About Oskar Blues Old Chub Scotch Ale: It's like Sputnik! This jaw-dropping Scottish strong ale is brewed with bodacious amounts of malted barley and specialty grains, and a dash of beechwood-smoked malt. Old Chub features semi-sweet flavors of cocoa and coffee, and a wee-bit of smoke. A head-turning treat for malt heads and folks who think they don’t dig dark beer. Brewed in North Carolina.
Old Chub is a Scottish style ale brewed with copious amounts of crystal and chocolate malts, and a dash of beechwood-smoked malts. While Dale's Pale Ale ("the best-tasting canned beer I've ever had," according to many brewers and beer experts) is a showcase of both hops and pale malts, Old Chub is a celebration of malts. The cola-colored beer features a dense, tawny head, a creamy mouthful and flavors of caramel, chocolate and lightly roasted malt. Complex and rich, it finishes with a whisper of smokiness that calls to mind a fine single malt scotch. Old Chub weighs in at 8 % alcohol by volume
Beer Advocate Score: 90 points
Food Pairing: Roasted or Smoked Beef or Salmon
Alcohol by Volume: 8.0%
Case Cost: $34
*website: http://brew.oskarblues.com/ob-beers/year-round/old-chub/
I have heard of women being described as bodacious and God knows I love women described as bodacious! However I have never heard of a beer using that adjective to described its beer and found that I loved the look, smell and taste (sooo creamy, yummy!). And like all women that are bodacious I found the beer a little too bitter in the end.
ReplyDeleteI do submit that a cigar would go nicely with this beer!
Rating: 7.6
Zing!
DeleteFirst beer of this year that I have a long, sordid history with. First had Old Chub back when the Red Derby first opened. I was shocked that all the beer was in cans (hipsters were still a new thing back then) so I looked for the oddest and most potent beers. Ended up with a Dale's and an Old Chub among others and barely made it home. And it was downhill.
ReplyDeleteFor some reason, a friend of Jeremy's decided that Old Chub was the perfect beer to bring to DC United tailgates. This never went well since usually we drank all the Screaming Eagles tailgate beer we could handle before the game, pounded a few Buds during the game, and then returned to the parking lot to split a sixer of Old Chub three ways. It sure tastes like it's 8% now, but after 10 warmup beers, it goes down much smoother and that's a serious problem.
Last time I had Old Club after a DC United game, we ended up at some bar on Barracks Row. The next morning while attempting to make it to work I sent a text message to Jeremy that said, "I feel terrible. I should have eaten something." Jeremy responded, "Bill, you had a burger." That pretty much sums up Old Chub right there.
My last encounter with Old Chub was for the "one more beer" after a long happy hour with Jeremy. I ended up at Grosvenor that night. I don't live at Grosvenor.
So, to judge the beer now in my semi-sober state, I'd say it's a pretty thick and boozy beer. Basically tastes like I'm getting drunk. Not really my cup of tea but I'm not offended. Although it does remind me of smokey scotch and I'm not a fan of scotch since that's a two generation acquired taste.
Lots of good times with the Old Chub. I sent Ketcham a photo tonight of me reconnecting with an old friend - Old Chub!
DeleteNow this is a beer! After being a total bitcher about the predecessors in this line up I can finally be a cheer leader. This beer went down smooth, disposed of the bitterness, and was just totally enjoyable with a hint of sweentness and smokiness. I'll have another please!
ReplyDeleteThis goes on the keeper list. Very smooth. I like. I want more.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you guys organized the beers thematically this year. Tasting two Scotch ales in a row has confirmed for me that I do not, in fact, like Scotch ales. Good to know! Meh again. And at 8%ABV, it needs to be better than meh!
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ReplyDeleteI thought that was marginally better than last night's. Still crap, but it's not making me gag.
ReplyDeleteI love Oskar Blues Dale's Pale Ale and Deviant Dale's IPA, but I hadn't tried any of their other beers until now. I've seen this one in the liquor store and wondered about it, but now I know. I obviously don't like this style of beer.
I drank this one from a tulip glass, whereas I drank last night's from a pint glass. I think the pint glass was a mistake. I do think that the type of glass makes a difference to the overall experience - if it's a tulip glass then I tend to expect it to be stronger and maybe I'll sip it a little slower versus taking big glugs.
I'm finding that if I think of this one as not beer but some other kind of drink then it's not as bad as it otherwise actually is. I'm getting some smoky flavor from it - so I'm off to try smoking a few cigs with it and see if that helps...... Nope - it didn't help. Maybe because it's so strong, I'm tasting the alcohol too much or something.
This is a style of beer I would not drink again by choice - maybe my palate will evolve when I grow up and I'll come to like it, but I can't imagine that right now. Roll on tomorrow night!
Had to re-do that comment - my line breaks got messed up.
DeleteWith the first pour it resembled a soda which was mentioned in the description. I was even accused of giving my beer a 360º viewing when I unintentionally took tbe long way around the island to throw the can away. Despite the cola look, it tasted pretty good. I was also worried about the wee-bit of smoke flavor since my previous ecounters with smoked flavor beers tasted like drinking a camp fire. I didn't find it that over whelming at all and thought it was a great a beer. It didn't seem like a true scottish ale which might have improved my rating also 8% ABV doesn't hurt. B+
ReplyDeleteI will repeat that I love scotch ales! This one is no exception. I kind wish that I had sourced a McEwans or Belhaven's to taste after these to compare against a true Scottish ale. Next year perhaps...
ReplyDeleteI cant lie...the Kilt Flasher was bigger and bolder and I actually prefer it to the Chub. I sure do like em both tho.
I put this one on a nitro tap at my bar...gives a little extra creaminess to it which is just superb.
This is probably the first time I've ever had Old Chub when I wasn't very, very drunk. It's always the "one more beer" that I really, really did not need. But tonight, being only my 2nd beer of the night, I'm actually just tasting it as a beer. And...it's pretty good! Heavy, thick, potent. Had to drink it out of a can though, just didn't seem right drinking this out of a pint glass.
ReplyDeleteHere's to future drinking Old Chub in Lot of 8 of RFK after a DC United victory in 2014!
DCU is going to win a match in 2014!! What an optimist!
DeleteNot bad, but I think I prefer the Kilt Flasher. This seemed a little sweeter but with less fullness of body. Either way, I say scotch ales are OK. Not a favorite, but a nice change of pace.
ReplyDeleteOld Chub... New chum! I think this might be the first Scotch ale that I will put in my rotation. Nice balance of malt and bitterness. Not to sweet, but maybe a hint of vanilla. Smokeyness was just right I thought. Oh and mouthfeel was full and slightly oily. Night and day from the Kilt Flasher. I'll give the Chub an A-. Kept getting better with each sip too.
ReplyDeleteThis stuff is decent. Not as overpowering sweet as yesterdays but it the alcohol really shines thru. Been thinking thinking about which one I like better and I'm going with the Kilt. B
ReplyDeleteThis is still not a style that I like in general, but I like this one quite a bit better than Kilt Flasher. I can taste the same components that were present in yesterday's brew, but they are playing together more nicely in this can.
ReplyDeleteI knew I wouldn't like this before I tasted it. Whoever coined the term "drain worthy" is pretty clever. This one is drain worthy. I hate the coffee flavor.
ReplyDeleteThe first sip reminded me of a Guinness. By sip 3 that taste was no longer there. I didn't like this beer when I started drinking it, but half way through things changed and I think it's not half bad. I love the name and the high ABV. Much better than the Kilt Flasher. I give it a 7.5 out of 10, B-
ReplyDeleteI have always been a fan of Old Chub, ever since first having it at Denver's great american beer festival -- of the hundreds of beers I sampled, this was one of my top 10 which at the time I had never had before. Always one of my favorites.
ReplyDeleteHave to go against the grain with the crowd. I liked last nights better, it had more taste.
ReplyDeleteEven though I liked the kilt flasher this one is the better of the two. Not sure why they choose to put it in a can, but I guess it doesn't matter with a scotch ale so much. They were dead on when describing the look as that of a soda. Maybe I could get away with drinking a few of these "sodas" at work.
ReplyDeleteOverall it was enjoyable and I'd definitely drink it again. Hopefully I won't black out and end up in the wrong neighborhood.
God I love this beer. I've had it many times at restaurants around DC and pretty much anywhere I can find it right now. I drank this one tonight in a tulip glass to bring out the malty sweetness and coffee/caramel flavors and aromas. This beer is an exceptional showcase of the Scotch Ale style.
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