At first, the decision to sample Oskar Blues Brewery’s offerings held mostly entertainment value for me and my friends. Though newly available in Massachusetts and therefore intriguing, the microbrew beers are, well, canned.
Sure, we’d sipped Boddington’s, Guinness, and other imports packaged in aluminum, but those cans contain a widget for a draft effect. The Colorado brewery’s two beers — Dale’s Pale Ale and Old Chub Scottish Style Ale — make no such claim, and their cans’ squat style and bright labels would blend more easily with the PBRs and Schlitzes of the packie world.
The beers’ humble trappings are belied by their craftsmanship and originality, however, and they taste great poured or sipped straight from the can. The sure crowd pleaser is Dale’s, a golden, hoppy beer. Old Chub is a smoky stout with a hint of chocolate and a strong caramel overtone, and it delivers a serious kick — thanks to an eight-percent ABV.
Available at Martignetti’s and Gordon’s Liquors for approximately $8 for a six-pack. You can also find the beers on tap at Sunset Tap & Grill, 130 Brighton Avenue, in Allston.
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