Innis & Gunn Releases Irish Whiskey Aged Stout Seasonal

Edinburgh, Scotland – Innis & Gunn, the award-winning independent brewer of oak-aged

beers, is releasing its cult-favorite winter seasonal in the United States.

Innis & Gunn Irish Whiskey Aged Stout is a 7.4% ABV creation that debuted in 2012 and has

become a US hit that quickly sells out within weeks of hitting retailer shelves. 

Rich, complex and ultra-smooth, Irish Whiskey Aged features dark chocolate and coffee flavors,

honey and spice whiskey notes, and oak/vanilla aromas and flavors. It has a velvety mouthfeel

that leads to a satisfying finish of dark malts and more hints of whiskey.

“Ireland is known for its great stouts and its amazing whiskey,” says Innis & Gunn founder and

master brewer, Dougal Sharp. “We’re paying tribute to both of them in our Irish Whiskey Aged

beer.”

The beer is aged in Innis & Gunn’s pioneering Oakerator aging device on American oak that is

infused with Irish whiskey.

“We use a lightly toasted oak for this beer,” says Rachel Sutherland, Innis & Gunn’s Sensory &

Quality Manager, “to match Irish whiskey casks, which are typically lightly charred. This

produces more of the coconut and spice notes that you get in an Irish whiskey, and less of the

caramel and vanilla notes you find in American bourbon.”

“It’s an especially unique beer for US fans of barrel-aged beer,” Sharp says. “It’s got a lot of oak

and whisky character, but it doesn’t overpower the beer itself. It’s a very balanced mix of spirit

and beer that’s hearty and delicious but also very quaffable.”

Innis & Gunn’s unique Oakerator puts a modern twist on the barrel-aging practice. Instead of

putting the beer in the barrel, it puts the barrel in the beer. Beer circulates through this modern

device (filled with blends of toasted and spirits-infused oak) to gain better and more consistent

barrel-aged flavor. It was developed through two years of extensive research by Sharp that

included trials at Edinburgh’s famed Heriot-Waite brewing school.

Irish Whiskey Aged Stout is available now in fourpacks of 11.2-ounce bottles (SRP $9.99) and

in 5.5 gallon kegs in AL, CT, FL, GA, IL, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, NC, NH, NJ, NV, NY, OH, PA,

RI, SC, TN, VA, and VT.

TASTING NOTES – Innis & Gunn Irish Whiskey Aged Stout

Malt: I&G Ale Malt, Crystal Malt, Roasted Barley, Chocolate Malt, Raw Wheat

Hops: Super Styrian

Maturation: Over Irish Whiskey-infused American oak heartwood in the Oakerators®

Color:             Black

Smell: Chocolate, treacle, roasted coffee beans and dried fruit

Taste: Earthy hops, rich malt and cocoa

Finish: Complex and satisfying with a lingering oaky sweetness and a creamy mouthfeel

Drink With: Beef stew, oysters, treacle pudding or blue cheese

Dougal Sharp Background: Sharp is a craft beer pioneer in his native Scotland and grew up in

breweries there. At 14 he began doing grunt work in Edinburgh’s famed Caledonian Brewery, which was

founded by his father, Russell Sharp. He worked up to head brewer while earning a chemistry degree in

college. Sharp soon revamped the brewery’s recipes and his efforts resulted in numerous UK medals

including top UK IPA for Caledonian’s Deuchars IPA. Sharp also helped to rebuild the brewery after two

devastating fires.

An Accidental Backstory: In 2002 Sharp was asked by William Grant distillers to create a distinctive

beer for seasoning oak whisky barrels for a special whisky. After distillery workers alerted him to the

wondrous taste of the beer being drained from the barrels after seasoning, Sharp left the family business

to launch Innis & Gunn (in 2003) and focus on oak-aged beers.

Innis & Gunn Honors: Innis & Gunn is Scotland’s most award-winning brewer over the past 13 years. In

2015 Innis & Gunn’s three core beers — Original, Rum Aged and Toasted Oak IPA — all won medals in

the 2015 U.S. Open Beer Championships, the 2015 International Beer Challenge and the 2015 World

Beer Awards.