Innis & Gunn Spiced Rum Finish - Innis & Gunn

thehyperduck

Ontario (Canada)

3.8/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

330 mL bottle-in-a-carton from the LCBO; listed at 7.4%. Many folks have one specific liquor that they refuse to drink, usually because of a decision made the morning after a number of very bad decisions involving the liquor in question. Yeah, my liquor is spiced rum. I haven't had any in years now, but I think I trust I&G enough to come up with something respectable, even to my tainted palate.

Pours a clear, lovely amber-brown colour, topped with nearly two fingers of frothy, off-white head. It dies down over the next few minutes, leaving behind a thin, foamy cap on the surface, with minimal lacing. The aroma is very similar to that of their flagship oak aged beer - sweet and malty, with lots of butterscotch, toffee, vanilla and oak, but with a subtle touch of spice underneath this base.

The flavour is dominated by much of the same toffee, oak and vanilla notes common to all of this brewery's offerings, with some nutty undertones. The spices creep forward in the finish, which offers just the right amount of heat from the alcohol. Not as rum-like as one might hope; rather the spice seems to modify the base oaked-whisky I&G flavour just enough to allow this beer to give off only a vaguely rummy vibe. Medium-bodied, with similarly moderate carbonation levels. A little buttery, with a slickness left behind on the palate. Enjoyable and warming; but not the kind of thing I'd be interested in having more than one bottle of per night.

Final Grade: 3.8, a B+. Innis & Gunn's Spiced Rum Finish is a respectable offering, but not something I'm likely to seek out in the future. I'd take their regular oak aged ale over this 9 times out of 10, and that isn't even really taking the price difference into account.

It's not bad... its existence just seems pointless - the spiced rum character, although present in a half-hearted sense, refuses to rise above a supporting role - and this is coming from someone who is probably overly sensitive to that flavour. A serviceable beer, but not one of the better choices in the I&G lineup - something that might be worth one try for the tick, but not many more. Big fans of this brewery should consider this one worth a spin, but most others might as well stick with I&G's core lineup, because the differences are fairly minimal. Not really worth the extra coin.

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2012 23:27:37 | More by thehyperduck

Will12

Ontario (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev -0.8%

06-15-2013 13:52:29 | More by Will12

coenbust

United Kingdom (England)

4.25/5  rDev +12.4%

06-07-2013 19:44:35 | More by coenbust

mikerems

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +5.8%

06-02-2013 02:16:32 | More by mikerems

Bigtwin

Michigan

4.25/5  rDev +12.4%

05-30-2013 16:44:09 | More by Bigtwin

UCLABrewN84

California

3.58/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

7.4% ABV per the label.

Pours a clear orange with a foamy tan head that settles to a partial film on top of the beer. Foamy streaks of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, vanilla, spice, wood, and rum aromas. Taste is much the same with vanilla, spice, and wood flavors on the finish. There is a mild amount of woody bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer with a fairly solid spiced rum presence in the aroma and flavor.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2013 08:35:45 | More by UCLABrewN84

Waveoff

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +19%

05-26-2013 04:50:27 | More by Waveoff

swgwilt

Tennessee

4/5  rDev +5.8%

05-26-2013 04:33:20 | More by swgwilt

gtermi

Texas

3.75/5  rDev -0.8%

05-21-2013 20:40:31 | More by gtermi

CrazyDavros

Australia

3.48/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

Pours dark amber with a large head.
Nose shows lots of toffee and butterscotch along with vanilla and soft spiced apple. Very sweet-smelling.
Equally sweet flavours. Maybe too sweet. More butter, butterscotch and toffee. Incredibly sweet.
Could use a lot more carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2013 01:00:50 | More by CrazyDavros

schaffer9252

New York

3.75/5  rDev -0.8%

05-04-2013 14:54:39 | More by schaffer9252

Suds

Pennsylvania

3.59/5  rDev -5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.25

A copper, nearly bronze, color brew, this beer has a modest white head. The aroma is more spicy than I expected...sharp and up-front. Allspice, cinnamon, and pepper come out. Some sweet malt...in fact, the taste is very sweet. Almost too much. Very malt-forward. Some alcohol notes as well, and the spice gives the beer a tongue-numbing sensation. It has a very soft, nearly slick, mouthfeel. Full and rich. I don't think that I could have more than one of these at a single sitting, but it was very interesting.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2013 23:33:57 | More by Suds

bluerabbit

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +19%

04-01-2013 21:12:01 | More by bluerabbit

bacasnax

Florida

4.5/5  rDev +19%

03-31-2013 01:31:00 | More by bacasnax

metter98

New York

3.76/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

A: The beer is clear amber orange in color and has a moderate amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a finger high dense off white head that died down, leaving a thin layer of bubbles covering the surface and a collar around the edge of the glass.
S: Light aromas of rum are present in the nose along with hints of vanilla from the oak barrels aging.
T: The overall taste contains a mixture of rum, vanilla and toffee flavors. No bitterness is perceptible.
M: It feels medium-bodied and a little smooth on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: I really enjoyed this beer because it seemed that the flavors imparted by the rum and oak barrels were well incorporated into the overall smell and taste of this beer. It is rather easy to drink because the alcohol is well masked from the taste. I would definitely considering trying this beer again.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2013 01:26:54 | More by metter98

Celtics76

Rhode Island

3.5/5  rDev -7.4%

03-28-2013 17:34:09 | More by Celtics76

Kremlock

Ontario (Canada)

4.05/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Bottle is 7.4% ABV (0.5) more then shown on the posting.

A: Medium copper/orange colour. Pours a nice 1/2 inch foam on top that settles to a film. Very clear with no particles.

S: Typical Innis and Gunn scent but can't pick up on any "spices" from the spice rum cask. Bread all the way with some caramel sweetness.

T: Vanilla, hint of cinnamon, white pepper, caramel, and bread.

M: Medium to full body, some warm feeling going down. Not a hot alcohol feeling, just a warm body sensation.

O: Flavours are similar to the regular rum cask but I prefer the warm feeling from this one.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2013 01:18:59 | More by Kremlock

Colosdog

Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev -7.4%

03-16-2013 12:11:51 | More by Colosdog

Chevelle66

New Jersey

4.5/5  rDev +19%

03-12-2013 22:25:56 | More by Chevelle66

M1k3y

Tennessee

4/5  rDev +5.8%

03-11-2013 05:55:06 | More by M1k3y

spycow

Illinois

3/5  rDev -20.6%

03-10-2013 20:19:04 | More by spycow

PStriedl

Maryland

3.75/5  rDev -0.8%

03-02-2013 22:07:50 | More by PStriedl

BigGruntyThirst

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev +5.8%

03-02-2013 00:54:34 | More by BigGruntyThirst

BEERMILER12

Maine

3.93/5  rDev +4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Date of Sep2013 on the back, most likely a best by date

A: Pours an amber color with a fingers worth of head that fades quite quickly

S: Very malty, with a distinct spiced rum note and some oak. Very straight forward

T: Starts off malty and sweet. This is followed by a nice, mellow spiced rum and oak flavor. Finishes clean and slightly sweet

M: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Not sticky or sickly sweet

O: A nice dessert beer that doesn't over-do the oak aging. Just sweet enough to satisfy a sweet-tooth craving. Worth a try

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2013 03:45:26 | More by BEERMILER12

wookievath

Quebec (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev -0.8%

02-24-2013 19:08:36 | More by wookievath