After Deron had suggested I try the Brooklyn Winter Ale, the first Scottish Ale that I’ve had (knowingly), I decided I wanted to jump on another one of his favorites of the style, Old Chub. He described it as the "best beer ever out of a can, except for maybe Genny Bock." Since I value Deron’s opinion so much, I simply had to try it for myself.

Better yet, I didn’t even have to pop by the store to pick it up! My rad cousin was coming by for help with his website, and as a gesture of thanks, he brought over a 6-pack. Did I mention how rad my cousin is?

Oskar Blues Old Chub weighs in at a sneaky 8% ABV. I say sneaky because it’s so drinkable, you don’t realize how high the alcohol content is, unlike some motor-oil-tasting brews. It pours a deep, dark reddish-brown, almost black, with about a ¾-inch tan, creamy head that dissipated rather quickly. Its aroma is a sweet one, with fragrances of toasty malt, bread and molasses coming through… an aroma that increased in sweetness as the beer came closer to room temperature.

I could barely contain myself before taking my first sip, but I did allow it to warm up for about 20 minutes before doing so. Once I did, I was inundated with all the malty sweetness I had expected, but not in an overly mouth-puckering, syrupy way. Flavors of toasted brown sugar and smoky dates were present with very little notice of hops. It offered a medium-heavy mouthfeel with extremely light carbonation… silky smooth on the tongue. Most definitely a great choice for a cool or cold night.

As I said above, Old Chub is incredibly drinkable—so easy to drink I can even go so far as to say sessionable—which was rather surprising for a beer with 8% alcohol. But if you do end up enjoying the Old Chub as a session beer, be forewarned that it will catch up with you, without you even realizing it.

I will be sure to enjoy this again and I urge anyone who loves a malty brew to try some too. Who knew something this good could come out of a can?

TAGS [ OLD CHUB | OSKAR BLUES | SCOTTISH ALE | OLD CHUB BEER REVIEW | BEER REVIEWS ]