Beer Bums Meeting – July 2016

American Pale Ale’s for ‘Merica!  The Bonus Beer of the Bourbon Barrel Aged Rye Pale Ale was extra special.

Ballast Point Grunion Pale Ale

Uncle Billy's Barton Springs Pale Ale

Oskar Blues Dale's Pale Ale

Deschues Mirror Pond Pale Ale

Goose Island Green Line Pale Ale

Odell Drumroll APA

Abita Bourbon Street Rye Pale Ale

Next Month, August – Brexit Beers

The Brü Revü – Oskar Blues Gubna

The legendary Gubna. This is a love/hate brew for a lot of people, and I land on the love side.  The Gubna is Oskar Blues Imperial IPA that highlights a single hop variety, Summit, while trying to achieve 100+ IBU’s.  They have recently decided to introduce copious amounts of Cascade hops to raise the hop complexity too.  The beer poured a golden amber with a generous white head.  I got a hint of onion in the aroma like I had heard, but more of a sweet onion with a base of sweet citrus and tropical fruit.  The taste was a bitter hop monster that erupted in my mouth like biting into a grapefruit rind.  The Gubna was big, bold and full of hop dominance with a blast of grapefruit and dank resinous hops.  The rye malt gave the brew a spicy malt balance and a great lingering taste on my tongue.  This had a very strong balanced bitterness that was delicious and surprisingly smooth and easy to drink.  It got a little boozy as it warmed, but that’s to be expected with such a high ABV.  In the end I have determined that I am decidedly Pro-Gubna!

Oskar Blues Gubna

The Brü Revü – Oskar Blues Deviant Dale’s IPA

Oskar Blues is making craft beer in a can, cool again.  All of their usual lineup of beers are excellent, and I have been looking for, and was finally able to get their IPA, Deviant Dale’s.  I am surprised it is an IPA and not a Double IPA as it has a very smack you in the head Hop presence and fairly high abv for an IPA.  I will admit that the first time I tried Deviant Dale’s, I wasn’t sure I liked it. It had a very dank and earthy hopiness that was a bit overwhelming.  There was also a hint of blue cheese which could be why I was not getting into it.  Not to be discouraged I gave it another shot.  The second time I was really digging all the earthy hops and even a hint of pine resin mixed into the brew.  It was still a hop overload, but I was able to enjoy its assault on my palate.  For an IPA this is definitely a gigantic hop bomb and won’t be for everyone.  I was able to find my own personal love for Deviant Dale’s but can understand the love/hate relationship people have with it.

Oskar Blues Deviant Dale’s IPA

The Brü Revü – Oskar Blues Dale’s Pale Ale

Can Dale’s Pale Ale be the best craft brewed beer in a can?  I haven’t tried them all, and I know Oskar Blues has several other canned options that look great, but Dale’s Pale Ale is one of the best beers I have had in a can and rivals some of the best bottled Pale Ales.  There are lots of hops in this one that pushes it on the verge of IPA territory.  Dale’s Pale Ale maintains a nice hop presence while staying fresh and highly satisfying.  Definitely a pale ale for a hop head, and maybe too much hops for someone looking for a milder pale ale.  I really enjoyed this one and canned beer or no canned beer; this is a fantastic pale ale!

Oskar Blues Dale's Pale Ale

Beer Bums Meeting – January 2012 – Favorite Beers of 2011

For this meeting we brought our favorite beers from 2011.  Maybe a beer we tried for the first time and really loved, or one we just couldn’t stop drinking, etc.  It was a great collection for the month and a wide variety.  It was hard to pick a favorite, but the Trois Pistoles and Leviathan were really tasty!

Rogue Dead Guy Ale

Harpoon Leviathan Imperial IPA

Unibroue Trois Pistoles

Oskar Blues Old Chub

Rahr & Sons Ugly Pug

New Belgium Trippel

Next Month, February – Uncle Billy’s BBQ Tour and Tasting?

The Brü Revü – Oskar Blues Old Chub

Oskar Blues has several high quality craft brews in a can and the Old Chub is their version of a Scotch Ale.  When I opened the can it seemed flat as there was none of that carbonated swoosh.  It poured a deep dark mahogany almost like a Cola with little head that dissipated quickly.  The aroma was of sweet malt and toffee and the taste continued the sweet malt with a hint of chocolate.  It had a medium to full body and was very smooth, although slightly boozy.  Not overly complex, but highly drinkable.  I haven’t had a Scotch Ale in a long time and I thoroughly enjoyed the Old Chub, although it did get a little sweet to me at the end.  If the Old Chub is any indication, Oskar Blues is definitely giving canned beer a good name.

Oskar Blues Old Chub

Beer Bums Meeting - July 2011 - Canned Beer

The July meeting of the Bums, Canned Beer.  Oskar Blues was well represented along with the Fire Eagle IPA from the new Austin Beerworks.  There is definitely a good selection of craft beers in a can with the Old Chub being a favorite of this meeting.

The beers:

Austin Beerworks Fire Eagle IPA

Oskar Blues Old Chub

Oskar Blues Dale's Pale Ale

Oskar Blues Mamas Little Yella Pils

Maui Brewing Mana Wheat

Big Sky Montana Trout Slayer Ale

 

For next month, August - Beers of the Gulf Coast.