Innis & Gunn
 | |
| Independent | |
| Industry | Alcoholic beverages |
| Founded | 2002 |
| Headquarters | Edinburgh, Scotland |
| Products | Beer |
Innis & Gunn is a brewing company based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Brewed in Glasgow at Wellpark (C&C Brewery), established in 2003 its beer has become the most popular British bottled beer sold in Canada (most notably in Tsawwassen), and second most popular in Sweden.[1] Since 2008, the business is family-owned, following a management buy-out from its original part-owners, William Grant and Sons.[1]
The beer was originally developed as a way of flavouring the barrels used by distiller William Grant for its ale cask reserve whisky.[2] The original plan was for the beer to be discarded after it had flavoured the barrel, but the brewers noted that the process had an agreeable effect on the beer, and thus aging the beer became an end in itself.
Innis & Gunn was part of the nominated drinks list for the G8 Summit 2005 at Gleneagles Hotel. It was also an official corporate sponsor of the Edinburgh International Film Festival in 2012.[3] Innis & Gunn Original also featured at the 2013 Walt Disney World EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival at the inaugural Scotland booth.[4]
Varieties
Regular availability
- Original - This is the brewery's flagship beer. It is matured for 77 days from a blend of time in Bourbon Casks and Over Bourbon-infused heartwood in specialty "Oakerators" It is 6.6% alcohol by volume. At first only available as a bottled beer, it is now marketed in bottles, cans and as draught.
- Rum Finish - Also known as "Rum Aged" and formerly "Rum Cask". Matured over oak heartwood infused with specially selected rums. Rum Finish won the Grand Gold at the Monde Selection Awards in 2012, having previously secured gold medals over three consecutive years. It is 6.8% alcohol by volume. It was originally offered as a limited edition, but is now part of Innis & Gunn's regular offerings.
- Toasted Oak IPA - An India Pale Ale aged on oak for 41 days.
Limited editions
- Blonde - "Lightly" aged in oak barrels for 37 days. It is 6% alcohol by volume.
- Canadian Cherrywood Aged - The company believes this is the first use of cherrywood in aging beer. Aged 49 days with maple syrup added.
- Highland Cask - Aged in recycled Highland malt whisky casks. Maturation time for the beer and the age of the recycled single malt scotch barrels varies from batch to batch, from as little as 49 days (21-year-old) to 69 or 71 days (18-year-old).
- India Pale Ale - Aged for 55 days in oak casks containing fresh hops.
- Irish Whiskey Cask - Stout that is matured in Irish whiskey barrels for 60 days. Innis & Gunn state that the "rare" barrels come from a "famous distillery in Ireland" that is home to "one of the great triple distilled Irish Whiskeys", possibly implying that the barrels were previously used by Jameson.
- Island Cask - Matured in Islay malt whisky barrels for 99 to 107 days depending on the release.
- Scottish Pale Ale - Pale ale matured over oak for 41 days.
- Oloroso Cask - Oak aged beer matured in rare Oloroso Sherry casks for 60 days, 7.4% alcoholic volume, 330 ml.
- Spiced Rum Finish - Aged in oak barrels finished with oak chips from Caribbean spiced rum barrels for 47 days.
- Triple Matured - Triple matured in selected oak barrels for a total of 99 days.
- Winter Beer - Seasonal brew that changes annually. The 2010 brew was aged for 61 days with "hints of ripe fruit, vanilla and caramel". The 2011 was aged for 48 days with "natural notes of orange zest, vanilla and oak". The 2012 bottling is notably different from previous batches as it was a porter, a first for Innis & Gunn, aged for 39 days and brewed with molasses with "hints of fruit and chocolate". The latter was brewed later and is now known as Winter Treacle Porter
- Lager Beer
References
- 1 2 "Brewer sells five million bottles". 25 November 2009. Retrieved 8 June 2013.
- ↑ "C&C to grow Tennent’s sales overseas". 15 May 2013. Retrieved 8 June 2013.
- ↑ "EIFF announces new funding and additional partnerships 2012". 30 May 2012. Retrieved 8 June 2013.
- ↑ "Full menus for the 2013 Epcot International Food and Wine Festival Marketplace Kiosks". 30 July 2013. Retrieved 2 August 2013.