I’m doing this to show that not everything I review is good. This is no fluff piece. This is a horrible beer. The great thing about having a place like 3 Sons Dogs and Suds close by is that I can try single bottles of beer before dumping my wallet on something foul.
If you asked me at a bar I’d say to avoid it like the plague. I know this style well enough to say with confidence this is a Mike’s Lemonade project gone bad. It’s yellow colored water with a slight hint of peach and disgustingness. Seriously, I can’t say anything good. I’ll have to redeem myself in HDH 21.
Beer Advocate readers have this as a B rating. There is a chance this was a bad bottle but I don’t know if I want to find out again. And no, there will be NO chugging challenge on this one.
cheers!
Yeah, go ahead and make the jokes. It’s inevitable at this point. I did it myself. Old Chub holds a place near and dear to my heart. Back when SIDT started we did a show about a favorite drinking game of ours called Beer Hunter (click here for details). I know, I know, it’s supposed to be played with junk beer but hey, we’re the craft beer guys. Why WOULDN’T we use a good beer?
Last week while at 3 Sons I picked up a 6 pack for home since it’s been awhile. I’ve had my share of Scottish ales and wanted to revisit the first one I ever had. If you’re unfamiliar with a Scottish Ale there is usually a higher malt flavor which is the shining star of this style while carrying a low hop profile. If you want to know why, this is caused by the wort carmelizing after a long boil. Hey, you asked. The ABV in Old Chub is 8% but in other Scottish Ales can reach as low as 4. Most of the ones I drink are a high 6 to a low 7.
The can I had poured a dark copper hue and finished with a solid 2 finger head which stuck around until midway through the drinking. There was a fair balance of malt in it but not to the point that it made my mouth fill with sweetness. I did have some lingering malt aftertaste but not enough that it bothered me.
Old Chub is made by the Oskar Blues Brewery in Colorado who have become famous for successfully distributing craft beer in a can. Previously this was unheard of but these guys got the system down without the use of that bullshit “venting” system that Coors has.
Overall this is an A from me. When I get a grading system down I’ll have to figure out what that is. Maybe the Fonz.
Oh and for the record, you college kids or jagoffs who shotgun beer cans, don’t try it with any of the Oskar products. You’ll fail miserably. We tried for the sake of science once… ONCE!
cheers!
This past weekend my cohort in craft beer went to Baltimore for the 2nd annual Gravy Fest. Since I was stuck here in Pittsburgh finishing my last final he was nice enough (I bugged the hell out of him) to pick up a growler from DuClaw for me.
Apparently the bartender mucked up the order and instead fo me getting an imperial pils I lucked out with a delicious chocolate raspberry stout. I’ve had quite a few of these from other breweries but none pleased me as much as this one. The aroma on this one was a noseful of raspberry and chocolate bliss. The raspberry in taste though once wasn’t in your face dominate. The chocolate was barely noticeable but the characteristics of a stout were dead on.
Overall it’s a good stout but after having other beers from DuClaw it’s not worth driving to Baltimore for. Now if I’m already there that’s another story. i could drink a lot of it.
Website: www.duclaw.com
Style: Chocolate Rasberry Stout
Color: Black
Hop Variety: Goldings
Grains: Pale malt, Roasted barley, Caramunich malt, Chocolate malt
Bitterness: 30 BU’s
Gravity: 12 plato
Alcohol Content: 4.6% abv
Didn’t think I’d get it in did ya? What do you expect when the Pens are playing in the Stanley Cup Finals? *SHEESH* They won tonight btw, 3-2 
Great Lakes has always been a favorite brewery of mine since I started into craft beer. Yeah i know, it’s close to where I’m from but that’s not why I enjoy them. Trust me there has been plenty of junk beer brewed in the Great Lakes area of PA/OH/NY. Honestly I don’t think I’ve ever had a bad beer from them.
My first experience with the IPA came a couple weeks ago when I went Cornholing. Since we had some leftovers I decided to throw a couple in my fridge for later so I could revisit when my taste wasn’t tainted with Yuengling.
The Commodore Perry pours a light to medium golden body (which is uniquie for IPA’s I usually drink) with a healthy head. For the lacing addicts I’m currently half way done with my glass and it’s keeping a hold with strength and grace. The nose on this threw me off. Under a blind smell test I would have sworn this was a Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA. A floral of hops and malt. The taste was very interesting which kept me investigating. Most of the time I have a lingering taste of hops in my mouth but this one has a nice malt finish to take away from the bite of the hops.
final verdict: If you’re a fan of IPA’s and you like the mild sweetness of malt then you should waste no time in picking up a 6 pack.
Great Lakes website: www.greatlakesbrewing.com
cheers!
For the record I have had this beer before but never a WHOLE beer. The only time I’ve had this previously was at a beer festival so technically I’m still living up to trying something new. In fact the last time I had this was 2006 at the All American Beer Festival during the 2006 MLB All Star Weekend in Pittsburgh.
East End is not only Pittsburgh’s best kept secret but also PA’s. Brewmaster/owner/washer/buyer/marketer/label guy/pimp/anything else for the brewery is Scott Smith. That’s right, it’s a one man show with many volunteers. What holds dear to me is that his brewing system is from the once home of myself, Foundry Ale Works. If you ever get the chance to say hi to Scott I highly suggest you do so. He’s a great guy who loves great beer. Or as his slogan says “Buy a good friend a good beer.”
Big Hop IPA is a super hopped up beer and is the first that came down the lines at East End. This time I’m drinking from a growler (1/2 gallon or 64oz) that was filled during Growler Hours this past weekend so it’s pretty fresh. If you’re following along, I was in Erie last weekend so sickpuppy from Should I Brew That (and my co-host from SIDT) picked one up for me.
The IPA pours a slightly hazy amber hue with little head (remember this is from a growler). After my 2nd and 3rd though I had a nice 2 finger head which died rather fast. Unlike most IPA’s I’ve had before this one has a faint aroma of hops which didn’t bode well with me at first since I like a balance of both aroma and flavor but this beer was packed with hop goodness. You’ll have a nice linger of hops on the back of your tongue so even when you finish a pint you’ll still have the taste to remind you of why this is a quality brew.
All good things said, the only downfall I found was that it seemed to be too carbonated. Not soda drink bubbly but noticeable but it won’t take away from the overall enjoyment of the IPA. When you’re in the area or see East End Brewing at a beer festival it is a must that you check them, err him, out. Thumbs up Scott!
ABV: 5.4%
IUB: 70
Hops: Centennial, Cascade
East End Brewing website
Ever since I started into craft beers I’ve heard nothing but good hype about Bear Republic and as of a few weeks ago PA finally made it to the distribution list. I did some research and found this listed as a strong ale, red ale and a Scottish ale soooooooo we’re gonna see what I think.
It has a hint of tea that’s close to a red and but is super hopped up. Your mouth is left with a nice pucker and hoppy aftertaste while sits a tad heavy on the tongue. It pours as a dark amber and leaves a new pillow fluffy tan head. The aroma is pretty tight as it’s packed with hops and a faint hint of citrus. If you’re a lacing nut you’re gonna LOVE the beer porn lace this leaves behind.
Overall it’s a delicious red ale but I’m not sold that it’s the cream of the crop as you’d read on Rate Beer or Beer Advocate. It ranks in my top 10 but not numero uno. If you’d like to pick one of these up I was able to purchase this for $6.50 at 3 Sons in a bomber bottle.
Bear Republic website
Don’t rub your eyes, it’s not a mirage. That right there is the holy grail of beer. The rarest of rare (IMO at least). I present to you the 2002 Sam Adams Utopias. Currently on ebay this is going for $400 a bottle. Yeah, 1 bottle. This limited edition beverage was supposed to be a one time deal and each bottle is numbered.
I need to thank Drew for this one. He bought it when it was first released and while on his way here to visit me last week said “there’s no one else I’d rather drink it with who would appreciate it.” Imagine my amazement. Drew and I lived across the hall from each other at Pitt so we have a long history of beverages together.
from samueladams.com
“Truly the epitome of brewing’s two thousand year evolution, Samuel Adams Utopias® offers a flavor not just unlike any other beer but unlike any other beverage in the world. Its warm, sweet flavor is richly highlighted with hints of vanilla, oak and caramel. With an alcohol content of 27% by volume, its complexity and sweet, malty flavor is reminiscent of a deep, rich vintage Port, fine Cognac or aged sherry while being surprisingly light on the palate. And like the world’s finest after-dinner drinks, Samuel Adams Utopias is not carbonated and should be served at room temperature.”
Normally i’d type my review but guess what? Oh we’re not done, there’s VIDEO!
This is posted on the You Tube page for the SIDT podcast since we’re releasing it through the show. It’s almost 10 minutes long so crack open a beverage and enjoy!
OH! Also check out Episode 33 – Kiss our Blarney Stones which was just released also!
Links
Sam Adams website
Beer Advocate profile
Rate Beer profile
