Innis And Gunn Original - Innis & Gunn

IdeaSpeeder

Ontario (Canada)

3.58/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Serving Type - 500ml can poured into a nonic pint glass

Appearance - Beer pours a clear orange-golden colour. The initial two fingers of head appeared watery vanished vey quickly. Some (very) light traces of lacing are left behind.

Smell - A pleasant aroma. Very sweet smelling. Vanilla is dominant followed by caramel and sweet toffee. Also picking up some spices. There is an oak aroma from the aging process but I likley wouldn't have picked up on it if I hadn't been looking for it, but ist's really quite nice.

Taste - Vanilla taste right off the bat. Also a woody (oak) taste. Some light spiced towards the end. Caramel and toffee flavours feature predominantly. The vanilla taste also seems to linger. Bitterness is extremely low.

Mouthfeel - Far from heavy. If anything the beer is on the light side body-wise. Carbonation is low.

Overall - 3.5

Serving type: can

05-17-2013 01:55:30 | More by IdeaSpeeder

UCLABrewN84

California

3.71/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Pours a clear orange with a foamy off-white head that settles to a partial film on top of the beer. Tiny streaks of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, caramel, and some woody aromas. Taste is much the same with vanilla and woody flavors on the finish. There is a caramel sweetness that lingers on the palate after each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer with some nice woody aromas and flavors but the taste is quite sweet and sugary.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2013 01:04:35 | More by UCLABrewN84

scootny

New York

3.79/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Big head and the best lacing of the IG ales in the winter pack. Lovely clear amber with a golden amber color. Malt backbone with a spicy fruitiness in the nose. A light alcohol sweetness. Taste is smooth and malty with an oak and vanilla toffee sweetness. Alcohol and mineral edge in the finish with a mild hoppiness. Feel is medium light with a velvety creamy carbonation and easy drinkability. A good solid malt oriented ale with an oakey twist.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2013 22:52:42 | More by scootny

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

3.86/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

LOOK: Bright copper colored brew with a light white head. Has a chill haze but mostly clear otherwise.

SMELL: Oak, toffee, vanilla, whiskey.

TASTE: Sweet buttery toffee and vanilla, coming from a very clean dry oak. Nutty maltyness has caramel with just a pinch of tea like noble hops. Not overly cloying, and the vanilla flavor really sticking around long after the sip. Nice dry oak.

MOUTHFEEL: Medium bodied, rich and full. Medium level of carbonation.

OVERALL: A nice little beer with a good dry oak note. I enjoyed drinking this a good bit. Very solid all around beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2013 23:27:12 | More by Stinkypuss

metter98

New York

3.91/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

A: The beer is crystal clear amber orange in color and has a moderate amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a finger and a half high dense white head that gradually died down, leaving a thin layer of bubbles on the surface and a collar around the edge of the glass.
S: Pleasant aromas of vanilla from the oak barrel aging are present in the nose.
T: Similar to the smell, the taste is slightly sweet and has lots of vanilla flavors along with notes of toffee and hints of caramel. There are some notes of oak towards the finish.
M: It feels medium-bodied and smooth on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: I really enjoyed this beer because it didn't seem as heavy compared to some of the other beers in the style and had lots of vanilla in the smell and taste.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2013 01:29:14 | More by metter98

kangarooAdam59

Maine

3.6/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

On the box, it came in, it says best by Sep 2013, I didn't want to wait too long since its a clear bottle:

Into the Innis & Gunn tulip (I purchased along with the other two beers):

A: golden colored body with a two finger white foamy head that recedes a bit and leaves some nice clingy foamy lacing in its wake, slowly moving carbonation is seen rising

S: slight toffee, vanilla, molasses up front, gets woody as it warms

T: sweet and sharp through the previously mentioned flavors

M: medium, carbonation is felt, slightly sessionable

O: pretty good for a Scottish Ale, I'd have this one again

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2013 16:53:00 | More by kangarooAdam59

mdfb79

New York

3.68/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

From 03/02/13 notes. Shared by a friend, picked up at Whole Food Bowery in NYC.

a - Pours a somewhat clear bright orange color with one inch of bright white head and moderate carbonation evident.

s - Smells of vanilla, oak, toasted malts, caramel malts, some light fruity malts. Nice nose, lot of oak and caramel.

t - Tastes of vanilla, caramel malts, oak, toasted malts, wood, fruit. Lot more vanilla; decent but a little too much oak/vanilla and not a lot else going on.

m - Medium body and low carbonation. Pretty easy to drink overall.

o - Overall a pretty solid scotch ale. lot of vanill, oak, and caramel. Nice though the taste is very one dimensional. My friends love this one; it's solid and would have it again, though not my go-to scotch ale.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2013 19:52:25 | More by mdfb79

CloudStrife

New York

3.73/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

11.2oz bottle poured into a snifter. Clear bottle.

A: Pours a clear copper amber with a 1 finger white head. The foam is quick to dissipate leaving a ring around the edge. Not really any lacing. Average carbonation.

S: Right off the bat you get sweet carmel, a bit of oakiness. Hints of the vanilla and toffee as the label suggests.

T: Not an overpowering beer. The scotch ale blends nicely with a little oak aging. There is a lot of carmel sweetness that I can see being too much for some.

M: It has a fairly thin body considering the flavor. Feels a little watery. Not too much carbonation. A little bit sticky.

Overall its an enjoyable beer on occasion. good after dinner beer or something to sip. Not a beer I would want to make a night out of drinking.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2013 01:38:58 | More by CloudStrife

Converge

Alberta (Canada)

3.35/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

330ml bottle poured into a Innis & Gunn cervoise. My old man bought me a gift pack for Christmas from I&G, so I figured I might as well get around to the reviews.

A - Pours a bright and clean golden-amber, with a short-lived head, surprisingly fizzy even for I&G.

S - Mild grainy notes, with some honey, butterscotch and floral sweetness. A little cloying, but mild enough overall. Some grassy notes as well.

T - Not spectacular. Mostly barley malt upfront, with a big cloying finish of butterscotch, too sweet to possibly enjoy; classic Innis & Gunn. There's some mild grassy hops, but not nearly enough to balance the harsh cloying malty sweetness.

M - Subtle fizziness, but strangely flat at lifeless at the same time. Body is a little syrupy/oily form the overbearing sweetness.

D - Pretty typical I&G all around: Overly sweet, cloying, and not all to enjoyable. Swing 'n' a miss, Pops.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2013 05:17:18 | More by Converge

damndirtyape

Ohio

3.9/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

11.2 oz bottle (best before Sept 2013) poured into a Innis & Gunn fluted snifter. Not sure how else to describe this glass. It's got the height of a tulip, but the shape of a snifter.

Appearance: Clear amber with a 1/4" rocky off-white head that slowly died down to a thin foam across the top over the course of a half hour. Lots of lacing noted.

Smell: Oak, whiskey, vanilla.

Taste: Definite whiskey bite and oak flavor, some vanilla. Not getting a lot of malt, but there is some underneath. It's hidden though. A bit boozy.

Mouthfeel: Lively carbonation on the tongue, surprisingly a bit airy while still having some thickness to it. Not fizzy....it's hard to describe really, but it's not sticky on the teeth and its thicker than water while not being very substantial.

Overall / Drinkability: Interesting beer, but I feel the malt got hidden in everything and was dominated by the oak aging. Tasty though, just not as deep and flavorful as I was expecting. As for drinkability, while I would not mind a larger serving, one is enough.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2013 23:12:22 | More by damndirtyape

IllNate

British Columbia (Canada)

3.7/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a crystal clear amber, with good amount of fizzy head with decent retention. Aroma hits you as soon as you pop the top off the bottle. Oak and toffee are immediately appearant, with vanilla and fruity esters coming next. All of this over a biscuit malt backbone. Great aroma, really quite unique. Taste follow with big oak, toffee, vanilla and fruit. With all that toffee and vanilla, it gives the impression of sweetness without actually being sweet, not much in the way of hops though, I think they would benefit from a bit more hopping for balance. Oddly enough the oak lends a bit of bitterness to the mix. Mouthfeel is smooth and foamy. Overall a good beer, aroma was the high point for me. But overall quite enjoyable and definitely different.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2013 04:35:29 | More by IllNate

Brenden

Ohio

3.9/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The box containing information on the three beers in it, including rum cask and winter 2012, simply lists the color as "sunset." Regardless, it's too dark to be called yellow and too light to be called amber, lying somewhere in between. The nearly pure white head is as creamy as I've ever seen and starts off large. Tight bubbles make it seem like dish soap that's settled after you've used a lot and riled it up.. Very nice, really, and retention is also excellent. Lacing is left thickly, particularly toward the top of the glass but in good quantity otherwise.
The smell is interesting and unusual, and my first impression is a mix of candied and honey-roasted nuts of some kind. The vanilla's there, and the wood makes for an interesting change in what a purely vanilla note would be.
The taste is more to par with the claim, lots of woody vanilla with a strongly honey-like note to it as well, particularly in the finish. Alcohol adds more bite than heat but certainly does nip. Paler malts make a solid base, and for its sweetness, the wood does add some dryness and there's a lingering earthy hops bitterness as well. This serves to keep it all in check. There's a nice complexity to this beer.
Creamy and smooth as well as having just enough nip to balance the feel, this medium-bodied brew is held together nicely.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2012 13:47:13 | More by Brenden

StonedTrippin

Colorado

3.93/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

i appreciate all the innis and gunn brews because of their originality, and this one is probably the best. it might be an alias for the oak aged beer, both look the same and have the same stats. in any event, it pours clear and caramely colored into a snifter. there isnt much head at all, but just some thin white fluff. the nose is the best part, tons of toffee and vanilla without being too sweet, and plenty of oak on it, newer white oak, nothing too earthen or dank about this. the flavor is equally vanilla forward, not quite like dessert, but rich and sweet in a similar way. there is some burnt butter or caramel sort of notes throughout, but the finish is pretty dry and woody for what this is. its a little weak on the carbonation, and a boost there would really pop this beer off. i really like the way the scotch flavors carry through the whole flow, and the silky texture as well. this really is good stuff, but why do they keep on putting it in clear bottles?

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2012 16:42:33 | More by StonedTrippin

M_C_Hampton

Georgia

3.73/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A poured from a 750 ml glass bottle into a weizen glass (because I just used it, not because it is correct for the style), pours an orange straw color with a tight white head that lingers leaving little lacing, clear and quite bubbly

S: deep smells of sweet malt and oak, like whiskey with the alcohol smell removed, slight smell of yeast and quite earthy

T: flavors are quite subtle, oak flavor is quite prevalent with a malt sweetness, light and refreshing with a slightly drier finish, not a ton of depth to flavor though, mostly just the oaky quality

O: quite highly carbonated for the style, smell is good but the flavor profile is quite flat, their Winter 2011 version was much better, I always question clear bottles too, hope they are UV treated in some way or that may explain the loss of depth of flavors

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2012 02:46:58 | More by M_C_Hampton

wvsabbath

West Virginia

3.53/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Serving Type - Bottle

Appearance - Light copper tan with a white fomay 1 inch head and plent of lacing.

Smell - Scotch, whiskey, smokey, caramel, light hops, some vanilla, some oak and minor spices.

Taste - Scotch whiskey oak flavor mixed with some vanilla, caramel and added sugars. Light, crisp and mild flavored, some malts and a little alcohol come out after beer warms some. Slight hop flavor comes out in the finish.

Mouthfeel - Light, smoot and easy on tounge. Scotch and vanilla coat tounge. Palate gets sugars, malts, and oaked flavors. Aftertaste is mild vanilla and toffee.

Overall - Decent, mild and easy to drink, scotch flavored with lots of oak make it enjoyable enough. Nothing over the top or world class about this, just a solid and mild beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2012 23:11:49 | More by wvsabbath

jtierney89

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Clear tawny color. 1 inch white head thats quickly fading. Smells a little skunked, what else is to be expected from a clear bottle. Some sweet malt but otherwise subtle nose.

Oh wow, thats a rich beer. Sweet rich dried sugared fruit, raisins, black cherries, sweet malt. Sweet fruity notes balanced by faint oak, rich sweet vanilla and caramel. Some boozey heat. Faint touches of smoke. Delicately layered, creamy mouthfeel , slightly perfumey, flavors that go well together. Just could use a bit more carbonation to maybe mask the alcohol a bit and raise the drinkability ( i know thats not attributed to the style but whatevs)

(BTW the beer started to smell better as it aired out ) The barrel aging isn't overwhelming and is just enough to balance the malts.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2012 04:11:35 | More by jtierney89

ubenumber2

Arkansas

2.68/5  rDev -28.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from a bottle into a perfect pint glass. My wife once again says the beer was very pretty , but thats where it all ends. Not much head at all and very little if any lacing. The smell was just a whiskey smell which I guess is to be expected and the taste is like a beer that someone has poured cheap whiskey into. Im not a whiskey fan and I would not have tried this even but a buddy bought it and left it in my fridge and it was taking up space , and well you cant have space taken up in the fridge , I took about 3 drinks then had an accident and spilled it into the sink ,I would never break man rule #43434 and waste a beer, blah never again

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2012 22:39:34 | More by ubenumber2

BlurryVisi0n

New York

3.83/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Served in a wellington glass.

Appearance: Clear amber nothing crazy here with light bubbles on the body. Has a weak head that is white rising to maybe 1/10". It is frail but you need to factor I am drinking this poured from a growler.

Smell: Light scotch scent, and a lighter scent of hops. The scotch is slightly overwhelming.

Taste: Little sweet believe it or not. Scotch feel is pretty evident and tastes stronger than what it really is. Lightly bitter but you have to look for it. This a very good brew.

Mouth: Lightly sticky, not smooth. It has this rum feel that is not for everyone and many people that I'm sharing this agree. Medium carbonation with a sweet after taste that breathes scotch down your throat.

Overall: I personally really like it. I smoke cigars and if there is a beer I would grab to go with one this would be it. Because of what it is, it is tough to have a lot of. Three might just over do it.

Serving type: growler

10-17-2012 01:57:26 | More by BlurryVisi0n

Elgar

4.5/5  rDev +20.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This is an exceptional beer.

I first came across this at a Wetherspoons, at the tender age of 19. At the time, I was a cretinous larger drinker; you know, the usual suspects, Carling, Carlsberg, Kronenbourg, et cetera.

Eight years on and I can still remember the amazement as I took my first sip of Innis & Gunn Original. Truly unique, complex, and incredibly well rounded, liquid toffee…

Smell: Great. Malt and whisky.

Taste: Toffee is the dominant flavour here, with a hint of vanilla.

Mouth feel: Smooth, forgiving.

Drinkability: Boundless. Very pleasant aftertaste.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2012 16:31:42 | More by Elgar

Giggy

Michigan

3.68/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: dark gold in color with hints of garnet. Minimal weak head.

S: slight smoke/ oak aging. Caramel or toffee.

T: initial citrus followed by a wood/whiskey flavor with hints of vanilla.

M: easy drinking with minimal carbonation.

O: oak keeps it interesting. Good not great.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2012 21:04:36 | More by Giggy

Serge

Alberta (Canada)

3.78/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Copper color, hint of ruby, clear, no head or lacing. Aroma was only bourbon, couldn’t pick up anything else. Tasted bourbon, coffee, vanilla, oak plus a note of citrus. Smooth texture, crisp body, no carbonation but it was well enough balanced. Overall very impressive for the price, complex not too boozy, nice beer for the colder weather.

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2012 04:36:41 | More by Serge

JWU

Pennsylvania

4.03/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

11.2oz. bottle poured into a snifter/chalice

A- A clear deep gold/amber with a finger of off-white head. Dissipates quickly. Some nice lacing as well down the glass.

S- straightforward grains, with hints of oak and vanilla.

T- The taste is so much better than the smell. A really nice pale malt bill is enhanced a great deal by the oak, vanilla, and a very subtle sweetness. Very nice, and downright delicious.

M- Smoother, and creamier that I would have imagined. A bit dry on the finish, but we're not talking IPA dry here. Light to medium carbonation.

O- The average appearance and smell hid what lay underneath. I'm looking forward to trying the various offerings of Innis & Gunn

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2012 23:50:06 | More by JWU

jonb5

United Kingdom (England)

3.85/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

330ml bottle, poured into Leffe chalice. Copper colour, hint of ruby, clear, no head or lacing. Aroma was only really bourbon. Tasted bourbon, coffee, vanilla, and oak plus a hint of citrus. Smooth body, no carbonation but the mouthfull was balanced. Overall very impressive for the price, complex without being overly boozy, nice beer for the colder weather, should have picked up more than one.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2012 13:25:51 | More by jonb5

emerge077

Illinois

3.53/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Single bottle, FEB13 printed faintly on the neck, so it's in code.
Pours into a tulip glass with copious foam, had to let it settle to pour the rest. The fluffy head takes a few minutes to fade, but does so rapidly after the first sips. Crystalline honey amber color, looks more like a lager or English pale. Very bright clarity that reflects the light well. Some soapy lacing develops in the glass.

Skunky smell when the cap is pried off, and as its poured into the glass. Not surprising with the clear glass bottle. After it sits in the glass some honeycomb and sweet grains emerge, which is a bit better than the initial impression.

Smooth feel, slightly watery (as with all I&G beers thus far) with a light to medium body. Lightly sweet maltiness with a mild bitter bite, with a straightforward vanilla wafer and graham cracker flavor. Simple but pleasant enough. Drinkable, though not something I'd seek out more of.

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2012 23:23:53 | More by emerge077

BOSMECH

Massachusetts

4.38/5  rDev +17.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Innis and Gunn is hard to find around my part of MA. but I did some research and found some local distributers and picked up some original, since I heard so much about Innis and Gunn and I like Scottish beer.

S I got it in a bottle and poured into a pint glass.

A It was a dark copper color with asmall one inch head.

S It has a very mild smell of toffee and vanilla and you can smell the oak barrel aging in it.

T Very mild taste that goes down smooth also, you taste the toffee and vanilla along with the oak aging but it is not overbearing.

M This is were I like it, you take a nice mouthful and it is bliss, smooth with all the flavors mentioned above and you can not get better.

O I am once again impressed with the Scotts and there beer as I love Belhaven and I think I just found another best, I still have a Innis and Gunn rum cask to review after this one but I will be getting all the Innis and Gunn beers to try now.

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2012 16:20:20 | More by BOSMECH