Oskar Blues elects the Gubna as its next canned brew

Oskar Blues Brewery will release Gubna Imperial IPA on March 1, the Longmont-based brewer's sixth canned brew. The unusual rye beer is made from three kinds of malt, including rye malt, but only one kind of hops, says Oskar Blues spokesman Chad Mellis.

"The brewing staff wanted the challenge of creating something really complex out of simple ingredients," he explains. "We were trying to come up with something that leads the way in what you can expect out of a canned beer."

Gubna, which is pronounced with a Southern accent, will be available from March through October, while the brewery's first seasonal, Ten Fiddy, is on store shelves from October through February. Oskar Blues's four other canned beers -- Dale's Pale Ale, Old Chub, Gordon and Mama's Little Yella Pils -- are out year-round.

The name is a Southern slang term that's thrown around the brewery a lot, Mellis says, thanks in part to Oskar Blues founder Dale Katechis, who is from Alabama.

Hoppy and clean-tasting, Gubna has a somewhat spiced, slightly sour but strangely seductive flavor that comes from the rye malt. The brewery describes it as a "pungent citrus blast." Like most Oskar Blues beers, Gubna is big, weighing in at 9.5 percent alcohol by volume.

Right now, Gubna can be found on tap at Tasty Weasel taproom in Longmont, and at the brewery's two restaurants, Oskar Blues Home Made Liquids & Solids in Longmont and the Oskar Blues Grill in Lyons.