I am now the the US flagwaver for Innis & Gunn, Scotland’s award-winning independent brewer of oak-aged beers. The esteemed brewer is now releasing a delicious new winter seasonal beer in the United States.

Bourbon Aged Dark Ale (7.4%) is a cola-colored ale made with Innis & Gunn’s house ale malt, crystal and toasted malts, roasted barley and Super Styrian Goldings hops.

The beer’s aged in Innis & Gunn’s unique Oakerator oak-aging device over a blend of American oak that has been infused with American bourbon. This novel aging method imparts the beer’s luxurious oak, vanilla and bourbon notes and rounds off the beer’s edges. It also helps create the beer’s complexity, velvety mouthfeel and long-lasting finish.

“For all our beers,” says Innis & Gunn founder and brewmaster Dougal Sharp, “we try to make something of exceptional quality that’s unique and bursting with flavor. Bourbon Aged Dark Ale has all of that in spades.”

“The beer,” Sharp says, “has standout flavours of coconut, coffee beans and orange, complemented by notes of vanilla, caramel, brown sugar and hops. This isn’t a beer for the flavour frigid,” he adds. “It’s big and characterful and will put hairs on your chest. It might be the holy grail of dark ale.”

Bourbon Aged Dark Ale is sold in a 22.3-ounce bottle and is now appearing at retailers in the 20-plus states where Innis & Gunn beers are sold. (Currently AL, CT, FL, GA, IL, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, NC, NH, NJ, NV, NY, OH, PA, RI, SC, TN, VA, and VT.)

The suggested retail price is $8.99, grab this goosebumping beer at your fave beer store. Look for glowing reviews of the beer in the current issue of Celebrator Beer News and the next issue of Whisky Advocate.