Beers, Waters & Soft Drinks

A delicious beer enhanced by ageing using single malt whisky casks

Established in 2003 and based in Edinburgh, The Innis & Gunn Brewing Company is now on the verge of building a brand new brewery in Scotland’s capital— the first large-scale brewery to be built there in 150 years.

The leading independent UK Craft brewer has earned a flattering reputation through its discovery of the incredible “extra” that they bring to some of their beers. “The Original” which is the Innis & Gunn’s flagship beer, is aged with casks that have been previously used for the purpose of maturing single malt whiskies. 

The ageing period with single malt whisky casks infuses the beer with honeyed and sweet notes as well as hints of vanilla, toffee and oak. Nevertheless, the beer still maintains its refreshing sensation, smooth texture and malty finish, accompanied by the presence of orange marmalade and citrus notes.

In addition to its ageing process with ex-whisky barrels, the organoleptic qualities of this beer are also further enhanced by the use of three distinct types of malts (specifically the Innis & Gunn, Crystal and Amber) as well as “Super Styrian” hops from Austria which adds a pleasant touch of bitterness.

All of these superb qualities made “The Original” favourably stand out with the Monde Selection tasting panel, who particularly noted: A splendid colour as well as a well-formed beer head and a clear appearance.

The nose exudes a pleasant woodiness and even a slight vanilla scent complemented by citrus-like hop notes.
On the first sip, the woody and vanilla notes identified on the nose also pleasantly manifest on the palate, accompanied by some toffee notes.
The bitterness is pleasant, well-balanced and perfectly harmonises with this finely made beer.

Based on these positive evaluations, the Jury unanimously agreed on awarding “The Original” a Grand Gold award and the Jury Prize 2021.

“Each year, one product per category is awarded the Prize of the Jury as a token of excellence in know-how and quality. In order to qualify, the product must be unanimously selected as a “coup de cœur” by the jury members. The winner of the Prize of the Jury is then selected from a group of just 5 nominees, which makes this award an even greater honour for the recipient.”