Can, You Dig It!

One of the new trends in craft brewing is the aluminum can. When I received a trio of Oskar Blue beers from Dave, my wife was puzzled as to why canned beer was in the fridge. I have been fascinated by the beers that keep appearing in cans, wondering if cans are, in fact, better than bottles. 

The first can I cracked open from Oskar Blues was Dale’s Pale Ale. The aroma is a nice balance of malt and hops. Dale’s has a chewy, malty flavor, with a nice light hop finish. The malt flavor is really nice, sweet but hearty. The hops are buried deep in the malt, but provide a real base for the whole beer. You’re left with a nice piney hop flavor that linger in the aftertaste. This is a great pale with a lot of flavor, sufficient hops and a real unque malt profile.

One step up from Dale’s is Gordon. The can says it all “Big. Red. Sticky.” Gordon has a big hoppy aroma. The malty flavor is similar to Dale’s. For such a big ipa, Gordon is very drinkable with a piney hop finish. The malt, as with Dale’s, is the biggest flavor. Nothing in the flavor implies the near 9% strength. Brewed in memory of Gordon Knight, I have a feeling I would have like the guy if this is his beer.

The last can I got into was probably the most well known from Oskar Blues. Old Chub is a scotch ale and given the great malt flavor of the previous two, I had a good idea what I was in for. The color is a red brown, almost black. This is a thick brew, the carbonation seemingly fighting through the beer to create the head. The flavor is chocolatey with a mild alcohol pepper in the finish. This malt is huge, but not overly sweet. The 8% alcohol hides well, this is a very smooth brew, and goes down a little too easy. As it warmed a little, hops became present in finish as alcohol notes emerged as well.

These are three fantastic brews all available in cans. I have yet to try the Imperial Stout, Ten Fidy, but can only imagine it stands up to the high bar set by this trio. I have to say, the can didn’t impart any off flavors to thebeers, but it still feels a little weird cracking a can and getting a quality brew. I think if I keep knocking back beer like this, I may be get over it. Feel free to send any canned beer craft beer my way in order to help me with my affliction.