Beer Review – Innis & Gunn Original

A “Map of The World” According to the Disney Imagineers

For Jersey Week, we hit Disney. I say hit because my better half doesn’t just have an itinerary but more of a plan for annexation and domination. Fortunately, during the trip we hit Epcot. For you novices out there, Epcot has two sections: Future World and World Showcase. World Showcase is broken down into a series of countries situated around the World Showcase Lagoon, and while you stroll around the “world”, you can keep your kids occupied by grabbing them a paint stirrer which they will carry to collect stamps from each country that they visit. While the kids are occupied with this scavenger hunt of sorts, we parents get to venture from kiosk to kiosk trying the international fare, and if we’re very lucky, an adult beverage or two.

As we crossed through France (which inexplicably surrendered at our advance!), we ventured to the United Kingdom and found a tiny shack that had a shoddy sign which proclaimed that we were in Scotland (I can only assume that all of this geography is to scale and that one can actually walk from France to the United Kingdom. And people say that the US education system has failed!). While in  Scotland (not much of a place really), I nabbed an Innis & Gunn Original.

By Elliot Clowes (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)%5D, via Wikimedia Commons

Rum Cask Irish Whiskey Cask

Here is what Innis & Gunn has to say about their Original:

This is our firstborn brew, whose accidental discovery started our story in 2003. Its originality also lies in its singular taste – notes of biscuity malt and vanilla swirling within a creamy, mellow character. A pioneering beer, its flavor finds favour with brewing juries, blind tasting panels and barflies alike.

And now for my impressions of this beer…

• Appearance: Reddish orange with good foam and lacing.
• Aroma: Sweet, roasted malt with a hints of apricot, heather, and caramel
• Taste: Fizzy, creamy, and full-bodied. There is a fair amount of citrus and sweetness. The finish is more tart than bitter.
• ABV: 6.6%

Having had the other casks, I can attest to the quality of the beer that goes into those casks. The oak aging was evident in the caramel/toffee sweetness without leaving too much of a woody note. I think I like the Rum Cask better, but this was a good beer to carry all the way from Scotland to Canada. Again, I am astounded that one can walk from Europe to Canada. Thankfully, a good beer is a great way to cushion the walk.