Try?
Tell that to the guys at Colorado’s Oskar Blues brewing company. They’ve thrown caution to the wind by canning their famous pale ale and wonderfully tasty Scotch ale. They argue, and with some merit, that cans are better for beer than bottles.
OK, so truth be told, what you've just
read above is a passage from my original review of Oskar Blues Old Chub
back in 2005. And at the time it was true, because frankly not a lot of
American craft brewers were packaging in cans at the time. Today that has
changed, and a lot of brewers are using cans. Oskar Blues explains
why that might be:
We’ve heard cans are made for boring, pusillanimous beer. We couldn’t
agree less. Old Chub is a behemoth of a beer brewed in the tradition of the
finest Scottish style ales. We brew it with huge quantities of caramel and
chocolate malt, and a touch of smoked malt. Our liquid philanthropy is your
12-ounce snub to conformity.
Now, you can get a can of Oskar Blues Old Chub with a twist: in a nitrogen
charged can that adds a smooth and creamy texture that defies description.
old Chubb is also available on a draft nitro pour, and I await its arrival
at Taco Mac with baited breath.
Old Chubb pours to a slightly translucent mahogany color with a very
thick creamy head and a sweet and sticky dark malt nose. The palate is full,
sweet, and sticky. Right away, it hits you with a Heath-bar like blast of
chocolate and burnt treacle.
There’s a hint of molasses, subtle coffee, chewy caramel, a little raisin,
and some subtle smoky notes. The body is delightfully creamy and full of
wonderful rich and complex flavor.
The beer finishes on the sweet side, with just a gentle hint of hops, but
they struggle to be noticed at all. The alcohol is there in the finish, with
a gentle warmth that slightly dries the sweetness. And the smoke re-emerges
here too.
That's my description of the standard Old Chub, and you'll find those same trait in the nitrogen charged version. You'll just get a richer body and that wonderfully smooth creamy texture I mentioned early. Old Chub Nitro is reasonable in price, too. A 4-pack will run you $8.99, but keep in mind that these are 16 ounce cans. You're only getting about 8 ounces less than a standard six-pack.
So what are you waiting for? Get out there and get yourself some Oskar Blues Old Chub Nitro. And tell them the Bruguru sent you.
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.
(B)=Bottled
(D)=Draft
