as no surprise to many of you that I am a big fan of Innis & Gunn's Oak Aged standard fare and I also appreciate many of their limited editions, one offs and variations (though I can't stand the blonde!)  Thus, I anxiously anticipated that first sip of the new LE Highland Cask product aged in 18-year old Single Malt Casks.

This is the closest that any of their specials has come to tasting to the original, only better, so if you enjoy I&G, get your hands on one or more of these bad boys and you won't be disappointed!

More specifically, this beer pours a more amber colour than the original with a creamy white head that has moderate retention and a very nice, if quickly receding, thin but smooth lace.

This beer smells identical to its bourbon-oak aged original counterpart, leading me to presume that the original beers deposited into the oak were identical and that the oaking process from these two different types of whiskey casks resulted in similar beers.  To clarify, on the nose this beer sends up moderate hints of caramel and toffee, with fainter aromas of vanilla and butterscotch.

Flavour-wise, this beer is sweet (not quite Creme Brulee Stout sweet, but sweet) with a smoothly malted delivery of the aromas on the nose: toffee and caramel most strongly present, though an ever-so-slight hint of vanilla is present as well.  Though still sweet, it is not quite as sweet as the original and dries out nicely with a more discernible whiskey-like finish (which I lack the palate and related words to describe) that leads to a slightly more balanced final product.

It has a nice clean mouthfeel and light body with a pleasant warming, though the sweetness still masks the alcohol even if a tiny Scotch warmth seeps through.

Enjoying this Limited Edition led me to reflect back on 2008's Limited Edition Innis & Gunn IPA, which I enjoyed immensely.  In trying to recall the specifics of that beer (which I tasted before I learned how to properly assess beers and take decent notes), I headed to the comments section on ratebeer and beeradvocate to try to bring the IPA flavour back to my mind.

Comments that called this "not an IPA" and even "not a beer" by otherwise informed beer reviewers strike me as ridiculous.  I get it: you don't like this style.  That said, however, the IPA, while having a longer oaking period, did contain a stronger and more substantial amount of hops than the original, fitting into the standards of an IPA.  Its relative absence in the finish makes it no less of an IPA than a Dogfishhead 120-Minute IPA, in fact possibly more so since it is closer to the origins of the style than the American IPAs that follow hop-head ideas of excess as desireable.

Though not meant as a comment on the pursuit of extreme hops flavours, imagine a hop-head (who enjoys pushing astringency to such a degree that it has been compared to a chef saying 'I have made my soup saltier than you could have ever imagined,' as if that were desireable) claiming that another beer is too sweet to qualify in the category?!  Is beer not sweetness and dryness in some sort of balance to varying degrees?  If IPAs can push the slate in the dry direction as far as possible why can't beers go sweet, and though sweet is Innis & Gunn the sweetest?  Heck no!

This difference makes Innis & Gunn no less a beer, it just makes it different and, in many ways, that's what has brought us all to craft beer, no?  I mean, craft beer is wonderful because of its diversity and varied flavours, aromas, adjuncts, and ideas. I don't particularly enjoy, say, an apricot wheat beer, but I will acknowledge that St. Ambroise (McAuslan) makes a quintessential one that lovers of that style would appreciate and it most certainly IS a beer even if not my choice on any given night.

Don't misunderstand me here though... I am not saying Innis & Gunn's Limited Edition IPA was a quintessential IPA.  A quintessential IPA it admittedly and assuredly was not, but it was assuredly a beer, assuredly an IPA, and assuredly quintessential of the rare, but growing oak-aged beer style.  If it isn't a beer would someone who disliked Belgian styles be allowed to call Westvleteren 12 "not a beer"?  How would the same reviewers feel about a similar comment (or commenter) on such a legendary beer?

Anyone is allowed to like what they like, but when we find someone who REALLY likes a pale American mass-produced lager we often say, 'here try this lager or lighter ale instead' and we hope that it will convert them to more responsible, tastier, fresher, less preservative-laden, less corporate, more original, and 'better' beer.

And, ironically, it was Innis & Gunn that brought me to 'better' beer.  While no longer my favourite beer on the planet, I still think it is darn good, quintessential of its unique style, and the beer that enabled me to appreciate things I may never have otherwise even considered, like a Rochefort 8 (to be reviewed shortly).  I think we can productively assess beers we don't like or from styles we don't enjoy (and we can probably all practice tactfully doing the same in discussion with everyday Bud Light Lime drinkers), but I assuredly anxiously await the release of little gems, such as LE Innis & Gunn's and I don't think that makes me any less of a beer geek, though it is this sort of snobbery that will hinder the more tolerant enjoyment of beer.

What do you think?

Innis & Gunn Highland Cask: Quick Take

If a couple days of work hadn't come my way, I'd be writing the full review now, but instead, I'll just say if you like Innis & Gunn's regular offering (and single malt) buy this limited edition.

It's even more of the same sweet goodness.  Full review to come soon!