Innis & Gunn Rum Cask Oak Aged Beer - Innis & Gunn

Fish113d

Pennsylvania

3.45/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a dark caramel color with about 1/2" of tan dense head. Tends to not dissipate at all.

The nose is very mild with some slight touch of caramel as well as the rum barrel.

Very sweet sipper, with some heat. Sugary caramel flavors come through mainly along with the flavors of some spiced rum. Really reminds me of a very "weak" rum and coke almost. I actually really like it.

The mouthfeel is very mild and not overly hot. Not enough dryness for me considering it was aged in rum barrels. Was hoping for a bit of drying on the finish and the alcohol to come through just a bit. Not bad though.

Overall, not a bad brew for a few bucks and on a whim. I'd definitely try it again.

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2012 00:49:59 | More by Fish113d

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a clean deep amber color with a light tan head. In the aroma, small alcohol notes, rum, and a small oak presence. In the taste, a sweet malt, and a small presence of rum and alcohol. A small bite and a medium bodied mouthfeel, with a small dry note of dark rum in the aftertaste. A bit sweeter in the wood than bourbon/ whiskey, but nice, nonetheless.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2012 16:43:32 | More by OWSLEY069

mick303

Ontario (Canada)

4.08/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a snifter glass. The head isnt that pronounced and off-white, but leaves a film and good lacing, the carbonation is quite lively and the beer is dark ruby/chestnut.

The nose here is quite interesting. It is very fresh and plummy, with plenty of spices and vanilla. All composed quite nicely.

Initial flavour is thick, plowing through a field of sticky caramel flavour. Tons of complexity going on in the back, remains to be quite vibrant despite the heavier flavours. A definite sweetness that is both toffee and molasses like. Beer has a 'sticky' flavour and lingers. Finish is quite dry with a roasted character.

As I said the beer drinks very full-bodied, it has a heavy syrupy, almost molasses quality of mouthfeel.

This is a big heavy beer. However, it remains really interesting. The sweetness and syrupiness are a bit too pronounced I find, but the do succeed in bringing some dark fruit and spice character to this beer. One to seek out and experience.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2012 23:48:59 | More by mick303

biglite351

Pennsylvania

3.08/5  rDev -19.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A - Dark amber with a tight creams off-white head

S - Yeast and malt, hint of fruit... mild overall

T - Sweet caramel, fruit and malt

M - Medium coating with olny a hint of tingle on sides of tongue

O - Not bad but not something that I would grab for.

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2012 13:10:32 | More by biglite351

StoutHunter

Michigan

3.73/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I picked up a bottle of Innis & Gunn's Rum Cask Oak Aged Beer earlier this week for $2.69 at The Lager Mill. I have never seen or had a beer that has been aged in rum barrels and I'm interested to see how the flavors come together, so lets see how it goes. No visible bottling date. Poured from a brown 11.2oz clear bottle into a snifter.

A- The label looks good and it give this beer a classic and distinguished look. but I'm not really feeling the clear bottle. It poured a cola like brown color that took on some ruby hues when held to the light and it had three fingers worth of fluffy tan head that died down to a thin ring that stayed till the end and left some lacing. This is a good looking beer, but I wish it had a little better head retention.

S- The aroma starts off with tons of caramel malts that have a medium amount of sweetness and impart some light roasted malts, caramel, toffee, and some toasted bread aromas. After that I get a sweet fruity aroma similar to white grape and is is followed by some light woody aroma. Towards the end there's a little more sweetness but nothing that sticks out as being very rum like besides the sweetness. The aroma is ok but I expected more spicy rum aromas and a little less sweetness.

T- The taste is only a little similar to the aroma, it starts off with a goof amount of caramel malts that that have a high amount of medium sweetness and impart some caramel, toffee, toasted bread, and some more malty aromas. Next comes some more sweetness that has a brown sugar like flavor and is followed by some woody flavors and some sweet and medium spiced dark rum flavor that wasn't too strong, but wasn't too light ether, it could have shown up just a little more. Towards the end I get a slight amount of slightly warming alcohol with a lighter amount of bitterness, with a slightly boozy, malty and woody like aftertaste. This beer tasted good but I wish that the spiced rum flavors came through just a little more and that the sweetness was a little less.

M- Pretty smooth, a little chewy, mellow, medium bodied with a nice amount of medium carbonation. The mouthfeel worked well with this beer and it was much smoother then I was expected, pretty damn good.

Overall I thought that this was a good beer and it was a pretty good example of a barrel aged ale, it had good balance which made it good pretty smooth, but I wish the flavors were a little bolder, I wouldn't mind sacrificing a little bit of drinkability. This beer had great drinkability, I wasn't expecting it to go down smooth and quickly, the flavor held my attention and I would mind drinking more then a couple of these by the campfire. What I like most about this beer was the great mouthfeel and the great balance this beer had, that's what made this beer above average. What I liked least about this beer was that the rum wasn't as bold as I would like and it was a little too sweet, if those were worked on this would be a very good beer. I would buy this beer again when looking for an affordable and good barrel aged beer, I can see getting this often and I recommend giving this beer a try if barrel aged beers are your thing. This was my first rum barrel aged beer and my first beer from this brewery and I have to say that I was impressed and I'm interesting in checking more of there different beers out, good job guys, you can bet I will be a repeat customer.

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2012 03:38:47 | More by StoutHunter

kylehay2004

Florida

4.03/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: two finger head with lots of lacing on a very deep amber, almost red clear body.

S: lots of caramel malts, some toasted malts and woody notes. not getting much from the rum but what is there is sweet.

T: rum is very understated. nice malt profile. The finish has a subdued red-hot almost peppery spiciness. Nice oak notes.

M: medium body and moderate carbonation.

Overall: a good beer but the rum is understated more than I would like.

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2012 21:45:46 | More by kylehay2004

BigRedGator

Georgia

3.63/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This beer is very unusual. It has a rich amber appearance with little head and very light carbonation, making for a smooth and refreshing drink. It has a nice aroma of oak and rum, blended with a spicy and hoppy ale -- the flavor is the same. You can taste the rum, but peppery spice is my favorite part of this beer. This and the alcohol content makes this a perfect sipping beer, best served after a meal or paired with a cigar or pipe. This is not one that I would drink more than a glass or two in a sitting ~ because of the bold and rich flavor, not alcohol content.

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2012 14:32:22 | More by BigRedGator

Mitchster

Michigan

3.98/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

No specs per the website or bottle. 7.4% AV. 1.2oz clear bottle. Pours out to a clear deep brown, forming a skimpy light tan head with poor retention and sparse lacing. Carbonation is mild, ~1.8 carbs. The nose is quite nice, reminding me of Sam Smith Winter Welcome with it's caramel, butterscotch, and toffee. Very little hop nose. Mouthfeel is smooth and slick with a medium-dense slightly syrupy body. Taste opens with caramel and toffee and blends into a sweet butterscotch and brown sugar middle. Very mild hop bitterness. A little bit of spice and toasted coconut in the finish, but I couldn't tell you blindly that this was aged in rum casks for 57 days. Despite it's sweetness, it ends slightly dry. Faint peppery wave of alcohol. No appreciable off-flavors. Leather and toast in the finish.

Rich. One bottle is plenty as even though it's not a huge beer, it's quite sweet. This is my favorite of the 3 I've had (The Oak aged, the Irish Whisky cask and this) so far.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2012 21:56:37 | More by Mitchster

facundoCNB

New Jersey

4.08/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

clear deep red in color with 2 fingers of head which quickly diminished. smells of vanilla, rum, wood, plum, grapes. very sweet vanilla flavor with a wood backbone. definitely taste the rum cask aging. aside from that, there is a fruity taste leaning towards apples. medium bodied with mild carbonation, barely any lacing. overall this is a very tasty dessert beer. very sweet, very rich, however i do wish it was a bit heavier in the mouthfeel (maybe a bit of creaminess).

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2012 12:09:15 | More by facundoCNB

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

3.83/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

After loving the regular version I tracked down this version and purchased it at a fair price of 3 bucks. Believe me for PA that's not bad since it was 4 at the House of 1,000 and 6 at my local bar.

A - Wow that's a lovely dark brown, like a deep brown ale. The head is an impressive inch of mocha colored head.

S - Smell is not as impressive as the regular oak aged but I do get mild notes of vanilla, oak, and toffee along side of a mild rum smell.

T - Well I don't want to say I am disappointed but this rum cast really isn't as tasty as the original. I do like how it has some good toffee sweetness, mild hops, and a island like rum finish. No delectable alcohol makes this tasty.

M - Medium bodied and chewy like the original.

Overall it's balanced as the original but the rum barrel aging seems to have muted some of the sweet flavors that I enjoyed in the regular oak aged version.

Worth trying if you can't stand the sweetness of the regular version.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2012 01:05:43 | More by DrDemento456

tone77

Pennsylvania

3.2/5  rDev -16%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a clear 11.2 oz. bottle. Has a dark brown color with ruby highlight and a 1 inch head. Smell is of rum, alcohol. Taste is also rum up front, oak. alcohol, a touch of malts, different and unique. Feels medium bodied in the mouth and overall is not a bad beer, a little unusual for me and I can't really get in to it.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2012 19:26:45 | More by tone77

Rojopunk

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

A - deep red amber

Smell - oak and small bits of brown sugar

T - Light brown sugar notes . Light notes of cinnoman and other rum spices

M - Light to medium body

O - I was so hopped up to try this beer a Scottish ale in rum cask why wouldn't this be good! When i had it i was slightly disappointed .The beers rum notes are almost not there they tease you in the back round. There oak flavor saves this beer and is steady and is there through out the hole tasting proses . Nice bit of alcohol warmth on the back end . All and all this beer is really good not great but pretty damn good .

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2012 03:43:47 | More by Rojopunk

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

3.73/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Innis & Gunn Rum Cask. 'Carefully matured for 57 days.'

Mini-snifter sees a translucent muddy brown beer with an impressive two-fingered head off of a hard pour. Better head retention than the original. 3.5

Smells very oaky, of course, but with a dark and rich sweetness. Hard to define it particularly as a rum sweetness, but there's definitely some vanilla and soupy malts and musty hops. Maybe the slight hint of toffee. 3.5

Oh yeah, this is a rum-soaked version of the Original. The barrel isn't as pronounced, nor woody, nor astringent. A whole wave of dark sugar sweetness comes rolling in, filling out the malt bill. Grains are well-toasted and musty. Some raisin and an herbal birch beer quality. 4.0

A little warming in the finish. Drinks better than your usual wee heavy. Soft on carbonation compared to the regular Oak Aged offering. The body is medium. Lighter than the typical of the style. 3.5

I'm leaning toward the Rum Cask version, but after trying two Innis & Gunn specialties, I'm growing a little exhausted of the brewery. Not to cut them short, I mean this is what they do, but I certainly get the schtick. I don't know if I would call this a prime example of a wee heavy, but I'll take it now and have another again sometime down the road. 4.0

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2012 05:15:01 | More by thecheapies

beerman240

Alabama

4.98/5  rDev +30.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A.. Reddish brown,lite molasses with a nice bubble

S.. calming vanilla rum with a splash of Dr. Pepper

T.. kinda malty,rummy of course and then the oak sneaks up

M.. mellow, good for supper instead of sweet tea

O.. I drink this beer every weekend..I can't get enough.
And the second is better than first,then third is better
Then second.and so on...

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2012 04:16:14 | More by beerman240

MatthewWilde

Massachusetts

3.8/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Sample: 1 bottle 2012

A: Dark orange red, mild internal carbonation, pours a a small light brown head that quickly evolves into nice lacing, translucent

S: Quite nice, dried fruits, vanilla, some wood notes, sweet and yet maintained, slightest touch of alcohol, even some cocoa elements

T: Much similar to the nose, fruity, sweet, almost dessert-like in flavor, could be more flavorful, hardly any alcohol in the taste, though

M: Incredibly smooth, very light in the mouth, not lingering, almost no aftertaste, well balanced

O: Pretty amazing for something rather easy to access (at least in my area), fragrant and smooth

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2012 02:05:22 | More by MatthewWilde

Spiekerbox

Michigan

3.23/5  rDev -15.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

A- Dark amber with a medium sized off white head. Clear and lightly laces the bottle

S- Malty sweetness with a bit of a oak-rum scent to it.

T- Lots of sweetness, in a sugar way with an oak and rum flavor with it as well. The next flavor to show is the malts which have a roast flavor but not very overpowering

M- Medium body with moderate-small bubbly carbonation. Texture is sticky with a decent amount of alcohol warming.

O- Decent and different. The rum aspect of this is evident but I don't think they got the balance of it right. There are a lot of other good casked beers out there in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2012 01:18:45 | More by Spiekerbox

DrinkThis

4/5  rDev +5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Similar to Innis & Gunn Original, this beer is darker in color and has a roasted flavor. Slightly higher in alcohol at 7.4% ABV, this beer hides it really well. Full mouth feel and strong flavors make this a great stand alone beer or enjoy with a cigar.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2012 17:39:12 | More by DrinkThis

Sharkophile

New York

3.8/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Poured into a pint glass, appears a gorgeous amber hue with a big off-white head with good retention.

S: Smells skunky, perhaps due to the clear glass, but there is some brown sugar and light oak evident behind the slightly overpowering skunkiness.

T: Really picks up here, with a huge brown sugar-y sweetness with some caramel and fruity complexities and a dry finish with flashes of oak, tobacco and rum-like alcohol. Very warming.

M: Nice medium to full body with low carbonation.

O: I want to drink this beer after I smoke a cigar. Delicious beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2012 05:02:14 | More by Sharkophile

RollBeerTide

Tennessee

2.8/5  rDev -26.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I bought this brew in an Innis & Gunn variety 3 pack that included an I&G glass. Poured into a standard pint.

A- Lighter caramel, almost watery-cola color. Produced a beautiful 2-3 finger off-white head that faded rather quickly. Leaves no lacing at all.

S- Malty, sweet smells going on here. The nose is overall pretty mild. Nothing seems to overpower- faint rum and slightly stronger oaky scents are almost lost in the malt.

T- The first sip is very interesting. Sweetness dominates initially, with some caramel coming through from the roast. The earthy oak flavor comes in next in concert with the rum. Very unique (admittedly, this is my first beer in this liquor cask style). A slight warming sensation from the alcohol sets in at the finish. I initially rated the Taste a 3.5, but as the beer has warmed each sip is becoming less enjoyable. I thought the suggested serving temp. is a bit too cold, but it is making sense now. With about 25% of my beer remaining, all the incipient uniqueness and intrique is gone and now it just tastes like somebody spiked my Newcastle with Bacardi.

M- Somewhat pedestrian- I expected more. It isn't bad, but seems rather light. I was looking for a more viscous mouthfeel. Carbonation is nice and appropriate.

Overall- I really want to love this beer, but I can't. But I can't hate it, either. It seems to me that the balance is off. The rum flavor, sweetness and alcohol begin to dominate soon after the pour. If the ABV was lower I could see this being a very interesting session beer. But unlike most brews I enjoy, this becomes less complex as it warms. Certainly give it a try- I've never had anything like it. 3/5 for me. It's making me crave a 90 Shilling Ale from my favorite brewpub.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2012 19:45:07 | More by RollBeerTide

EmperorBevis

United Kingdom (England)

3.6/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Looks like whiskey and cola with a thin head that disappears to nothing quickly.

The aroma is of treacle, brown sugar and ethanol.

The rum envelops the taste at the start and the finish in between there is hops and sugar but all very watery.

The mouthfeel isn't there for me, very thin, though this means it is not heavy going, it makes it a little disappointing.

Okay, not bad but the whole thing sounds better than it tastes.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2012 23:20:55 | More by EmperorBevis

nickfl

Florida

3.35/5  rDev -12.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A - Pours with one finger of light brown foam on top of a clear, amber-brown body. The head settles rapidly and leaves no lace.

S - Aromas of toffee, brown sugar, and a vague oak note.

T - Dark, bready notes up front with some oak character. Toffee, molasses, and dark caramel come out in the middle. Some red apple and more oak character in the finish.

M - Medium-thick body, moderately high carbonation, and a slightly sweet finish.

D - Not bad, but the rum character is a bit disappointment. The dark sugars of the base beer work nicely with the oak, but there really isn't much in the way of rum specific character. Kind of a let down overall.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2012 05:53:12 | More by nickfl

Fatehunter

Oregon

4.23/5  rDev +11%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a goblet. A thin head formed, a clear copper color body.

It smells like tobacco, vanilla and faint molasses. Very nice.

Sweet but not malty sweet. Vanilla dominates the taste. The ale is in the background with a little, very little, bitterness coming through.

Smooth and creamy with a nice bubbly texture. Medium body.

Wonderful drink. The rum cask did an awesome job with the beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2012 00:46:21 | More by Fatehunter

kawilliams81

Illinois

2.88/5  rDev -24.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Served in a Port Brewing tasting glass.

A- Nice copper color with a 2 finger light tan head. Minimal lacing.

S- Caramel, some spice, do not get much rum aromas.

T- Lightly toasted malts, with a slight sourdough taste.

M- Medium body and carbonation. Slightly dry finish.

O- Not sure how long this is "cask" aged. Possibly 1 day?

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2012 02:58:41 | More by kawilliams81

PorterLambic

Florida

3.53/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Arrive in a 25cl Leffe tulip glass. A dark coppery red with a decent head capping it. A good amount of light penetrates through. Head dissipates to a film within two minutes.
Smell is malt, strawberry, herbal/floral with a hint of caramel.
Taste is malty with caramel and burnt sugar notes. A distinct sugary sweetness is unexpected but nice. I suspect this is from the rum previously stored in the cask.
If this was a heavier brew, more full bodied it would rate much higher here. No roasted notes, no smokiness. The disconnect between the style and the sweetness and body are a little hard to overlook. A for effort but B- for execution.

Serving type: on-tap

03-21-2012 02:20:18 | More by PorterLambic

Dave1999

Virginia

4.13/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a dark red with a small fluffy white head.

The sweet smell of the rum is obvious, as well as oak and vanilla.

The taste is quite sweet with the rum and brown sugar. There also a little alcohol in there.

The mouth feel is medium with medium carbonation with a little burn from the alcohol.

Overall I've been impressed by Innes and Gunn and will be looking to try some of their other offerings.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2012 19:08:14 | More by Dave1999