Looking for something different, I picked up a six of the Oskar Blues Old Chub. We have tried their Gordon Ale, Mama’s Little Yellow Pils, and Dale’s Pale Ale (see G-LO’s reviews here and here), so Oskar Blues wasn’t an unknown commodity. And as far as a canned beer goes, Oskar Blues puts out an exceptional run with some of the most interesting can designs out there. Thus, in keeping with my affinity for the bright and shiny packaging, I picked up the Old Chub.
Here is what Oskar Blues has to say about their Old Chub:
This jaw-dropping Scottish strong ale (8% ABV) is brewed with bodacious amounts of malted barley and specialty grains, and a dash of beechwood-smoked malt. Old Chub features a skim-milk mouthfeel, semi-sweet flavors of cocoa and coffee, and a kiss of smoke. A head-turning treat for malt heads and folks who think they don’t dig dark beer.While Dale’s satisfies our hop addiction, Old Chub takes care of our deep affections for malt. The cola-colored beer (almost black) features a tan head, a creamy, skim-milk mouthfeel, and rich, semi-sweet flavors of caramel and chocolate throughout. The addition of smoked grains gives Old Chub a delicate kiss of smoke on the finish.
Old Chub is the beer equivalent of a lightly smoked single malt scotch, or your favorite dark chocolate. We call it Rocky Mountain Mutha’s Milk. People who tell us defiantly, “I don’t drink dark beer,” often fall deeply in love with Old Chub. We can’t blame them.
I found the Old Chub to have the following characteristics…
- Appearance: Dark amber with a lot of tan, creamy foam.
- Aroma: A little hoppy and a lot roasted.
- Taste: Tastes like it smells. Mild hoppy flavor with sweet malt, chocolate, and coffee notes, giving it a slightly bitter taste followed by a rich, roasted finish.
- ABV: 8%
This was a very good beer. Thick, creamy, and with a full range of well balanced flavors. Oskar Blues has done it again!
