We all know the old saying, “Liquor before beer, you’re in the clear. Beer before liquor, never been sicker.” But what are you supposed to do if the liquor is in the beer
It looks like we may find the answer to this question in the form of a new rum aged beer you’ll probably be seeing around this summer. Earlier this year we heard that Anheuser-Busch InBev was launching a beer flavored with rum in the UK, but this new drink from Innis & Gunn is among the first we’ve heard about in the US.
One of the brewery’s newest beers is Innis & Gunn Rum Aged. The rum component is added via oak-aged chips soaked in rum that add a perfect hint of fruit and spice to the beer. It’s 6.8% ABV and for tasting notes, the brand lists:
Color: Ruby red
Smell: Lots of fruit and mulled spice
Taste: Surprisingly light. Soft fruits and rich malt with aromatic spiciness from the rum.
Finish: Warming and mellow
The concept of barrel-aged beer isn’t a new thing, and it’s definitely become more and more popular over the last few years. However, Scottish brewery Innis & Gunn does things a little differently. First of all, every beer they make is aged in an oak cask, so it isn’t just some gimmick they’ve adopted for one brew for a limited time. Secondly, their business was basically founded on accident. In 2002, a whisky distiller asked them to figure out a way to properly season their oak casks with the sweet, malty character of a full-flavored beer. After 30 days, the beer was thrown out, the whisky went in the barrel and as it matured, it acquired extra qualities from the beer-infused wood. However, the brewery received a call a few months later from the distillery saying a few people had tried their beer when it came out of the cask and that the taste was remarkable. Ever since then, Innis & Gunn decided all their beers would be oak aged.
As for the Rum Aged variety, we think this will be an awesome addition to our summer drinking repertoire. The unique flavor is great, and best of all, we’ll never have to choose between liquor and beer again.