Oak-aged pioneer breaks new ground with lager based on Bavarian-style of Helles

INNIS & GUNN BURSTS OUT OF THE BARREL WITH UNOAKED HOPPED LAGER

 Brewer Launches Lager in Keg from April 

 

Edinburgh, Scotland: To celebrate ten years in brewing, Innis & Gunn is bursting out of the barrel with an unoaked lager, available now to the on-trade on draught and the off-trade in bottle from September/October.  

Branching off from the core range of oak-aged beers, which are renowned for their distinctive toffee and vanilla flavour characteristics, Innis & Gunn Lager (4.6% ABV) is an altogether simpler Helles-style lager that uses native British ingredients with some Innis & Gunn flourishes.  It’s the first time the independent brewer has launched an unoaked beer under its umbrella brand, and will be the first release in a series of craft-brewed products intended by the company. 

Speaking ahead of the launch at The Guildford Arms in Edinburgh on Wednesday 10 April, Dougal Sharp, founder and master brewer at Innis & Gunn, explained: “Innis & Gunn beers are pretty complex characters that most people like to take time to get to know.  They’re not light sessionable beers so I wanted to give our consumers a refreshing but flavourful lager that would deliver a really rewarding taste experience in the same way they’ve grown to expect through our oak-aged beers.  

“This recipe uniquely uses naked Golden Oats for a subtle nuttiness and rich mouthfeel, lager malt and large quantities of Super Styrian and Styrian Goldings hops for bitterness and aroma. We will also be using our own yeast and a specially designed programme of liquor treatments to enhance the characteristics we get from the malt and oats.”  

The result is a well-balanced lager with a clean, crisp finish.  Innis & Gunn Lager will initially be sold in 50 litre kegs and, from September/October, it will be available to the on and off-trade in bottles.  Enquiries should be made to sales@innisandgunn.com or Tel: 0131 220 7230.  

Tasting notes

Colour: pale gold Nose: lemon zest, macademia nuts, sweet biscuit malt Palate: crisp Helles style.  Soft, aromatic hops and rich nuttiness from the oats

Finish: smooth and refreshing

 

About Innis & Gunn

Innis & Gunn was discovered by accident, and lucky for us that it was.  The beer was conceived in 2002 – well not the beer that Innis & Gunn drinkers know and love, but the base beer.  Dougal Sharp was asked by Grant’s Distillers to create a distinctive beer that would season whisky barrels for a Cask Ale Reserve whisky.  The beer was developed and served its time in the barrel only to be thrown away as a by-product until canny distillery workers realised that it was a brew like no other and far too good to dispense with.  Instead, they dispensed the beer into lemonade bottles for the occasional clandestine treat.  Transformed by its time in oak, the beer assumed characteristics that were completely unknown in any other beer styles.  Sweet toffee and vanilla notes complemented a backbone of mellow malt and fruity hop.  This was a beer that was both complex and flavourful and the industry soon sat up to take note.  

In 2003, Innis & Gunn (the middle names of CEO Dougal Sharp and his brother Neil) launched with this first and cornerstone beer, Original.  Over time, Blonde and Rum Finish have joined the family and Limited Edition releases help Innis & Gunn continue to blaze a trail in oak maturation.  Plaudits have abounded for both the beer and the company: Monde Selection medals, World Beer Awards and a Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade have all signalled that, despite an accidental discovery, Innis & Gunn has a nose for beer and a head for business.  

Now Scotland’s leading independent beer company, Innis & Gunn has built a loyal band of followers across the globe.  Beyond the UK, where it is the fourth biggest specialty beer brand in the retail sector, Innis & Gunn is the best-selling British bottled beer in Canada and the top ale brand in Sweden.