Old Chub - Scottish Style Ale - Oskar Blues Brewing Company

VoiceOfTheSoul

Pennsylvania

4.22/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Had this on tap a few times in the past week at City Taphouse in West Philly.

It pours a reddish brown with a light brown one finger head. There wasn't any lacing, though I don't usually see lacing with most beers at that bar - might be something they clean with. It smells fruity like raisins and somewhat like black cherries. It tastes like dark fruit - dates, raisins, cherries - with a bready malt backbone and an almost peanut butter tinge to it. It's got a full mouthfeel, low carbonation, smooth but not so creamy. Overall, I can't keep my hands off this beer. At 8%, it's pretty dangerous.

Serving type: on-tap

02-01-2012 19:41:19 | More by VoiceOfTheSoul

Phillyz

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -12.7%

05-25-2013 06:10:21 | More by Phillyz

tjsdomer2

Illinois

4.03/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Appearance: Extremely syrupy. Great tan foam. Goes a bit flat when it settles. Dark amber brown.

Smell: Smoked peat and molasses.

Taste/Mouthfeel: Burnt scotch, brown sugar, and some raisins. Definitely scotch flavors in the finish. A tad flat, but not bad. There is a nice tingly flavor, but it fizzles too much like tap water. Some grassy flavors as well that I love.

Overall Drinkability: An enjoyable ale. I see why it is a cult classic, but I don't think I'm quite in the cult...maybe knocking on the doorstep.

Serving type: can

05-25-2013 01:37:46 | More by tjsdomer2

Dirksen

California

4.5/5  rDev +12.2%

05-24-2013 18:36:06 | More by Dirksen

steevbr

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +12.2%

05-24-2013 15:35:51 | More by steevbr

ATXboozer

Texas

4/5  rDev -0.2%

05-23-2013 23:34:53 | More by ATXboozer

touchmeimsac

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -6.5%

05-23-2013 12:51:11 | More by touchmeimsac

Rdc67

Kentucky

4/5  rDev -0.2%

05-22-2013 19:02:46 | More by Rdc67

johntfox

Florida

4/5  rDev -0.2%

05-21-2013 01:29:06 | More by johntfox

marshmeli

New York

4/5  rDev -0.2%

05-20-2013 16:11:01 | More by marshmeli

Birdlegs

Washington

4/5  rDev -0.2%

05-20-2013 06:44:29 | More by Birdlegs

hopswap1

Illinois

4/5  rDev -0.2%

05-20-2013 03:59:14 | More by hopswap1

DrewBest

Massachusetts

4.75/5  rDev +18.5%

05-20-2013 01:17:40 | More by DrewBest

dweeuu

Virginia

4.75/5  rDev +18.5%

05-19-2013 00:58:43 | More by dweeuu

Photekut

Azerbaijan

3.5/5  rDev -12.7%

05-18-2013 22:31:20 | More by Photekut

Otisimaas

Texas

4.5/5  rDev +12.2%

05-18-2013 14:29:50 | More by Otisimaas

warpedrevolution

Washington

3.5/5  rDev -12.7%

05-18-2013 08:02:44 | More by warpedrevolution

st9647v3

New Jersey

4/5  rDev -0.2%

05-18-2013 04:20:50 | More by st9647v3

akttr

Michigan

3.5/5  rDev -12.7%

05-18-2013 01:03:02 | More by akttr

Ebf

Illinois

2/5  rDev -50.1%

05-17-2013 23:53:22 | More by Ebf

G_Rod

North Carolina

4.25/5  rDev +6%

05-17-2013 11:23:18 | More by G_Rod

ElizabethEleanor

Texas

4.75/5  rDev +18.5%

05-17-2013 02:02:40 | More by ElizabethEleanor

NorthSideSean

Illinois

4/5  rDev -0.2%

05-17-2013 01:28:46 | More by NorthSideSean

MaximalC

Illinois

3.99/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Pours a murky molasses color with a thin khaki head. Aroma smells of molasses, brown sugar, and a faint nuttiness. The flavor is both sweet and roasted, but neither is cloying. This may be due in large part to a level of hopping that just about perfectly offsets the sweetness of the malt--far more balanced than I typically expect from a scotch ale. There is also a palpable alcoholic heat that adds an additional dimension to the flavor profile. The exact character of the malt is pretty difficult to dissect on account of how well everything melds. There's brown sugar and some nut, but that's as much as I can discern, at least without significant warming. The hops may overstay their welcome ever so slightly, but this is forgivable when one considers how well they serve the beer as a whole.

The stellar carbonation lends a creamy texture to the medium body that complements the flavor of the beer quite well. This is a brew where the whole definitely exceeds the sum of its parts. It's flavorful, lively, and sessionable in spite of its moderately high ABV (it strikes me as the scotch ale equivalent of Domaine DuPage). This is the first offering I've had from Oskar Blues, and I must say I'm impressed.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2013 01:01:16 | More by MaximalC

JMurphy41

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -6.5%

05-16-2013 05:21:27 | More by JMurphy41