Innis and Gunn Irish Whiskey Cask

I've had quite a few Cask beers in my day, and they have generally been a bit better than their non-cask counterparts. This is a Scottish stout that they allow to mature in a wooden whiskey barrel. It is also the last in my 3-part Innis and Gunn revisit. I described what happened in my first review, but suffice to say that I didn't like one once, and they responded by sending me some that would not suck as bad. So, they sent me a free bunch of beer, and I'm reviewing it. I will not give them a better rating for their kindness, but their concern about their public image is appreciated.

This is a dark, malty brew that is completely unpermeated by light. The head is good, and it leaves a thin film on top with a solid ring around the sides. The aroma is very stout. It's got a burnt coffee aroma with a bit of chocolate and malt in there. I'm really looking forward to this.

First sip is a good one. It has the feel and taste of a very mild stout. The smokiness is very nicely linked to the sweet maltiness. I'm so impressed with the sipping that I'm reluctant to mess with this by taking my normal larger draught. I expected to get a big helping of whiskey in here with this, but I'm not getting any of it. If this is anything like the run aged beer I just tried the other day, the whiskey will rear its head only when I get a big helping.

Well, I was right. The whole thing is very good when you drink it in a big gulp, but the finish now has that whiskey notably embedded in there. I've previously indicated my lack of enthusiasm for all things hard where liquor is involved. I don't like pretty much most alcoholic beverages this side of beer, which I like quite a bit. I like beer so much, that this blog features my beer tasting pretty prominently.

I could do without the whiskey aftertaste, but the rest of the stout is very good. It's a shame they felt the need to put it in the whiskey barrels. I guess you could say that it adds a distinctiveness to the beverage at least.

2.75/5