Innis & Gunn Spiced Rum Finish - Innis & Gunn

NForr

Quebec (Canada)

2.4/5  rDev -36.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Poured into my Innis and Gunn tulip. Little to no head - normal for a cask ale. Nice amber\auburn color.

Little bit floral, vanilla, spices - cloves, nutmeg. Candy, with some fruit. Baked banana bread.

Flowery Tastes, not as much oak as the usual Innis and Gunn, but still some vanilla flavors from the wood. Relatively bitter. I got more out of the nose the from the taste, let's see how it warms up - so far it's kind of disappointing... Nope, pretty much stays the same throughout, slight rum and oak tastes followed by a sour, bitter and alcohol ending.

I enjoy this brewery quite a lot and this is the second "Rum" themed beer they have produced that falls flat. They should stick to whisky barrels.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2012 05:27:51 | More by NForr

TheSevenDuffs

Ontario (Canada)

3.13/5  rDev -16.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured in to snifter.

A - Medium orange, yellow around the edges. A small layer of cream coloured head formed and immediately disappeared.

S - Toffee, dark caramel, oak, spiced rum.

T - Barrel qualities up front - oak, vanilla, spices and dark rum. Toffee and dark caramel flavours are present as well.

M - Light to medium body. A touch watery. Light carbonation.

O - A decent enough beer, but as is my opinion of most I&G beers, they didn't make the base beer substantial enough to hold up to the barrel aging. Fairly one dimensional.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2012 22:01:42 | More by TheSevenDuffs

sinstaineddemon

Connecticut

3.2/5  rDev -14.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A - shiny coppery color with a half finger of light tan head, heavy swift small carbonation keeps the head alive for a few extra minutes

S - a great liquor sweetness, knowing its source helps place it, not sure if I would be able to if I didn't know already. The oak is far more obvious, that rich thick vanilla woodsiness that I have come to love in oak aged brews

T - The oak is the biggest element in this version, the thick sweetness of liquor is present and the illusion of the spiced version of rum is there but I can't tell if its the power of suggestion or if I can really taste it.

M&D&O - thinner than expected, sweet and malty without being overpowering but the body leaves something to be desired. Soooo close...

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2012 00:25:34 | More by sinstaineddemon

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

3.23/5  rDev -14.1%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a cleans orange-ish color with an off white head. In the aroma, mellow spice and a mellow malt. In the taste, spicy cinnamon, faint sugary, and a note of alcohol. A spice like bite and a medium to lighter bodied mouthfeel, with a dry spice and a small sugary alcohol in the aftertaste. Spicy and a bit boozy, and a bit thin under that.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2012 15:45:49 | More by OWSLEY069

BGDrock

Ontario (Canada)

3.23/5  rDev -14.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Appearance: very deep amber colour; clear; head dissipates swiftly to almost nothing

Aroma: sweet caramel, rum, fruity, vanilla, toffee - this is gonna be a sweet one (again)

Taste & Mouthfeel: as expected - overly sweet and syrupy, with big vanilla and fruity rum flavours; cloying, with almost nothing to balance it out; there might be some oak character in the finish, but not much hint of spiced rum influence it could really be any rum; it actually sets your teeth on edge it's so sweet

Overall: pretty typical from Innis & Gunn, but even more sugary than their others; was hoping for some differentiation, didn't get it

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2012 02:59:58 | More by BGDrock

brod25

New York

3.33/5  rDev -11.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a bronze color with a slight white head which dissipated almost immediately. Aroma of butterscotch, spices and a hint of booze. Taste a lot of vanilla and spicy rum with a dry finish. Get hints of the oak and a slight buttery flavor. Pretty light body with moderate carbonation. Overall a decent beer although not something I would seek out on a regular basis.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2012 04:18:43 | More by brod25

Sunnanek

Sweden

3.38/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours clear deep golden with a lovely compact white head, whipped-cream-like. After the dissipation; only decent lacings.

S: Sweet and spicy - reminds me of Captain Morgan. Woody and fruity. Some vanilla from oak. Balanced malts.

T: Sweetness, vanilla and spices. Wood and malt. Fruity. Not very complex.

M: Aftertaste lingers with sweetness. Body is creamy medium while carbonation is light.

O: Once again; they overdid the oak. It overpowers almost everything else. This might be the best beer ever brewed, BUT we'll never know since the oak/vanilla kills almost everything else...

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2012 16:48:40 | More by Sunnanek

CrazyDavros

Australia

3.48/5  rDev -7.4%
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

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle: Poured a deep clear light amber color ale with a medium size white foamy head with good retention and some lacing. Aroma consists of cereal with some light notes of rum. Taste is also a mix between some cereal with light sweet notes and some light rum notes. Body is about average with some good carbonation. This one works out better then the previous barrel-aged beer they have done.

Serving type: bottle

02-29-2012 03:31:37 | More by Phyl21ca

rarbring

Sweden

3.53/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A clear copper toned ale, an off-white head that settles quickly leaving little lacing but has good curtains.

Much wood nuances, fruitiness, cloud-berries and very ripe pears and sherry.

Sweet brown bread, apricot jam, sweet licorice, oak, no bitterness.

Little carbonation, slightly sticky but smooth, medium body.

Not bad, but as always I feel slightly disappointed with I&G, the casks seems to flatten the beers too much.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2011 19:25:29 | More by rarbring

joemcgrath27

Alberta (Canada)

3.55/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Part of the winter gift pack that I couldn't resist
A - poured into the flute glass that came with the gift pack, lightly hazy bronze, thumb of head retained at a thin covering
S - mix of peat, all spice, toasty grain, and light molasses
T - the caramel and spices of the rum is present but fairly subtle, some peat, light mineral and leafy flavours, with a grainy finish
M - a little on the thin watery side, light spicy and dry finish
O - it has the expected notes of the spiced rum but not as pronounced as I expected, worth a try as with most I&G offerings

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2012 02:54:02 | More by joemcgrath27

Suds

Pennsylvania

3.59/5  rDev -4.5%
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

tzieser

Arizona

3.6/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Not sure why theres no entry for "Spice Rum Aged" I&G but whatever.

Clear amber in color with an off shite head that settles into a small lacing.

Sweet and malty aroms with hints of toffee, toasted nuts and brown sugar.

Deep malt flavor with toasted oak, buttery diactyl and subtle nutty flavor. Well balanced and abv isnt really noticible.

Good brew, but fails to seperate itself from the other aged beers they make.

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2012 21:51:02 | More by tzieser

biegaman

Ontario (Canada)

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

Aged over rum-infused oak, this beer has a colour that looks somewhat like dark rum and somewhat like oak. Fancy that. Its shimmering, clear, toasty tone is undeniably handsome in spite of the fact that it has little head over top to cover its surface (let alone the glass). Like liquid like box and bottle it's sold in, this is a classy looking offering all the way.

As much as I've admittedly tired of Innis & Gunn's increasingly predictable offerings, I've never been able to shake my fondness for their trademark bouquet. It's as if before aging the beer in oak barrels, they cut it with California Chardonnay and a few drops each of single malt scotch and Kentucky bourbon. The aroma is chalk full of butter and toasted wood with warm, ripe fruit and just an inkling of spice.

Moderately smoky mineral notes, brief but zippy spices, toasted oak and vanilla bean continue the (watered down) impressions of chardonnay, scotch and bourbon onto the palate. Curiously absent is much of a rum taste. With the beer's sweetness easily attributable to the prevalence of nutty, toffee-rich malts, I struggle to find anything convincingly reminiscent of rum aside, perhaps, from a small, wavering dose of spices.

While I fail to pickup on much rum flavour, I am also failing to find much justification in purchasing this over the flagship Innis & Gunn or any number of other, better valued offerings on the shelf. While it is a pleasantly mellow ale with a considerably distinct character, I'm beginning to find all this brewery's brands nearly indistinguishable. I'm not discouraging buying it, but don't waste time seeking it out.

Spiced Rum Finish is not to be confused with its cousin, Rum Cask. That offering honestly doesn't stand out in my memory but if I am to trust my own notes I enjoyed it significantly more than this one. I feel, however, like all Innis & Gunn's ideas are increasingly just marketing ploys; they don't taste very distinct from one another and few are truthfully all that worthwhile in terms of repeated purchase.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2012 21:40:35 | More by biegaman

wordemupg

Alberta (Canada)

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

330ml bottle poured into tulip 30/12/12 my bottles 7.4%

A clear copper with tiny bubbles everywhere, a three finger cream colored foam quickly falls to a pinky finger and leaves a ring of lace

S vanilla and toffee come out strong, there's a little wood and spice but I'm doubting I'd guess a spiced rum cask, slight fruity notes and a little apple pie

T everything meshes together in a strange way, not nearly as strong as the nose and harder to distinguish but still nice, sweet but not overly so

M a little thin but the pin prick bubbles work well, no booze and a toffee finish

O I liked it but I didn't love it, smells pretty solid but that was the highlight of this one

I could take it or leave it, decent beer but not mind blowing, no reason not to try it but there's just a little something missing like many beer I've had from I&G

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2012 06:24:02 | More by wordemupg

mick303

Ontario (Canada)

3.64/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

This is the 7.4% aged for 47 days version. Poured into an I&G Glass yielded a large active head which dissipated quite quickly. Leaves quite minimal lacing. Colour is a chestnut ruby colour, with a lot of carbonation.

Smell has a creamy, toffee note. A lot of soft spiciness. Alcohol is somewhat noticeable. Some fig notes, chestnut, some toasty oak and caramel notes, pretty layered.

Taste has a subtle sweetness, vanilla, clove spice, a lot of oakiness and the flavour hints from the spiced rum cut through the sweetness. Develops more sharp spice notes, hints of butterscotch. Finish has a lot of dry rummy character, spicey and dry.

Mouthfeel is pretty full, pretty sweet, soft carbonation. Actually surprisingly drinkable for the strength. Alcohol combines pretty well with the rum and oakiness. Some prickle at the end, but overall quite light.

Well this is something unique, and a ton of the spice rum comes through and does a decent job dominating this beer. Still it is pretty interesting, with some pretty interesting flavours going on, but it lacks a solid malt backbone to stand up to the strength and spice rum influence. Nice and tasty to drink, but unbalanced at times and shows potential to be really something, I prefer the Rum Finish.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2013 00:31:17 | More by mick303

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.68/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A sweetish though not cloying ale. A moderate richness in the finish from an aged anejo black rum cask. Light in the spice department its mostly the vanilla. Drinkable, significant oak mid sip. Beige coloured with a little lasting head, this may get better with a year of age.Toffee and rich malting in the nose.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2012 11:45:53 | More by northyorksammy

Stocean1

Ontario (Canada)

3.73/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - one finger white head that quickly withdrew to a fine follar of bubbles - amber red hued body - semi clear

S - pale malt with floral hops, rum, and oak

T - Follows the nose with some cinnamon or nutmeg, pleasant but not as bold as I had hoped

M - medium bodied with decent carbonation, mildly bitter, relatively smooth with a spicy tingle

O - decent offering from Innis

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2011 17:30:07 | More by Stocean1

cjgator3

Florida

3.73/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

11.2 oz bottle

A- Pours a dark amber color with an off-white head.

S- The aroma is vanilla, oak chips, caramel and malt.

T- The taste is sweet malt along with caramel, spice and some alcohol in the finish.

M- The mouthfeel is light bodied with a moderate amount if carbonation.

O- Overall, not a bad beer. Probably not something I'd buy again but it was worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2012 03:16:58 | More by cjgator3

metter98

New York

3.76/5  rDev 0%
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

JerzDevl2000

New Jersey

3.8/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Picked this up in Totowa since they didn't have a lot of this in stock and the other Innis and Gunn beers that I've enjoyed before were nothing like anything I'd ever had before. Sure enough, this had the alcoholic and spicy aspects of rum with a mouthfeel and accompanying notes that were enough of a reminder that this was indeed a beer. While not a quick sipper, I did enjoy this and hard a hard time pinpointing this down.

The aroma wasn't strong to this and the lacing wasn't much of anywhere to be seen, but I enjoyed the clarity and the copper hue of this beer as I poured it out. Not much of a head either and the carbonation was quite light. The mouthfeel was slick, a bit oily, and smooth as this went right down after being savored. Lots of oak, vanilla, and bourbon flavors here with a slightly woody undertone. A bit of hazelnut too and this almost felt like a Cordial as I was drinking it - along the lines of 43 or Irish Mist. Not a lot of smokiness here but the warming sensation was nice and the spiciness was along the lines of hazelnut - woody without any cinnamon or pepper to overwhelm the palate.

Yes, this was strong but the alcohol couldn't be detected via taste and it was nice to have a beer that was able to feel boozy without tasting it. I love how these guys push the boundaries of what a beer can be and when the weather cools off even more, I know I'll be reaching for an Innis and Gunn to help keep me warm. It's just as enjoyable as any harder forms of liquor.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2012 07:08:51 | More by JerzDevl2000

thehyperduck

Ontario (Canada)

3.8/5  rDev +1.1%
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

BDTyre

British Columbia (Canada)

3.83/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Good amber colour with very little head. Warm rum and oak notes, light spice, creamy malts.

Light bitterness, rum and booze, woody notes. Suggestions of caramel and spice. Very similar to their regular rum cask, but with a bit of spice.

Smooth mouthfeel, a bit too light on the carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2011 04:27:52 | More by BDTyre

andrenaline

Ontario (Canada)

3.85/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Part of the latest LCBO release, listed at 7.4% ABV.

A - Pours a nice caramel colour with a ruby hue, thumb of head with some retention and no real lacing.

S - Spiced rum is evident off the top, quite musty, hints of wooden oak and a nice caramel finish.

T - This one loads a solid punch of oak infused flavours alongside the sweet, yet slightly boozy, caramel flavours provided by the rum casks. A toasted bread flavour comes through alongside faint hints of mossy hops and a peppery toffee flavour lingers.

M - Medium bodied, smooth and finishes with a touch of dryness.

O - Another tasty brew courtesy of the gang at I&G. Worth a try and definitely brings along with it the characteristics of the sugary rum casks. Glad I picked up a bottle.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2012 01:32:58 | More by andrenaline

JoeyBeerBelly

New York

3.85/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

330ml bottle served in a I&G fluted glass.

L - clear carmel color with a white head that vanished in a few minutes.

S - vanilla spice aroma.

T - the spiced rum flavor comes through nicely with sweet malt remaining solid in the background.

F - medium bodied with a smooth, easy drinking feel.

O - a nice treat.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2013 22:08:42 | More by JoeyBeerBelly