Innis & Gunn Bourbon Stout

Brewed By: Innis & Gunn Brewing Company in Edinburgh, Scotland (brewed at Wellpark (C&C Group) in Glasgow)

Purchased: 11.2oz single from an I&G gift pack bought at Malloy's Finest Wine & Spirits in Naperville, IL; 2013 

Style/ABV: English Stout, 7.4%

Reported IBUs: ?

Ah, the elusive twofer. About Innis & Gunn:

Innis & Gunn are a brewery based out of Edinburgh, Scotland. The brewery was founded in 2003, but began when Dougal Sharp walked into his father's brewery and decided to become a brew master at the Caledonian Brewery. In 2002 the William Grant distillery asked Dougal to flavor barrels for their cask reserve whisky. The brewers noticed that the barrel-aged beer was delicious, so they started aging the beer in the barrels. You can read more about that story HERE. In 2003 Innis & Gunn was born. 

The Bourbon Stout is brewed using rye crystal malt, Whitbread Golding hops, and then aged over Bourbon-infused oak. The back of the bottle says -- "This Innis & Gunn Red Stout has been brewed using rye crystal malt to give it its deep ruby colour. Whitbread Golding hops complement the sweet bsicuity malt with a soft hop bitterness. It was mutred slowly over Bourbon oak chips which gives it its mellow vanilla flavour and a nice Bourbon kick." -- let's see what we got.

Innis & Gunn Bourbon Stout 

The beer pours into a reddish-brown, cola-esque body. It's not quite black, it's in that dark brown realm. The beer did kick up a finger of tan/khaki head. There is visible carbonation in this, and the body looks to be somewhat transparent. It is obscured by some opacity, even when held to a bright light. But look at dem rooby red tones. The head doesn't last for long.

The aroma reminds me of...hmm...I don't know. More malty, English-style goodness? I guess I'm getting some Dry Stout or Oatmeal Stout essence. I'm picking up dried fruits (cherry, raisin), some oats, a wheat-raisin thing, some of that smokey barley ala Guinness, and some nuttiness. Maybe a hint of vanilla/oak. It's not a bad aroma, but like with the last beer, I'm not picking up a ton of bourbon or oak on the nose.

Hey...this isn't bad. I'm reminded of Guinness Foreign Extra, if it had that bourbon twist. Like the last beer, this one is subtle and nuanced. If you're expecting an American-style Stout aged in Bourbon Barrels...look elsewhere. There is some nice oak and bourbon showing up in the back of this beer. Up front I'm getting big raisins, toast, cocoa/chocolate, and some syrupy chocolate. Some vanilla shows up to the party, and there is a bit of nutty fun. The back end trails off with lingering oak. 

This beer is gonna catch flak like Guinness does. "HURRR DURR DIS GUINNESS ISN'T AS TASTY AS MY DARK LORD WHY DIS?" Then again...at 7.4%, this one is starting to approach Imperial Stout territory. Nevertheless, this beer is super drinkable and absolutely masks all the alcohol. This beer is balanced, with nuanced bourbon flavor in the back. Palate depth and complexity are good, and the mouthfeel is medium-full with good carbonation and good duration. You get raisins, toast, and cocoa/chocolate up front; that rolls into some vanilla and chocolate syrup, with nuttiness. The back end trails with lingering oak, vanilla, and some bourbon. Subtle and sugary sweet...this is never cloying and you could drink two or three of these.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Light Above-Average on this. I dig this. It's a subtle, nuanced, English-style Stout. The bourbon character is just a note, rather than an assertive force dominating the beer. There's something to be said about having a deft hand. Or maybe not, shit I love an bourbon-aged American-style Stout. Anyway...pair this one with dry chocolate desserts, or a super raunchy burger, steak and mushrooms, or grilled/charred meats. Nicely done. 

Random Thought: So far...so good. I feel like I'm drinking some simpler times shit or something.

Great Divide Rumble

Brewed By: Great Divide Brewing Company in Denver, Colorado  

Purchased: 12oz bottle from a 6-pack bought at Walgreens in Chicago, IL; 2013 (Bottled on June 21, 2013)

Style/ABV: American IPA, 7.1%

Reported IBUs: ?

Tonight's beer was a random shelf grab at one of my local watering holes. I already cracked open a bottle, and I'm happy to report this is some damn near divine nectar, BUT I didn't realize how old these bottles are! This beer is about five months aged...and although it probably spent some quality time in the fridge, it's still an IPA. On the other hand, the oaky goodness really stands out, and last I had this the beer was quite balanced. HMMM. About Great Divide:

The Great Divide Brewing Company is a brewery based out of Denver, Colorado, founded by Brian Dunn. Dunn was a homebrewer who attended graduate school in Colorado. Upon his graduation in 1993, he set out to open a brewery in Denver's Ballpark Neighborhood to brew unique and flavorful beers. In the beginning Dunn was the only full-time employee, brewing, bottling, and selling all on the same day. As the brewery gained momentum, it expanded into an old dairy processing plant in 2001. The brewery has won over 17 Great American Beer Festival medals, has received 5 Wolrd Beer Cup awards, and has consistently been rated as a top-100 brewery on Ratebeer and BeerAdvocate. To learn more, check out Great Divide's website.

The Rumble is simple enough. Punching in at 7.1%, this American IPA is brewed with Pacific Northwest hops, and then aged on French and American oak. The idea: a balance between bitterness, caramel sweetness, vanilla, and pine/citrus. The brewery suggests pairing this with skirt steak, grilled sweat potatoes, a Brie or Tallegio cheese, and apple crisp with ice cream. I do believe. So let's glass this up. 

Great Divide Rumble

The beer pours a transparent orange/amber color, and kicks up two to three fingers of dense, sticky, foamy head. Bright light confirms a lovely orange body, and there's a ton of carbonation rising upwards in the form of numerous streams of tiny bubbles. Head retention is nice -- a finger hangs around -- and there's some nice lacing.

I'm reminded quite a bit of the Oaked Arrogant Bastard Ale on the aroma. There's a ton of resinous pine, grapefruit, and citrus on the nose. There's some bready spice aloof, and sweet cakey sweetness. I'm getting floral/earthy hop spice, brown sugar, light wood/oak, and lots of malt sweetness. It smells fucking fantastic. This is what dreams are made of.  

Draw more parallels to the Oaked Arrogant Bastard, and then send Greg Koochie-Coo a thank you. Or was this beer brewed first? I dunno. I'm not a historian, google that shit. Rich resinous pine and citrus fill up your mouth, supported by tons of bread-cake maltiness, brown sugar, and hints of wood/oak. There's also a big rush of aged pine and iced tea, ala an aged Barleywine. I can only imagine that is a side effect of this being a 5-month old bottle. 

I'm drinking this on the warm side of things, as you should. If you drink this Rocky Mountain cold, I can't comment on that shit. You're on your own, brave Sherpa. This is medium-full to light-full bodied. There's nice carbonation and bitterness to smooth things out, and the oak never cloys. The 7.1% is also in check. I'm not picking up any booziness...this is drinkable. Palate depth is outstanding, and complexity isn't far behind. You get malt/cake sweetness and woody vanilla-oak up front; that rolls into bitter citrus, pine, iced tea, and resinous bitterness; the back end trails with bitter, and layers in some oak. The finish is dry and sticky sweet. 

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm gonna give this a Stong Above-Average, and note that this is superior to the Oaked Arrogant Bastard, even though it's not a 1::1 comparison. Oh, but you know. I really like this beer...and the only thing it could do is maybe dial up the hops. I know it sounds crazy, but another layer of pineapple or lemon would bring this home. Otherwise, this beer is super balanced, with big oak presence and lots of hoppy goodness. Really, a great Winter or late Autumn IPA. I would recommend it. Food pairings: peppery steak/chicken, rustic potatoes and vegetables, soups, strong cheeses, grilled meats, and any dessert that will work well with the vinous/spirit oak thing.

Random Thought: A lot of people hate the combination of oak and IPA. I'm actually a big fan of this pairing. The Oaked Arrogant Bastard isn't a perfect beer, but it is one of my favorites. This one is also up there. It almost reminds me of a Lagunitas Winter seasonal, with the rich cakey malt sweetness that hints at brown sugar and spice. Yum. Get on this now.

Oaked Arrogant Bastard Ale

Brewed By: Stone Brewing Co. in Escondido, California

Purchased: 12oz bottle from a 4-pack bought at Spec's Liquor in Galveston, TX

Style/ABV: American Strong Ale, 7.2% 
Reported IBUs: ?

It's true. I was down in Texas over spring break. It was really nice. While the Midwest was getting pelted with snowstorms, I was enjoying low 60s and upper 80s. Texas definitely wins the weather competition. On the other hand, I'm pretty sure I can find more Jester King stuff in Chicago than in Texas. And Texas has some crazy liquor laws. You need a special license to sell hard liquor, and the booze stores are closed on Sunday. What the hell, Texas? I picked up some random beer to pass the time while enjoying the sunny weather, and this happened to be one of them. About Stone:

Stone Brewing are one of the more prominent breweries in the American craft brewing scene. They were founded in 1996 in San Marcos, California, and moved to Escondido, California where they recently expanded their operations. Stone was founded by Steve Wagner and Greg Koch. Koch has a reputation among the craft beer community for voicing his opinion, not putting up with shit, and standing behind his beer. 

If you haven't dabbled with Arrogant Bastard yet, go do it. Arrogant Bastard is like a craft beer rite of passage. It's also delicious. And it's everywhere! It's definitely a good standby, and I seek it out every once in a while (especially when I'm cooking Brats). This is the oaked version. Clocking in at 7.2%, this beer is aged with oak chips for additional flavorz.

Oaked Arrogant Bastard Ale

This beer pours a an amber/copper color with hints of red on the edges. I kicked up two fingers of amber-tinted head. The head is thick, bready, and impressively sticky. In bright light, this beer is a hazy orange-red color, with large, lazy carbonation. Head retention is nice, and lacing is already forming. This is your typical Strong Ale fare.

I really dig the nose on the Bastards. You'd expect a lot of hops ala an Imperial IPA, but up front I get toffee, mild wood and oak, candied oranges, bready oranges, brown sugar spice, pine, raisins, and candied sugars. There's some molasses too. The nose isn't overly vibrant/floral, it's subtle.

The taste is aggressive with bitter grapefruit, grapefruit/orange rind, and wood up front. You get some oak and sugary fruits, and then the beer goes back into a bitter rampage. Oak/vanilla and wood make an appearance, and you get some brown sugar spice and pine as well. For 7.2%, this beer tastes aggressively bitter. I'm not sure how bitter this is, but I'd imagine it's around 90-100+ IBUs. 

The oak in this grows, especially in the back of the palate. The wood tannins work in tandem with the intense bitterness, leaving tons of residual bitterness on your tongue. And it's dry. I'm not tasting any booze at all, so the 7.2% is hidden well. This is exceedingly bitter, but is reasonably drinkable. The mouthfeel is medium-full, and I would call it slightly creamy except the beer gives way to huge bitterness. This beer is stealing the moisture from my lips, and finishes super dry and woody. Palate depth is off the charts awesome, while complexity is somewhat low for this style. You get bitter rind/citrus/wood up front; a hint of candied fruits, and then more bitter; some spice and pine show up, and the beer finishes with oak, wood, SUPER DRY AND SUPER BITTER.

Rating: Above-Average

This one squeeks by with a Light Above-Average thanks to that awesome mouthfeel and palate depth. The assertive bitterness + wood sticks around and coats your mouth/lips. There's also some really nice oak on the back end, and as your palate adjusts to the bitterness you pick up some oak sweetness and candied oranges. Overall, this is an aggressive and bitter beer. I like pairing this beer with spicy Mexican food, spicy wings, Brats with onions, aggressive cheeses, cheese and onion soup, cheese and potatoes, etc. The intense bitterness in this beer can stand up to ghost peppers, so like the Wu Tang Clan, it ain't nothing to fuck with.

Random Thought: Holy fuck, I think I described this beer as bitter like 14 times. I'd go back and edit it, but it's so much easier to just hit "Publish." TIL I'm lazy.