I’ll always have a soft spot for Innis and Gunn, It was one of the first beers I got into and into in a big way, I used to drink it all of the time, recently I’ve found it a bit sweet so stopped drinking it, a shame really as it was a true gateway beer for me (more on those to come later in the week).
So when I recieved the press release below, I’ll admit I wasn’t as excited as I once would have been, but it’s something that I’m cerntainly going to see if I can find in a pub near me, just to see how it compares to the beer I onced loved. I dare say the beer hasn’t changed it’s just my tastebuds progressing and moving away from sweeter beers.
I know Innis and Gunn have a lot of haters but they also have a huge following and I quite often see people buying in the supermarket so if the draught version has the same effect in pubs and gets people trying beer then it surely has to be a good thing.
Innis & Gunn Original Oak-Aged beer launches for the first time on draught
Award-winning independent Scottish brewer Innis & Gunn, is launching Innis & Gunn Original on draught for the first time. This flavourful, iconic beer will be sold in beautiful branded Innis & Gunn glasses in bars and pubs throughout the UK from January 2011.
Innis & Gunn is known for its range of hand-crafted, oak-aged beers in bottle: Innis & Gunn Original, Blonde, Rum Cask, IPA and its limited editions. This is the first time the Original will be available on draught. It will be launched in several outlets in and around Edinburgh pre-Christmas with the official launch taking place next year.
Crawford Sinclair, Innis & Gunn’s UK Director of Sales comments: “Until now Innis & Gunn has only been sold in bottles, however growing demand, particularly in the on-trade has lead to several requests from bar staff for Innis & Gunn Original to be made available on draught. With the growth of interest in Craft beers in bars we feel that the time is right to release this special beer in keg.
“We are very excited about this launch because it brings Innis & Gunn to the front of the bar – prime real estate for brand building – and allows greater numbers of craft beer fans to sample our delicious beer for the first time.”
“We will be providing bar support to help launch the beer on draught, including staff training and provision of Innis & Gunn branded, lined, half-pint glasses. We recommend serving the beer in these specially designed glasses to concentrate the vanilla, malt and toffee aromas for which Innis & Gunn is renowned. We are delighted that consumers can now experience the same complexity of flavour straight from the
tap.”
I’m looking forward to trying this. It was one of my gateway beers too and it’s converted at least four others that I can think of! I’ll be really interested to see how it differs between the bottle and keg.
Horrible stuff. All phenol and very little of the base beer taste. I remember when they launched it in the bottle, I was never impressed with it. *shudder* Still if we all liked the same beers the world would be really f**king dull!
Should be interesting! Like you, I&G was a gateway beer for me…will def be trying out the draught version. As long as they don’t put the rum version on, it’s vile! 🙂
Saying your tastebuds are ‘progressing’ from sweeter beer makes sweet beer sound like a bad thing.
Too much hopped-to-hell stuff in your life at the mo, perhaps 😉
thanks for the comments guys, Simon – i’ve laid off the mega hopped stuff of late, was getting a little bit sick of them, been drinking some good old bitters and belgian stuff with the odd hoppy one chucked in for good measure….oh not to forget some of the porters I had the other day.
i think it’s the same with anything if you drink something all of the time then it gets a bit samey, although there is always the chance when you go back to it you don’t like it as much as you did.
Re Glynn Roberts remarks.
Stick to your Becks or Carling. I&G is an excellent beer especially on draught which disappeared a few years ago but look forward to it returning. What’s wrong with sweeter beers not everyone likes bitter dried socks.
I&G has been on draught before. About 2006. Blue Blazer Edinburgh had it. £4 a pint. Just crap Belhaven Best.