The Triangle

Issue date: 4/18/08 Section: Arts & Entertainment

Media Credit: Karl Kuchs

Cans have gotten the short end of the brewing stick. It is considered uncouth t-o drink beer from a can. Maybe this is because the macrobrewers make 30 packs of cans at prices cheaper than water (a sure sign of quality, right?), but a lot of this comes of antiquated myths and misconceptions.

Back in the '60s, our canning technology wasn't very good and beer in cans ended up tasting more like a can than beer. And sure, today's econo-30 pack is an upgrade, but what about craft beer? Why would you want to taint its taste with cans you ask? Well, this is 2008, not the '60s. The era of free love is just as over as the era of crappy cans.

The new "Canned Beer Apocalypse" is led by Osker Blues Brewing Co. They can all of their craft beers and they prove you can still have a great beer come out of a can. One of their great beers is Old Chub, a Scottish style ale.

Strangely enough, Old Chub smelly very hoppy, even though scotch ales are known more for their maltiness. It smells very flowery, however at the same time, it smells boozey too. This is a great smell. It is very pleasing and strong enough to creep its way out of the can. Its alcoholic aromas also let you know that you are in for an alcoholic and flavorful beer.

Since Osker Blue's saw fit to package the beer in a can, I saw fit to drink it from a can. I'm sure the beer is some shade of brown, and has a some small amount of white head, but I can't really say for sure. I do know what the can looks like though, and it doesn't really look like a beer can. It's green and has some red and black highlights. It says "Old Chub" in a big font, but "Scottish Style Ale" in a much smaller one. So, you can probably walk around on the streets with one and no one would tell the difference. Still, that's illegal, so use a koozie.

The first thing you notice when you drink this ale is the almost sweet taste of the caramel hops, followed by a strong smokey flavor. It tastes like it has the base of an English brown ale, but it has the addition of a smokiness that adds a great flavor to beer, akin to rauchbiers. It finishes pretty long with just a touch of bitterness. Old Chub is a medium to full bodied beer. It is lightly carbonated to give the beer a good structure along with the complex malt profile. The smooth flavor makes it go down very smooth. This is a dangerous combination along with the eight percent alcohol. The burn of the bitter aftertaste might discourage some drinkers from chugging this down, but it just tastes so good you are going to want to.

I feel like this beer would go well with some desserts, like cheesecake or rice pudding. The slight sweetness of the beer is complemented by the cinnamon topping in the sweets, and its smokiness would be a good contrast to add complexity. I feel the best way to enjoy an Old Chub though would be on the back of a truck parked in front of Citizen's Bank Park with some barbecued chicken. The light smokiness of the beer is a perfect match for all kinds of barbecue, and what are cans for, if not enjoying them outside? What can I say? Cans of craft brewed ale are best enjoyed while tailgating.

Rating: 5

Inebriating: 5

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