New York, N.Y, – Following popular demand, independent Scottish brewer, Innis & Gunn, is adding one of its award-winning limited edition beers to its permanent core range. Say hello to: Bourbon Aged Dark Ale.
The beer recently took home gold at the US Open Beer Championship as a limited edition beer and now the brewer will be making Bourbon Aged Dark Ale (7.4% ABV) available in 11.2Fl. Oz bottles, nationwide.
This special dark ale has been brewed in small batches to ensure Innis & Gunn’s renowned attention to detail remains in every single bottle. The beer has been created using the brewer’s unique brewing technology, the Oakerator™, an innovation that infuses the beer with its distinctive oak-aged aroma and flavor.
Inspired by the finest small-batch aged American Bourbons, the beer is matured over American Bourbon infused oak to imbue the same flavor characteristics. As a result, Bourbon Aged Dark Ale has a rich rounded rich character and a satisfying smooth finish.
Innis & Gunn’s Master Brewer describes Bourbon Aged Dark Ale’s ‘very smooth taste with flavors of caramelized fruit and sponge pudding’, which accompanies notes of brown sugar, zesty orange oil, and coconut. The aroma is described as ‘rich orange marmalade, and bitter chocolate spice.’ Bourbon Aged Dark Ale’s hop profile includes Super Styrian, which complemented the smells with the hops earthy freshness.
The rich, heady flavors of this beer combined with a light touch of vanilla and the natural tang of spice from the Oak, help to smooth the finish, giving it a velvety mouthfeel. Complementing dark meat or game, Bourbon Aged Dark Ale leaves a long-lasting impression of gentle spiciness on the palate.
Neil Innis Sharp, General Manager, Innis & Gunn USA:
“Launching this award-winning beer to sit alongside our Original and Rum is a fantastic new addition to the core range family. The Bourbon Aged Dark Ale was initially intended to just be a limited edition, but thanks to its first place status at the US Open Beer Championships, as well as its overwhelming popularity, we decided to make it a permanent addition.
Neil continued, “The Bourbon Aged Dark is one of most our exciting brews, showcasing our passion towards innovating beer flavors and experimenting with new ideas around what beer can and should be. We look forward to growing with our import partner, United States Beverage, and our distributor partners here in the US not only with expansion across the country, but with beers that continue to push boundaries.“
About US Championships
Dominated by North American brewers, Innis & Gunn were the only Scottish brewer to win an award, and defined their category with two wins in Wood/Barrel Aged Dark Beer, beating domestic brews in the process. The awards achieved include:
Category: Wood / Barrel Aged Dark Beer:
- Gold – Bourbon Cask Dark (previous name for the Bourbon Aged Dark Ale) – Innis & Gunn – Scotland
- Bronze – Innis & Gunn Rum Aged – Innis & Gunn – Scotland
About Innis & Gunn
Since its foundation in 2003 Innis & Gunn has become one of the UK’s most successful international craft beer businesses, and Scotland’s most awarded brewer, reporting continued year on year volume and sales growth. To date Innis & Gunn has sold more than 25 million bottles of beer around the world.
The story of Innis & Gunn has an intriguing start when in 2002, a whisky distiller approached Master Brewer Dougal Gunn Sharp to season some of their oak casks with the character of a full-flavored beer, resulting in a greatly admired dram. Unexpectedly Dougal then received an exciting call – this time it wasn’t the whisky getting rave reviews. Some inquisitive workers at the distillery had sampled his beer instead of pouring it away after its time in casks, and the taste was remarkable. It had been transformed by the oak into an unusually refined brew.
Inspired by this discovery Dougal launched Innis & Gunn Original Oak Aged Scotch Ale in 2003, and driven by genuine passion and innate curiosity, Innis & Gunn has been dedicated ever since to experimentation in brewing techniques, processes and flavors, becoming ambassadors for great Scottish innovation and exciting drinkers around the world with the unique flavors of its beers. Winning a multitude of awards for its unique range of oak-aged beers, Innis & Gunn was immensely proud in July 2016 to take Gold and Bronze awards in one of the largest and most renowned international beer competitions, the US Open Beer Championship, the only Scottish brewer to win.
Available in over 40 countries, Innis & Gunn is the second-biggest craft beer brand in the UK off-trade, the top imported ale brand in Sweden and the best-selling British bottled beer brand in Canada. The company employs 50 people and has been recognized for its contribution to the industry by winning the IGD Outstanding Small Business of the Year Award in 2013 and collecting two Queen’s Awards for Enterprise in International Trade.