We are going for something slightly different for today’s beer review. This beer comes from Scottish brewery Innis & Gunn with their Rum Barrel Red Beer – Blood Red Sky.

What makes this an interesting beer for me to review is that firstly it is a red beer. It is not a style I’ve had many encounters with and so it is very much a blank canvas in terms of what I was expecting. Secondly, the quirk, so to speak, of Innis and Gunn is that most of the beers they brew have also been aged in barrels; in this case rum barrels.

Visually the beer is a deep black colour and produced an slightly off-white head. I’m sure it is sacrilegious to say, but it has the look of a glass of cola! It has an incredible nose to it of treacle or molasses giving it a sweet aroma. Flavour wise the beer is really nice. A little sweet with hints of coffee and vanilla. I’d also argue it tastes a little like a Christmas fruit cake which I’d imagine is what the rum barrels are imparting onto the beer.

A quick note on the bottle art: I noticed bottle beers tend to not have as flashy art or designs perhaps due to the lower surface area offered to them by labels. Always worth having a closer look or you could be missing out on something interesting like this!

Blood Red Sky is very different to the beers I usually drink but I am so glad I took the risk on this. It’s full of flavour and drinks very well for a 6.8% beer. The brewery’s use of barrels I think is noticeable and I am really interested in getting a hold of a few more of their beers. If you’re feeling adventurous definitely go pick this one up!

Score 8/10

Additional Information:

• Hops: Super Styrian
• Malt: I&G Ale malt, Roasted Barley, Chocolate Malt
• IBU: 30
• ABV: 6.8%
• Gluten Free: No
• Vegan: Yes!
• Purchase Price: £1.50 (4 for £6)
• Purchase Location: Morrisons