It was inevitable that I would, one day, like beer -- my family is in the business. But I lived a beer-free youth that was only slowly replaced with a steady increase in hops love. Dundee Honey Brown and Rolling Rock to Heineken, Stella, McAuslin's Apricot, Coffee Porter, Carolus, and of course, Innis & Gunn.
The original is a tasty mating of wine and beer in a bottle -- nice bite, wonderful depth, and it just gets better as your hands warm it. (I've heard conflicting reports on how it should be served. I like it slightly hand-warmed.) Every year they release a special brand, and this year, it's Innis & Gunn Rum Cask Finish Oak Aged Beer -- the great IG with extra time in rum barrels.
Basically, these guys keep pairing beer with my favorite alcoholic flavors. I just wish I didn't wait a month after buying it to finally taste it. This beer has a definite hit of rum, offering a smooth drink that gives way to the bite of carbonation -- it's the richness of liquor with the spark of beer. It's good. Very good. Order it if you see it.
I wish I could be more descriptive of the experience, but I have this problem where good beers send me into robot adoration mode -- loving the taste, devouring, and forgetting to note the subtleties that make me love it so much. But if you're curious for more -- read up over at Taste TO and Beer Advocate.
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