Most of bourbon’s flavour and character come from the time it spends in charred American oak barrels that bestow notes of vanilla, caramel, spice and wood. Old bourbon casks are typically snapped up by other distilleries and breweries to add depth and complexity to their spirits and brews.
Innis & Gunn Original
Rating: NNN
Why: This is basically a bottled dessert: creamy, sweet and mellow. Innis & Gunn Original sits in bourbon barrels (the beer was initially used to condition casks for Scotch whisky), where it develops a profile of toffee, vanilla and oak.
Price: 6 x 330 ml/$14.95
Availability: LCBO 333591
Ola Dubh Special Reserve 12 Years Old
Rating: NNNN
Why: Ola Dubh is a collaborative effort between Harviestoun Brewery and legendary Scottish distillery Highland Park, which gets most of its casks from the bourbon heartland of Kentucky. Aged in barrels that previously nurtured Highland Park’s 12-year-old single malt, this dark ale has aromas of whiskey, salted chocolate, soy and smoke.
Price: 330 ml/$6.15
Availability: LCBO 107672
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