Current mood:	hungry
Current music:	Me First & The Gimme Gimmes - "The Boxer"

Friday guest beer column
So, TDL was nice enough to let me guest-write his Friday Beer Snob column over at his corner of the internets, so I figured I'd post it here as well. The ranking system can be found here. Enjoy!


Edinburgh Oak Aged Ale

Brewed by: Innis & Gunn

Brewed in: Edinburgh, Scotland

Type: Ale, aged in oak whiskey maturing barrels

ABV: 6.6%

What They Say: Per their website: Innis & Gunn oak-aged beer is like no other. Our pioneering production process is unique to us, a world first. In fact, it was discovered by accident! Using oak to age beer is unheard of. But, the flavours imparted by the oak barrels (previously used to mature bourbon) lend an incredible depth of taste. Think vanilla, toffee and orange aromas, with a malty, lightly oaked palate; soothing and warm in the finish. There is nothing like this among mass produced beers.

Website: After clicking “Yes” or “No” to answer whether or not you're of your country 's legal drinking age, the front page opens fairly clean. There are a variety of links across the top, from a page displaying all the awards the beer has won (with links for each), to a section devoted to which foods pair well with the beer (a feature I enjoy). There is a now-defunct offer to get their official glass, which they swear is THE way to enjoy the beer. Also included is a “Where To Buy” link. All of these sections are backed by a graphic of a wooden barrel, which remains unchanged no matter where on the site you go.

Why This One, Show?: I was introduced to this beer two years ago, and immediately fell in love with it. Also, I figured I'd start with a beer that's only produced wood-aged, as opposed to a brewer's offering of “We took our already available beer X, and aged it in wood to make Y.” Plus, I'm Scottish, and love beer and whiskey—it's a win-win!

Presentation (5): The bottle is clear glass, with both embossed features and labels. Embossed in the glass are the brewery name, “I&G”, and “Edinburgh.” On the label is a drawing of some barrels, the name again, the master brewer's signature (nice touch), a notice that the beer is wood-aged for 77 days, and the ABV the beer is bottled at. It's classy, and while clear glass is frowned upon as a bottle material, this bottle is supposed to sit aging in the basement until it's opened. 4

Originality (5): The beer pours out a dark amber color—the kind of color you'd get if you had a bourbon on the rocks and the ice melted a bit. On top is a small head of bone-white foam. Take a whiff of the beer in the glass—right away hints of vanilla and caramel waft up to your nose. Using oak to age beer isn't as “unheard of” as I&G's website will have you believe, but as far as ales go, it's got a pretty unique smell and taste. 4

Body (10): This is a very smooth-drinking ale. The aforementioned hints of vanilla and caramel combine with a very malty beer to go down easy. There's almost no hop bite to this brew—every sip glides effortlessly down the throat. That isn't to say that there's no body; on the contrary, the maltiness of the beer gives it a good presence in the mouth. That presence, however, doesn't overstay its welcome at the end of the sip, and you're left wanting more. 8

Taste (10): This is where this beer excels for me. The whiskey-barrel aging gives an already-decent Scottish ale a very unique, and tasty, flavor. Each sip starts out slightly sweet, immediately imparting its vanilla flavor. The flavor moves forward spreading the maltiness of the beer across the tongue, feeling almost silky as it moves through the mouth. At the finish is a bit of the bourbon essence, with a bit of toffee for good measure. 9

Efficiency (10): At 6.6% ABV, the smoothness of this beer masks its strength. Due to the wood aging, there's virtually no alcohol smack to this beer. If you enjoy malty beers without a lot of hop kick to them, this is a very efficient beer. 8

Versatility (10): This may be the only vein in which this beer does NOT succeed. At about $6 for a 11.2 oz bottle, this isn't something you're picking up a 12-pack of to bring to your buddy's place for the game. In fact, I've only seen this sold in single 11.2 oz. and 23.7 oz. bottles. This beer is a special occasion beer. Or, if you happen to be fantastically independently wealthy, an everyday beer. And please bring me some. 4

Final Grade: 36 (out of 50) – Really Good Beer