The Old Chub is my second Oskar Blues review in a row, and one that I have been meaning to do for a while. I always thought that it looked interesting and from what I could gather is a well put together beer. But due to my laziness and forgetfulness I never got around to trying it. The Old Chub was poured from a can, just as the Gubna was last week, showing once again that good beer can come from a can (not a pun).

The Old Chub pours a dark red tinted brown with a creamy one-finger tan head, which is really what I would expect from a Scotch Ale. The nose on the Old Chub consists of roasted malt, with caramel, chocolate, and molasses, all playing together. The smell is sweet and rich, with a nice balanced malt smell. There is the slightest twinge of alcohol at the end, but for an 8% ABV beer it is to be expected.

The malt comes through nicely on the first sip and is decently creamy and smooth. There is some balance to the bitterness and sweetness. The major flavors borrow from the nose with caramel and chocolate coming through along with dried fruits and vanilla. Once again, the alcohol comes into play at the end and warms things up a bit, just enough to let you know it is there.

While the Old Chub is smooth and highly drinkable, it isn’t a beer that I would want to go beyond two or three with. Not because of the alcohol, but because it starts to feel a bit sticky and that can stop being pleasant really fast. The Old Chub is a big beer, but it hides it well. The flavors aren’t overly dramatic, but they are well balanced and nicely play off of each other. Oskar Blues has something good here, check it out if you can.

Overall: 8/10