Slab Cabin IPA - Otto's Pub and Brewery

CoolJosh

Pennsylvania

4.43/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Out to lunch with the girl, and decided to pick up a growler of this ale.

A A light ruby/amber. Pours a half finger head that dissolves into a thin layer fairly quickly. Laces well..

S Really nice, piney and light fruit scents. Some apricot, peach, and slight hop scents. Very well balanced, a scent like this is a thing of beauty, and really excites me for what is to come with the taste.

T Very smooth onset, which compliments the scent very nicely. Mouthfeel is very refreshing and fairly carbonated, and the ale finishes very well with a nice springy set of hops and apricot coming through.

A very refreshing IPA, great for any time of year. I'm really happy I purchased this in a growler, and can not wait to continue to drink this through out the week. I don't believe that Otto's bottle's this, so if you're in the State College Area, definitely stop by this premium brew house.

Serving type: growler

10-28-2008 04:53:05 | More by CoolJosh

Buggies

Pennsylvania

4.43/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

What a great little IPA.

Looks as IPA should. Kind of a dark amber with the appropriate amount of head. Aromas of light malt and hops. Hop aromas vary from citrus, grapefruit, and herbal. More herbal than the other.

Tastes great. I'd say that the citrus and grapefruit come through and take over. You can just taste the sticky sweet hop oils coat your tongue. All hops with a nice hint of bitter finish. Even the burbs are coated with hop goodness.

Overall, I'd say that this beer embodies everything that make an American IPA what it is. Get yourself some of these!

Serving type: bottle

07-20-2011 18:12:13 | More by Buggies

largecar73

Pennsylvania

4.4/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

A: 22oz bottle into a pint glass. Got a nice two finger head under a fairly hard pour,retention was fair, but lots of lacing all the way down the glass. dark reddish amber in color with very few carbonation bubbles.

S: Nice nose on this one, pine needles right off the bat with a little caramel and brown sugar in the background.

T: More pine needles along with some floral esters. I do detect some caramel malt coming through a bit, although hops are very much in the forefront. All in all a fairly balanced IPA.

M: Buttery smooth on the palate, and the carbonation seems spot on, although I could hardly detect any in the appearance.

D: Way high on this one! I could and will session this beer for sure, and the low ABV helps in that respect.

All in all this is a fine IPA. I'll definitely buy this again. So far I've liked everything I've tried from Otto's, and this beer doesn't disappoint either. I definitely will miss Double D as that was one of my favorite DIPA's, but they offer plenty of other fine brews to enjoy.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2009 21:22:37 | More by largecar73

sbw138

Pennsylvania

4.38/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bought a 22oz. bomber from the Zeno's 6-pack shop in State College. $4 each, what a steal.

Poured a nice burnt orange/amber color. There was a huge head after I finished pouring, which quickly died down to a small, but ever present head. Despite the small size of the head, lacing was pretty nice all the way down the glass.

Huge, terrific hoppy smell, full of citrus. A decent, yet subtle, malt backbone.

As others have mentioned, I really didn't taste the citrus that I had smelled. Rather, there was a nice piney, deliciously hoppy taste. Really, very impressive. The malt backbone is a little more pronounced on the tounge, than on the nose.

Solid mouthfeel, not overly heavy, or light. Beer has a nice carbonation too it, that feels real well.

A great beer here. Otto's really has done a terrific job with this brew. It's almost up there in quality with their Zeno's Rye. I can wait to get back to state college to try fresh on tap.

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2010 19:21:26 | More by sbw138

jra173

Pennsylvania

4.38/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Overall a very solid IPA from Otto's Pub and Brewery in State College, PA. Great offering available all over Central PA and can compete with any of the top East Coast IPAs. This is a great regular to add to your lineup and is balanced enough to be a good session IPA.

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2012 02:47:51 | More by jra173

eyncognito

Wisconsin

4.33/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottle courtesy of akorsak, thanks Adam. An amazing IPA that wasn't really on my radar-great recommendation from a top-notch trading partner.

Appearance is an amber color, quite clear, well filtered. Light lets out a glowing bronze. One finger of head, with good retention, slightly soapy, but only sporadic lacing is present. Smell is hop forward-amazing blast of tropical and citrus fruits, coupled with floral notes: grapefruit, lemon juice, guava, and sweet grassy/floral scents. For having such a wonderful amber color, malt is an after thought, malt sits in the back seat-a sweetness rides along through out, but unobstrusive.

Taste pretty much follows the nose here. Sweet malt carries along bitter hops, moderate initial bitterness with more red grapefruit, guava, lemon/lime, grassy, floral. Strong, long finish that stresses the sweetness of the malt-caramel, slightly oily. Taste really delivers on the promise of the nose and presents it in wonderful fashion, high lighting the hops, but allowing the malt bill to shine at the end. Mouth feel is medium bodies, with soft carbonation that couples well with the hops-only gently prickling the tongue.

Drinkability is quite high. I could drink this for days on end. Hmmm, I have considered applying to Penn State for grad school. I'd be lying if beer was not a consideration for the next city I live in/school I attend. Even though I am a Badger, I can appreciate what Otto's is doing for the Nittany Lions. Go Big Ten Beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2009 04:40:58 | More by eyncognito

Deuane

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

The full time IPA on tap to replace the much loved Double D.

A-Deep brilliant copper with a medium light tan head that reduced to a small cap that held tight. Nice amounts of lace left behind.

S-Nothing fancy but all solid. Citrus, pine and sweet malt mingle in a dance for the nares.

T-An initial sharp spicy citrus hop bite that is backed up by an agressive malt sweetness. Certainly a hop forward brew but the malt comes through.

M-Medium to almost medium light bodied and crisp. A nice long, lingering hop bite prevails.

D-While this is no DD it certainly is an easy all day long drinker. Not the malt/hop bomb but a worthy replacement considering it uses only half the amount of hops. A nice brew to have on while we wait for the return of DD.

Serving type: on-tap

10-24-2008 06:29:40 | More by Deuane

chakadrum

Pennsylvania

4.22/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Honey-gold in appearance. A healthy, fluffy off-white head. Light lacing on the glass as I sip away.

This may sound weird, but it smells like a brewery. It's got that mix of hops and yeast and malts that floats through the air when you take a tour. The hops stand out the most. A pleasant fresh sort of smell.

A very nice balance between sweetness, bitterness and hoppiness. I'm actually really surprised how well balanced this tastes. This might be a great bridge into hoppy beers. Perhaps gross, but the burps in my mouth taste very nice.

The mouthfeel is very smooth though perhaps a bit on the watery side.

This could easily be a staple IPA for me.

Serving type: growler

10-25-2008 22:19:39 | More by chakadrum

trbergman

Illinois

4.22/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

16oz serving on draft presented in a tulip pint.

A - Rich copper body with one finger of off-white head. The head diminishes after a few sips but sticky lace clings to the glass all the way down.

S - Aggressive hop nose with grapefruit and resiny pine; a touch of caramel malt in the background.

T - Plenty of grapefruit and pine with toast and toffee. Nice assertive bitterness, with a little background maltiness to keep it from being a one-dimensional hop bomb. The finish is pleasant and long with lingering bitterness.

M - Medium body, peppery.

D - A good, sessionable IPA along the lines of SN Celebration. I was impressed with the quality of this brew.

Serving type: on-tap

12-27-2008 16:54:20 | More by trbergman

treyrab

Pennsylvania

4.22/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I am always surprised to see what Otto's has up their sleeves. I have passed on this IPA many times while at the brew pub, so I decided to pick up a bomber last night. Split it with my girl into two pint glasses:

A: Pours a crystal clear copper with a frothy, sticky two finger white head. This looks brilliant and just like an IPA should. Great carbonation floating up the top to keep the head alive...which lasts pretty much the whole time. Some nice sticky lacing also is a plus.

S: Very robust pine hops show their presence. Not as much citrus as I was expecting, as the woody, grassy hops are really showing. Some nice cereal and caramel malts also come through.

T: Just a great IPA all around. The pine hops yield a crisp, refreshing taste that ends a bit dry. Some orange comes through as well, but is masked pretty heavily by the grassy tones of the pine hops. A bit of caramel also comes through on the finish.

I was not expecting this to be as good as it was. This is a fantastic go-to IPA.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2009 19:06:12 | More by treyrab

TheMultiYeast

Pennsylvania

4.22/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a slightly hazy dark amber/orange. Medium sized creamy white head.

Smell is perfectly balanced between hops and pale malts.There's a nice clean citrus scent followed by caramelized sweetness and moist earthiness.

Taste follows the nose, diving quickly into piney hops that mingle with nutty malts and again finishing with a grassy earthy flavor.

Mouthfeel is substantial and slightly dry.

Not the first and definitely not the last time I'll have a Slab Cabin. Lots of local love for this one.

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2011 03:19:11 | More by TheMultiYeast

akorsak

Pennsylvania

4.15/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A 22 oz bomber picked up at the brewpub yesterday.

A: The IPA is the same color as the amber bottle it came in. Brighter orange hues punctuate the narrower parts of the glass. Two fingers of head have left lace all around the top quarter of the glass.

S: The nose is a floral with an oily citrus presence. Grapefruit is near the forefront, almost matching the flowers.

T: Citrus hops set the stage, showing off grapefruit and peach flavors. A floral bitterness rounds out the hops with a bang. Caramel malts have a bready flavor that sits contentedly in the background to bolster the hops. I always found the Double D to be too much; this one does it just right.

M: A pleasantly hoppy IPA, the floral flavors jump out early. A smooth bitterness ensues, leaving an oily taste.

D: Another winner from Otto's, especially in the bottle form. Allowing it to warm made it better than the on-tap version.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2009 21:16:30 | More by akorsak

jdg204

Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Was up for my first Penn State weekend of the year and I had to make the pilgrimage to Otto's. After a great Saturday of tailgating at the game, a nice lunch at Otto's is a fantastic change of pace. Great food is always expected and I was excited to try their new staple IPA.

A: Bright orange color with a thick white head that stuck around for most of the ride and left some nice lacing.

S: Aroma is floral, grapefruit, and citrus with a nice fresh, oily hops undertone.

T: Grapefruit and caramel start the show but the supporting fresh, floral hops quickly smack you in the face. This was a pretty well balanced ale and you could really taste the freshness.

M: Medium body with good carbonation.

D: Otto's has another gem on their hands, these guys really know what they're doing! The guys at Otto's definitely have the best brewpub (emphasis on the pub) that I've had the good fortune to frequent. Just a rock solid IPA, extremely fresh, well balanced, and yummy! If you get the chance to go to Otto's than do yourself a favor and get there (the food's great too). While you're there, try this brew, a new must-try at the pub!

Serving type: on-tap

09-21-2009 00:03:51 | More by jdg204

Darkmagus82

Montana

4.13/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from bottle into grenade pint glass

Appearance - Pours a nice red/orange color with a thin white head that lasts nearly 5 min.

Smell - Meet initially with some piney aroma from the hops as well as a little bit of sweet caramel aroma.

Taste - a great balance between malt and hop. The maltliness starts strong, with the hops finishing strong.

Mouthfeel - Good carbonation and body for beer style. Not too thin but just right.

Overall - A great brew to drink on an average occasion. A very good standard IPA and one I would recommend over more well know such as 60 min. IPA.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2011 02:25:31 | More by Darkmagus82

ClockworkOrange

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Served on-tap at the brewpub and poured into a 20oz glass. Appears a transparent golden amber color with about one finger of off-white head. Smells and tastes of sweet caramel malts, pine and citrus(grapefruit, lemon). Medium in both body and carbonation. Deuane and I simultaneously agreed that we could sit there and drink this all day. This beer will almost make you forget that Double D is on hiatus.

Serving type: on-tap

10-17-2008 17:19:09 | More by ClockworkOrange

HopDerek

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to Kegatron for sharing a bomber. Poured a clear amber color with 1.5 fingers of foamy off-white head. Good retention and some good lacing work. Smells of citrus fruits, pine, spicy hops, caramel, and a touch of biscuit. Taste starts off with citrus fruits like grapefruit and orange, then some earthy and pine notes. A sweetness of honey and biscuit follow before a finish of more pine resin. Medium in body with moderate carbonation. Smooth and sweet with a nice bitterness. A good IPA that is refreshing and easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2009 22:22:50 | More by HopDerek

devinoconnor

New Jersey

4.1/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

First brew from Otto's (even after going to PSU for 4 years). Certainly won't be my last.

Pours a nice orange, crisp and clean with little carbonation and head.

Smell is citrusy and hoppy, with a nice balance between the two. Hops don't dominate or takeover the other flavors as with some IPAs.

Refreshing, easy-drinking IPA that's certainly worth a try. Very nice.

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2011 18:20:11 | More by devinoconnor

thain709

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Served with a golden orange body that had some slight haze to it...the head was white in color and two fingers tall...it fell to a thin cap and left some nice lacing

S - Sweet, juicy citrus is all around...orange, lemon, lime, mango, grapefruit...slight bitterness...the malt is there to add some more sweetness, but the nose isn't cloying

T - The juicy hops start things off...they provide a lot of citrus flavors and as I said before they are very juicy...the malt is strong in the middle and provides a nice transition between the sweet and bitter parts of this beer...there is a trace of caramel coming from the malt bill...after the malt subsides, the bitter hops creep in...they aren't in your face bitter, rather a very palatable bitter

M - Medium bodied...crisp, refreshing, slightly bittersweet

O - I enjoyed this one way more than Double D...all the citrus flavors and supporting malt bill really made this IPA enjoyable...I loved it on tap, but was hesitant about taking home a sixer

Serving type: on-tap

04-09-2012 13:29:32 | More by thain709

ToddT

Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

A- Pours a bright copper color with a thick off white colored head. Head is long lasting and leaves lots of sticky lace on the glass.

S- Grapefruit and citrus dominate the nose, little bit of the malt in there too.

T- Grapefruit comes at you right away, but not overly bitter, it has just the right bite. Malts round this out with a note or two a caramel then it finishes crisp, slightly dry and with another hit of the hop bitterness.

M- Nice feel, light bodied and just the right carbonation. Maybe slightly thin but that is the only fault here. No oily aftertaste as some IPA's have.

D- Easy drinking, at 6.0% ABV it is a great session IPA, that tastes great to boot.

Great beer from the local brew pub. What a great thing to have in one's backyard.

Serving type: growler

02-26-2009 04:16:13 | More by ToddT

jzeilinger

Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A - Pours a beautiful amber color, crisp, clear looking, very active carbonation, and a thick, frothy cream colored head that sticks.

S - Caramel malt, pine, citrus, floral, slight grassy zest.

T - Not quite balanced and but even flavor sensation throughout. A caramel malt back bone that gets challenged by a nice bitterness blend of pine, grapefruit, and mild floral grassiness. The sip ends with a nice coating of pine and grapefruit in the mouth leaving a moderate lingering bitterness that sticks around not too long, but just long enough to make it satisfying and refreshing. Not too over the top in bitterness, but definitely more bitter than the average IPA.

M - For an IPA, it's thick - I like substance to the mouthfeel and this definitely has it.

O - This is a solid IPA and wish I could get it in my part of the state. It's a good IPA that would go great with alot of different foods and could easily be something I could drink every day without growing tired of it.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2011 23:58:02 | More by jzeilinger

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

22 oz bottle into a pint glass.

Pours a clear amber with several fingers of foamy off-white head. A thin and frothy retention yields a big creamy flareup when swirled, leaving back a solid cascade of spotty lacing and oily residues. The aroma is mostly all about the hops, being very floral with some piney accents (but not overly assertive with it) and a good bit of spice and citrus as well. A thin layer of sweetness and warmth is definitely secondary to the hops in this bouquet, gently gliding underneath alll of that leefy goodness.

The hops are a little more moderate in the taste, but still packs a solid piney punch to the palate that lingers dryly on the tongue. Backing things up, is an underlying backbone of of bready toasted malts and caramel sweetness, which offers enough balance to even out the bitterness, but make no mistake, this profile is all about the hops. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with an imminently smooth and creamy carbonation that just slides effortlessly down the throat. Very nice.

Very hop forward but solid IPA from the fine folks at Otto's. This maybe came off as a touch less balanced than I remembered on draft (which kept the drinkibility down just a tad) but I was glad to see that same easy body carried over to this now bottled offering. Nice stuff.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2009 12:22:26 | More by Kegatron

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I had this on tap at the Cap City fest in Harrisburg, poured chilled into a couple sampler glasses.

A - Medium copper shade w/ good clarity and medium pale cap w/ average sized bead, minimal lacing

S - Loads of citrus, very orangey clementine aroma like centennial/amarillo maybe w/ a light amber malt odor

M - Very balanced yet juicy hop acidity w/ mild sweetness and moderate bitterness. The finish is mostly dry w/ lingering hops.

T - This is very tasty w/ ruby red notes and lots of orange zest(as octopus87 mentioned). There is mild malt flavor just enough to soften the bitterness of the hops w/ a candy-like crystal malt taste. The astringency is low and there is a drying effect of mild alcohol. The Ipa finishes w/ plenty of hop flavor, mildly juicy and somewhat acidic.

D - A fine American IPA, very drinkable w/ plenty of hops to satisfy. A bit balanced but still relatively bitter for an east coast IPA.

Serving type: on-tap

09-21-2009 13:53:47 | More by Slatetank

ffejherb

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Otto's on 10/19/08. Served in an imperial pint glass.

A - Clear medium copper-colored body with amber highlights and about half a finger of creamy off-white head that receded into a patchy film and left a bit of lacing. Minimal amount of carbonation present.

S - Pine and citrus hop notes with an underlying caramel malt sweetness and a touch of alcohol. Pretty standard IPA aroma that is simple, yet pleasing.

T - Citrus hops are at the forefront of this IPA with hints of pine and resin in the background. Pretty juicy hop flavor overall. Malt is primarily sweet caramel with some toffee notes. There is also a hint of graininess in the finish.

M - Medium body with an oily texture and moderate carbonation. Sweet on the palate with a fairly aggressive bitter finish.

D - Solid IPA and a worthy successor to Double D. Nicely balanced with enough of a hop presence to please most hopheads.

Serving type: on-tap

10-20-2008 00:20:35 | More by ffejherb

gford217

Georgia

4/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Big thanks for Josh for this bomber, poured into a tulip.

Pours deep, clear amber with a short lived creamy head that leaves a soapy film along the top and a big collar. The lacing is minimal.

Big juicy hops dominate the aroma with lots of grapefruits and oranges but with more than a fair share of pine as well. There is a sizable caramel malt sweetness to balance things out.

The taste has a much more dominant floral hop presence and the pine jumps to the forefront with a slightly astringent resiny bitterness from the first sip. Lots of caramel malts and toasted bread in the backbone before the pine and grapefruit leave the finish bitter, dry and astringent.

The mouthfeel is medium to full bodied for the style and coats the palate with sticky hops. The carbonation is soft.

This is a solid hop forward IPA with a big enough malt backbone to balance things out and keep the drinkability relatively high. Looking forward to more from this brewery.

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2009 23:51:31 | More by gford217

MDDMD

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A-dark amber color with a nice off-white head and good lacing

S-citrus, pine, malt, hints of floral and herbal

T-nice juicy citrus with some pine and a nice slightly sweet malt backbone, slight herbal notes, moderate bitter finish

F-medium body with moderate carbonation, smooth

O-a solid IPA with a nice balance of flavors

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2013 00:25:12 | More by MDDMD