Innis & Gunn Original

See LARGE.

My good friend Eptas has been very helpful in the selections for my Brit Beer Review series. Today I took his list to Dan Murphy's and stocked up. Between now and Christmas I shall give them each an airing on Blipfoto.

While I was standing there, going through the racks, two of the staff came up, strongly endorsing today's beer which is the Scottish Innis & Gunn Original. It comes in a very plain clear bottle but has a lot to say on the labels ... "brewed in small batches", "oak aged beer", "hints of toffee, vanilla & oak" and "honey hued".

To look at, it seems very much like a lager style beer. It certainly seems nothing like a traditional ale or stout but at the same time is not quite as light on the palate as it promises. It is remarkably full of flavour and all of those references to toffee, vanilla, honey and oak have some justification. I might have preferred a trifle more bitterness but Norma (and both the female Dan Murphy's staff) were full of praise. I drank the brew at what I would regard as genuine room temperature but I suspect that I might have preferred it a little more chilled in order to better control the sweetness at the finish.

In any event I heartily recommend this beer and will soon get some more. Norma insists.