Jai Alai IPA - Cigar City Brewing

CAMRAhardliner

Ontario (Canada)

4.4/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Love the 6 pack holder that covers the entire top of each can. Take that liquor store can lickers! Im on to you! I digress.

Pours bright orange with a bit of haziness and a swirl of sediment at the bottom of the can. The head recedes to a ring quickly, but positively coats the glass in lace. The aroma is sweet and fruity with a strong citrusy and floral hop character. Luscious, juicy orange, tangerine and grapefruit hop flavors burst forth on the first sip. The vast hop profile is met almost immediately with an equally hefty crystal malt flavor, grape bran and cookie dough with a nice crystal malt coarseness. The mouthfeel is quite full bodied with an active, smooth carbonation. The finish is moderately high in bitterness with a nice tropical, orangey flavor that lingers a while. Alcohol is incredibly well hidden throughout.

This is a very interesting IPA. Very fruity hop profile with lots of fresh, pungent hop presence, and a massive malt profile to balance without putting off hopheads. Very good stuff, I highly recommend and will seek out again.

Serving type: can

05-23-2013 01:32:42 | More by CAMRAhardliner

ironchefmiyagi13

New York

4.4/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Just got a shipment in from lets pour.com and they sent some freebees with my order. Canned on May 14th...doesn't get much fresher than that for someone way out in the boonies of Long Island.

This beer is definitely worth the hype. Great IPA nose with the classic hops resin, citrusy grapefruit and lime with a little pineapple coming through. What I like in my IPAs are a faint malt backbone. Not a huge fan of malty, sweet beers and this one is right in the middle. The sweetness comes in the form of fruit juice instead of malt. Very nice touch.

I still have 3 more cans to hoard and will definitely savor each and every one of them.

Serving type: can

05-20-2013 23:00:17 | More by ironchefmiyagi13

beechner224

Florida

4.48/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a can into a standard pint glass. White head with enough foam, nice lacing as the glass was emptied. Color was light orange. Looks very good. Doesn't smell as strong as I remember. But whats there is very citrusy. Love the taste, but again, not as strong as I remember it being. Very balanced with citrus, grapefruit and orange. Mouthfeel is just a tiny bit syrupy. Overall, love this beer and it is my go to IPA.

Serving type: can

05-18-2013 19:43:18 | More by beechner224

SSEngelbrecht

Louisiana

4.49/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a can into a standard pint glass.

White head, light foam, nice lacing as the glass was emptied. Color was typical light orange / golden.

Smell is dominated by herbal hops with a light citrus in the background.

The taste is on par with the best. Nice bitterness balanced by malt and tons of citrus, lemon, grapefruit and orange. There's an initial sweetness on the palate which rolls into a pleasant bitterness with great balance.

The mouthfeel is thicker than I expected with a syrupy body that is very pleasing, especially as the beer warms up a bit.

Overall, this is a winner and ranks up there with many of the greats.

Serving type: can

05-17-2013 23:40:25 | More by SSEngelbrecht

OBeerMeGreatOne

California

4.01/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I got this for free off a Florida Instagram follower of mine (my IG is StStrange). It was canned in January so it isn't fresh.

Pours a nice copper/orange with a solid inch of head. Moderate lace retention.

The smell is muted grapefruit and caramel. Orange rind around the middle, citrus to finish.

Taste is caramel and grapefruit up front. Nice blood orange in the middle. Cumquat aftertaste. All a little mellow and the caramel is too up front. Goes down smooth.

Like Pliny, this beer must be best fresh. The one I had, four months old, but still good. I would absolutly love to have this brew with less than a month on it.

Serving type: can

05-13-2013 02:26:02 | More by OBeerMeGreatOne

da_beers

Vermont

4.78/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

I have been waiting for this one for a while, my good friend @Jmscowcroft hooked me up with this one. I'm moving from VT to FL in a while, and this is what I'm looking forward to most!

A - Darkish hazy orange, almost a burnt orange. Has a beautiful creamy white head.

S - Fruitiness at first, then comes a great hop blast. Piney notes and earth notes come through as well.

T - Hops give an initial kick, but balances out well with the malts. Grapefruits definitely come through at end, as well as a piney resin.

M - So incredibly drinkable, could session this IPA all day. Medium body that doesn't fill you up too much.

O - Fantastic, this is what the hype is all about. Really intrigued to now find the White-Oak aged Jai Alai and try that one!

Serving type: can

05-08-2013 01:55:43 | More by da_beers

JMScowcroft

Vermont

4.84/5  rDev +15%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Cigar City Brewing - Jai Alai IPA

Look - Pours a slightly hazy copper amber with a fuller fizzy head that starts dissipating quickly. Sticky as hell lacing.

Smell - Sweet malts with spice on top. Hops are present in just the right amount and in a bitter biting citrus form.

Taste - What a smooth ride in. Hops keep you in line but the super smooth blend with malts makes it friendly on the palate. Almost like cinnamon and spice.

Mouthfeel - Rests an amazing spicy almost cinnamon and sweet malt heaven with hops in top. The blending here makes this brew super drinkable and smooth.

Overall - Wow. I have a new found respect for Cigar City Brewing. I had heard good things but had to taste it for myself. This is an utterly amazing brew. Recommend 100%. I will try more from this brewer for sure.

Serving type: can

05-02-2013 13:23:37 | More by JMScowcroft

TheSixthRing

California

4.34/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Canned on date of 04/15/13

Appearance - Pours a semi-hazy orange amber with a slightly off-white 2 finger head. Good retention, leaving a fair amount of microbubbles across the surface and builds up around the edges. Fair lacing around the glass with good stick.

Smell - A strong aroma of pineapple and orange upfront. Lesser notes of grapefruit. Malts are moderate, coming through with a bready quality.

Taste - No tricks here! Very much in line with what was detected in the scent. Strong, tropical character upfront and throughout. Pineapple, grapefruit and orange intermingle on the tongue, while a lightly toasty bread plays along in a supportive role. Touches of caramel. Clean, fresh, well balanced finish.

Mouthfeel - Medium in body with moderate carbonation. Smooth. Fair creaminess, before a semi-dry finish.

Overall - A strong, assertive IPA. I'd liken it to Sculpin with a more prominent malt body. Really clean. Very enjoyable. It's a shame this isn't available on shelves in California.

Serving type: can

05-02-2013 01:27:59 | More by TheSixthRing

Cavanaghty

Maine

4.56/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Poured from a can into a pint glass. Thank You shan8454 for this one from a trade.

Appearance: Golden color, with a very slight haze. White head of about one finger and mild lacing on the glass.

Smell: Citrus and hops, very pleasant smells.

Mouthfeel/Taste: Smooth medium bodied. Delightful taste of hops and citrus,maybe some pine as well.

Overall: Excellent IPA! I look foward to having this one again.

Serving type: can

04-30-2013 18:15:08 | More by Cavanaghty

RaulMondesi

California

4.3/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

From the sunny gulf shores of Florida to the laid back coast of Southern California, Jai Alai has reached "mega" status on Raul's "woot" scale.

Now, Raul knew what he was in for: another "East Coast" style IPA. But like Frank Sinatra circa "A Hole in the Head", he had High Hopes. And hot dog, like his last time in County Court, Raul was vindicated!

Right out of the can were beautiful, enormous citrus notes. From can to snifter though, they toned down substantially into the more malty side of things. The taste though... Glorious. Raul is in glorious ecstasy. This bad boy has the perfect balance between über citrus/tropical and malt. Smooth, sleek and sexy. Makes Raul so happy he wants to donate another dollar to PETA.

Do it for the animals my children.

Peace!

Serving type: can

04-28-2013 01:08:41 | More by RaulMondesi

zac16125

South Carolina

4.21/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

12oz can into a pint glass
Canned on : 4-18-13

A: Pours a slightly hazy golden amber with 3.5 fingers width of dense slightly off white head. Retention is good, and it leaves a moderate amount of patchy lacing.

S: Tropical fruit sweetness with pineapple and mango. There is also a significant degree of sweet caramel malt aromas. Some floral aromas, and only a hint of piney bitterness.

T: Citrus with orange and lemons. Piney bitterness on the finish. Like the nose its quite sweet with lots of malty sweetness and some mango notes. Better balance of sweet and bitterness on the taste than the nose.

M/D: Medium body, appropriate carbonation, fairly smooth. Drinkability is good.

O: Overall, a very nice IPA. I had this beer many times when I lived in FL and was never too impressed, but revisiting it now for the first time in a year or two and I liked it more than I remembered. Maybe the canning has allowed it to hit distro fresher than before (or maybe I was just drinking unfresh bottles/drafts back them). Either way, not mind blowing, but well above average, and an enjoyable beer that I will certainly drink again.

Serving type: can

04-27-2013 22:15:02 | More by zac16125

Neorebel

New Jersey

4.4/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

I'm finally getting to try this one. Popped up at Abe's in Bethlehem PA, in cans. I have sat on this for a little while (canned Jan 15 2013) but it still tastes rather fresh. The appearance may have suffered, but I can't be sure whether this is due to sitting in the fridge or not. It's a nice golden amber color, but has a lot of unpleasant looking sediment... and I mean worse than Heady Topper. Anyway, not a big deal at all though. The lacing is fantastic from the bubbly white head. Good amount of carbonation. The aroma is fruity, tangy, and juicy. When drank, the taste is no let down compared to the very pleasing aroma... although it is more bitter than the smell suggests. Sharp and resinous. The fade lingers for the finish, and is medium to full bodied... excellent. Overall, this IPA is up there with the best of 'em!

Serving type: can

04-14-2013 03:53:01 | More by Neorebel

thlayli87

New Jersey

4/5  rDev -5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Reviewed from notes

A - Copper color with 2 finger pillowy white head. Excellent lacing on the glass

S - Floral aromas, pineapple, pine resin

T - Pineapple, caramel malt, then bitter piney hop finish. Good balance of sweet and bitter

M - Thick for an IPA

O - Very solid offering; perhaps not as crisp as some, but quite tasty

Serving type: can

04-14-2013 00:44:27 | More by thlayli87

tbeckett

Ontario (Canada)

4.59/5  rDev +9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Can from Total Wine. Canned April 4 and consumed April 10. There was a Happy Birthday message under the canning date as well. I had a less fresh 6 pack a week ago, but I decided to post a review of the fresher product. From notes.

A - Poured golden and bright. Two finger soapy white head and mild carbonation. Spotty lace rings and a film of reteniton. Interestingly the fresher Jai Alai poured bright, whereas the less fresh cans were hazy with sediment.

S - Super tropical. Juicy hop goodness. Great mango and super fresh juicy citrus. Candied fruit syrup. Light malt component for balance too.

T - Juicy citrus, tropical fruit, mild malt but very hop forward with really juicy fruits.

M - Medium bitterness, light carbonation, medium to full body.

O/D - Such a delicious IPA. No alcohol evident in the flavour. So well done. Very sessionable. Really juicy and flavourful and well crafted very properly. A lovely IPA.

Serving type: can

04-11-2013 18:59:37 | More by tbeckett

DaftCaskBC

British Columbia (Canada)

4.81/5  rDev +14.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Generously shared by Rutager.

A: Cloudy amber liquid with 1/2" cream coloured head.

S: Melon, peach, lime and tangerine.

T: Melon, peach, tangerine, grapes and passionfruit.

M: Medium viscosity and carbonation.

O: A beautiful IPA that is not only very easy drinking but also one of the best hopped with Citra that I have ever had.

Serving type: can

04-08-2013 01:09:58 | More by DaftCaskBC

rlee1390

Indiana

4.18/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

A-Cloudy bright orange, two finder white head that leaves behind some lacing.

S-Great hop profile, citrus orange, floral notes as well.

T-Not as good as the nose but still good. Very citrus and tropical mangoes even. Slight bitterness though.

M-Medium bodied, nicely carbonated, smooth not much in the way of hop resins.

O-A top notch IPA, could have used a tad more bitterness for my taste but still great.

Serving type: can

04-06-2013 21:39:29 | More by rlee1390

stephenjmoore

Maryland

4.35/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

A- Pale amber body with just a hint of haze to it. Lots of floaters in this one, similar to a Heady Topper. Big, fluffy off-white head that leaves a lot of lacing.

S- Tons of citrus, dominated by grapefruit. Hints of pineapple and pine as well. Just a blast of fresh hoppy goodness in the nose.

T- Lots of citrus and tropical fruits in the taste as well. Smooth malt backbone balances this one out slightly. Tons of hops.

M- Medium bodied, medium carbonation, somewhat of a carbonation bite, but overall pretty smooth.

O- A great IPA bursting with great flavors. The look and aroma make this seem like a Heady Topper Jr.

Serving type: can

04-06-2013 21:18:56 | More by stephenjmoore

UCLABrewN84

California

4.03/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Can pour at the bottle share held at Chloe's inside Golden Road Brewing in Los Angeles, CA.

Canned on 12/27/12.

Pours a hazy orange with a foamy khaki head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Small streaks of lace form around the glass on the drink down. There are small bits of sediment seen floating around after the pour. Smell is of malt, citrus fruit, citrus zest, and some tropical fruit aromas. Taste is much the same with a citrus zest flavor on the finish. There is a medium amount of hop bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer that is tasty and easy to drink.

Serving type: can

04-05-2013 22:41:26 | More by UCLABrewN84

gblaustein

New Hampshire

4.99/5  rDev +18.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Just picked up a six pack on Longboat Key. Canned two days ago. Smells like candied tropical fruit, tastes the same, creamy malty tropical citrus, very little bitterness, slight spice. My wife loved it too. Who knew they could brew such a great beer from Florida gator p@@s water. Not a tongue bruiser hut one ofthe best I've ever had.

Serving type: can

04-03-2013 21:36:11 | More by gblaustein

mnphish

Minnesota

4.38/5  rDev +4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75

12oz can dated 12.27.12 poured into a Snifter. This has got to be one of the most beautiful looking IPA's on the planet. It's got a hazy dark orange body with a one finger white head that stays afloat and leaves light lacing.

The nose brings very real tropical flavors of exotic fruit. Sugary Pineapple, grapefruit, peaches, orange, mango, and citrus.

It starts with hop flavors that are dominated by citrus fruit, oranges, and sweet peaches. There is a slight bitter aftertaste that makes it very balanced. There aren't many 'tropical' IPA's that live up to Jai Alai. I could drink this on a beach for the rest of my life. Underrated on BA.

I wish I wasn't spoiled with the White Oak version first. This is still fantastic. Peachy O's in a can!

Serving type: can

04-03-2013 03:42:42 | More by mnphish

Maxwell

Massachusetts

4.23/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

The beer pours a ruddy copper orange color with a nice rocky head of smaller bubbles. The head leaves behind a lovely sticky sheet of lacing that forms a ring with some nice stalactites running from it. In the body, the beer is very clean and light, and completely clear of particles. On the nose, the beer smells of tropical pine trees with a touch of mango citrus. The beer smells even better from the can, where the citrus is amped up into pineapple range while the pine amplifies as well into dank resinous hops. The hops are big but not overpowering, and really quite inviting. The malt base behind it is warm and bready with a terrific yet subtle rye spice. On the tongue, the beer tastes bittersweet with a nice warming heat from the spice flavor. The flavors begin as bready spice, which builds into bitter pine and grapefruit flavors with a touch of pineapple. The finish is strong with bitters which move towards medicinal in flavor with a nice little hiccup of spice to close out the finish. The aftertaste also tingles with spice and bitter pine. This is not an in-your-face IPA flavor, and certainly not a big double IPA, but it is delicious and still fills my bitter-thirst. The nuances between the hops and the generic spice flavor continue to unfold different flavors on the tongue, and really make this beer fun to drink. In the can, this beer’s fruit flavors are intensified and made crisper while the spice is diminished. I get a lot of juicy pine and orange citrus hops with a touch of cool mint at the back of the throat. On the mouth, the beer feels medium creamy in carbonation with just a touch of tingle. The beer’s body feels medium light on the tongue, and the mouth is left properly dry and a touch sticky. Alcohol is present only as a soft tingle in the sides of the mouth. Overall, this is a damn fine IPA that stands out by being different. I love the spice and I love the mixture of the hops with the spice. This is a terrific in-the-can beer, and this is a terrific out of the can beer. It is my first taste of Cigar City, and I have to say that I’ve enjoyed it, they pack a hell of a lot of flavor into it, and they hide the alcohol brilliantly. Try this beer.

Serving type: can

04-03-2013 01:21:27 | More by Maxwell

yemenmocha

Arizona

4.39/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

This ale made my hotel nights at Disneyworld tolerable. Pours a hazy dirty orange color with rather thick and creamy off-white head. Nose is nicely enticing with some candied fruits, fresh fruits, and an herbal/grassy presence. On the palate there's a big juicy fruit hop quality right away with plenty of tartness, some decent malt balance, and a very good body. Savory, rewarding, and drinkable. Probably my favorite on the shelves in Florida.

Serving type: can

04-02-2013 01:28:18 | More by yemenmocha

WallingBrew

Virginia

4.25/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This IPA reminded me a lot of Jockamo from Abita.
Hop forward with noticeable spice.. I enjoyed it but the the spicy flavor to the hop profile is not my go to for IPA's, still I enjoyed it. All in all worth seeking out and trying. I was far more impressed by the Maduro Brown ale. This being offered in a can was a plus.

Serving type: can

04-01-2013 01:55:48 | More by WallingBrew

NoleDoc

Florida

4.71/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Served from a can to a snifter glass. Cigar City's Jai Alai a crisp and refreshing IPA. It has a nice dark orange color. You can smell the tropical aromas jump out at you as you begin to take a sip. Smells of grapefruit and pineapple jump at you. The initial citrus flavors invade your pallet with a crisp hoppy finish towards the end. The mouthful is crisp and refreshing with just the right amount of hops, the bitterness doesn't linger in the back of the pallet. Truly another delicious beer from Cigar City.

Serving type: can

03-31-2013 22:49:19 | More by NoleDoc

BlackBelt5112203

South Carolina

4.3/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Big thanks goes out to Immortale25 for this one!

12 oz can poured into a snifter at cellar temperature.

L – Medium amber color with a 2-finger frothy, rocky, cream-colored head. Really nice retention and some nice patchy, bubbly lacing. Initially clear with a good amount of bubbles – I clouded it up after pouring in some of the bottom-dwelling sediment.

S – A big blast of fruity, juicy hops with orange, peach, grapefruit, mango, and pineapple notes. There may be some caramel malt here, as well. For all the times that I’ve used juicy in a description for hop bouquet, this is by far the juiciest. This aroma just seems to ooze tropical fruit and citrus juices.

T – It starts off sweet with caramel and bready malt. As the taste progresses, the bittersweet twang of orange, mango, peach, and pineapple hops appears. Toward the finish, bitterness builds with grapefruit being the foremost flavor. Again, very juicy.

F – Light-to-medium-bodied with good carbonation, a creamy and sticky mouthfeel, and a bittersweet and dry finish. Bittersweet fruity hop flavors linger for a fantastic amount of time.

O – This is a great IPA. The aroma and taste are great and are just packed with fruity, juicy hops. It’s a bit thinner than I would like, but that’s really the only complaint I can have about this beer. I’ve been wanting to try this one for a while and I’m so glad that I finally did. Thanks, Joel!

Serving type: can

03-31-2013 22:03:41 | More by BlackBelt5112203