Beer Run Blog

As I was reflecting on a recent posting about Oskar Blues' upcoming new canned offering, the Gubna imperial IPA, I cracked open the brewery's Toked Porter, a normally tap-only smoked porter that it canned specifically for its Seventh Canniversary party in December. And, like a revelation from above, something occurred to me.

While I won't say Toked Porter should be packaged and released instead of the Gubna - which has been delayed by just a few days, as canning is expected to begin now on March 4 - I will say it should be available to a much wider audience. Specifically, I'd suggest as a beer fan that the officials at the Longmont brewery think about putting both of these creations into vessels for more of the world to share next year.

One of their stated reasons for canning the new 10% ABV imperial IPA, after all, is to put something in a can that hasn't been packaged in that way before. Head brewer Dave Chichura noted Gubna would give some competition to Ska's wonderful Modus Hoperandi IPA - not rip-your-throat-out, run-you-out-of-your-place-in-the-market direct competition but a friendly sparring between two closely tied friends (Ska has Oskar Blues' old canning line) that make the best canned beer available in the country and both make each other better when they come up with these great new ideas.

But there's nothing anything like Toked Porter, a deeply dark concoction with an almost peppery smoke quality that evolves from mildly sweet on the front end to just plain assertive on the back end, on the market right now. And as long as they're giving the beer-drinking public one gift of head-turning beer in a can, why not two?

Just a thought ....