Oskar Blues Can-o-bliss Double IPA

Oskar Blues Can-o-bliss Double IPA. 

8.2 % ABV. Oskar Blues Brewing, Longmount, CO. 

Slightly hazy, bright golden hue, slim white head. 

In the nose: The dank is in full effect. Huge citrus and pine, astoundingly resiny, all things good and sticky-icky. Hella promising. 

In the mouth: Pow! Big bitterness blasts the palate. Juicy, more dankness, more resin, grapefruit, orange, tangerine, and lemon/lime making their moves all over the mouth. The one has all the goods. Fierce hoppy flavor, juicy, dry, acerbic, just enough of the booze, full body, full flavor, everything I yearn for in a double IPA. This is the good stuff. Day-yum, a dum, dum. 

DIPA is chock full of Citra hops and delivers a one-two punch of hop aroma and blissful flavors of passionfruit and citrus, balanced with a substantial malt backbone.

Oskar Blues Can-O-Bliss Resinous IPA

Oskar Blues Can-O-Bliss Resinous IPA.

7.2 % ABV. Oskar Blues Brewing, Longmont, CO. 

Lightly hazed, bright golden color, slim white head. 

In the nose: Whoa! That's some dank stuff, there. Grapefruit, pine forest floor, and a freshly dusted bowl. This one's one fire. 

In the mouth: Bold, fresh, and juicy. Moderate bitterness, smooth malt flavors, exceptional drinkability, and heavy on the resin. Grapefruit, orange peel, pine, and a touch of tropical, with a long, bitter finish. A little bit sticky icky. Maybe a lot. And I like it. 

An extra special spin on a Can O’Bliss hop profile – Resinous features a bit of the old and the new. Old school Pine and Grapefruit with new school amplitude of hop aroma and flavor. The hop bill features an experimental variety HBC 692 alongside an unlikely trio of Meridien, Saphir, and Bravo.

Oskar Blues Pinner IPA

Oskar Blues Pinner  Session IPA. 

4.9 % ABV,  35 IBU, Oskar Blues Brewery, Longmont, CO & elsewhere. 

Clear, with light haze, bright golden hue, slim white head. 

In the nose: Citrus and pine in command here, with a dose of tropical on the side. 

In the mouth: A blessing of happiness abounds on the palate, bitter and delicious. Light bodied, easy-drinking, while remaining flavorful. Just a little juicy in the mouthfeel. Ain't nothing wrong with this one. I had the first two from the sampler pack, tossing them back, thinking merely, "yeah, that's good." Now that I am publishing notes, what more need I say? Only that: I don't normally like most "session IPAs", but this one makes you forget that it is one. Well done. 

At 4.9% ABV and 35 IBUs, this drinkable IPA uses several varieties of hops to target the ever-evolving flavor. With tropical fruits, citrus juices, pineapple and spice berry up front in the aroma and flavor, the biscuit & toasted bread at the back balance out all the hops and make a great finish to go on to your next can of PINNER. It’s the perfect beer for a little sip, sip, give.

Oskar Blues Can-O-bliss IPA Series Citrus India Pale Ale

Oskar Blues Can-O-bliss IPA Series Citra India Pale Ale.

7.2 % ABV, 68 IBU. Oskar Blues Brewery, Longmont, CO. 

All  hazified, bright golden hue, small white head. 

In the nose: bold citrus notes, lemon, grapefruit, orange, tangerine.  Lovely. 

In the mouth: Brisk, crisp, refreshing. Just enough bitterness to tickle the palate. Medium bodied, long, hoppy finish. Fruity and juicy for a bit, but ending dry and delightful. Tasty little IPA, this one. I like it.

A complex, international blend of Motueka, Amarillo, Mandarina Bavaria, Citra and Experimental Hop #06277 contribute to a big, juicy, citrusy IPA experience with notes of orange, tangerine, and zesty tropical fruit.

Oskar Blues Can-O-Bliss Tropical IPA

Oskar Blues Can-O-Bliss Tropical IPA. or, as the can says, "Mountain IPA." Also, for some reason: "Juice Willis." Not to mention "Trop It Like It's Hot." 7.2 % ABV. 68 IBU. Oskar Blues Brewing, Lyons, CO.

Hazy, bright golden hue, slim white head.

In the nose: Bold and beautiful hoppy aroma. Citrusy, tropical, pineapple and mango. Fruity, juicy, nice.

In the mouth: Ah! Big drop of juicy hops on the palate. Citrusy/tropical. Lightish bodied, tasty and smooth. Ends on a big of dry note. Good IPA and you can drink it.

Once more, a brewery has put a lot of work into telling a tale about the beer. Much more than I can provide. Go ahead and check it out:

Take a swig and follow along in the brochure as we show you around the tropical hopscape of Can-O-Bliss. Please keep your arms and legs inside the Dank Tank at all times.

Ladies and gents, our first stop is Mosaic hops. Mosaic was originally bred by crossing Nugget hops with Simcoe and the result is complex and clean with notes of blueberry, mango, stone fruit and spice; juxtaposed with citrusy, tropical, herbal and floral flavors – clearly one of the busiest pallet ports on the island.

The next stop on our beer safari is a natural hop formation known as Azacca. Azacca boasts colorful tropical fruit and citrus flavors with tasting notes of spicy mango, pineapple, tangerine and pine.

Everyone grab your poncho because up ahead there’s a satisfying flavorfall of Galaxy hops, awash with peach, passionfruit and ripe mango. You might get a little wet.

Please remain seated as we tastebud-travel into El Dorado valley. You’ll notice the big aromas of pear, watermelon, stone fruit and candy. Sit back and enjoy the smells.

Lastly, let’s pull over into this Idaho 7 viewing area, complete with zesty orange, tangerine, marmalade and black tea vibes. Idaho 7 has only been around since 2015. You might want to pull out the ol’ camera and grab a couple shots of that pungent tropical fruitsphere.

Alright folks, we’ve finally arrived at our destination – juicy, hop-heaped, Tropical Can-O-Bliss IPA. Crack a can and taste that juicy tropical goodness! You certainly don’t need binoculars to peep the sunset-orange hue on that brew.

We hope you’ve enjoyed your tropical island tour, where sips are mandatory and tips are appreciated.

Oskar Blues Bayside Black IPA

Oskar Blues Bayside Black IPA. All. 7% by Vol. Brewed and Canned by Oskar Blues Brewery, LLC, Longmont, CO.

Full ebony hue, large, lush cocoa-tinged head, looking great.

Aromatics: piney hops meet dark malts.

In the mouth: coffee, cocoa, anise and other dark malts flavor at play on the palate, bouncing up against hop bitterness, citrus and pine notes. Smooth and tasty. Good beer, and you can drink it.

Read some gobbledygook here.  Something about a band, and a beer, and, you know, gobbledygook.

Oskar Blues IPA

Oskar Blues IPA. Longmont, Colorado. Alc. 6.4% by Vol. Very little gobbledygook on the label, but for those oddments around the can: "To each their own till we go home...." and "Blue Dream." Okay. Whatever.

Clear, bright golden appearance, vast white head, lasting long and leaving lace.

Aroma: soft, fruity, even and clean. Some citrus, but mostly tropical, a little pineapple, and mango with the orange and lime. Lively and lovely.

In the mouth: crisp, and clean. Zesty, slightly bitter, smooth, and tasty. Medium-bodied. Lean and clean. Does the job. Increasingly citrus-y. Lemon blasts. Doing the IPA stuff, old-school. Yeah.

Good beer. I could drink it.

Oskar Blues Death By Coconut Irish Porter

Oskar Blues Death By Coconut Irish Porter. Alc. 6.5% by Vol. Brewed and canned by Oskar Blues Brewery, Longmont, ColoRADo, USA. "Pass, Dash, Hit." "Coconut, Chocolate, Choconut."

Deeply, darkly brown, tight ring of cocoa-tan foam on top.

Aroma: Chocolate, followed by coconut. Hints of vanilla? No, wait, that was the coconut.

In the mouth: Slightly sweet and saccharine at the start. That is the coconut flavor, all the way. holding sway over a medium-bodied, dark malt-dominated ale. Coconut and chocolate do a tango all the way through. Sweet, dry, sweet, dry, sweet. And that's cool, if you're into that kind of thing. I have to admit that I'm not into the coconut beer thing. It's a fun gimmick, I guess, but I wouldn't return to it too often. I know that revealing this could get me kicked out of the Beer Geek Club, but I have to be me, you know. As the saying goes, Me Do Me.

Good beer, and you drink it if you like a lot of coconut.

Sierra Nevada/Oskar Blues CANfusion Rye Bock (Beer Camp #7)

Sierra Nevada/ Oskar Blue CANfusion Rye Bock, Beer Camp #7. 7.25 ABV. 45 IBU.

Can #2 from the Beer Camp box.

Appearance: clear, caramel/tan coloration, slim, white head.

Aroma: soft, lightly spicy, bread-y, malt-driven, and just on the sweet side.

Taste: all that from the nose is right here on the tongue. All that spicy rye malt character in a bock bier. Light-medium bodied, nice and clean. Sweetness prevails. Just enough, not too much…or is it? If I can tolerate it, it's probably too sweet for most other people.

CANfusion. It's in a can and it's a fusion. Of….? Rye and bock? SN and OB? Or is it CONfusing? No, it's not that…but, it's clearly not a CANtender for top entrant in the Best of Beer Camp.

Oskar Blues Dale's Pale Ale

Cross one brewery off the ones to shop for in Wisconsin Trips. Oskar Blues of Colorado is now in Minnesota, kegs and cans. I noticed that their groundbreaking pale ale, the first craft beer in cans, hasn't appeared here, and brought a can home. The notes are from my first taste of it, in March of 2005:


I have to tell you, the rhyming name reminds of the Preston Sturges classic film, "The Lady Eve", where Henry Fonda plays a herpetologist who also happens to be heir to a brewing fortune. In one scene, a waiter onboard the ocean liner "Hopsy", as he is nicknamed, is traveling on, dryly intones the following line: "They only want Pike's Pale, the Ale that won for Yale. Rah. Rah."

But how about Dale's Pale Ale, "A Huge Voluminously Hopped Mutha Of A Pale Ale", as the can reads...you said a mouthful, bub. Let's crack the snap-top, and dig in...

Hazy, crisp amber color, good chunk of cream-toned foam above.

Aroma, plenty of hops in there, the piney, juicy, grapefruity, zesty, tangy kind. Puts me in mind of Alpha King and others of that sort. Big citrus...I like it!

Taste: zing, zing! Nice, pungent hoppy taste in every bite, but not too bitter. Flavor slides along the mouth, with a neat resin-y edge, loads of alpha acids, abundant fruity flavor. This one is right up my alley.

Body is medium, but the flavor is full, and the finish is bitter, hoppy, fruity. Taste is long-lasting in the mouth. This would definitely be a regular buy for me, if it were available here.
tasty stuff, with plenty of hops...just what turns my crank.

Oskar Blues Mama's Little Yella Pils

Mama's  Little Yella Pils, Oskar Blues Brewery, Lyons, Colorado. Pilsner. Alc 5.3% by vol.

It's yella, all right, lightly clouded, with a smallish white head.

Aroma: bright and balmy, crisp and clean, light, malty cereal tones. Little bit of hops.

Taste: In the mouth, crisper and cleaner, a bit of bright lemon flavor popping in. Light  body, soft finish. Just enough malt flavor to keep this fun and flavorful. Nothing like my evil nemesis, that is to say, watery, bland beer. Nothing like that here.

Top notch pilsner, right here in this can.

Oskar Blues Old Chub Scotch Ale

Looking back to notes from May, 2006 for this can recently purchased in Wisconsin, Old Chub Scotch Ale from Oskar Blues of Lyons, Colorado:

Dark brown body, with ruby highlights, transparent near the edge, under a slim cocoa ring of foam.

Earthy aroma, mostly malty, chocolate on top, with a mineral-y edge to it...espresso tinges...very gritty. Murky morass, showing minimal hops. Quite stout-like, actually. I rather like it.

Taste: big and all over the place. Rich and earthy, fat malt, deep and dark. Caramel and toffee. Sweetness is here, but not too overt. Rounded out by earthy, dry malt. Nice balance. Great girth, matched by excellent drinkaility. High abv isn't noticed at first.

Danged tasty, this. I could see this being a staple, in constant rotation in my fridge, were it actually available here. A great-tasting solid, full-bodied Scotch ale in a can. Got to love that!

Oskar Blues Deviant Dale's India Pale Ale

Deviant Dale's Indi Pale Ale. Sippin' on a tallboy. Brewed and canned by Oskar Blues, Colorado, USA. "Let's sling a little mud, girl." (Come again?)

Light haze. Amber hue. Lacey off-white head.

Nice hoppy nose. Citrus meets tropical. Happy marriage of lemon and mango.

Taste: Hop-tastic. Medium bodied. Light touch of caramel malt. Just a little juicy, high ease of consumption. Expert balance.

Not a ton to say about this one. Does the trick, but doesn't go much further. A lot of mild hoppy buzz, riding over the malt. Just a good ol' easy drunkin' IPA. You've got to have those. Session IPAs are highly under-rated.

This one I'll pass on in the future, though. Just not distinctive enough, merely an average IPA.

Oskar Blues G'Knight Imperial Red Ale

Oskar Blues G'NKnight, Imperial Red.8.7 % ABV.
"Still Big, Still Red, Still Sticky. G'Kinght. If you knew the man behind this tribute, this ale needs no explanation. If you didn't, we're sorry." Okey, dokey. Hockey player, right? Or coach, or something. Something like that? Let's just drink it.

Clear, copper-y, off-white head, lace leaving.

Aroma: soft, sweet, malty, hoppy, caramel and cocoa.

Taste: Rich malt, smooth, lush caramel and toffee, with a touch of cocoa. Nice hoppiness rides on top, lays in thick, rides on out. Long finish, sticks in the palate, dominates and delights. Lush and delicious.

I like this very much.

Oskar Blues Ten Fidy Imperial Stout

Picked up another Oskar Blues in Wisconsin, possibly, and most probably, the first Russian Imperial Stout ever canned. I had this one for the first time in June, 2008. My notes, it seems, were terse and to-the-point. That is how it should be sometimes. I'll let them stand, without further embellishment. Except this. One the can, only these words for promotional puffery: "Cross-eyed. Cyclopean. Cancupescient." I have no idea what that means. Or maybe I do?
(I still, however, can't tell you
what "Ten Fidy" means.)

Notes, do your stuff:

Ten Fidy, Oskar Blues, can

Black as night, under a thick, luscious brown head, a slice of chocolate frosting.

Sweet cocoa aroma, next to bittersweet notes, roasty malt next to bitter hops, deeper divinations bring out molasses, dark rum, licorice. Beautiful.

Rich and full-bodied, starting sweet and chocolate-y, ending roasty and dry. 
Wonderful stuff.

Oskar Blues GUBNA Imperial IPA

Out of Lyons, Colorado, the Oskar Blues Brewery Company, one of the nation's first to make a name for itself with canned craft beer offerings. They began with Dale's Pale Ale, but this time we're looking at the double IPA, Gubna, which I reviewed for the first time in October, 2010. Here are some notes for you!

Gubna Imperial IPA, Oskar Blues Brewery LLC, Colorado, USA

Hazy, pale peach appearance, slim white head.

Prickly pine aromatics, with a serving of lemon and lime, grapefruit, bright, citrus-y hop madness. Juuust right!

Taste: All that and more. Thinnish body, tons of bitterness on top. Hop attack smears the top of the mouth, slides to the back, trickles down. Fierce hop flavor never fails, not for a minute, just ...narrows a bit, after the initial salvo. 
Lemon rind and grapefruit squirt step on the palate with every sip. Fine finish, medium length, stays juicy and hoppy, and keeps you grabbing for another.

Took me long enough to try out this acclaimed IPA, didn't it, and now I know for a fact that it belongs in the top rank of Imperials. Good on you, Gubna.