Jai Alai IPA - Cigar City Brewing

Rimbimhoot

Illinois

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

Orange hazy appearance. Smell is citrus and tropical fruits. Represents exactly what I look for in an ipa. Taste is like juicy nectar. Citrus from the hops dominates the palate with a light malt backbone to balance. Hops definitely take the spotlight. Mouth feel is nice and light. Overall I'd day this is my favorite ipa at the moment. Gonna bring done back to Chicago for sure.

Serving type: on-tap

03-25-2013 02:08:10 | More by Rimbimhoot

Blais

2.45/5  rDev -41.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

this is nothing special its just average hardly any hop flavor no fruits characters
could barely taste the hops should be labeled a pale ale not a IPA
it was like drinking bitter water, with no fruit flavors as you get in a good IPA like Pliny or hopslam
nothing special i won't have a 2nd i will stick to good beer its not brewed in florida

Serving type: on-tap

02-26-2013 17:31:45 | More by Blais

KarlosT

Massachusetts

4.23/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Being from New England (w/ lots of great micro-brews), my brother proudly took me to Cigar City Brewing in Tampa Florida. And I must say I was very impressed with both the quality and the number of excellent craft-brews on tap. The organization is very well run, and I fully expect to find their beers in the New England region in the near future ( I can see them expanding nationally).

I started with a taster rack of Jai Alai (IPA), Resonator Double Bock, El Lector English Style Dark Ale, and the Puppy Breath Porter. All were excellent.

Jail Alai is a West Coast style IPA. Having recently home brewed something similar, I'm definitely fond of this style of beer.

Had theJai Alai in a small 4oz tasting glass.

Appearance:
translucent yellow, with whitish head.

Smell:
sublte citrus hoppy notes. guessing it was dry hopped, but not aggressively so.

Taste:
wonderful taste. Love the citrus flavor of the hops. Hoppy, but not aggressively so. Very refined IPA. What I've noticed in many IPA's is a slight metal after taste. Not so with this beer.

MF:
lighter bodied beer, appropriate for an IPA

Overall:
Excellent IPA. Put it up there with Racer 5, one of my favorites. If you like IPA's definitely try this beer.

Serving type: on-tap

12-21-2012 12:55:24 | More by KarlosT

Monkeyknife

Missouri

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

Poured from the tap a bright copper-orange color with two fingers of off-white head.

Aroma of tangerine and lemon and a hint of green grass.

Big grapefruit taste upfront followed by floral notes and malts.

Medium bodied and a bit dry with a sharp carbonation.

A very nice IPA and my first beer from Cigar City. Looking forward to trying the others.

Serving type: on-tap

06-13-2012 20:13:34 | More by Monkeyknife

GONZALOYANNA

Spain

3.75/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On tap. ½ Pint glass. Enjoyed on jan´12. Amber color, crystal clear appearance. White in color, rocky froth. Sweet malts & tropical fruits, resins & floral hops to the nose. Dry bitter flavor, slightly fruity with malty hues. Voluptuos palate. Medium body, moderate carbonation. Citric finish & fruity aftertaste. Refreshing, but quite fat drinkability.

Serving type: on-tap

05-28-2012 23:00:13 | More by GONZALOYANNA

RickS95

Indiana

3.98/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Clear, light brown. A thin but fluffy offtan head with decent retention and good lacing.

Nice citric hoppy smell. Grapefruit and pine, smells like a forest of cut down pine trees.

Taste follows the smell, a lot of citrus with some backnotes of pine.

Bitter, but in a good, controlled way. Not a hop bomb, just the right amount. Earthy, piney bitter from beginning to end.

Good stuff, a top notch IPA that's easy to drink.

Serving type: on-tap

05-12-2012 01:51:47 | More by RickS95

Cyberkedi

Georgia

3.5/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a nice clear dark golden with a decent off-white head. Aroma is strongly hoppy with an undertone of grapefruit and a hint of orange. Hoppy flavor has grapefruit and fresh-cut pine wood tones, not overly bitter, and a hint of Mandarin orange. Lively texture has firm body and good fizz. A good, if not outstanding, IPA, worth a try if you like this style.

Serving type: on-tap

04-26-2012 00:10:18 | More by Cyberkedi

EMPotter

5/5  rDev +18.8%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Without a doubt one of the best IPA'S in the world. Lots of character to the senses and one of the only IPA's I consistently find myself enjoying and recommending to friends.

A- Hazy, dark amber/orange color with a nice level of carbonation and froth at pouring.
S- Very hoppie with tropical/citrus, grass, and sweet honey undertones.
T- Very complex with a great balance of hops, citrus, grass and pine
M- Crisp bold flavors that stay on the tongue with a nice balance of bitterness and carbonation.
D- Excellent IPA. Jai Alai compliments spicy foods and barbeques.

Update: 7/5/12, thank God I live in Tampa and can spend time in the CCB tasteing room. I have sampled over 25 IPA's since this review and still can't find one that compares. Great IPA!

Serving type: on-tap

03-20-2012 00:01:46 | More by EMPotter

BucBasil

South Carolina

3.73/5  rDev -11.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Served on top in a pint glass at the Cigar City tasting room in Tampa.

A: Orange with off white head.

S: Citrsuy, all around solid. Lightly hoppy and balanced. Really nice.

T: Resiny, bitter. some citrus, pine. Average. Very drinakable.

Overall, a good balanced IPA that is great for drinking with friends, but still has a good taste to it.

Serving type: on-tap

01-03-2012 00:20:54 | More by BucBasil

sloescher

Florida

4.2/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Clear amber, white head that drops gradually and leaves sparse lacing.

S: Flowery smell with some citrus. Not an overwhelming hoppy smell.

T: Citrus/fruit & floral hops first, followed by sweet caramel malt, then growing bitterness that lingers. Excellent taste and not overly bitter but balanced.

M: Medium/high carbonation and medium body; neutral or slightly dry finish; little alcohol warming.

O: This is an excellent IPA and very enjoyable. Very solid example of a good balanced IPA.

Serving type: on-tap

01-02-2012 05:16:16 | More by sloescher

jjanega08

Minnesota

4.38/5  rDev +4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

No freshness dating but I got it just a day ago in a trade...

A= A vigerous pour yeilds a nice hazy orange color with a sexy finger of head on it that is an off white color and some spotty lacing on the glass. The head holds some pretty decent retention actually. A decent looking IPA.

S= The smell is very very floral. More floral than any IPA I've ever had I think. Clean is another word I would use to describe it. Clean flowery hop nose to it with a touch of malty backbone but not much.

T= The taste is very unique. A punch in the mouth. It has a nice floral hop character just as the nose let on but then quite a bit more on top of that. A good malty backbone which leads me to believe that the things they do to this is worth doing. The beer has an almost woody tobaccoy taste to it. I hope that's not just cigar placebo effect but I think I taste a little of it.

M= Maybe a little heavy on the carbonation despite the intense pour.

O= This is the second beer I've had from Cigar City and it's another home run. I'm very very impressed with this. One of the most unique IPA's on the market. Really interesting. I feel like Cigar City is really making a unique product that is top notch.

Serving type: on-tap

10-29-2011 23:33:44 | More by jjanega08

DIM

Pennsylvania

4.22/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

a: This was a chill-hazed, murky looking golden color. It was served to me with a small frothy cap.

s: Bursting with grapefruit, mango, lemons, and a hint of pine. Also some barely discernible caramel balance.

t: Mirrors the smell for the most part, this is a hop showcase. Some minor caramel sweetness up front quickly overwhelmed by tropical fruit and citrus. There is just a little too much naked biterness at the very end.

m: Slick bodied and soft feeling overall despite the overwhelming hop-noxiousness.

o: Definitely a first rate IPA, hope I see it on-tap again sometime.

Serving type: on-tap

10-24-2011 18:14:09 | More by DIM

QuantumPint

Florida

4.15/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this on tap at the local Buffalo Wild Wings tonight.

Appearance: Clear, dark orange-brown with about a one-finger head. Decent retention and a solid lacing all the way down.

Nose: I don't know if it was just the serving method, or the area I was in and the associated ambient scents, but the nose on this puppy was weak at best. Mainly hops with perhaps a little citrus, but not a whole lot of anything.

Taste: This is where this beer swept me off my feet. It's got a complex sweet, citrusy flavor that dances among several citrus fruits, including grapefruit, apple, orange, and more. On finish, this beer moves to the bitter hop finish that defines the IPA style, but it might be the most balanced of hop finishes I've experienced thus far. By no means is the bitterness overpowering as some others, notably Sierra Nevada's Torpedo, can be.

Mouthfeel: A pleasant amount of carbonation here, and it really helps accentuate the flavors. It's a bit thin, but not unpleasantly so.

Overall: This is probably the best IPA I've had thus far, and if not the best, it's definitely the most balanced. The flavor really helped me move past the weak nose and allowed me to appreciate the full glory of this beer. I'm already looking forward to the next time I have an opportunity to have some of this beer.

Serving type: on-tap

10-23-2011 03:02:53 | More by QuantumPint

kylehay2004

Florida

3.78/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: light amber, orange hues. single finger off white head.

S: mild pine, grass and hops

T: a little pine and hops. Its not super special in any one way. Citrus notes and mild bitterness in the finish.

M:smooth, medium body and moderate carbonation

Overall: A nice IPA. Not the best out there but very smooth and drinkable. Decent amount of flavor complexity.

Serving type: on-tap

08-31-2011 01:24:18 | More by kylehay2004

Forb

Nebraska

4.22/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Enjoyed at the Great Nebraska BeerFest - Papillion, NE...

Appearance: Body is of a copper haze with minor lacing.

Smell/Taste: Sweet fruity / earthy aroma on both the nose and pallet leaving me to assume that the bread malt flavors were there to balance this heavily hopped beer. Skunky is definitely a word that comes through for this beer has a definite funk to it.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with mediocre carbonation.

Overall: This IPA was great. I do wish I could purchase it at will.

Serving type: on-tap

08-29-2011 23:37:30 | More by Forb

DoubleSimcoe

New York

4.6/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Jai Alai on tap at Valhalla, Hell's Kitchen, NYC.

Appearance: Served in a 12-oz goblet, Jai Alai looks mighty nice for a regular IPA, what with the solid finger of foamy white head topped by an ocean of soapy bubbles. Great retention and lacing. Color is a hazy orange/deep amber, slightly transparent. Like the golden glow of the orange trees in Sevilla.

Smell: Tea leaves, orange pekoe. Very aromatic! Tea fields in Sri Lanka. Some spice, lemon peel/lemon thyme. Orange zest, a tad of pineapple sweetness.

Taste: A tad of rose and flower. Nice spice. Delicious sweetness, pineapple syrup. Coconut cake, soap and dry hops at the end.

Mouthfeel: Gorgeous! Full body, flavor and medium and perfect carbonation. Spicy, made me sneeze! Well balanced and enticing, so close to being the perfect IPA.

Overall: Sickly drinkable, such a pleasure! Beautiful flavors and aromas. Sessionable, alcohol is not too noticeable. One of the best IPA's in America.

Serving type: on-tap

06-19-2011 22:30:15 | More by DoubleSimcoe

GarthDanielson

New Hampshire

4.05/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured on-tap at the Cigar City Brewing tasting room in Tampa. The beer was served in a pint glass, and it poured a light, yellow-copper coloring with a light, fluffy head. Aromas of fresh fir trees, slight citrus, and fresh cut grass. The beer has a great lacing as you drink. Flavors are light, citrus sweet malt and a heavy foundation of fresh, peppery hops. Very well balanced. The aftertaste is crisp hops and grapefruit, with a dry and bitter finish. Tasty and light!

Serving type: on-tap

06-14-2011 02:30:03 | More by GarthDanielson

jcartamdg

Florida

4.95/5  rDev +17.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

On tap from my kegerator, keg filled days ago, picked up from ccb. Poured into my ccb pint glass, orange amber with a sticky two finger head. Lacing is crazy on this one, beautiful beer. Aroma of citrus, floral hops and tropical fruits, this is a very complex ipa. Taste follows the nose, again this is very complex, it borders on a dipa, very intense. Mouthfeel is moderate, smooth with substance. Overall this is the beer that made me fall in love with craft beer. Match Jai Alai up with any of the super-hyped ipa/dipas and I believe it rises above!

Serving type: on-tap

05-26-2011 23:56:30 | More by jcartamdg

jimboween

Florida

4.13/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

hello: jai alai is a viciously fast sport played with lethal projectiles. the beer lives up to that legacy. it is viciously hoppy played with lethally good taste. its from tampa, on draught at boomerangs in port orange, fl.

appearance: gorgeous, orangy yellow. what an ipa should look like.

smell: mint? my nose sucks, really. i dont get much from sniffing beers.

taste: like biting into a peach thats been crossbred with a grapefruit. wonderful, wonderful.

mouthfeel: a bit sticky, as ipas can be. refreshing, though dry. it leaves you looking forward to the next sip.

overall: awesome. hoppy, fruity, delicious. and alcoholic, oh yes alcoholic. imo, cigar city is the best that florida micros have to offer. get you one, enjoy it. thank me later.

Serving type: on-tap

05-26-2011 19:20:33 | More by jimboween

smakawhat

Maryland

4.43/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a tumbler at ChurchKey on tap.

Small off cream white head with a golden amber body that is slightly cloudy, leaves some good lacing. It doesn't appear as suspended as it's bottle counterpart. Still good none the less

Bouquet on this is a soft fleshy fruit, specificaly a pulpy grapefruit sense. There seems to hint at some density and thickness coming. Very enjoyable.

Taste is a big malt hop and orange at first. But what sticks out is the mouthfeel, just killer. Pillow softness mixed with lingering aftertastes of incredibly light LIGHT brown sugars and the most tolerable bitterness. Airy lingering grapefruit citrus finish that lasts and lasts and lasts. Wood component out of the bottle for me seems to be missing.

Overall though an extremely quaffable GREAT feeling IPA on tap.

Serving type: on-tap

05-19-2011 23:08:18 | More by smakawhat

kingcrowing

Vermont

4.28/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap poured Into a cigar city sniffer.

Pours a really nice dark amber to ruby red. There is a nice fruityango nose with a bit of pine and tart fruit.

Taste is really bitter and sharp but fruity and smooth, super mellow and creamy with a smooth mouhfeel. It's super tasty dam drinkable.

Serving type: on-tap

05-18-2011 01:49:23 | More by kingcrowing

Deadheadbill

Florida

4.43/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Hazy golden color with a nice white head and very good lacing. Very nice aromas of hops, citrus and some malt. Medium bodied with nice bitter citrusy hop flavors balanced by malt, citrus fruit and some sweetness.

The amazing thing about this beer is that it always stays in balance with a lush mouthfeel and the hops always winning out in the flavor battle. CCB has done something few brewers can do, they have crammed all the flavors of an Imperial IPA into their regular bottling. This is without a doubt one of the best IPA's available.

Serving type: on-tap

05-04-2011 01:59:20 | More by Deadheadbill

WoodBrew

Illinois

4.7/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

It was our annual trip to Tampa...the night before THE BUCKEYE CRUISE AGAINST CANCER!!!! The better half and I walked a couple of blocks down from our hotel and found a wonderful spot to taste numerous different brews. The second beer I tried, thank to the suggestion of our server...was Jai alai IPA...WOW. This was quite AWESOME!! The color was a rich cloudy amber. The nose inclued a combination of hops, cirtus, and pine...what else would you expect!. This of course fed into the taste of the beer which was WAIT FOR IT...citrusy....and piny. I could drink this....wait for it....give it to me Lionel...ALL NIGHT LONG!!!!

Serving type: on-tap

04-24-2011 01:32:04 | More by WoodBrew

jwhancher

Pennsylvania

4.45/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Had a 10-oz. draft served in a tulip shaped glass at City Tap House. Poured a hazy-like light orange copper color with nice bright white finger width head. The foam clung to the sides of the glass with each ensuing sip. Smelled nice & hoppy, mostly citrus-like, but not too overwhelming. Tasted great - not too overly bitter, but enough to satisfy just about any hophead. Overall, a pleasant surprise. Had previously never heard of this brewery before, but I'll definitely give this one (and other brews from their lineup) another try.

Serving type: on-tap

04-21-2011 19:43:29 | More by jwhancher

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4.43/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This is just as good as I remembered it being the first time I had it. This beer it a really nice amber color on top of the glass that fades to a golden yellow. The head disappears fast and there really isn't much lacing. The aroma is really hoppy, makes me want to go for a swim in this beer. It's aroma is wonderful. The flavor is aggressively hopped, floral and citrusy. The mouthfeel is medium and begs for you yichang another.

Serving type: on-tap

04-06-2011 22:59:54 | More by Knapp85