Bolita Double Nut Brown Ale - Cigar City Brewing

merc7186

New York

3.58/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bomber into snifter.

A: Dark Brown Hue, Passes Mild Light, Brown Head, Some Lacing

S: Nutty, Dark Sweet Malts

T: Sweet Malts, Peanut Shells

M: Decent Carbonation, Medium Bodied, Semi Nutty, Mildly Sweet

Overall, a nice nut brown but the aftertaste tasted like peanut shells...weird.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2012 04:12:48 | More by merc7186

GallowsThief

Florida

4.05/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Cant believe I haven’t reviewed this yet but here goes...poured out of a 750 ml bottle into my tulip.

A – Pours out a nice deep brown with two fingers of cola brown head. Head stays around and leaves a nice lacing all down the glass.

S – Chocolate, toffee, roasted malt and molasses all here. Touch sweet in the nose with a little smoke.

T – Always like the roasted flavor I get from this brew up front. Followed by a nice subtle sweet chocolate flavor. Has some great nutty quality with a bit of molasses. Just a touch of bitterness at the end with a nice warming alcohol feel.

M – Medium carbonation with medium body that leaves a nice slick feel.

O – One of my favorites here. Never disappoints and is a fairly complex brew. Tastey all day long but works well with desserts. Nice.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2012 23:15:49 | More by GallowsThief

beergod1

Ohio

3.73/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a dark brown with a small tan head. Aroma of roasted nuts, light roasted malt, caramel malt, and light fruitiness. Flavor has a nice smokey/oaky edge with roasted nuts, roasted malt, and maybe a touch of coffee. I like the smoked aspect of this beer, very tasty! Robust palate and creamy too.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2012 00:14:36 | More by beergod1

Danny1217

Florida

3.9/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Dark brown with a nice tan head. Good lacing and retention.
Smells Very nutty. Some caramel and vanilla. Alcohol isn't completely hidden, and certainly reminds you that this is a strong beer.
Smooth and nutty. A lot of toffee, peanut, and caramel flavors. Rather sweet. Bit of alcohol at the finish. Medium carbonation and a bit more than medium bodied.

Not my favorite offering from CCB, but still very good. A bit like a stronger version of Maduro with more of a roasted peanut taste.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2012 05:11:13 | More by Danny1217

lovindahops

New York

4.43/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

The first cold, rainy summer I can remember this summer of 2012 calls for a cigar city bolita. I am very excited to try this

A- a completely opaque body with layers of mocha foam enrobing the glass. The layers of foam are almost in 3d as they burst off the glass

S- what a variety of scent that starts with a nutty chocolate and toffee scent. Some wood and even a bit of sour scent is present that really makes for an interesting combination. Not to mention there is no alcohol scent in this at all

T- all the toffee, chocolate, and sour flavors mesh into a dark and tasty treat. The wood theme shows up and literally positions the brew for a toasted nut flavor on the exit. What a combination of flavor

M- so creamy and carbonated at the same time... All the while the flavor is coating the palate with all these unique flavors in unison

O- bolita may be the best brown ale I have ever tasted. The presence of sour flavor compliments all the extensive flavors in this brew. I need cigar city to come to syracuse asap!!!

Serving type: bottle

07-29-2012 03:18:23 | More by lovindahops

bbeane

Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev -2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A- Poured into an oversized snifter... starts with a big fluffy head with nice retention and a fair amount of lacing. Beer is dark brown in color with the tiniest bit of light coming through when held up to the ceiling

S- Malty, with notes of chocolate coming through. Bit of alcohol present as well

T- Pretty much tastes as the nose leads on... bit of sweet malts to start followed by some notes of chocolate and light bitterness. Chocolate becomes much more pronounced as the beer warms

M- Medium bodied with light carbonation

O- Definitely not the best Cigar City offering available, but decent. The beer gets better as it warms and the chocolate notes become more prominant, but the beer still lacks something IMO

CHEERS!!

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2012 00:17:21 | More by bbeane

birchstick

Missouri

3.2/5  rDev -19.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Big thanks to SamuelJackson45 for sending this one my way a while ago!

A - pours a dark brown, almost black, with a taupe head that forms a small rim around the glass

S - smells has a lot of sour notes with some caramel malt notes and a touch of hazelnut

T - taste starts off with some sour notes that move to tones of caramel malt, hazelnut, and a touch of coffee. Pretty decent brown ale, but the weird sour notes dominate.

M - creamy and full, pretty solid

D - pretty decent double brown. I wish the weird flavors weren't present because I could tell what was under them was a really nice brown ale.

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2012 02:25:11 | More by birchstick

JohnQVD

New York

4.04/5  rDev +2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Dark brown with a thick, foamy head that slowly recedes leaving light lacing on the glass. Smell is toffee and chocolate. Taste is nutty and chocolately with some carbonic bite and a raisiny finish. Feel is medium bodied with light carbonation. This is a nice sipper that's heavy, but not too boozy. It could stand to be a bit heavier-bodied to match the taste, but overall this is quite good.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2012 14:57:26 | More by JohnQVD

yourefragile

District of Columbia

3.05/5  rDev -23%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

750 mL bottle.

Pours a dark cola brown with a ruby hue against light; mostly clear. Massive rocky, foamy light tan head that dissipates slowly with soapy lacing. Slightly tart, fruity nose lurks under the robust brown ale notes; molasses, peanut, brown sugar and ash. Syrupy thick body, highly carbonated and fizzy. Much more berry fruit in the flavor and tartness in the finish. I assume there is a nice imperial brown ale hiding here, I get some milk chocolate, brown sugar and peanuts in the flavor, but the infection ruins it.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2012 00:55:36 | More by yourefragile

Thickfreakness

New York

4.03/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

In person trade with BrewCrew2010

A- Pours the darkest, deepest brown with a dark tan three finger head that takes it's time fading away, and leaves a load of bubbly lacing.

S- Nutty toffee, cinnamon, dark belgian chocolate, touches of vanilla and oak. Some brown sugar and oatmeal/raisin cookie Hints of dark fruits and alcohol.

T- Figs soaked in rum, dark chocolate, vanilla and molasses. Sour and bitter fruits. Definately some cinnamon, nutmeg kind of spice thing happening here. Has a decent amount of alcohol bite. Some lingering sweetness with some charred wood flavors.

M- Nice blend of bitter, sweet and burnt malts. Medium thick with a nice chewiness on the tongue. Not much in the way of carbonation, leaves the tongue coated nicely with sweet and alcohol.

O- Wish this was available to me in NY. A fantastic take on the classic English Brown Ale. Big alcohol bite, wonderful warming cocoa and charred wood and spice. Really nice creaminess with a surprising hoppy punch.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2012 01:42:19 | More by Thickfreakness

warnerry

Michigan

4.05/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

purchased June 2011, no bottle date

A - Pours a deep brown with almost two fingers of dense, creamy tan head. Head has very good retention and leaves quite a bit of lacing behind.

S - Initial aroma of brown sugar and toffee. Very malty, with a bit of bread, some lightly roasted malts, hints of wood, and a faint cola aroma.

T - Taste is similar to smell, initially sweet with brown sugar and toffee, but gradually revealing a bit of cocoa, bread, a nice nuttiness and toasted malt.

M - Medium/full mouthfeel is incredibly creamy. Definitely coats the palate, but not overly heavy.

O - A little on the sweet side, but hat seems to work really well for this beer. Still has elements of a traditional brown ale, just amped up a bit

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2012 01:46:34 | More by warnerry

vande

Illinois

4.35/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

a - a nice, deep, dark brown pour with thick, frothy head that quickly leaves a slight lingering after lace...

s - toffee, carmel, vanilla, sugar and molasses...

t - very enjoyable brown ale...a nice blend of brown sugar, nutty characteristics with dashes of vanilla and toffee... quite tasty

m - medium bodied, smooth drinking double brown...easy to pour, easy to enjoy...

o - very pleasurable

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2012 04:51:49 | More by vande

BrownNut

Florida

4.08/5  rDev +3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A - Nearly black on first view, it's a deep, beautiful ruby when held up to the light. Thick foamy head that endures. Permanent lacing and plenty of it.

S - Malt and yeast. Something else like a dusty savory spice. Just a faint whisper of booze. Something faintly fruity on first pour while the head is full.

T - Nice layers of flavor. Initially toasty malt and chewy caramel and a sweet cocoa in the middle of the tongue, more syrupy lower down in the glass. A slight sweet/sourness then develops at the tip of the tongue that is almost lemon citrusy and almost metallic but not quite either, which is neat. It teases and makes you feel it just a bit back in the spit glands and salivate a little. It leaves you with sweet lips. And then on the exhale, in the aftertaste in the back of the mouth, there is a bit of mocha and dry tobacco leaf. Maybe even just a hint of smoke. I didn't think the brewery name had a literal implication but maybe so.

M - Nicely chewy but with just enough carbonation prickle to notice it.

O - What a treat. It's mild like most browns yet has several subtly interesting and pleasant things going on. Nice gentle buzz. Really a great beer. They say it would pair well with a cigar and they're right. I've never heard of a double brown but I'm so on board with the idea now. Turns out it's exactly what I wanted. This brewery continues to impress.

Serving type: bottle

02-29-2012 00:26:17 | More by BrownNut

cwguy5

North Carolina

3.75/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

reviewed from notes taken on 9.16.11. thanks to JackTheBear for sharing this one!

A - very dark brown color with a very thick, tan head that left heavy lacing on glass

S - what smell? faint smell of... beer? glass smelled sweet and mildly nutty after i finished the beer

T - sweet and nutty! smooth nut flavors with some bitter notes similar to nutshell; some brown sugar and dark chocolate

M - super fine carbonation; thick bodied with a bitter, coating mouthfeel; short, mildly drying finish

O - fine tasting beer if you like sweet ones; for me, the drinkability suffers a bit due to the thick, sweet body; really nice nut flavors come through sweet base

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2012 07:27:42 | More by cwguy5

jaasen64

Massachusetts

3.6/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

750 ml bottle brought back from Florida

A- Dark brown, above average carbonation, about 2 fingers of brownish off-white foamy head that has a kind of "nutty" shade to it. Nice lacing that clings to the glass while drinking.

S- Nuts, chocolate, caramel, malts, and a little bit of booze.

T- Very nutty, a little bit of chocolate syrup, malts, caramel, on the sweet side.

M- Foamy head provides a nice creamy feel while drinking. Pretty smooth and drinkable, 9% alcohol well hidden. Medium bodied.

O- This beer was decent, but not my favorite. I definitely prefer the Maduro. I liked the smoothness and creaminess of the beer, however it was slightly too nutty and the chocolate taste was a little bit too syrupy. The ABV was well hidden and the beer was easily drinkable, the only improvement they could make is to take a little bit of the chocolate syrup flavor out. Overall a good beer, but some improvements could be made.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2012 01:00:33 | More by jaasen64

legalpete19340

Virginia

3.93/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Poured a very dark brown with a solid one plus finger of light tan head that fell immediately to a thin skim. No lacing no coating. Next pour looked quite syrupy.

S: Quite sweet with amaretto and prunes. A hint of toast and then grape jelly.

T: Malt comes on strong out of the gate with burnt toast then quickly a barley wine like sweetness with prunes, grape jelly and raisins takes control. Faint alcohol and then big biscuit, amaretto and roasted nut and malt finish up with a bitter burnt toffee end.

M: Very big, foamy and makes me want to swish and chew a bit. Almost perfect.

O: Strange beer to me because it came across much sweeter than expected. The sweetness was interesting but I wanted more malt. Alcohol was well hidden well and I did enjoy drinking it. However, in a bar situation one pint probably would have been enough.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2012 00:57:34 | More by legalpete19340

Jammies

Illinois

3.78/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- pours a deep reddish brown with a generous amount of light brown foam

S- sweet and almost hoppy smell. slightly citrusy

T- a little bit hoppy and sweet with just a bit of hotness. Well balanced

M- light and smooth slightly hot on the finish

O- terrific. unusual style to be hoppy for a brown ale.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2012 16:57:30 | More by Jammies

spointon

Illinois

2.95/5  rDev -25.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

I poured this one from a 750ml crown capped brown bottle into a stemmed tulip glass.

A= Poured a deep brown color with a lot of haze/cloudiness (despite the fact that the bottle had been undisturbed in the fridge for a couple months). The head rose about 3/4" with an average pour. Lots of sheet lacing and stickage.

S= This is where I began to worry. The aroma was dominated by a lot of dry wood and wet paper bag notes. Also present were some light hints of nuts and chocolate.

T= Better than the aroma, especially as it warmed. Slight roast, toffee, and hints of chocolate up front. There was definitely some wood character coming through, though the species defied my ability to identify. That nagging wet paper flavor is in there too. Some firm hop bitterness midway, leading to a fairly dry finish.

MF= Medium bodied with a modest carbonation level. Creamy mouthfeel.

D= Not a bad beer, but the oxidized/wood/paper notes in the aroma and flavor were disappointing.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2012 06:55:58 | More by spointon

mdaschaf

Washington

3.98/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a very deep brown, almost black with a nice mocha colored head on top. Decent retention with spotty lacing.

S: The aroma is a combination of chocolate, toffee, and roasted nuts. There is a little bit of molasses and brown sugar too.

T: A surprising amount of chocolate up front, transitioning to some roasted nuts, caramel, molasses, and toffee.

M: Medium to full bodied for a brown ale, especially an English brown ale. Low carbonation gives it a smooth mouthfeel.

O: Liked this quite a bit. Loved the heavy chocolate aroma and flavors. On the heavier side for style, but makes up for it in terms of taste.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2012 04:28:26 | More by mdaschaf

tdm168

North Carolina

3.85/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to jtd1969 for bringing this back from Florida.

Pours a dark brown with a half an inch of thick, dense brown head that has great retention. The nose is faint caramel, but heavily musty. It's a little funky and reminds me a little of wet dog. The flavor is far better than the nose would lead you to believe. It's sweet caramel up front with a little bit of nuttiness followed by a rich, chocolaty finish. There are some faint coffee notes and a mild astringency in the finish as well. The medium, smooth body and mild carbonation make this very easy to drink.

This is a really solid beer. The flavor is excellent and complex. It loses some points because the nose wasn't particularly appetizing, but overall I really enjoyed it.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2012 16:09:26 | More by tdm168

n2185

North Carolina

4.1/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a dark brown with two fingers of tan head that recedes into a thick ring with some decent lacing.

S: Lots of sweet roasted characters here. Sweet chocolate and nougat aromas dominate with creamy vanilla and even a hint of caramel. The finish smells of dry cocoa. Nice.

T: Similar to the aroma, though with more roasted characters. Chocolate and nutty flavors dominate with some vanilla and cocoa mixed in. There are some hints of vanilla in there as well and the finish is slightly smoky with a roasty bitterness.

M: Medium body and carbonation, this beer is fairly creamy, though the carbonation is a bit frothy on the finish.

O: A pretty good beer, overall, though more like a stout than a brown ale. Still, it smells great and tastes good.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2012 18:23:26 | More by n2185

chilly460

Virginia

4.25/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Dark reddish brown color, with thick foamy beige head that slowly dissipates into a very nice even coating. Great looking beer.

S: Loads of caramel malts, some chocolate toffee and brown sugar.

T: Very sweet and malty, with very apparent malts, nuttiness, and brown sugar taste. Nice alcohol warming effect, but the alcohol bite is mellow. Hard to classify this as it's not really what I'd envision of a "double" brown, but either way it has a great taste.

M: Thick and sticky, almost too much so, could use a touch more carbonation actually.

O: Really enjoyed this one, just a flavor bomb, and nice warming effect along with it. I want to say it's like a good brown ale met a good strong ale.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2012 22:20:02 | More by chilly460

Phelps

Arizona

3.98/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Shared by whiterascal, poured into some Russian River stemware.

Deep burgundy with ruby highlights. One finger of dense, tan foam recedes quickly to a thin top layer, leaving horizontal trails of lace. Pretty dark for a brown ale.

Rich, sugary nose. Marzipan is the major flavor, then toffee, milk chocolate and peanuts.

The flavor is almost a perfect mirror of the aroma. Marzipan leads, though here it’s maybe a little more bitter and roasty. Toasted bread, peanut skins, some chocolate crumbles. Sweet.

Medium-light body, kind of sugary. Light, tingly electric carbonation. The 9 percent alcohol is fairly well hidden by the sweetness, but there are some fumes that come off.

This might be my first double brown ale, but Bolita seems to capture the idea of the style nicely. A bit sweet, but it shows off some decent brown flavors.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2011 18:38:28 | More by Phelps

raffy313

Texas

4.3/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750ml bottle poured into a SA perfect pint. This bottle label says "Bolita Double Brown Ale", and aquired through trade from alalvarez75, thanks AL.

A cloudy dark brown color, with 2 fingers worth of mocha/tan head. Good retension that leaves behind a fair amount of lacing.

Very strong nutty aromas. Some brown surgar, molasses sweetness, with hints of woody secondary aromas. Alcohol kicks in as it warms. Quite alot going on in the nose, actually.

Flavors are very similar to the aromas. They actually follow to a tee, so... *see above for taste descriptions.

Medium to full(somewhat creamy) body, with an appropriate amount of carbonation, making this a very drinkable beer.

Not a ton of experience with this style, especially the double/imperial version, but I'm really digging this one. Sam Smith was my fave English Brown... until some crazy brewery from FL decided to make a double version. YUM!

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2011 02:32:15 | More by raffy313

DarthKostrizer

California

4.22/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle shared with Alucard4

Look: Dark brown with a 1 inch tan head and good retention

Smell: Nuts alcohol a light woodiness and some caramel

Taste: Same as the nose. It starts out with a nice nutty woody character and then mid palate you get a touch of alcohol and then the beer finishes with some delicious coffee

Mouthfeel: Medium body and medium carbonation

Overall: This is one of the better brown ales on the mark. I don't think I would change anything about this beer

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2011 22:14:59 | More by DarthKostrizer