Innis & Gunn Launches Unoaked Hopped Lager

11 Apr 2013 --- 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, 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.