Warmer Winter Winter Warmer - Cigar City Brewing

Shaw

Florida

3.8/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 3.5

Got the penultimate bottle at Total Wine & More last week. This is one of the coldest nights this winter here in Florida (40s) so I thought it would be a perfect time to drink this beer.

Pours almost black, letting just a hint of light through, with a sticky foamy tan head.

I know this isn't a Humidor Series beer, but this smells of cigar cedar as well as hops.

The taste is rich and complex. Dried fruit flavors combine with earthy notes, even flavors that remind me of perfume. The high alcohol level is completely hidden: I don't notice the alcohol at all.

The body is just fantastic: full, creamy and smooth. It can't get any better.

Overall this is a good beer. The fruity and perfume flavors are just a bit too strong for me, though.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2010 03:57:05 | More by Shaw

corby112

Pennsylvania

4.38/5  rDev +13.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a dark mahogany/chestnut brown color that is completely opaque with dark caramel hues when held to a light source and a one finger frothy off-white head that quickly fades into a lasting ring. Minimal spotty lacing left behind.

Earthy hops up front in the nose with hints of dry pine needle and citrus peel. Lots of rich caramel and chocolate malt with a slight roasted character. I'm also picking up some estery dark fruit notes, namely grape, raisin, plum and fig. This blends particularly well with the citrus hop and subtle chocolate notes.

Very hop forward medium body with a lot of earthy dry pine and citrus notes. Hints of lemon peel and grapefruit mostly. This flavor and dry mouthfeel lingers pretty much throughout but is countered mid-palate by a sweet malt profile with hints of caramel, toffee and subtle chocolate. Slightly vinous with hints of dark fruit, mostly grape, plum and raisin. Very complex but a bit unbalanced with possibly to prominent of a dry piny hop character. This will probably open up nicely as it ages and the hops fade, allowing the other flavors to shine through. The high ABV is excellently masked, making this a very quafable beer that is a refreshingly unique take on the style.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2010 08:45:56 | More by corby112

TheFightfan1

Pennsylvania

4.15/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a snifter. Pours a deep ruby color with some lighter amber highlight's.Very thick creamy heading. Leaves a mess of ringage all the way down the glass.

Smell is heavy in caramel malt. Some citrusy notes as well and a touching of hoppy goodness detected.

Taste is very thick and chewy of caramel mostly. A smooth chocolatiness takes over for a quick touchdown. Then a woody - rummy like taste kicks in and stays for the remainder of the show.

Mouth is silky smooth,Full bodied with amazing texture and feel. Great carbonation that foas up immediatley on the palate.

Drink is good. A bit chewy may make this a non-sessionable brew but a damn good taster and a perfect beer for these low ass temprature's we've been having.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2010 01:25:36 | More by TheFightfan1

Lerxst

Florida

4.5/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

First beer of 2010 and its also my very first Cigar City beer.

750 ml bottle poured into a Stone IRS Tulip

A-Pours a dark caramel brown with a beautiful one inch head that hung around for a while and left tremendous lacing. This is a great looking beer.

S-Somewhat Belgian with dark fruit and spice. A nice sweet, malty aroma too. Very aromatic. Smells great.

T-Similar to the nose. Prominent dark fruits, some spice, toffee, sweet malt with a somewhat bitter hop bite at the finish. Its a party in my mouth.

M-Full bodied and surprisingly creamy. I think the carb level is perfect. Not too much, not too little.

D-This is a very drinkable beer and at 10% that can be a little dangerous. I could easily have more than one of these in a night.

I really picked a great beer to be my first one of 2010. When I bought this, I hoped it would be worth the 10 bucks I spent on it and it really was. I'll be picking up some more of these for sure if I can find them.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2010 00:09:10 | More by Lerxst

Gtreid

Florida

3.68/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Ah, first beer of the new year. 750 ml. bottle poured into my CCB tulip.

A: Deep, dark, caramel brown color. The pour creates a thick two fingers of sand head that leaves sheets of lace.

A: Caramel, figs, and dried fruit. Very sweet. I get a nice hop aroma as well, maybe Simcoe?

T: Again, sweet malts dominate. The caramel and sweet fruit shine, but the hops bring a nice balance. It finishes very boozy.

M: Creamy and smooth. Average carbonation, heavy body.

D and overall impression: Drinkability is only just above average. The booziness of the brew limits it emensely. Cigar City has done better jobs of hiding the strength of their brews in the past. Overall, pretty solid for the style. Definately a sipper, and one for a cool night. Skal.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2010 21:50:33 | More by Gtreid

ShadesOfGray

Pennsylvania

4.35/5  rDev +13%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 750ml bottle into my Corsedonk snifter. Pours a deep caramel color at first, finishing as a darker brown with caramel colored edging. Huge initial ten head, frothy, and lacing is sticky and plentiful. Head dissipates slowly to a nice creamy surface of bubbles.

Aroma is typical Old Ale. Bitter after-tones, sweet fruit up front, roasted malts. A very inviting and strong aroma.

Flavor...wow. Very sweet, raisins, cherries...huge roasted malts and booze. Caramel flavors as well. Very sweet and creamy mouthful. Nice complexity and low-er carbonation. Very tasty beer!

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2009 18:17:53 | More by ShadesOfGray

Anthony1

Colorado

3.9/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

had a sample at a christmas party

pouted into a little tasting glass. pours thick brown with a mocha tan head. nice and roasted aroma, toffee, caramel, chocolate. bit of sweetness. several citrus notes in the smell, and very sweet in taste. thick beer with medium carb.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2009 01:34:55 | More by Anthony1

ugaterrapin

Georgia

4.33/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a pint glass. Left about two fingers of light tan head. Has a sweet malt smell. There is a slight roasted character to the aroma with hints of toffee. There is a noticeable alcohol character on the front end which is not surprising at 10% but it mellows as the sip progresses. Has a nice rich sweetness that is on the heavier side but not in a bad way. The roasted malt character is even slighter in the taste as it is overpowered by the sweetness. This one is hard for me to pinpoint the flavors in the sweet character, but overall this a very enjoyable beer. Nice to try a Winter Warmer that is different than others.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2009 22:33:02 | More by ugaterrapin

nickfl

Florida

4.43/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - One and a half fingers of medium-tan foam on top of an opaque, dark brown body with some ruby highlights. The foam settles slowly and leaves nice lace.

S - Thick, rich brown malt aromas of toffee, caramel, and bittersweet chocolate. Strong pine and citrus hop aromas as well with notes of pineapple, grapefruit, and orange.

T - Lots of dark, toffee malt up front along with burnt caramel and some fruity notes of plum and black cherries. The sugary character increases in complexity towards the middle with notes of brown sugar, rum, and molasses that blend with citrus and pine hop flavors to create a velvety balance of dark malt and hops. Finishes with some nice orange hop notes and moderate bitterness balancing dark caramel malts, chocolate, some roast. Lingering flavors of burnt sugar and pine hops with light tobacco and smoke.

M - Thick, chewy body, moderate carbonation, and a sweet, but balanced finish.

D - This is a well made beer that thoroughly succeeds in its role as a winter warmer. The malt character is excellent, it compares well to the best English and American examples of the style with a complex blend of dark sugar and roasted/caramel malts. The hops balance well and the strong fruity character is an unusual twist on what I would normally expect in this sort of beer. The fruit character works, especially in the aroma, nevertheless I can't help but think that a more traditional pine or earthy hop character might have made for a more balanced and subtle flavor profile. I enjoyed this beer and I would be really interested to see how one would mellow and age for next year.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2009 05:37:52 | More by nickfl

scottyshades

Florida

4.5/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours a rich mahogany color that creates a nice, tightly knit head that retains pretty well and leaves some lacing. Not quite as dark as I thought, but still really beautiful.

S: The first thing I get is a cheese note (bleu cheese almost), lots of residual sugar, a spicy alcohol note that REALLY adds some awesome character. Dark fruits, banana!, some citrus notes, and an underlying hop profile that is subtle but awesome!

T: Much sweeter than I thought. Caramel, toffee!!, banana, molasses, and much more profound hop profile than the nose. Dark fruits, chocolate, and just deliciousness

MF/D: Big body, lingering sweetness, malty residual sugar finish

Notes:

(1) this is a desert or after dinner beer for sure, or possibly with some sharp cheese

(2) this beer IS available in South Florida- south of Orlando (Total Wine Boca, BX Beer Depot are the stores that I know have this)

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2009 20:39:08 | More by scottyshades

alkemy

Ohio

4.22/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

(From notes)Stopped by the brewery while on vacation, but was unable to do any tastings on site. Apparently they are still waiting on some municipal red tape before they are able to serve on site. Had to settle for a bottle of this from a nearby Whole Foods rather than the growler of Jai Alai I was hoping for. Poured a deep copper/orange. Has a sweet caramel malt aroma that gives way to citrusy hops. Quite a bit of sweetness up front in the form of burnt toffee/caramel. The hops comes on at the back, which is a bit odd to me...not bad, just different. Completely agree with the other reviewers on the well hidden alcohol characteristic.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2009 20:32:54 | More by alkemy

kfsv034

Florida

4.55/5  rDev +18.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Shared a bottle with drink1121

A - poured a burnt auburn with a reddish hue, full 1.5 finger head the appearance overall was very good.

S - At first following the pour i smelled candy malt and piney hops as the beer settled the smell became more of a belgium candy malt smell.

T - Wow this is my first old ale and i certainly wasn't disappointed. Huge candy malts up front that melted into carmel and burnt candy and finally a faint piney hop bitterness at the end.

M - not thin and not syrupy overall very good

D - the ABV is definitely masked well, this beer is so good i could certainly get myself into trouble without even knowing it.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2009 04:53:34 | More by kfsv034

drink1121

California

4.65/5  rDev +20.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Bottle provided to me by kfsv034.

A-Poured this into a Duvel tulip glass. Wonderful, fluffy head with good retention and great lacing. "India summer" from a Crayola box.I docked .5 for some sediment from the bottle conditioning.

S- I smell a little hotness from the high alcohol initially. Then I get some candied sugar smeel, similiar to that of a Belgian with some dark dried fruits. Good carmel malts with light hops come in on the back-end.

T- Dark dried fruits, like the taste with some hops bitterness. I get some pipe tobacco aftertaste.

M- Creamy and full. VERY smooth.

D- Ringing in @ 10% I could have a few of these from a pure drinkability standpoint. Great beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2009 04:42:18 | More by drink1121

tpd975

Florida

4.3/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: a nice brown hue with a creamy head. Nice retention and excellent lace.

S: Wonderful sweet malt aromas with notes of caramel and brown sugar. The hops are there as well, very piney with some sharp citric notes.

T: Wonderful mix of malt and hops. Very much toffee like up front. Sweet with a nice touch of roast. The back end is very hoppy. Nice blend of pine and citrus.

M: Rather full in body, smooth, tasty, damn drinkable. Nice hopped up Old Ale.

D: Rather good. This is one I will buy quite a few bottles of.

Serving type: on-tap

12-09-2009 12:50:50 | More by tpd975