Innis & Gunn – Canadian Cherrywood Aged Ale Sampling

Thank you to Innis & Gunn for sending me an advanced sample of their new Canadian Cherrywood Finish Ale.  This small batch beer is a scotch ale aged for 49 days over Canadian Black Cherrywood.  To finish the beer, Innis & Gunn adds maple syrup

post maturation when the beer is in cold conditioning.

First off I just have to say that this beer is simply beautiful to look at.  The color is decidedly amber and almost red, and the clarity just makes it look gorgeous.  I’m never a fan of clear bottles, but in this case it really does show off the beauty of the beer.  So how does it taste? 

This beer to my palate is pretty unique.  The first thing that strikes you is the earthy & malty aroma.  Pleasant, but leaning toward the scents of spices and oak with a slightly tart scent.  It pours with a medium head, and the body is slightly lighter than I expected, but still very satisfying.  While this beer is a Scotch ale at it’s heart, the malty flavors are a little more subdued by the strong presence of wood, but it’s all balanced nicely by the maple syrup giving it a toffee-like finish.  There are certainly hops on board, but they are softer and more hidden behind the sweet maple syrup and caramel finish…and the beer definitely hides it’s 8.3% ABV really well.

All in all this is a really unique beer with a lot of different flavors going on.  There is complexity with temperature, so be sure to let it warm a bit and be sure to simply enjoy how good it looks before you enjoy how well it drinks.

Thank you again to everyone at Innis & Gunn for giving me the chance to try an early sample as this beer hits the U.S.
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