Longmont, CO & Brevard, NC—Ladies and gentlemen, hop occultists from all walks of life, please give a thunderous round of applause for the fourth incarnation of Oskar Blues’ GUBNA Imperial IPA. Weighing in at 100+ international bitterness units and 10 percent ABV, this complex and chameleonic concoction packs a wallop. The Granddaddy of all Oskar Blues’ hop grenades in a can, GUBNA obliterates the ordinary. If G’Knight or Deviant Dale’s seem too tame for you, it’s time to experience the most challenging and notorious elixir from OB’s diabolical roster of ferocious fermentables.
Every year, Oskar Blues’ eccentric fellowship of deranged brewers work with hop growers to seek out the most potent, unique and mind-bending hop varietals of the season. By annually altering the hop bill, GUBNA continually reinvents itself while letting the best and brightest of these powerful flowers flourish.
GUBNA v 4.0 is aggressively dry-hopped with the citrusy Chinook (this year’s legendary crop was especially complex), the tropical fruit and red berry notes of Mosaic, and the zesty lemon Sorachi Ace strain. Showcased on a base recipe of Rye (now double the amount than previously used), North American Pale, and Munich malts, these three formidable hop varieties are given free rein to assault the senses in a strangely schizophrenic symphony of bewildering bitterness, complemented perfectly by the pleasant warmth to be expected from that 10 percent booziness.
The GUBNA pairs beautifully with grilled salmon, cured meats, sharp cheeses and spiced or caramel-rich desserts. Simultaneously subtle yet over-the-top, GUBNA also holds up wonderfully when used for grilling beer-can chicken. Of course, this frothy behemoth is glorious on its own as well.
Spring’s hoppy answer to the gargantuan chocolate malt bomb Ten FIDY (OB’s infamous Winter seasonal), GUBNA 2014 will be available on tap and in 12-ounce 4-packs from March until May. Always evolving, no two GUBNA yearswill ever be the same, so grab version 4.0 while you still CAN!
In honor of this auspicious occasion, both Oskar Blues locations (in Brevard, NC and Longmont, CO) will be hosting release parties on Saturday, March 1, 2014 at both Tasty Weasel tap rooms. If you’re lucky enough to be in either location, stop in and enjoy specialty barrel-aged and firkin variations on GUBNA 4.0, along with food, brewery tours, live music and general debauchery.
Oskar Blues gained notoriety as the first craft brewery to seriously consider putting serious beers into recyclable aluminum cans more than 10 years ago. Initially laughed at by their colleagues, the trend caught on when other breweries took notice and agreed that cans are simply a better vessel for keeping beer fresher longer, away from the adverse effects of UV light and ingress oxygen.
Since then, OB has evolved into an off-kilter “jack of all trades” in the beer world, adding four Colorado restaurants , the Hops & Heifers Farm and REEB Cycles hand-made bicycle company to the family. Seriously focused on having fun, pushing boundaries and making stuff we like, Oskar Blues is like no other craft brewery in the world.
Do yourself a favor and get some GUBNA before it’s gone. If you need help, visit our on- line beer locator.
Harrumph!
About Oskar Blues Brewery
Founded as a brewpub by Dale Katechis in 1997, Oskar Blues Brewery launched the craft beer-in-a-can apocalypse in 2002 using a tabletop machine that sealed one can at a time. In 2008, the makers of the top-selling pale ale in ColoRADo, Dale’s Pale Ale, moved into a 35,000-square-foot facility in Longmont, ColoRADo. The brewery has since experienced explosive growth—packaging 59,000 barrels of beer in 2011 and 86,750 barrels in 2012. In December of 2012, Oskar Blues opened the doors to an additional brewery in Brevard, North Carolina. Together, the breweries packaged 119,000 barrels of beer in 2013, distributing trailblazing craft brews to 34 U.S. states and Washington, D.C. http://www.facebook.com/OskarBluesCans http://www.facebook.com/OskarBluesBrewerySoutheast http://twitter.com/oskarblues http://twitter.com/oskarblueswnc http://www.youtube.com/oskarbluescans
