Old Chub, Oskar Blues Brewing Company, Lyons

Style: Scotch Ale

ABV: 8 percent

Serving Type: 12-ounce can

Malty? Hoppy? A malt lovers dream

Reviewed: August 2012

After surviving the warmest July ever in the Mile High City, for the most part, we’re still craving brews that are crisp, light, and refreshing. Anything to help beat the heat. But recently, the clockwork afternoon storms got us daydreaming about some of the darker beers we reach for when we’re feeling cozy, not sweaty. And it just so happens we had an Old Chub in the fridge, so we went for it.

The beer pours a beautiful dark brown that, in the right light, has an almost reddish mahogany hue about it. There’s not much in the nose on this one—a little alcohol and hint of sweet malt—but the flavor is jammed with syrup-y caramel malt, booze, and a little smoke. (Think: an alcoholic Werther’s Original that has spent a few minutes next to a campfire.) The beer has a medium body; Oskar Blues describes the mouthfeel as skim milk–like. More like 2 percent, if you ask us. But, either way, the beer has a pleasant finish: It warms inside our chest, making us long for the fall days when we might actually need the few extra degrees of body heat.

Would we buy it again? When the temperature starts to drop, we’ll pick up a sixer or two.

Follow assistant editor Chris Outcalt on Twitter at @chrisoutcalt