[Cellar Review] 2017 Traquair House Ale VS. 2013 Traquair House Ale

2013 Vintage Traquair Ale

The Traquair House Ale is an instant classic. The beer has gained notoriety for its interesting history and ability to be aged. I lucked into a few bottles of this beer back in 2013, and thought I would throw one in my cellar. I was thinking about when I wanted to pull the beer and try it. And as fortune would have it, while cruising the import aisle at Binny's looking for some Irish Dry Stouts, I stumbled upon a new vintage of the House Ale. So here we are.

The two beers in their glory:

Brewed By: Traquair in Innerleithen, Borders, Scotland  

Purchased: 500ml (1 pint, 0.9oz) bottle bought at Jewel-Osco in Chicago, IL; 2013 

Style/ABV: Scotch Ale, 7.2%

Reported IBUs: ?
Best By Date: June 2018

2017 Vintage Traquair Ale

Brewed By: Traquair in Innerleithen, Borders, Scotland  

Purchased: 500ml (1 pint, 0.9oz) bottle bought at Binny's in Chicago, IL; 2017 

Style/ABV: Scotch Ale, 7.2%
Reported IBUs: ?
Best By Date: May 28, 2026

[2013] Appearance: Both beers kick up an eggshell head, but the body of the 2013 House Ale is considerably more murky and worn. There are ruby red tones, but they reside in a swampy haze.

[2017] Appearance: Ruby red, filtered, and deceptively looking like your run of the mill bottle of Shamal Adams. An intriguing, ruby body.

[2013] Aroma: Here is where these two beers depart. The 2013 bottle features peat moss, raisins, leather, faint wood/barrel, oxidation, sherry, some port wine, hints of fortified marsala, and these beautiful tropical and stone fruit notes that come across through shades of peat moss. 

Side-by-Side

[2017] Aroma: The 2017 beer is brighter on the nose immediately, and has a strong grain and malt presence, with a fair amount of peat. There is oak, Scotch Whisky, toffee, caramel, and some toast. Cereal grains are present, and the beer smells warm and inviting. It smells not unlike a brewery. Lots of peat.

[2013] Taste: Wow. Not at all what I was expecting, the 2013 vintage basically sips like a nice peat whisky, sans the alcohol and burn. This is all about the sweet peat moss, with notes of raisins, woodsy mushrooms, musty leaves, peat, peat moss, greens, shades of fruitiness, and some lingering barrel character on the back. As the beer opens up in my glass, I'm getting some fruity notes too (probably from the yeast). Interesting stuff.

[2017] Taste: The taste of the 2017 vintage mirrors the nose in many ways. This is an assertive, grain-forward beer with lots of peat notes. There's a fair amount of astringency from the grain (and water and barrel, hang on) which drops some cereal and toasty notes. The barrel adds oak and wood tannin, and peat moss. The water is hard. There's a whole lot of peat. 

[2013] Finish: Wonderfully complex, this lays Scotch whisky in your glass and doesn't look back. The beer is medium-full, with shades of peat moss, fruit, grain and barrel tannin. There's some oak, chocolate, musty mushrooms, and layers of complex and developed graininess. Palate depth is banging, and this is endlessly complex. It really develops in waves, with peat moss and Scotch whisky up front, fruity notes and then oak/chocolate in the mids, and lingering musty mushrooms and wood and barrel in the back. 

[2017] Finish: The 2017 vintage is thicker, heftier, hoppier, and maltier. It is probably more in line with what I would look for in a beer as a pretty stereotypical American craft beer nerd. The beer is medium-bodied, with good palate depth and moderate to full duration. Each sip does linger in your mouth for 30-60 seconds. And there's good depth of flavor here. You get grains and peat moss up front; cereal and hoppy bitterness in the mids; the back end drapes some of the wood tannin, oak, and more peat moss. The lingering flavor is decidedly the peat moss. If you like Scotch whisky, this is a good contender. 

With flash/potato: 2017 on the left, 2013 on the right

[2013] Rating: Decent Above-Average (4.25/5.0 Untappd)

This was fun to age, and I would age a bottle again. I think the aged bottle is more complex and more intriguing, although it appeals less to my own preferences and sensibilities. I'm not a huge Scotch whisky guy, but I enjoy the complexities of a good peat drink. The layers of grain, smoke, and complex fruitiness are nice. There's no doubts about it, the 2013 bottle morphed into something quite nice and complex. 

[2017] Rating: Light Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

All around this is sweeter, hoppier, and smells and tastes like a brewery. The peat moss pops in as a secondary note, and brings along some oak, wood, and fruitiness. The yeast contributes some fruity characteristics to the beer as well. It's good, even thought it is not my go-to jam. It's no Dubbel. But this is an admittedly awesome beer. If you do see it, pick it up. This is one of those beers that comes around once in a while, and is worth checking out.

Random Thought: Proof that cellaring doesn't have to be super serious. Go buy some beers, stick them in your cellar, and see what happens. 

Founders Backwoods Bastard

Brewed By: Founders Brewing Company in Grand Rapids, Michigan

Purchased: 12oz bottle from a 4-pack bought at Bottles & Cans in Chicago, IL; 2014 

Style/ABV: Barrel-Aged Scotch Ale/Wee Heavy, 10.2%

Reported IBUs: 50

Thanks to Founders' increased distribution, Backwoods Bastard was much more plentiful this year. I hope this trend continues, because it would be nice to see something like KBS become a shelf turd like their Breakfast Stout. About Founders:

Founders is the holy grail of Michigan brewing. Based out of Grand Rapids, Michigan, Founders was founded in 1997 by Mike Stevens and Dave Engbers, and produces some of the best beer in the world. If you haven't heard of Founders...well, what are you doing? Get on that, now.

The Backwoods Bastard is the bourbon barrel-aged version of the Dirty Bastard, which is just a phenomenal, readily available, American-made Scotch Ale. 

The Backwoods Bastard is relatively unassuming...it pours into a murky, red-brown body, kicking up a finger of caramel-tinged head. This is a relatively well-carbonated beer, and suspended yeast is clearly visible in the body. I always look forward to busting out my Scotch Ale glass.

Founders Backwoods Bastard

Unlike the appearance, the aroma is pretty vivid and engaging. Straight away is a ton of oak, bourbon, coconut, and raisin-whiskey sweetness. There are some serious cherry notes on the aroma as well, with toffee, and English-style Barleywine notes coming along for the ride. There are a lot of complex layers of malt aroma, and the barrel takes the Scotch Ale into English Barleywine territory. 

It's very interesting to see how oak barrels can change certain style of beers...in this case, the oak and bourbon adds a lot of complimentary notes to the deep, peat-like malts. This isn't a super thick beer, but there's a ton of malt depth and layers of oak, wood, bourbon, raisin-sweetness, toffee, dark fruits, and barrel character. It all ties into a fruity licorice note, which is quite nice. As this warms up, you get a really nice chocolate and English-style Barleywine character, courtesy of the bourbon and oak. Hints of coconut and grain start to show up, and it adds a much welcomed layer of complexity that elevates this into something beyond average.

At 10.2%, I'm tasting a little booze in here...this is definitely a bit hot, but I like it. The bourbon and whiskey notes are welcomed, in my opinion. I think the style and the peated malts lend themselves to a little whiskey/bourbon heat. This is medium-bodied, surprisingly, but has really good palate depth and lots of complexity. A lot of the complexity here is unlocked at warmer temps. This has a lot of bourbon and whiskey up front; it gives way to great fruit notes, spice, licorice, toffee, wood, peat malts, bitterness, wood tannin; the back end drops peat malts and finishes nicely. This is a great barrel-aged Scotch Ale. 

Rating: Divine Brew (4.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Light Divine Brew on this. I wouldn't pass this up...I think it's a pretty fantastic beer. I don't know if I would age this, maybe for a year or two tops to see if it mellows out...but I think this is impressive. It's a nice twist on a relatively one-note style of beer. Founders did a very good job letting the bourbon and barrel stand out here. I would not pair this with much, maybe a dessert....it's very similar to an English-style Barleywine, with barrels. 

Random Thought: I feel like a "state of the blog" is in order. I apologize to the six people that read this pile of word vomit. I have been quite busy with graduate school...I've also been on a tight budget. Those two things have sort of constrained my beer drinking and beer reviewing. On the other hand, as a graduate student, I find myself drinking a lot more. Hmmm. DAE alcoholism. Actually, I think it's just grad school. "If it doesn't kill you, it'll make your liver stronger." 

Oskar Blues Old Chub: Nitro vs. Regular

Brewed By: Oskar Blues Brewery in Longmont, Colorado

Purchased: 12oz CAN from a 6-pack bought at Whole Foods in Naperville, IL; 2014 (Canned on 05/19/2014)
Purchased: 16oz NITRO CAN from a 4-pack bought at Whole Foods in Naperville, IL; 2014 (Canned on 07/07/2014)

Style/ABV: Scotch Ale, 8.0%
Reported IBUs: ?

DAE like getting drunk on a Thursday night? Does anyone else like comarison reviews? About Oskar Blues: 

Oskar Blues has a few claims to fame, like being the first American craft brewery to put their beer into cans. The brewery was founded in 1997, by Dick Dale Katechis, as Oskar Blues Restaurant. In 1998, Oksar Blues began brewing beer in the basement of their restaurant. In 2002 Oskar Blues became the first American craft brewery to can a beer, with their Dale's Pale Ale. During 2008, the brewery moved from its original Lyons location to a new, 35,000-square-foot facility in Longmont, CO, turning the Lyons location back into a brew pub. And in 2012, the brewery expanded its capacity to over 100,000 bbls. The brewery continues to celebrate success, and has been turning out some awesome beer...in a can. Their website is pretty kick-ass, so check it out HERE for more information about the brewery and their history.

The Old Chub is, at this point in time, iconic. Described as a "jaw-dropping Scottish strong ale," this one is brewed with malted barley, specialty grains, and a "dash of beechwood-smoked malt." What more could you ask for in a beer? I guess Nitro, right. For this comparison, the Nitro will be in the 4 Hands glass, and the Regular will be in the Sam Adams glass.

Appearance

Nitro - so I wasn't expecting to see any big differences with the apperance, but the Nitro definitely settles into a darker, cola-black body, with a persistent finger of perfectly whipped head. It's like Guinness, only better looking. There is some lacing, and when held to a bright light you do catch hints of red.

Getting a chubby for that Old Chub

Regular - Regular Old Chub pours into a slightly lighter body. It's dark, dark, ruby red...with cola tones. Also, the regular Old Chub kicks up way more head (as you'd expect) since it relies on good old fashioned CO2 instead of Nitrogen. Head retention on both beers is nice, but the regular version leaves a lot more lacing courtesy of the head.

Aroma

Nitro - The aroma on this beer is subtle, but when you really get into it and start digging around, you find lightly toasted bread, peated malts and beechwood, and hints of dark fruits. The fruits range from cherries to raisins, with some hints of almost Quad-like perfume spice. It's a nice aroma that doesn't go over the top.

Regular - The regular Old Chub seems to pop a bit more on the aroma, which isn't overly surprising. It seems like (IMO) the nitrogen hinders the release of aromatics a bit. I'm getting a lot of big peat malts on the nose, with light smoke, beechwood, toast, and far-reaching dark fruits and sugars. It also smells good.

Taste

Nitro - Wow...this is maybe the smoothest beer I have ever had. The nitrogen irons out any bumps, and you're already dealing with a malt-forward beer. This is simply delicious, with toffee, caramel sugars, hints of bread and toast, rye spice, kisses of beachwood malt, some caramel sugars and cocoa ala a Brown Ale, hints of nutty, and some dark fruits (raisins, cherries). 

Regular - This is still super smooth...however, the carbonation does changes the entire profile of the beer. This one has some bite. You get those tannin notes from the malts, with some peat malt astringency, and some bready and toasty astringency. It's welcomed, this is a Scotch Ale. It definitely changes the complexion of the beer. It may be the age, but the regular version just has more malt "umphh" with the sugary and subtle fruit notes coming afterwards. Really fantastic.

Mouthfeel/Drinkability/Final Thoughts

Nitro - Both of these beers have above-average complexity and brilliant palate duration. They both mask the 8.0% as well. The Nitro is way smoother. It also shifts the balance towards the sweet sugar, with less bready malts and less astringency. Both of these beers are full-bodied. On the Nitro,  you get silky smoothness, sugars, cocoa, and bread/toast up front; that rolls into more cocoa, some peat malt, beechwood, and some raisins; the back end drops lingering peat malts, but it is sweet. The finish is sweet and blunt.

Regular - As noted above, this is full-bodied with good complexity and palate depth. Up front: sweetness, but more towards the malty side with sweet peated malts, beechwood, bread, toast; the mids hit some serious Scotch Ale notes, with some bread, rye, brown sugar; the back end dials up sugars with some fruit notes (raisins, cherries). Wow...I'm amazed at how much these two beers differ. 

Rating

Nitro - Strong Above-Average (4.5/5.0 Untappd)

Regular - Decent Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

Well, I think the ratings speak for themselves. For me, I'm really digging the nitro version of this beer. It's smoother...and it hits those sweet notes without going too far into the peat/smoked malts. The regular version is still delicious though, and this is the perfect beer to pair with grilled meats, or in my case, nachos. Yum. If you haven't checked this one out, do it now. This is a certified classic, and one of the better American Scotch Ales.

Random Thought: TGIF...T..G...I...F. 

Sierra Nevada's Beer Camp 2014: Tater Ridge Scottish Ale (brewed with Asheville Brewers Alliance in Asheville, North Carolina)

Brewed By: Sierra Nevada Brewing Company in Chico, California 
Purchased: Single 12oz bottle from the 2014 Beer Camp bought at Jewel-Osco in Chicago, IL; 2014 (PKG 06/04/14)
Style/ABV: Stottish Ale, 7.0%

Reported IBUs: 35

What is Beer Camp? It is Sierra Nevada's celebration of craft beer and the numerous breweries across America that make that craft beer. For 2014, Sierra Nevada collaborated with 12 different breweries to make 12 different beers. They also have a Beer Camp Across America Beer Festival, which will stop at seven different cities and feature many different breweries and beers.

About Sierra Nevada:

Sierra Nevada are one of the big players in craft brewing, and one of the first craft breweries to arrive on the craft beer scene. If you check out their history page, you will see that founder Ken Grossman began his quest to build a brewery in 1976. In 1980, Ken Grossman and co-founder Paul Camusi brewed their first batch of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. According to Wikipedia, Sierra Nevada's Pale Ale is the second best selling craft beer behind Boston Lager. Sierra Nevada is the sixth largest brewing company in the United States as well, cranking out over 750,000 barrels in 2010. For more info, check out their website.

The Tater Ridge Scottish Ale is a collaboration between Sierra Nevada and the Scottish folk from the Asheville Brewers Alliance. My bottle reads: "We're fortunate to call the passionate and talented folks in the Asheville Brewers Alliance our North Carolina neighbors. Tater Ridge is our nod to the area's Scottish Highland history, and we hope this ale accented by sweet potatoes will be the first of many collaborations to come."

There and Back English-Style Bitter

This one pours out a dark reddish-browh with two fingers of tan/caramel-tinted head. This is nearly opaque; you can't really see the carbonation. There is good head retention and lacing.

The aroma here is really deep, with big caramel, bready notes, spicy notes, brown sugar, and sweet fruits that start to emerge as this warms up. It doesn't smelly like your prototypical Scotch Ale, so immediately judging this by the aroma is a bit difficult to do.

The taste, however, is much more in line with what I was expecting with a Scottish Ale. There are twangy peated malts playing off big bready and caramel notes, with Twizzlers fruits. This is fruity and sweet, with some bready spice in the back. It's very elegant and nice.

This is full-bodied, but I don't get any of the 7.0%. This is all about those gentle caramel malts and that nice, fruity body. FYI: I don't get any potato in this. Palate depth is good; good complexity. Up front: bready malts, caramel sugars, Twizzlers sweetness; that rolls into deep malts, light peat, more fruity and bready notes; the back end has a twang of hops and finishes with lingerings sugars. Nice.

Rating: Above-Average (4.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average on this beer. Maybe even higher...hmm. I'll have to revisit this in a few days. This is easily one of my favorites from the Beer Camp 2014. This is really tightly executed, and also happens to be an interesting take on the Scottish Ale style. I'd buy this in a 6-pack in the late Fall or early Winter months to pair with football and hearty stews and desserts. This is the Autumn beer that I want...not another tired adjunct squash or pumpkin beer.

Random Thought: This is seriously some great beer. It makes up for the sort-of-boring Yvan and Chico. 

Pipeworks The Last Kiss (Tales From The Oak / Barrel Aged Last Kiss / aged in Buffalo Trace Barrels)

Brewed By: Pipeworks Brewing in Chicago, IL  

Purchased: 12oz bottle (Batch #90) bought at West Lakeview Liquors in Chicago, IL; 2014 (bottled 02.??.2013)

Style/ABV: Bourbon Barrel Aged Wee Heavy/Scotch Ale, 11.0%
Reported IBUs: ?

Continuing with my previous review, The Murderous, and with Pipeworks' barrel-aged, The Jones Dog, I am wrapping things up with their barrel-aged Wee Heavy. About Pipeworks:

Pipeworks has humble roots. The brewery was founded in Chicago in 2011 by Beejay Oslon and Gerrit Lewis. The duo were both homebrewers that met while while working at West Lakeview Liquors. In 2011, they began to raise money for their brewery using the online Internet site, Kickstarter. Olson and Lewis were both educated at De Struise Brewery in Oostvleteren, Belgium. With that knowledge, and the money from their kickstarter, Olson and Lewis created a unique brewery that is smaller in size, and intended to brew smaller batches of beer. The company's motto is "small batches, big beers." And indeed, since the brewery has been around, they've been releasing a lot of one-offs and small batch releases. The goal is to release a new beer every week. You can read more about the brewery at their website HERE.

Like the previous two Pipework's barrel-aged offerings, this one was brewed back in 2013. You can read my review of the Last Kiss Wee Heavy if you are really bored...the tl;dr version is that it's a big, sticky, sugary take on the style. And that's okay. The beer is brewed with vanilla bean and fennugreek. The back of the bottle states:

"Our Last Kiss Wee Heavy, brewed with fennugreek and vanilla, aged in Buffalo Trace Barrels."

Pipeworks The Last Kiss / BA Buffalo Trace

In lower light this one pours into an opaque, cola-black body, kicking up one or two fingers of brown head. Bright light betrays this beer, which has a VERY dark ruby red body...you can see some carbonation streams steadily rising upwards towards the edges of the glass, and a centimeter of bready, brown head is hanging around for the long haul. There is lacing and legs.

The aroma here is very nice, with big bourbon/oak infused with chocolate, peat, and coffee coming to the front. I'm getting nice wood, oak, barrel, and chocolate....there's definitely some vanilla on the aroma, and the vanilla plays off the coffee in such an enjoyable way. It's almost as good as banging stalking that cute little English major number who is working as a barista at your local Starbucks. The base beer here is solid, and the barrel character is present.

The taste isn't quite as prolific as the aroma, but you get a nice range of flavors. I'm getting a lot of whiskey/raisins up front, but as the beer ramps things up you get some of that nice peat/Scotch Ale base, a little coffee, some hints of booze, wood/barrel, and some ghostly chocolate. There's some hints of vanilla as well, and the beer finishes sweet and boozy. Very nice.

You know a beer is sweet when the spirit/bourbon cuts through the sweetness...this is full-bodied, sticky, dense stuff. You can put that in the books. Despite the heavy mouthfeel, this drinks okay for 11.0%. The beer is actually a bit thin at times, and the barrel character isn't too pronounced. Palate depth is good, and complexity is good. Nothing is world-class here, but this is probably an above-average offering. Up front you get whiskey, raisins, and sharp barrel; the mids hit the peat/smoke, you get some base beer, there is coffee, light wood/oak/barrel; the back end dials up the wood/oak/barrel, with some hints of vanilla and chocolate. The finish lingers for a very long time, which is nice, and finishes sticky, sweet, and boozy, with lingering sweet notes. Good.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Decent Above-Average for this beer. It's a Scotch Ale aged in sexy Buffalo Trace barrels...you can't really go wrong there. There's a simple elegance to this beer, but yeah. I would definitely consider pairing this beer with a cigar, especially since the whiskey and hints of peat malt point in that direction. You could also pair this beer with grilled meats, or your dry chocolate cakes or creme brulee. The base beer is over-the-top and fun for the style, so it takes well to the barrel. I'm glad Pipeworks chose this one for the barrel treatment.

Random Thought: It's funny because when I picked up The Last Kiss and The Murderous at West Lakeview, there were a bunch of bottles of The Jones Dog just sitting on the shelf. As far as these beers go -- and doing an apples vs. oranges comparison -- The Jones Dog is definitely the best of the bunch. I would rank them The Jones Dog > The Last Kiss > The Murderous. You can probably pass on The Murderous @ $8/12oz bottle. It's just...very average. But definitely check out the barrel-aged Jones Dog and Last Kiss if you have the chance. 

Innis & Gunn Original

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 Strong Ale, 6.6%

Reported IBUs: ?

Wrapping up with the threesome of Innis & Gunn beers and capping off tonight with a twofer, we have Innis & Gunn's original. 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 Innis & Gunn Original is the OG beer, aged in oak barrels, dating back to around 2003 just after the brewery accidentally discovered that putting beers into oak yields sexy results. Belgium did it first, but shhh. As an added note, this one uses Crystal and Raw Wheat malts, Super Stryian hops, and is aged for 77 days in bourbon casks and over bourbon-infused heartwood.

Innis & Gunn Original

This one pours into a hazy, vibrant, golden-orange body. The color is very nice, and the beer kicks up two fingers of off-white, orange/amber-tinted head. In bright light the beer looks much the same, with visible carbonation rapidly ascending, and some nice lacing forming as the head settles. It's a good looking beer. I still hate the clear bottle, though.

The aroma is all about the malts, with some oak in the mix as well. I'm getting toast, nuttiness, a little toffee, some big vanilla, BIG malted barley (like the aroma when you walk into a brewery), a little wood and oak, and some treacle, raisin sweetness. I'm not getting assertive bourbon on the nose, so any aroma of bourbon is super faint if present at all.

This isn't a knock on the Innis & Gunn Original, but this beer is par the course with the last two beers I've had from Innis & Gunn. You get toast/bread, raisin sweetness, hints of toffee, and grains and malts up front. That rolls into some big vanilla and oak, with hints of bourbon on the way back finish. The finish is pleasant, mild, subtle, and nice...with prominent oak and vanilla. It's good, but it's not some world class, life-changing beer.

So yeah...this is rich, medium to full-bodied, with good carbonation, and an expansive mouthfeel and good palate depth. Complexity is moderate, with lots of front-loaded English Ale stuff: bread, grains, toffee, raisins...the middle is more raisin and toast and grain...and then you get hit with a nice wave of vanilla, oak, and faint bourbon. The finish is good with vanilla and oak, and the 6.6% is elusive but slightly warming. It's not a barn burner, but it's somewhere between average and above average. 

Rating: Average (3.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Average on this. It's riding that Above-Average line, but to be honest, I found both the Bourbon Stout and the Rum Cask to be a bit more complete in terms of base beer + oak barrel + complexity. That's not to say that this beer isn't very good...it is...I really enjoy the light and drinkable sweet malts, and the oak and bourbon is very balanced. This is a very drinkable beer, and would pair well with pub food, English food, fish and chips, burgers, and things like that. I would recommend buying this, but stay the fuck away from any clear bottle that has been sitting naked on the shelf. 

Random Thought: And that's all folks...time to get into bed, I have to wake up early tomorrow to unfreeze my car.

Innis & Gunn Rum Cask (Rum Aged/Oak Aged Beer)

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 Strong Ale, 6.8%

Reported IBUs: ?

Tonight's beer was a random grab. As they go. I saw the Innis & Gunn gift pack at the store, and it was retailing for 10 dollars. The gift set comes with three beers and a glass. It's nothing fancy but my hope is that these beers are relatively fresh, and hey, glass. 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. 

Anyway...tonight's beer, the Innis & Gunn Rum Cask, is matured over oak heartwood, and infused with rum. I'm not 100% sure what the base beer is...the back of the bottle says -- "This ruby red beer has been aged with rum oak chips, resulting in a brew with a delicious warming character that is bursting with fruit and warming spiciness. These vibrant flavours perfectly balance the beer's toffee-malt backbone which have led it to win numerous awards around the world." -- into the glass she goes.

Innis & Gunn Rum Cask

The beer pours into a reddish-brown, transparent body, and kicks up a finger of tan/brown head. The head doesn't hang around for long. Bright light confirms much of the same...a reddish-orange beer, with a ring of white around the edge of the top of the glass.

On the aroma...fruits, man. I'm getting a lot of Scotch Ale and Marzen-like aromas. Big raisins, toasted malts, caramel and toffee, some fruit cake, maybe some dark sugars...and a hint of woody essence and spice. I don't know if I would peg rum on the aroma in a blind tasting, but I see where you might get that.

Hmm...this beer is subtle. It's very malty and fruity, with raisins up front, tons of sweet caramel and toffee, that caramel/kettle note you get in Scotch Ales and Marzens, some mild toast and nuttiness, and way in the back is some oak and vanilla, and a little rum and spice. The oak and rum does come through in this beer, and the beer finishes fantastically. The finish is the best part of this beer. You get hit with this vanilla-clove-banana-rum note, and the beer fades out. It's really nice stuff. 

This is stupid drinkable for 6.8%. That's actually a reasonable ABV, and this beer smashes any hint of alcohol. This is growing on me as I sip it...at first I was really underwhelmed, but this is unraveling like a classy Scotch Ale. I'm reminded of the Traquair House Ale, which is just a fantastic beer. This one is medium-bodied, with good carbonation. Palate depth is good, and the complexity is good as well. When you think "rum barrel" you probably think of some crazy American beer...curb your expectations and this will please. You get caramel/toffee/toast malts and raisins up front; that rolls into a huge wash of malts, with big toast, nuttiness, and some yeast funk; the back end dials up some spice, and you get hit with subtle oak/vanilla, rum, and the beer fades out on this blissful rum-vanilla note. Subtle. Good. I'd pick this up again.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Decent Above-Average on this. Very nice stuff...but subtle. Keep that in mind. This beer is all about the malts and the subtle barrel. You can probably pair this with something like ribs, or lightly charred/grilled meats. This will also pair well with a hearty stew or wintery foods. In fact, I feel like this beer could be advertised as a winter warmer. And hey, it's below zero outside so that works out perfectly. 

Random Thought: I really hate the clear bottles. The clear bottles are a crime against beer. Here's the deal. When I bought this gift pack, the bottles came in a box. I've seen Innis & Gunn singles just wasting away on sun-lit shelves in stores, and that is a fucking shame. This is some Corona or New Castle level of bullshit, and it's gimmicky and stupid and a crime against basic beer preservation. Put your beer in a brown bottle. 

Pipeworks Last Kiss Wee Heavy

Brewed By: Pipeworks Brewing in Chicago, IL  

Purchased: 22oz bottle (Batch #193) bought at Binny's in IL; 2013  (bottled 8/27/2013)

Style/ABV: Wee Heavy, 9.5% 

Reported IBUs: ?

After the kind of so-so Central Waters Scotch Ale, I've decided to crack open another local Wee Heavy. About Pipeworks:

Pipeworks has humble roots. The brewery was founded in Chicago in 2011 by Beejay Oslon and Gerrit Lewis. The duo were both homebrewers that met while while working at West Lakeview Liquors. In 2011, they began to raise money for their brewery using the online Internet site, Kickstarter. Olson and Lewis were both educated at De Struise Brewery in Oostvleteren, Belgium. With that knowledge, and the money from their kickstarter, Olson and Lewis created a unique brewery that is smaller in size, and intended to brew smaller batches of beer. The company's motto is "small batches, big beers." And indeed, since the brewery has been around, they've been releasing a lot of one-offs and small batch releases. The goal is to release a new beer every week. You can read more about the brewery at their website HERE.

I have an older bottle of this (Purple Wax - pre 2013), but decided to go with the newer release. The older one should have some nice age on it by the time I decide to drink it during the Winter months. The back of the Last Kiss states: 

"Last Kiss is a rich and seductive ale brewed in the Scottish Wee Heavy Style. Hints of vanilla and fenugreek compliment a lucious and complex malt profile. Fermented near lager temperature, subtle spice and rich malt notes make this a perfect ale to enjoy with a loved one, next to the fireplace. End a cold winter night with one."

Pipeworks Last Kiss Wee Heavy

Popping off the cap resulted in some nice smoke, and the beer poured with good carbonation and all that. In low light the beer looks cola-black, but is more like ruby red or brown. I ended up with a finger of bready, brown head that settled into a nice brown ring of carbonation. Swirling the beer does kick up some head, and there's some nice alcohol legs on this. Bright light confirms the beer's lack of complete opacity around the edges, but the middle is all murky orange/brown. There's some tiny carbonation streams in this too.

Even with a cold, sinus infection, allergies, whatever...my nose is totally blunted....I can confirm that this smells pretty damn good. I'm getting deep complex roast, bread, some complex smoke and peat with hints of meat and grill, some chocolate/coffee, and a bit of vanilla. There's a syrupy note on the nose too...with more coffee sweetness and maybe a hint of dark fruits?

The taste if fat and sticky, with flat carbonation and some noticeable booze/heat. The booze and heat is reminiscent of rum thanks to the brown sugars and hints of spice layered on all the malty sweetness you get here. I'm getting some roast, caramel, sugary syrup, hints of chocolate/vanilla/coffee, and some very dark fruits. 

This has flat carbonation, and a pretty solid punch of booze. It's also fairly sticky, with full-bodied mouthfeel. Still, I'm not having a hard time drinking this, even at 9.5%. Palate depth is good, complexity is low to average. I wish there was a bit more peat/smoke in the taste, but what can you do. This one leans towards malty sweetness, with some roast/coffee up front, followed by some booze; you get big syrupy chocolate/vanilla in the middle, with some rum spice; the back end has some alcohol, rum, and a sticky sweet finish.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Light Above-Average on this. I'm digging this, and as this warms it really starts to pop. The vanilla is strong in this beer, and the booze with the sweetness makes for a really nice malty sipper. This would be the perfect Winter brew, and that's probably when I'll pop my other bottle. I feel like this could have a little more carbonation, and maybe they could kick up the smoke/peated malt. I'll go against the crowd and say that they shouldn't oak/bourbon barrel age this. This beer would be great if they threw in some chili peppers...think about that. As far as food pairings go: ice cream, cake, chocolate fondue, ribs, or BBQ. Nice.

Random Thought: Seriously though, fuck colds. Fuck allergies. Fuck sinus infections. I'm on so many decongestants I'd probably test positive for amphetamines right now. Tomorrow is suppose to bring the rain, followed by what will hopefully be sweet, sweet relief. 

Central Waters Brewers Reserve Bourbon Barrel Scotch Ale

Brewed By: Central Waters Brewing Co. in Amherst, Wisconsin

Purchased: 12oz single bottle bought at Binny's in IL; 2013 

Style/ABV: Scotch Ale, ???

Reported IBUs: ?

I wish Central Waters would put the ABV on their bottles...about Central Waters: 

Central Waters was founded in 1996 by two friends, Mike McElwain and Jerome Ebel. The two bought an old brick building in Junction City, Wisconsin. During the next two years, the two restored the building, and put in brewing equipment. A few months later, Paul Graham joined the brewery. After three years under the original ownership, the brewery was sold to brewer Paul Graham and home-brewer Clint Schultz. On the brewery's five-year anniversary, Central Waters purchased a new brew house because the old location was having issues with equipment and age. In 2006, Clint Schultz left the brewery. The brewery is currently owned and operated by Paul Graham and Anello Mollica. To read more about the brewery, check out their history page.

Tonight's beer is so new it's not even on the Central Waters website. Well, it sort of is. Central Waters brews their Sláinte Scottish Style Ale as a Winter Seasonal. The beer that I have tonight is supposedly part of their Brewer's Reserve, and has been aged in oak bourbon barrels. Who knows what else is going on with this beer....so let's glass this up and hope it isn't infected.

Central Waters Bourbon Barrel Scotch Ale

This beer pours a cola-black, dark brown color, and kicks up a finger of bready, dense, dark tan/khaki head. In bright light the beer is a purple-brown, and looks to be swampy. There is some carbonation visible on the edges, and the tan head is sustaining nicely. There's some lacing. 

I believe I'm drinking this one fresh...? Although, the bottle has "2012" as the earliest vintage printed on the label. I don't fucking know with Central Waters. I like their shit but come on. I'm getting a lot of heavy-handed oak, bourbon, vanilla, and barrel on the nose. I'm getting some marshmallow and malty sweetness as well, with some raisins and sugars. I like bourbon but I like beer even more.

This is markedly more subtle in the taste than it is in the aroma. You get a lot of malt sweetness in this, with huge sugar, marshmallow, white chocolate, and vanilla. There's some hints of smoke and maybe a touch of meaty malt, but it's mostly malt punch followed by barrel and bourbon. Treacle/syrupy...a bit cloying and kind of one-dimensional. I'm also getting some tart fruit and coffee?

Scotch Ales are inherently malt-dimensional ales that can shine when they feature robust malt complexity. I almost feel like this style (with its peat and smoke) would benefit from a barrel...without the bourbon. I don't know. This is malty, and then bourbon. It's full-bodied, and heavy...and a sipping beer with lower drinkability. I don't know what the ABV is, but it seems reasonably high. Palate depth is okay and complexity is low. You get big malt sweetness, some tart dark fruits, coffee, raisin, sugar, marshmallow, and vanilla; that rolls into bourbon and barrel; the finish is booze, barrel, and lingering malts. It's okay.

Rating: Average (2.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Light Average on this. Right now, the base beer here is being overwhelmed with huge bourbon wallop. It results in a beer that is kind of unbalanced and one-dimensional. It's not bad for a boozy, sweet, bourbon-forward beer....but I actually enjoy Scotch Ales for their layers of malt complexity, and you get none of that here, which is a shame. Beer > Bourbon. There are times when you can overwhelm a beer with barrel character and make it work...but yeah. If you do buy this beer, drink it in the winter, and pair it with a cigar or a dry dessert cake. You could even pair this beer with some good ice cream. 

Random Thought: There's a tart fruit and coffee flavor I'm getting in this which reminds me of the infected batches of Peruvian Morning. I bought two more of these to cellar, so we will see how that plays out..../sigh.

Traquair House Ale

Brewed By: Traquair in Innerleithen, Borders, Scotland  

Purchased: 500ml (1 pint, 0.9oz) bottle bought at Jewel-Osco in Chicago, IL; 2013 

Style/ABV: Scotch Ale, 7.2%

Reported IBUs: ?

I love those random beer purchases that turn out to probably be good investments. I was at Jewel, as I'm wont to do when I need stuff for dinner, and I decided to walk by their beer. I usually don't buy anything, favoring specialty shops, but they occasionally will hit a dinger (remember: I found Bourbon County and Madame Rose just chilling at Jewel). I saw tonight's beer, and thought: "Oh hey, a Scotch Ale aged in Oak Barrels...what could go wrong?" So here we are.

I guess Traquair is a house or farm or something; like Downton Abbey, with less banging. You can read up on the family history on their website. Traquair is a Celtic word meaning, "dwelling place or hamlet," and the original house was a hunting lodge and defensive tower. Between 1500 and 1700, the Traquair transitioned from a defensive tower to a home. Between 1700 and 1800, the house faced turbulent political times, and during the 1800s the house was on decline. The house was eventually inherited by Frank Maxwell Stuart, who opened the house to visitors in 1953. The current Traquair house is a tourist attraction, and hosts events like weddings, and receives guests for bed and breakfasts.

The aforementioned history is all dandy, but what really matters is the brewery. The Traquair House Brewery was founded in 1965 by Peter Maxwell Stuart (the 20th Laird of Traquair). The brewery has origins in the 18th century, when beer was produced for house and estate workers. The brewery currently produces around 600-700 barrels annually, with brewing taking place all year except August. The Traquair House Ale is made only from malted barley, hops, yeast, and spring water. The malt comes from Muntons in Suffolk, and the hops used are East Kent Goldings. The water is local to the underground springs on the Traquair Estate. 

I love the organization and ease of finding information on the Traquair website. I mention that, because I always take the time to check out a brewery's website. And I do hate it when a brewery's website is shit. This is not that. If you check out the Traquair beer page, you can see that tonight's beer, the Traquair House Ale, dates back to 1964. This beer clocks in at 7.2%, features rich oakiness, and is described as a boozy, fruity, winter ale. Let's glass this up and see how it stacks up.

Traquair House Ale

This one pours a dark ruby red/brown color, that is deceptively black/purple/raisin in low light. This one yielded two finger's of creamy, ivory/tan head, with a careful pour. Bright light tells the whole story, as it often does. This beer looks to be filtered, somewhat transparent, and bright ruby red. The head has settled into an impressive, creamy, centimeter of tan/sandy/ivory coating. There is some nice lacing, and just a touch of legs.

The aroma here is really nice and subtle for the style (America has sort of bastardized the extreme versions of this style...not that there's anything wrong with that). I'm getting really smooth malts, with big caramel, and tons of fruits. I'm getting cherries, plums, raisins, figs, and molasses. There's also a really nice English hop bitterness noticeable on the nose, with mild spice, earthiness, and mild floral aromas. I really have to search for the wood/vanilla/oak, and I barely get some elusive wood/vanilla. I would be hard-pressed to call out "oak/vanilla/wood" in a blind tasting.

This is just so refined in the taste...this beer graduates from amateur hour, and dresses up with fineness. I feel embarrassed drinking this in my shorts and hoodie. You get creamy smoothness, with chewy malt, and layers of complex malts, dark fruits, nuttiness, a hint of bread/toast, and some underlying alcohol complexity. I'm tasting velvety malts, caramel/toffee, bread/toast, cherries, plums, figs, dark fruits, mild alcohol bite, and a dash of wood and vanilla. This has a refined sensibility, and really nice palate depth.

At 7.2% ABV, this drinks remarkably well, and is very smooth. Nevertheless, the bottle says you can age this til June, 2018...that could be interesting. As I continue to sip this, I'm getting a ton of that caramel, nut, and toasted character trademark to the style. The whole thing is kept in check by really subtle hop spice/kick, and dark fruits are all over the place. I'm also pulling out a dash of peat, and as this grows on my palate, I'm picking up some wood/oak tannins, and a dash of vanilla. For the style, this is complex, drinkable, and has good palate depth. This is medium-full to full (especially as you drink it). Up front is bread, caramel, dark fruits, booze; this rolls into caramel, hop bitterness, more dark fruits, spice; the back end is toast, trailing caramel/toffee and toast. The finish is malty and dry, with a touch of peat/mineral/salt, and wood/vanilla that builds over the session. Slightly sticky on the lips.

Rating: Divine Brew 

I'm going with a confident and strong Divine Brew on this. As if this wasn't multidimensional enough, I'm getting some butterscotch/buttery/diacetyl flavors lingering in my mouth, and some nice boozy warming in my tummy. This is a balanced, well-thought-out beer. It's a shame I just now discovered this, because I could see myself picking this up to pair with chocolaty desserts, strong cheeses, or even a nice smoked/barbecued meat. At around 6 or 7 bucks per 500ml bottle, this is relatively inexpensive. It also has the potential to age for around 5 years (according to the bottle). I don't need to recommend this, as the BJCP lists it as the first example for a Strong Scotch Ale. But I'm glad to know this beer exists.

Random Thought: It finally stopped snowing! This is the winter that just won't quit....7 inches later, and I'm seriously ready for Spring.