OSKAr The G'Rauch - Oskar Blues Brewery & Tasty Weasel Tap Room

Phelps

Arizona

3.8/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Slightly hazed burnt orange. One finger of filmy head.

Sweet nose, mostly orange and mango. A touch of honey.

Leads with mild smoke. A little orange juice, a little cracker. Bitterness works well with smoke. Lingering hop bite and acetic smoke.

Medium light body, mild fizzy carb, a little fizz, just a touch of alcohol.

Strange but tasty. Like the blend of smoke and hops.

Serving type: can

05-12-2013 23:30:13 | More by Phelps

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.85/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Pours dark yellow body with lasting foam. Very smooth, though residual tongue tingling. A mild smoke aroma. The hops are here, they support the smoke beer to make the latter something more complex. The hops lend taste, but are not the main show.
Can from Jason Bach, thanks buddy!

Serving type: can

03-03-2013 21:43:21 | More by northyorksammy

facundoCNB

New Jersey

4.66/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

a clean copper/amber pour with 2 fingers of bright white detergent-like head, giving off lots of nice lacing. lots of aromatic hops.. grassy, piney, citrusy. getting a whiff of smoked malt, which blends in quite nicely! the flavor is mindnumbingly excellent. a nice smoked flavor, much like band aids.. but nothing overwhelming. a nice bitterness from the hops blends in perfectly with the sweetness of the grain bill. this is by far the best tasting rauch style beer i've ever had. it's like you taste the smoky flavors and you're smelling the hops as you're drinking it, then you put down the glass and the hops are the main thing in your palate. medium body with a moderate amount of carbonation - a nice sticky mouthfeel.

overall, this is an excellent collaboration from ska / oskar blues. an excellent beer for its style. and an excellent beer overall. throw in a nifty designed can, and you have yourself a winner.

Serving type: can

02-09-2013 17:21:41 | More by facundoCNB

katan

Colorado

3.86/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

16oz can into a pint

A - Pours a dark golden color. Lots of head formation, has some orange hints to it. Well retained, lots of lacing.

S - Very hoppy - lots of american hops. Citrus, some resin some pine. I think the smoke is there, but is well hidden.

T - Starts off lightly malty, sweet and a growing amount of smokiness. Mid-stream brings in a good load of the hopping, mainly a citrus. Finishes with some of the smokeyness from the malt and a hint of retained bitterness.

M - Creamy body, moderate carbonation. No alcohol warmth detected. A little sticky in the finish.

O/D - An interesting beer that I get a different impression of every time I take a drink. It is a little bit strong on the palette, which I would suggest would be better paired with food. ABV is up there, but manageable. A little bit filling.

Serving type: can

01-19-2013 15:42:34 | More by katan

Beaver13

Colorado

4.03/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

16 oz can. Pours hazy orange amber with a medium meringue head that goes to a thin film and laces the glass some.

The aroma is smoked toasted malts and tropical fruity hops.

The flavor is sweet toasted caramel malts, tropical fruits, and smoke with a big bitter finish. The mouthfeel is medium to full bodied with low carbonation.

Overall, it's very interesting. I like the blend of sweet caramel, tropical fruits, smoke and bitterness.

Serving type: can

01-18-2013 06:45:32 | More by Beaver13

znichols

Wisconsin

3.63/5  rDev -11%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A- Deep golden/light orange color with big, fluffy white head. Head lasts for ages. Looks like a good American IPA.

S- Smells like ripe orange and honey. Citrus hops. Not a whole lot of smoke unless you looks for it. Dripping juicy aroma. Hang with me here, but it almost has like a eggnog aroma in the end...

T- Whew, there's the smoke. The hops really offer a nice orange flavor that grabs you right away, but the smoke comes in the middle like a stampede of bacon. The finish is a battle between citrusy hops and earthy smoke. Somewhat distracting but once you get used to it, not bad. Especially nice since the abv. is hidden.

M- Standard mouthfeel. Light to medium bodied with a good amount of CO2 and crispness. Nothing great but not out of the ordinary.

O- Well, this is an interesting take on an IPA. I would NEVER buy a 4 pack, but i highly recommend it to any beer geek. Big orange, juicy hops and soft smoke notes. Interesting if not enjoyable.

Serving type: can

11-22-2012 04:52:21 | More by znichols

neophilus

Massachusetts

4.35/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Dark gold slightly hazy beer with decent white head on top.

Aroma is citrusy american hops blended with some gentle malt sweetness. No smoke on the nose, you could trick your friends so far into thinking its a normal DIPA.

Tobacco leaf smokiness hits the palate, not like a freight train but certainly not like someone thats adverse to second hand smoke. Crisp, smokey and acrid on the tongue quickly runs straight into a wall of flavor composed of citrusy bright american hops and more of the malt sweetness.

You know what? It works! I don't like Black IPAs, I don't like roasted malt mixed with citrus hops, but this blend tastes great to me. The acrid dryness of the smoked malt lays down a bright white canvas for the american hops to paint on.

The mouthfeel is thick and sticky which works perfect for the vastly differeng flavors at play. Heavy duty canvas carries the bold flavors. The acrid earthy-smoke of the smoked grain plays on top of cisrusy hops dancing in a decedently thick malt body. Excellent.

Serving type: on-tap

05-08-2013 19:29:35 | More by neophilus

smcolw

Massachusetts

3.51/5  rDev -14%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Cloudy, dirty gold color. Solid head for a bar pour. Leaves a combo of ring and blanketing lace.

An interesting combination of grapefruit hops and apricot and plum to the nose.

Very dry start. A bit of band-aid to the flavor. Leans heavily to the hop. Astringent finish with a short pepper aftertaste. The lighter body is enhanced by the high carbonation level.

Serving type: on-tap

05-04-2013 19:24:53 | More by smcolw

tdm168

North Carolina

3.93/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

On tap at Bottle Revolution

A - orange with a thin, white head

S - citrusy, the smoke is very faint

T - bread, pine, smoke, citrus, wood

M - medium bodied, smooth, warming alcohol, well carbonated

This was a nice twist on an IPA. I was hesitant about the smoke, but it was subtle and played well with the hop character. I thought this beer had nice drinkability and to me it was a bit unique. It's definitely worth a try.

Serving type: on-tap

04-27-2013 11:39:46 | More by tdm168

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

4.23/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

I was overjoyed to be able to try this on tap at Warwick Hotel in Hummelstown, enjoyed with the turkey sandwich on rye special and bountiful seafood soup.

The IPA was served chilled in a standard pint glass.
the color is bright golden with lots of haze in the clarity aspect with thick fluffly looking white head. The lace sticks in a film and holds well. The smell is great it has a tangy juicy aroma with mild grapefruit and light pine with some lemon zest and hint of malt sweetness in the aroma with slight tropical fruit quality. Tangy and juicy in feel with medium bittterness and subtle sweetness and mild astringency with moderate carbonation and low alcohol in the feel.

The taste is again as I have said twice before: tangy. The tropical aspect of the hops comes out more in the taste than either the feel or aroma though as it has a lightly acidic grapefruity taste with grassy element and mild pineapple fruitiness with a warm spice taste and mild malt sweetness mid palate with a light alcohol flavor buried under all the hop oils in the residual taste. Overall a Delicious beer w/ lots of Hop Flavor and extremely drinkable considering the abv, unsure why it is listed as an American IPA, it seems worthy of a Double category but the bitterness is very smooth on the other hand.

Serving type: on-tap

04-20-2013 18:07:14 | More by Slatetank

UCLABrewN84

California

3.85/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

On tap at 38 Degrees in Alhambra, CA.

Pours a clear orange with a foamy beige head that settles to a film on top of the beer. A foamy curtain of lace coats the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, citrus fruit, and citrus zest. Taste is much the same with a slight smoke flavor on the finish. There is a mild amount of hop bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp and medium bodied mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer but the smoke aspect only comes through in the flavor and is pretty subdued in my opinion.

Serving type: on-tap

04-14-2013 18:57:20 | More by UCLABrewN84

Titans77

Maryland

4.04/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

On tap at Old Line Bistro in Beltsville MD

A - slightly hazy golden orange with a half finger of white head.

S - grapefruit and hops. No sign of any smoke.

T - Grapefruit and floral hops come through very strong. A hint of smoke on the backend. Works very well together.

M - smooth with medium carbonation. Dry finish. The smoke helps out a bit too.

O - Very solid IPA. I like this collab. Oskar Blues is doing great things.

Serving type: on-tap

04-03-2013 01:00:53 | More by Titans77

brentk56

North Carolina

4.19/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Appearance: The clear amber liquid arrives with a decent cap that leaves a few shards of lacing behind

Smell: Piney and citrusy with a distinct peat character

Taste: Up front, the smoky/peaty flavors build a malty base with the hops adding a nice bitter angle; the smoked flavors continue to balance, after the swallow, and I think I detected a bit of heat in the finish though that may have come from the food I was eating

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate carbonation

Overall: A pretty darn nice rauch from the Oskar Blues folks; very nicely balanced

Serving type: on-tap

03-24-2013 18:05:14 | More by brentk56

Oxymoron

Colorado

2.91/5  rDev -28.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 2

Now for something a completely different. Pours a straw colored golden with a light orangy hue. Very fizzy head with limited retention that didn't last through the taste.

The nose is muddled Hops come out at first with more citrus and pines notes. A bit of dank characters comes out when the smoke makes its presence. Some really off yeasty notes comes out. Specifically rose peddles and a jolly rancher tropical fruity note.

The taste is similar, muddled. Hops come out with a more piney and herbal with a touch citrus. The odd fruity note comes out more like in the nose. That jolly rancher almost juicy fruit character. Some bitterness but blends oddly with the smoke character. Very nice smoke with a more meaty character. Lingers into the finish that battles with the piney resinous flavor. The yeast is clean for the most part, much softer vs the nose.

The body is moderate but with some lingering sweetness. Some warming but for the ABV pretty dang smooth. Carbonation is low to none. Overall a fun beer, but I can't seem to find the rhythm on this beer. The more American hops just don't blend with the savory smoke.

Serving type: on-tap

03-22-2013 03:04:53 | More by Oxymoron

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.58/5  rDev -12.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Served in a snifter at Firkin.

How could I pass up a smoked IPA? This stuff pours a lightly-hazy sunrise amber topped by a finger-and-a-half of light cream foam. The nose comprises grapefruit zest, light leek, and light orange zest. The taste brings in more of the same, without the leek, and a very light generic black smoke in the background, gaining a mild prominence in the finish and aftertaste. The body is a light medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a dry finish. Overall, an interesting beer, though I don't really see the point of the smoke. Without it, it's a pretty decent IPA; with it, though, things come across confused, neither facet (IPA-ness and smokiness) able to fully express itself. Still not bad, but not as good as it seemingly could be.

Serving type: on-tap

01-30-2013 23:34:27 | More by TMoney2591

jaasen64

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had on Tap at Meadhall for their "12 Brewers of Christmas" Toys for Tots Fundraiser. This was considered the "rare" beer Oskar Blues brought. I'm not sure how much of this was produced, but considering it only has one other review I'll take their word for it that it is fairly rare. Served in a Oskar Blues pint glass.

A- Translucent orange with a bit of haze and nice consistent carbonation. A little over a finger's worth of white foamy head that has decent retention and recedes to a thin layer coating the glass with foamy lacing.

S- Mangoes, oranges, citrus fruits, hops, bacon, smoked malts. Nice fruity presence with a nice meaty smokiness that definitely doesn't overpower.

T- Mangoes, orange juice, some subtle bacon smokiness on the finish with a slight citrus fruit aftertaste. Nice balance, I like how the smokiness definitely makes itself known but doesn't overtake the beer and still lets the hops present themselves.

M- Drinks fairly juicy, decent carbonation, easy to drink.

O- This was an interesting beer being kind of a cross between a rauchbeer and an IPA. When I first tried this beer I had no idea what it was, the smoke kind of hit me with a surprise. The smokiness kind of dulled the citrus fruits a little bit and prevented it from being as fruity/citrusy as some IPAs are, but I definitely liked the uniqueness of it and in my opinion it was very well executed. I like how the citrus and smoked malts were balanced together with the smokiness not being too overpowering. I definitely recommend checking this beer out if you are either a hop head or a rauchbier fan.

Serving type: on-tap

12-22-2012 16:46:54 | More by jaasen64