- Here’s a hint…
I was drinking a beer while watching a football game this weekend, and it struck me that it did everything pretty well. It had the big and malty flavor that I love this time of year, it’s heavy enough to feel substantial, but light enough to not bog me down. It also comes in a can, which opens up a world of possibilities as to where and when it can be enjoyed.
Which beer is it you ask?
Oskar Blues Old Chub Scottish-Style Ale!
Old Chub has slowly been replacing Dale’s Pale Ale (another Oskar Blues staple in my house) as my go-to beer as the temperature drops and my craving for hops wanes. It occurred to me while I enjoyed one in my goblet as the Jets waffled about on FedEx Field that if I had to pick one all-around good beer to drink exclusively for the next year, this would be the one. It’s delicious and I can take it to the lake (where there’s a no-glass policy) or hunker down in the man cave and know that I’m in for a treat whenever I crack one open.
At least that’s how I feel at the moment. I’m sure Old Chub will have its time in the sun, only to be replaced by a new favorite soon enough. I’m nothing if not fickle.
What about you? If you had to pick a single beer (or other adult beverage) to drink exclusively for the next year, what would it be?
Beer & Whiskey Brothers 
First of all, that picture is sickening. Second of all, I definitely enjoy old chub a lot. There is a bar across the street from the one I work at, and I sometimes head over there for one when I get off work. They have it on tap which is a little different but really good. Now I just wish they would get some acceptable barware for it.
I agree that it’s gross, but it’s a fat old guy (an old chub) so he’s a good hint. Plus this is no way nearly as disgusting as Don’s shirtless Carrot Top picture!:
Oh crap. Now I need to use those soothing bleach eye drops to get that out of my sight.
It won’t work – I tried when Don originally posted it!
Thanks for the visual. No need to reach in for a second pinch of chips…..
In other news, yes, I like Old Chub but I fear my brief exposure to Three Floyds Robert The Bruce has forever ruined my ability to fairly judge another Scottish Style Ale.
@TheAlemonger
I haven’t had it – one of the few things I can’t seem to find in NJ!
3 Floyds has very limited distribution, unfortunately, and they aren’t particularly interested in expanding their market, from what I’ve heard. I am lucky in that I will be moving to within a 10-15 minute drive of their brewery/brewpub in less than 4 months. All that being said, Robert the Bruce is fantastic, and I’ll be thinking of you, Jim, when I drink my next in a couple of weeks.
Gee, thanks! 😦
;p Perhaps trades could be arranged? I love making my own hot sauce and sending it to friends.
They pulled out of NJ about 4-5 years ago (and pretty much everywhere else) to focus on their home region due to their very limited brewing capacity. I have to say that I’d rank almost every beer of theirs I’ve had in the top 3 of each style. Their Dreadnaught Imperial IPA and Gumball Head Wheat are absolute rock stars and, of course, Dark Lord is a craft beer phenomenon in and of itself.
Sigh…..
Yeah, Dark Lord might be a phenomenon, but the taste I had of it wasn’t really phenomenal. A really nice stout, but probably not worth all the hype. Of course Dark Lord Day is another animal altogether – sounds like a cool scene.
Do you and Carrot Top share eyebrow waxing tips? He is a gross man.
I agree with Alemonger, 3F Robert the Bruce is one of my go-to beers in the scotch category…but in a pinch give me a 60 minute or an Edmund Fitgerald.
Hey – there’s a difference between waxing and manscaping.
Subtle, but there’s a difference.
I love me some Scotch ale and your pick is spot on. I haven’t tried a Scotch ale that I didn’t enjoy. Some more than others, but I just really like the style. Does anyone in the B&WB’s comment world know of any commercial examples of twists on the style?
Like a bourbon barrel scotch ale?
That’s what I’m talking about. Even better, a Scotch barrel aged Scotch ale 🙂
Yep. One of my favorites from Tyranena called Shaggin’ in the Woods is a bourbon barrel scotch ale. I’ve homebrewed a scotch ale twice and aged it on bourbon chips.
Sounds like my kinda beer.
Im a big fan of backwoods bastard, it also ages VERY well.
That’s a good but wild choice – there’s some pepper on that Bastard!
Like the one I have yet to brew with those Four Roses barrel chips you sent?
Like they say on Game of Thrones: Winter is Coming. I’m nothing without a wort-chilling snowbank!
More of a whiskey taste than a scotch, but Breckenridge and Stranahans will be producing an ESB aged in Strannie barrels for release in February. It will have a Stranahan label with mention of Breck. It’s based on the 20th Anniversary ale that Breck produced this year, also aged in those barrels. I had some on tap and was greatly impressed by it, all of the benefits of both beer and whiskey without too much alcohol harshness; it’s only 7.8%ABV.
that sounds pretty awesome!
If I had to pick a single beer to drink exclusively for the next year . . . I would not be very pleasant to be around. I guess I would go with Great Divide Rumble in your cruel alternate universe. Hops and oak aging in the same beer might be able tide me over.
Then it should be Old Curmudgeon, no? Because that’s what you’d be…
I’ll give you a shiny nickel if you’ve seen the movie that image came from.
Your nickel is safe from me, John.
I just Google ’em!
It looks early Peter Jackson-esque so I’m going to hazard a guess at Bad Taste.
Whew! Nice teaser. I had to check just to make sure that you weren’t going to say, “Platinum” – otherwise it’d be, “Utah, here I come!”
Boxcar is making mild ales, including a mild-edition IPA that I like, even though I’m not into hop monsters, so if I had to stick with a given brewery over the next year, it would be Boxcar.
My favorite du jour is Victory Dark Intrigue. Something about a great beer, bourbon barrels, and waiting through several storms over 3.5 hours with some cool fellow beer geex…
A year of Dark Intrigue would be a year you don’t remember very well!
Still waiting on the Dark Intrigue. I have 3 stores that say they’ll be getting it. I also just got my Christmas bonus check. I am willing to leave Bitches Brew on the shelf in favor of Dark Intrigue, though I’ve tried neither. Probably something to do with the fact that Storm King is my weekly go-to.
It’s like Storm King with a muzzle on it…
…you want to know why you don’t have more female readership?
P.S. the snowfall is super cute.
Wow – way to be a fatophobe!
And thanks for liking the snowflakes. I had to dig around the WordPress menus to find how to turn it on again this year. Sort of like digging the decorations out of the attic, but without all that detestable physical activity!
The Carot Top photo was gross too! As was the Budweiser girls…
Mind if we steal the snowflakes for GirlsPintOut.com? 😉
You have an attic? In the Midwest “flyover land” we just leave big tupperware bins out in the backyard all year. No one visits anyway.
Fire up the snow machine!
And for the record, Carrot Top was Don’s and the Budweiser girls were meant to make the reader cringe. I recall the caption read “stay classy, Budweiser!” or something like that.
The tupperware thing explains all those little blue dots you see looking down from the airplane window.
Or pink! ha.
I’m just giving you a hard time. It could be worse … at least I’m not bad music bombing you like the GPO team. I got a “if you play Wham’s Last Christmas ONE MORE TIME” death look. Luckily I bribe the girls with beer.
My “beer for a year” choice would probably be Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. I can drink it quickly to ease the pain of social situations or I can let it warm a bit and really enjoy it.
Maybe in Indiana…
The Carrot Top thing was gross, like I’d delete it off my computer gross. Although, Ginger is a known spice at Christmas time.
You can delete it from your computer but not your subconscious. Expect a visit from Mr. Top in your dreams. Don’t scream – he likes that!
Ginger Spice?
After Hanson succeeds with MMMhop, I bet the Spice Girls will get back together to release a beer!
Can’t wait. 😦
Somewhere in Jim’s garage a bottle of Mad Elf weeps…
No, it goes “whew! I’ve survived another day!” (in a very elfish voice…)
I’m just jealous you can get Oskar Blues. Rumors are it could be hitting my part of the country next year, but I’m not holding my breath.
It’s funny about OB – I wanted to write them off because of the whole cans-only thing (a novelty gag in my book) but I tried their beers to see if I could taste “can” in them (I “can”not 🙂 ) and I kept on buying the damn stuff. Now it’s reached go-to status for some reason. Funny how something can win you over.
Do you think cans are still a novelty gag?
Nope, I think they are awesome and that Oskar Blues deserves a lot of credit for getting beer geeks to see that great beer can indeed come from a can.
That said, I still kind of get a kick every time I crack open a Dales. There’s something about popping a tab that makes me smile.
What about your cans up there in INDY? They are successful and their name is spreading like wildfire. I’m referencing Sun King.
John, I love Sun King and have volunteered for them in the past. They are a great brewery and brought production breweries back to Indianapolis.
Their cans….this is really hard for me to say….are too much beer. A 16 oz. can of Osiris is too much. I had this conversation with a friend headed out to Avery this weekend. 12 oz cans are more accessible (I had to buy a taller cooler for 16 oz cans) and I find I drink more when I have a six pack over a four pack. Call me crazy, but it’s just how my drinking habits have shaped up.
Maybe you’re just 1/3 too small for a 16oz can! 🙂
Lost Coast Brewery’s Indica IPA!
Hops 4EVAR!!
How much carbonation would you say the chub should have? Any? Should it make the same sound any other canned beer makes when you open it? I’ve had this once, and I think something was awry.
All OB beers don’t crack open like a Bud. Not sure the science behind it, but there seems to be less pressure in the can, but plenty of carbonation in the beer. If you pour it heavy right down the middle, you should get a few fingers of foam at the very least. It’s not super bubbly, but certainly carbonated enough.
Nevermind. Just read the old post. Mine had no head at all. All six cans. Probably shouldn’t have dropped them. Have to give it another shot.
Yeah – not supposed to be flat for sure. Try again and try not to drop them!
For the next year? Victory Storm King.
Ahh, the beer that does it all at once and very intensely! Still my wife’s favorite – I bet if I didn’t offer her alternatives, she’d easily drink only Storm King for a year.
A woman of fine taste!
I wish it could be Deschutes’ Red Chair PNW Pale Ale, but then I’d only have beer from January – March so that won’t do. It’d most likely be their Mirror Pond Pale Ale. One of my favourite session beers and interesting enough that I wouldn’t get bored over the course of a year.
Ever hear of hoarding? It can make you’re favorite limited release a year-round treat!
Not when my favourite limited release is as hop forward as Red Chair. I think by June it would have lost the balance I love so much.
Agree about Red Chair (and something to look forward to in the new year). Maybe it can push out Twilight or the Bachelor ESB out and get its own space in the brewhouse year ’round.
Survival of the fittest, I say!
I’ve never seen the Bachelor ESB in bottles, I’d thought it was a tap only brew. Twilight is probably my favourite summer beer so I wouldn’t want to see that one go either. I have managed to find a fairly good clone recipe though, so I’ll have a crack at that in the next few weeks I think!
In re the graphics:
1) Fat guy–I immediately thought of Jabba the Hutt, so I didn’t have too many problems with it.
2) Carrot-top–ewww!!! He’s looks like the male answer to plastic tits and collagen lips.
3) The snowflakes? Annoying!
As for the beer, based on my latest tastings and considering that its gotta be a go-to, I’d have to say one of 2–I’m sorry, that’s as few as I could do, this was a very hard thing to do:
1) Evolution’s Lucky 7 Porter; or
2) Victory’s St. Victorious Doppelbock .
Don’t worry about the snowflakes – we won’t make you shovel!
I’ll probably be doing that tomorrow. Its funny when I was a kid I couldn’t get enuf of winter–I’d skate and play hockey 8-12 hours a day. Now, I hate it when I have to shovel snow.
Hands down, Heady Topper in 16oz cans. From the Alchemist in Waterbury, VT. I’m getting another case when I go up for Christmas week.