Innis & Gunn
Innis & Gunn is a beer brand based in Edinburgh, Scotland, founded in 2003 by Master Brewer Dougal Gunn Sharp.[1]
 | |||||||||||||||
| Location | Edinburgh, Scotland, UK | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Website | www | ||||||||||||||
| Active beers | |||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
Innis & Gunn is contract brewed in Glasgow at Tennent's Wellpark Brewery since 2014 [2] and exported to over 35 countries. It is the No.1 "craft" lager in Scotland, the No.1 imported "craft" beer in Canada and the No.3 in Sweden. In 2017, Innis & Gunn sold 2.5M cases of beer in over 35 countries. The Innis & Gunn Brewery in Perth is the brand's home for innovation and barrel-ageing.
The first Innis & Gunn Brewery Taproom opened in Edinburgh in summer 2015, winning the UK Casual Dining Concept Award in 2016. With a focus on craft beer and food pairings the Beer Kitchens have expanded to Dundee and Glasgow's Ashton Lane, the largest unit opened to date.
Winning a multitude of awards, Innis & Gunn beers are renowned for quality at home and internationally. Recent wins include Gold awards at the 2017 Monde Selection Scottish Brewery of the Year in the 2017 New York International Beer Awards, and Gold in the 2018 Scottish Beer Awards. It was an official corporate sponsor of the Edinburgh International Film Festival in 2018.
In late 2016, to help grow the company, Innis & Gunn raised £2.4M in a crowdfund, surpassing its target of £1M in 72 hours.
In 2017 Innis & Gunn signed a distribution deal in China for its flagship ale 'The Original'.[3]
On 15 November 2018 Tennent's announced the brewing contract will be terminated with effect from September 2020. Innis & Gunn responded the following day by saying they plan on opening their own brewery.[4]
Varieties
Regular availability
- Original - This is the brewery's flagship beer. It is aged using Bourbon Casks and Over Bourbon-infused heartwood in specialty "Oakerators" It is 6.6% alcohol by volume. At first only available as a bottled beer, it is now marketed in bottles, cans and as draught.
- Blood Red Sky - A replacement to the old Rum Cask beer, Blood Red Sky is aged using Jamaican rum barrels and is a part of the core range offered by Innis & Gunn. This red beer is 6.8% ABV and is available in bottled and as draught.
- Gunnpowder IPA - This India Pale Ale is 5.6% ABV and is available in cans, bottles and as draught. Using Cascade, Centennial and Mandarina Bavaria hops, Gunnpowder IPA has a crispy, clean finish with aromas of orange, grapefruit and pine.
- Lager Beer - Innis & Gunn Lager Beer is a multi-award-winning craft-brewed Lager, 4.6% ABV. It is crafted to be refreshing and full flavoured by adding zesty aromatic hops and naked golden oats to the brew. Available in cans, bottles and as draught.
Limited editions
- Blonde - "Lightly" aged in oak barrels for 37 days. It is 6% ABV.
- Canadian Cherrywood Aged - The company believes this is the first use of cherrywood in aging beer. Aged 49 days with maple syrup added.
- Highland Cask - Aged in recycled Highland malt whisky casks. Maturation time for the beer and the age of the recycled single malt scotch barrels varies from batch to batch, from as little as 49 days (21-year-old) to 69 or 71 days (18-year-old).
- India Pale Ale - Aged for 55 days in oak casks containing fresh hops.
- Innis & None - Alcohol free pale ale with added ginseng and vitamin c.
- Irish Whiskey Cask - Stout that is matured in Irish whiskey barrels for 60 days. Innis & Gunn state that the "rare" barrels come from a "famous distillery in Ireland" that is home to "one of the great triple distilled Irish Whiskeys", possibly implying that the barrels were previously used by Jameson.
- Island Cask - Matured in Islay malt whisky barrels for 99 to 107 days depending on the release.
- Kindred Spirits - Scottish Stout that is matured using the barrels of Tullamore D.E.W Irish Whiskey.
- Kith and Kin - Stout matured in Irish whiskey barrels, made in partnership with Teeling Whiskey. 5.8% ABV.
- Lager Beer - 4.6% ABV.
- Maple and Thistle 150 - Created to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Canada's confederacy. Maple and thistle rye ale, 5.9% ABV.
- Mika's Choice - Bourbon barrel-aged jalapeño imperial stout. 8% ABV.
- Scottish Pale Ale - Pale ale matured over oak for 41 days.
- Oloroso Cask - Oak aged beer matured in rare Oloroso Sherry casks for 60 days, 7.4% ABV.
- Raspberry Saison - Saison style beer. 6% ABV.
- Rye Whiskey Cask - Celebrating Canada Day 2020, matured in Canadian rye whiskey casks, 8% ABV
- Session IPA - 4.2% ABV.
- Frank & Sense Golden Ale - Golden ale infused with gold, frankincense and myrrh.
- Spiced Rum Finish - Aged in oak barrels finished with oak chips from Caribbean spiced rum barrels for 47 days.
- Toasted Oak IPA - An India Pale Ale aged on oak for 41 days.
- Triple Matured - Triple matured in selected oak barrels for a total of 99 days.
- White Oak Wheat Beer - Kristallweizen, 6.4% ABV.
- Winter Beer - Seasonal brew that changes annually. The 2010 brew was aged for 61 days with "hints of ripe fruit, vanilla and caramel". The 2011 was aged for 48 days with "natural notes of orange zest, vanilla and oak". The 2012 bottling is notably different from previous batches as it was a porter, a first for Innis & Gunn, aged for 39 days and brewed with molasses with "hints of fruit and chocolate". The latter was brewed later and is now known as Winter Treacle Porter.
See also
References
- https://www.ft.com/content/bb53b8f2-1a8a-11e5-8201-cbdb03d71480
- https://www.heraldscotland.com/business_hq/17228101.tennents-ends-brewing-deal/
- https://www.insider.co.uk/special-reports/three-scottish-firms-making-big-12194284
- https://www.heraldscotland.com/business_hq/17228101.tennents-ends-brewing-deal
