Islay Whisky Cask, Innis & Gunn

Innis & Gunn Islay Whisky Cask, 7.4%

Beer and whisky make good bedfellows as whisky is a distilled version of ale – that’s beer made without hops. Laphroaig is the most famous of the single malts made on the island of Islay, where peat and sea spray add a distinctive note to the whisky.

The beer is brewed with pale and chocolate malts with roasted barley and is hopped with Super Styrians from Slovenia. It’s matured for 12 weeks in Laphroaig quarter casks. These are the smallest casks used by the distillery and their size imparts an increased character of oak and peat to both the whisky and the beer.

The highly complex beer that emerges from the casks has a flaring red colour with oak, smoke, vanilla, chocolate, roasted grain and spicy hops on the nose and palate. The finish is long and bittersweet with continuing notes of oak, roasted grain, chocolate, vanilla, caramel and spicy hops.

The 330ml bottle comes in a gift carton designed by the Scottish landscape artist Ellis O’Connor and costs £7. It can be bought from www.innisandgunn.com.