TASTING NOTES: Innis and Gunn IPA

There is a bone of contention amongst a few of my beer comrades as to whether Innis and Gunn's oaked beers are a tasty addition to the array of Scottish ales available. I've always been fond of their standard ale, on occasion, when I'm feeling like a change of pace. Its a rich, buttery, diacetyl, malty, heavily oaked sweet ale. It certainly isn't something I would drink more than one of.

Besides the standard release I've had their 2005 special, their 2006 IPA (which differs in abv and malt/hop bill from this one) and their rum cask release. All have been perfectly drinkable. I'll be sampling three of their beers over the next few days, the standard, the rum and in today's case, the IPA.

This is a 7.7%abv, oaked English IPA. Served slightly chilled in an Innis and Gunn glass

Pours with a light amber body. No haze or cloudiness as its not bottle conditioned. Puffy, dense white head with good retention.

Aroma, not huge or overwhelming. A touch of oaky sweetness, little bit of malt and a touch of alcohol. Little bit of mustiness also. Taste, creamy, almost overly sweet hop tainted malt. Lots of honey and sweet oak. A touch of English bittering hops but certainly not overpoweringly so. Malt rich alcohol on the finish.

A bit of an oddity. Not particularly interesting or memorable. Its a little boozier than the standard ale with a handful more hops however the sweetness of the malt and overpowering oak character is a little off putting. This may be worth a peek at some point but I can't see it turning any heads. Solid, but underwhelming.

Food and Beer pairing: Pheasant....

A late birthday present landed my way this week. Two shot pheasant, one cock and one hen. The next thing to do was turn this wild game into something very tasty. I ended up pairing the food with Brewdog's Punkmonk. This is essentially Punk IPA brewed with Belgian yeast. It gives the beer a rich Belgian nose, similar to something a little offbeat such as Orval or De Ranke XX. It does however remind me somewhat on a homemade extract Pilsner I made years back, thats not necessarily a point in its favour.

The taste was spicy and well hopped, that being said the Belgian yeast seems to split the flavours down the middle. Its an odd mix of traditionally hopped 6% IPA with yeasty, chalky Belgian character. Its solid but I think the Punk IPA still reigns supreme.

Anyways, the food. This is of course a beer blog but food is just as important in my world so this post may be somewhat of a departure from norm.

Yesterday I skinned and gutted the birds. A suprisingly straightforward process, I was expecting much more blood and turmoil.

The process was, cutting the wings off at the joint. Then pulling the tail feathers out and cutting the legs off (cutting around the bottom then pulling hard to remove the tendons)

Next, cutting off the head followed by making a slit in the flesh. Basically then pull it all apart, ripping the skin from the body. Lastly, small cut inbetween the legs and crown and yanking out the insides. Quick wash under the tap and done.

I seperated the breasts and marinated them in port, gin, salt and pepper and a touch of nutmeg and cinammon. Left to soak for a few hours.


I did the legs confit, so, a bottle of vegetable oil , season the legs and cook for 1hr 30mins on a low heat.

I made a stock witht the carcass, carrot, celery, garlic and bay leaves. Cooked down, strained, then reduced to a third. The sauce was made with diced red onion, star anise, port and stock, cooked and reduced down and finished with butter.


The breasts were finally wrapped with smoked streaky bacon, pan fried and left to rest. Then served with the sauce along with brussel sprouts with bacon, shallot, honey and cashew nuts.


Twas a fine meal all round, however the legs.... dry as a bone. I think its fair to say next time they are getting slowly cooked in a casserole. The Punkmonk went very well. Ideally something with a bit more caramel and malt and a little less hops would have gone well, something like an old ale or rich beefy stout.

TASTING NOTES: Urthel Hop It

The last Belgian IPA I had was Brewdog's attempt at an amalgamation of a dark styled hopped ale and a 'Belgian IPA'. T'Smisje IPA, which I reviewed last month was a fantastically tasty, hopped and balanced brew. Hop It was one of the first heavily hopped Belgian's I was aware of, now its time to dig in.

Its 9.5%abv, served in an Innis and Gunn class, chilled. 330ml bottle.

It pours with a rich straw yellow body slight haze and a bubbly off white, creamy head. Solid retention and a touch of patchy lacing.

Aroma is rich and spicy. Lots of Belgian yeast, zesty alcohol rich hops. Some fresh flowers, touch of lemon zest and a whack of chalkiness.

Taste, initialy crisp spicy lemon hops. Crunchy biscuity malt with a noticable Belgian character. Syrupy honey sweetness, dry lingering lavender infused hops on the finish.

A balanced and very drnkable brew. Doesn't shout out as noticably as the t'Smisje IPA which just had a much more impressive and overwhelming hop character. That said this reminds me of Duvel with a bit more sweetness. Worth a go.

TASTING NOTES: Harviestoun Ola Dubh 18 Year

I believe its time for a special brew, on this occasion its Harviestoun's Ola Dubh. What they have essentially done is bumped up Old Engine Oil, then aged the brew in Highland Park whiskey casks of varying ages. Available are, 12, 16, 18, 30 and 40 year cask aged beers. The latter being harder to come by and featuring a heftier price tag. I opted for the 18, somewhere in the middle of the range and not much more expensive than the 12, £3.99 for the beautifully presented 330ml bottle.

In regards to the brewery I don't think I've had close to a bad release from them. Their beers, fresh on cask are some of the most sessionable and flavourful ales available. Notable releases would be Bitter and Twisted, and Schiehallion (a superbly fresh hoppy cask lager)

This was served just under room temperature in an Innis and Gunn glass, 330ml bottle.

Pours with a rich, deep, crude oil body. Fluffy tan head with great retention, some patchy lacing up and down the glass

The nose on this brew is huge. Unctuous rich, smokey, peaty malt backed up by some ester sweetness. A touch of acetone and slightly musty malt. An almost rich meat stock aroma, think bisto.... in a good way. A hint of savoury on the nose doesn't detract from it. It works

Taste, a little disappointing to put it bluntly. The body is quite thin, far thinner than the pour would lead one to believe. Spicy, malty roasted malt. Creamy caramel malt and a touch of acidic bitterness on the finish.

I really wanted this to blow me away but it hasn't. Huge aroma but let down but a thin body and not enough balls and flavour. Worth a visit perhaps but warrant the £4 price tag it does not. Alot of work has gone into making this but I'm just not convinced its paid off.

TASTING NOTES: Odell's IPA

There has been a lull in recent posts, primarily due to an increasing workload and Christmas. However, the backlog will be heartily rectified with many beer tasting notes that have been in the works.

The beer this evening is an example of a balanced American IPA. To be honest the breweries, for better or worse have a habit of making IPAs in excess of 8%, hopped over 80ibus and have as much balance as a blue whale on a see-saw. In my experience its no bad thing. I don't seem to have a hop limit, I can't remember in five years using the phrase 'this is too hoppy', however balance is a commendable attribute in brewing.

This is a 7%abv IPA by Colorado based Odell. Served chilled in a La Chouffe goblet.

Pours with a rich deep yellow body. Rich amber hues, tight creamy nicotine stained head. Good retention and some snake-like lacing up and down the glass

Nose is full of sweet, honey-infused piney hops. A hint of freshly cut grass and a touch of lavender floating around there too. Some sweet caramel malt.

Taste, crisp, oily, silky hops. Perfectly balanced, citric hop bitterness permeated with chalky, sweet malt. Lasting spicy lemon hop bitterness on the finish

A very refreshing, balanced and drinkable ale. Tastes very fresh and the abv is well hidden. Certainly a contender in the US craft import market, stands up there with Stone, Victory, Flying Dog and Sierra Nevada.

Food & Beer pairing: Meantime Union + Wings

It may not be the height of culinary excellence but hot, spicy, marinade laden chicken wings have always been a hardy companion of the malted ale. In this case, were pairing it with a crisp Vienna amber lager, courtesy of Meantime in London.

The beer firstly. Vienna lagers are slightly hoppy, residually sweet lagers from the city that they take their name from. Three

malts are generally present, Munich, Pilsner and Vienna along with a reasonable hop bill.

The wings. Heavily marinated in numerous types of hot sauce, cayenne pepper, paprika and malt vinegar. Grilled, tossed in the sauce served with home-made blue cheese dressing. A classic combination...

The pairing. The beer pours with a rich deep dark amber body. Puffy off white head with solid retention and a touch of lacing. Smokiness on the nose a whack of dextrin malt and a hint of fresh lavender infused hops. Taste is crisp. Biscuity malt and a touch of hop bitterness, little bit of sweetness on the finish and a touch of spicy dried fruit.

With the wings its a solid match. Lagers generally work well with heat, IPA's full of citric hops also match up well to the acid and fiery punch of chilli heat. The Meantime holds up very well, the sticky spicy fat from the wings was contrasted well by crisp fresh hops soaked in a sea of biscuit malt. The 4.9%abv gives it a reasonably light body without any noticeable booze. Cuts through the heat well, supports the sharp vinegar and creamy sour cream sauce and backs up the overall flavour.

A superbly competent bedfellow for hot and spicy chicken wings. Its not a delicately layered beer with epic flavour but it is a well balanced, fantastically drinkable little lager.

TASTING NOTES: Glencoe Wild Oat Stout

Time for something with a slightly more reserved alcohol content. Glencoe Oat Stout is a 4.5abv Scottish oatmeal stout. I haven't had anything from the brewer as of yet so I'm keen to see what this little Stirling based brewery can produce.

500ml bottle served chilled in a wide bowled wine glass

Pours with a rich dark chocolate body, clean lines between the body and head. Puffy dense light tan head with great retention. Lots of patchy oily lacing on the side of the glass.

Aroma is packed with chalky roasted malts, a touch of coffee and an almost oaked woodiness.

Taste, crisp chalky malts, not overly bitter. A little touch of sweetness but not overpoweringly so. Some roasted malt bitterness on the finish and a pinch of acidity

A perfectly sessionable Scottish stout, I'm sure on cask this would be a much more flavourful beast but its certainly kept me entertained on this chilly autumn evening. Not quite up there with the architect of the style, Samuel Smith's Oatmeal however certainly worth a visit.

TASTING NOTES: Stone's Oak Aged Arrogant Bastard

A short one for now as I am in the process of sampling this. 355ml bottle, served chilled in a McChouffe glass

Pours with a ruby red body. Thick off tan head, loads of retention

Smell, akin to the standard Arrogant Bastard but with a touch of oak in the background. The nose is full of fresh American hops (notably Amarillo)

Taste, rich thick malt encased hops. Ballsy profile. Heaps of Amarillo hops

punctuated by robust malt, little touch of caramel sweetness on the finish and a nice lingering bitterness.

Not quite as great as on tap, in New York but still a superbly tasty strong ale. The original I still think remains king, the oak seems to cut the hops back a little and mutes the balance of flavour

TASTING NOTES: Brewdog's Paradox - Isle of Arran

I've been waiting to try this wee beast for many a day, its been sitting in my cupboard staring at me. Cracked it tonight with a friend, he was driving, I consumed the bulk....

Brewdog's big beastly offering. Their Paradox imperial stout, aged in different types of whiskey cask. This particular brew is aged in Isle of Arran casks, it really adds tonnes of rich iodine salty character to an already complex imp. stout.

330ml, served very slightly chilled in a La Chouffe glass. 10%abv

It pours with a really dark rich dark brown body. Not overly viscous considering the abv but still has a some body to it. Whispy, faint vague head, tan in hue with some retention.

Initially on the nose fresh overly ripe fruit. Passionfruit, banana and mango. That soon passes with a wave of rich roasted malt, swimming in a salty sea. Salty notes along with a whack of dark chocolate, touch of sweet sherbet fizz and roasted malt. Lots of effervescent alcohol on the nose

Sweet rich and roasted malt. Little bit of a syrupy body but certainly not as thick or viscous as an equivalent American imperial stout. Rich and nutty, a touch of mace and five spice towards the finish. A huge heap of boozy roasted malt on the finish, some bitterness from the hops also

I wa sn't sure what to expect of this, I'm pleased to say however that it is a truly interesting and deeply complex little brew. The casks really add a whack of fresh sea air and that rich iodine character syn onymous with the Islay whiskies (notably Lagavullin and Laphroaig) I'm looking forward to the tasting night at the end of November. It will hopefully be a chance to sample some of the variations of the brew. Go seek this out...

TASTING NOTES: Skullspliter

On this occasion we have a classic strong ale. The quintessential big bulky Scotch ale, Orkney's Skullsplitter. I haven't written any tasting now on this thus far, on cask this is a beastly, sweet, rich malt ale. This time its bottled, a bit more carbonated, not quite as creamy and smooth but still a superb gem.

330ml bottle, served slightly chilled, 8.5%abv.

Poured into a wide bowled Duchesse de Bourgogne glass. Deep rich ruby body, glimmers of gold floating around too. Rich sticky off white head, bubbly and some solid retention.

Nose is full of rich Christmas pudding and rich alcohol soaked fruit. A touch of mustiness from the malt, touch of yeast on the nose too. Buttery caramel and lots of sweet esters

Smooth alcohol stuffed dried fruit. Sticky malty body with a touch of marzipan and amaretto. Some lasting crisp biscuit malt on the finish and a breath of alcohol.

Its been some time since this crossed my path, it still holds its own today though. A shadow of its 'cask' self but certainly remains one of the best Scottish strong ales.

TASTING NOTES: 't Smisje IPA+

This will indeed be a short one, time is pressing on and beer must be consumed. I am going to get round to getting a decent camera. Currently a mobile phone is providing these limited, poorly lit shots that I'm sure Annie Leibovitz would be proud of.

An interesting little spectacle of brewing awaits the palette this evening, a Belgian IPA from Brouwerij De Regenboog. Its a 10%abv, Belgian strong pale ale hopped in the same vain as a West Coast American IPA. Piratt's big bold IPA is a pretty tasty affair, I haven't had that many Belgian IPA's to date but this little rare beauty is certainly going to alter my interest.

Its a 330ml bottle, served chilled in a goblet. Gorgeous slightly hazy sunny amber body, like healthy egg yolks swimming in a sea of bubbly light tan froth. Has a very typical yeasty, dry, musty slightly gueuze aroma. A flutter of fresh, spicy lavender infused hops.

The taste is ballsy. Fresh syrupy candied sugar, smooth and unctuous. Slight hint of farmyard funk followed by a whack of dry, aggressive acerbic hops. Musty and lingering bitterness on the palette along with zesty grapefruit and a touch of marzipan. A little alcoholic warm on the finish but only slight, the hops cover up most of that.

A superbly tasty and kooky little brew. A really interesting take on the Belgian IPA style.

TASTING NOTES: Mikkeller Jackie Brown

A few brief notes on this little Danish gem, sampled it last night, the first I've had from the brewery. Mikkeller has caused a stir in recent years, the demand for their off beats, experimental (US influenced) brews have increased considerably. I'm going to treat myself at Christmas and invest in their Imperial stout's, notably 'Beer Geek Breakfast' and 'Beer Geek Brunch Weasel'. The latter is a stronger version of the former with..... Vietnamese ca phe chon coffee. That btw is coffee that, for lack of a better description is eaten by weasel/cat type animals (this is certainly not a detail Attenborough would brush over but I shall) and then promptly pooed out. Its collected and is a much sought after coffee bean. So much for this being short....

The usual... 330ml, served chilled in a Sierra Nevada shaker pint glass

The beer pours with a deep rich brown body, quite dark for a brown ale. Foamy off white head sits a top, good retention. Smell is rich and malty, little touch of freshly ground coffee, a hint of allspice and a touch of fresh American hops.

Taste is suprisingly similar to a beefy English stout mixed with an old ale (think Titanic Stout and Olde Suffolk Strong Ale). Some hop dryness on the palette, slight hint of acetone and a touch of chalky malt on the finish. Light bubbly espresso bitterness, lasting crisp chocolate malt on the finish.

Certainly a good start into the world of this infamous brewery, not a world changer but a solid, robust well built dark ale. I'm considering a bottle of their beastly 'Black' stout. Heady alcohol at 17.5% the general consensus seems to be it requires a fair bit of aging but we shall see....

TASTING NOTES: Flying Dog's Double Dog

The availability of US craft brews has increased dramatically, which is no bad thing. The jealously felt by myself reading reviews and tasting notes of huge IPA's, barleywines and imperial stouts from inaccessible brewers left me champing at the bit. I have sampled many of Flying Dog's current offerings and so far they've all been very solid, their Snake Dog IPA is a fresh lively little ale however their Gonzo Imp. Porter shines above everything and is still one of my all time favourite brews.

On this occasion we have Flying Dog's Double Dog Pale Ale. Essentially its a 'double' version of their standard pale ale, a barleywine really with reasonably high IBU's of 85. At 11.5% its a big one, huge malt bill and lots of fresh cascade and columbus dry hopped also.

355ml bottle, served slightly chilled

It pours with a rich lively red hued amber body. Frothy nicotine stained head, lots of tight little bubbles on top forming

a creamy rich head.

Huge whiff of rich brandy alcohol on the nose, christmas pudding and alcohol soaked fruits. There's also a lovely citric hop character, lemon and orange rind and a little bit of muscavado sugar too. Sweet, syrupy malt character also

Smooth rich silky alcohol drenched fresh cascade hops. Caramel and toffee malt pushes back against a dry, quinine bitterness from the hops. A few tannins floating about in there too. A touch of fresh herbs and lavender in there too, permeated by a whack of crisp lasting bitterness on the finish. Little bit of alcohol on the breath but not in anyway overpowering, deceptively quaffable.

The yanks certainly have their own take on a traditional style. As we've seen over the last few years they know how to push the boundaries of a beer, adding more in everyway and to be honest with you I really can't say no to a huge abv IPA or barleywine such as this. It has enough depth and flavour to stick around on your palette for an eternity, you'll have fresh dry hopped cascade breath till the cows eventually get their asses homeward. Its a pretty well balanced brew considering, the hops don't overpower things as the malt bill and alcohol ensure things stay in control.

More to come soon. Next time, Brewdog's Zeitgeist black lager and Physics red ale. Plus, 24th November is Brewdog tasting night just a stroll away. I'll update with all the tasting that goes on...

TASTING NOTES: Brewdog Dogma

Time for a quick one before rest. Brewdog's Dogma is another eclectic little brew from the Scots, 7.8% abv along with heather honey, kola nuts, poppy seeds and guarana. Interesting additions to a hefty malt bill and mix of US and English hops, Bramley Cross and Amarillo.

330ml bottle, served chilled. Pouring with an amber body, little maroon hints on the edges. Bubbly fluffy head, settling to a fine whisp.

Spicy honey sweetness on the nose, almost some malt extract before it goes in the boil. Oily almost buttered toast along with fresh lavender and some beefy hops.

Taste is herbal with a touch of heather followed by a good wallop of meaty, dry hops followed once again by a chunky malt character. When I first tried this it had reminders of Stone's Arrogant Bastard and I noted that Amarillo hops are big on the bill in this ale also. A slightly vinous note and a little bit of sweetness and caramel on the finish.

A warming strong ale. The additions are noticeable but certain don't push this into 'heather ale' territory, the hops make sure they have their rightful place. Go and try some...

BEER TRAVEL: The Rattle N Hum, NYC

The Irish Are Coming...

There is nothing better than trying beer in a foreign land. Having a completely different selection available is as freeing as it is exciting. The Rattle N' Hum was the main stop on a recent (by recent I mean February) to New York. A city that has its fair share of top of the line brewing, most notably Brooklyn Brewery.

The 'Hum is located just across from the Empire State, so after appropriate tourism you can visit this superb little bar.
Owner Patrick Donagher, originally from Donegal has really tried to cram every aspect of US microbrewing into this little bar.

A long sloping bar on the way in, some 40taps offering some of the country's finest range of beastly hopped and mildly refined ales.

On our three visits while we were the rotating list stayed pretty much the same, unforntunately we missed the IPA-a-thon they had the following week but I'm being pedantic. I had numerous big bold IPA's and Imperial Stouts. Stone's Arrogant Bastard, a favourite of mine (now available here and I have the bottles in my cupboard to prove it) oak aged.

Storm King stout on tap. A truly glorious beer which never disappoints. Beers from Weyerbacher, Brooklyn, Dogfish, Goose Island, Rogue, Smuttynose, Sixpoint.... the list goes on, however I was there on a purely recreational level and inebriation may have kicked in.

A really interesting place to go a beer, they now have a small cask bar and a bottled list comprising some very hard to get brews. I left with a handful of great brews courtesy of Patrick, Nogne Imperial Stout, Stone 12th Anniversary, Peche Mortel and Smuttynose Old Brown Dog

They also do a 'beer flight', 4 8oz servings of tap beers for $16. A great way to try as much as possible while you are there.

TASTING NOTES: Brewdog Chaos Theory IPA

This Scottish brewery has really made a name for themselves in the last year or so. The range of output is phenomenal and they don't appear to have typical reservations around abv, hop bills and brewing techniques. Chaos Theory is one of their many takes on an IPA, 7.1%abv and contains a firey hop bill.

330ml bottle, served chilled (in the same glass I've been using for all my beer notes over the last week or so, I will dip into the collection and change things a little)


It pours with a rich, slightly hazy amber body. Whispy off white head soon settling to a modest half finger.


Not a huge nose, English hops beefed up with an almost pilsner-esque Sazz aroma. A touch medicinal but only very slight, some fruity notes too but nothing overpowering

On the palette. huge biscuity dry lingering hops. A whack of quinine and grapefruit acidic notes, followed by a lasting pleasing dryness on the finish. Backbone of pale malt with a touch of alcohol too. Not big on aromas but hugely hopped bitterness on the palette. Some esters lingering around the mouth punctuated by bills, ballsy bitterness

This would be a great accompaniment to anything hot and spicy. A big bowl of chilli, anything Thai or cajun.

BeerAdvocate.com Reviews

My backlog of reviews can be found on the BeerAdvocate.com site, haven't been as active the last year or so but there are some 600 odd tasting notes on there, early ones having varying degrees of accuracy and literacy :)

TASTING NOTES: Terrapin India Style Brown Ale

After a pleasingly short trip across the Irish Sea from online retailer

Beersofeurope.co.uk I received a heaving parcel of fine beer. Two beers from Terrapin struck my attention, the first is their 'Brown' IPA and their Rye pale ale which we will get to at some point in the very new future

355ml bottle, served chilled

The brewery based in Georgia has created an American styled IPA with British brown ale influence. Essentially that means lots of fresh hops (five varieties in total) and no less than seven malts, including chocolate and dark munich.

Its a lively pour, creamy off white head forming immediately, soon settles to a thick whisp though. Rich dark ruby hue, it really surprising to see such a dark yet hopped brew at this abv of 6%

Huge zesty nose, unctuous fresh citrus hops followed by heaps of mango. There's a dry buttery diacetyl note in there too which backs up the brown ale aspect. Touches of lavender and purple violets.

The very first flavour is a thick malty kick, surprising for anything this hopped. Its buttery and somewhat vinous. Then come the hops, crisp and fresh, zingy on the palette all finished off with a whack of biscuit malt crunch on the finish. Dry acerbic hops on the finish and tiny hint of alcohol on the breath

All in all a very interesting departure within the style. Hard to say whether its a hopped brown ale or an IPA with a whack of dark malts thrown in but it is a superbly drinkable little offering.

Style: American Brown Ale/IPA

First post

This is the first post of the beer blog thus far, having beer trying to get my own up and running for sometime I've finally got round to it. The plan is.... talk about and write numerous tasting notes for beers of many different descriptions. I have in one form or another beer writing about beer for six or seven years but its finally time I have my own little morsel of web bravado, to get writing and tasting fabulous brews from all over.

The plan is simple. I need to explore and examine beers for my own edification, however I also want to inform and share knowledge with other alike. Hopefully to educate and be educated.

Sláinte !