Maduro Oatmeal Brown Ale - Cigar City Brewing

Bosoxfan20

Missouri

3.74/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

A- Dark chocolate brown with a creamy tan head of about a 1/2 finger that doesn't stick around too long. Opaque with sparse lacing. I know browns aren't usually the most asthetically pleasing style, but nothing that really stands out to me here.

S- Caramel and roasted nuts with toasted grain up front. Touch of chocolate. Espresso kicks in late. Delightful nutty aroma.

T- Follows nose pretty well. Intense roasted walnuts and caramel gets things started. Chocolate, oats, and the slightest touch of earthy hops also make their way. Finish left a little something to be desired for my palate. But it had a nice richness to it.

M- A little thin, but not far off for the style. Smooth and fairly drinkable. Good session beer if you enjoy these flavors. Not bitter, but slightly dry.

O- My first from Cigar City. Unique, and certainly enjoyable. Almost like a light, thinner porter. I can see how this would pair well with desert and a cigar (if i were a cigar smoker). Very interesting and well put together nut brown.

Canned on 4/24/13
Consumed on 5/14/13

6 pk for $7.49

Serving type: can

05-16-2013 16:49:06 | More by Bosoxfan20

heygeebee

Australia

2.3/5  rDev -41.9%
look: 1 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 1 | overall: 1

From Warners

Hmmm, difficult to write a review of the worst gusher I have ever had, first time ever I have seen all head and no beer.

All in all a hybrid US/UK brown ale style, big and toffee driven, but when you can't actually get at the beer you are a supposed to be drinking and it takes a dozen pours to get the bottle into the glass, it's all irrelevant, isn't it?

Fail.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2013 08:44:57 | More by heygeebee

TheSixthRing

California

3.83/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Appearance - Pours a deep ruby brown with a light tan half finger head. Sub-par retention, leaving an island of microbubbles in the middle of the glass, and a ring around the edge. Spotty lacing with fair stick.

Smell - Chocolate and sugary sweetness; almost cola like. Touches of coffee.

Taste - Follows the nose. Powdered chocolate and sugared malt sweetness; more toffee than caramel. Moderate roasted nut character in the finish, with faint traces of mocha nipping well into the aftertaste.

Mouthfeel - Medium in body with moderate carbonation. Goes down smooth and easy, then finishes bone dry.

Overall - This is a really good brown. A little too dry for my taste, but the flavor is great. I suppose that comes with the territory of an EBA, though. In any event, it kicks the tail out of Newcastle.

Serving type: can

05-04-2013 02:49:18 | More by TheSixthRing

Jadjunk

Georgia

4.09/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

"Maduro Brown Ale is an all malt ale brewed in the Cigar City of Tampa. Maduro pairs well with hearty cuban foods such as Ropa Vieja and Boliche and it makes a fine accompaniment to a premium cigar." Bottle date is October 2011, and THREE is also printed on the label, perhaps a production number. Had a friend recommend I give this a year or so to age- this is the first beer from Cigar City that I've tried- looking forward to it.

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle to a snifter. Served north of 47º Fahrenheit.

(Appearance) An explosive pour yields a thick crispy chocolate cream head over a deep burgundy brown body with ample carbonation. Retention is quite nice- it takes quite some time and several repeated pours for this frothy beer to settle down without foaming over. The appearance is quite fantastic, indicative of a visually pleasing Brown ale. 4.5

(Smell) Aroma is sweet, roasty and creamy altogether. Medium roasted brown malts, creamy molasses, caramel and toffee build a complex, moist and sweet body. Hints of chocolate, coffee linger in the back. Bready, sweet malt character. A balancing bitterness comes from a nutty character. Very mild graininess doesn't upset the balance of this beer. Potency is medium+. 4

(Taste) Age has done quite fine by this beer. Upfront, sweet molasses malts, a pinch of smoke, some mild oaken tones, the sweetness is balanced by a matching grain character for a deep, complex malt body. The finish is accentuated by an earthy hop blend, perhaps tobacco leaf. Some mild booze is notable, but it doesn't distract much from the depth of this beer, only accentuating a mildly dry finish. This has quite an enjoyable and complex flavor for a Brown Ale. 4.25

(Mouthfeel) Buzzy carbonation. A subtle husky character and booze makes for a mild drying finish. Body is medium+ for the style and medium/heavy overall. Alcohol presence is mild/medium. For all the flavors this beer has, a slightly thicker body or creamier carbonation texture would push this over the edge. 3.5

(Overall) Wow- this was a great introduction to Cigar City for me. Even though it's over a year and a half old, this beer has maintained a great deal of complex malt character and depth, far more than most mainstream Brown Ales can dream to offer. The balance is quite nice, with a lot of specialty grain notes, caramel husk and semi-sweet chocolate building a strong body and a deep brown malt sweetness to pair. Possibly a good dessert beer choice or even a compliment to a cigar (I wouldn't know for certain), although I may think twice about waiting on it as long as I did, this may come off a bit cleaner given 6 months of age. Most certainly worth a try for those who haven't found a winner Brown Ale. 4

Cigar City Brewing's
Maduro Brown Ale
4.09/5.00

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2013 01:04:07 | More by Jadjunk

lacqueredmouse

Australia

3.6/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

330ml bottle purchased from Slowbeer in Melbourne.

Pours a dark, cloudy brown colour, with a massively frothy head of large-inconsistent beige. It's pillowy, cloud-like and is going to be a pain to chew through. Body is quite light, and a little insipid. Holds little to no carbonation. Overall, it looks a little bit unappealing.

Chocolate and roast, with dark fruits on the nose. Some dusky cocoa, peanut brittle and some organic, earthy notes, like rich, loamy soil. There's a whiff of coffee in there as well, but it's well behind everything else. Overall, though. It smells pretty nice.

Taste is light and a little spritzy on the entry: this bottle seems to be a little too carbonated, meaning the flavours have to develop after the attack of fizz on the front. Once they come through, they're rather pleasant: mild roast coffee, rounded husky nuttiness, and a touch of that loaminess mingling with a slight English hop bitterness on the back. It's a little tannic more than crisp with hops as it finishes.

Feel suffers substantially from the carbonation, which is very much too heavy.

Overall, this is decent enough, but too carbonated: I'll try it again some time in a smoother form, where I'm sure it will be rather pleasant.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2013 02:04:03 | More by lacqueredmouse

Jeffo

Netherlands

3.65/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

bring brought me this one from his side of the pond. That's not a typo. Cheers man! Enjoyed this one while bewing up my next hop monster, which is still in the fermenter.

From a can into a snifter.

APPEARANCE: Pours a one finger, medium looking, off-white head with decent retention. Chestnut brown with slightly lower levels of carbonation. Head fades to a splotchy wisp. A ring remains and leaves some small dots of lacing falling down the glass.

SMELL: Dark malts with dark bread notes, some cocoa powder and espresso. Touches of toffee in there and some oats play a role as well. Nice, but not quite as impressive as the flavor.

TASTE: More oats here for sure, with dark, bready malts and cocoa powder up front. Some caramel and toffee sweetness in the middle into the swallow, then a medium but persistent finish of dark bread, cocoa powder, some bitter espresso and touches of roastiness. Quite nice.

PALATE: Medium body and medium carbonation. Not quite as creamy as hoped, but goes down fine and finishes dry on the palate.

OVERALL: Nice beer for sure. I can see why it's a popular regular offering. It could be a touch creamier perhaps, especially for an oatmeal ale, but this is a flavorful and enjoyable brew. Love me some CCB. Cheers bring!

Serving type: can

04-26-2013 18:42:38 | More by Jeffo

Cavanaghty

Maine

3.83/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a can into a pint glass. Thank you to shan8454 for this brew in trade!

Appearance: Brown in color with about one finger of a biege head.

Smell: Nutty, with fruity banana like smell, sort of like a hefeweizen.

Mouthfeel/Taste: Smooth, medium bodied. Nutty up front that gives way quickly to a coffee flavor, which I was not expecting.

Overall: One of the better brown ales I have had. And it smelled like a hefeweizen and drank like a stout.

Serving type: can

04-13-2013 19:12:26 | More by Cavanaghty

tbeckett

Ontario (Canada)

4.03/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Can from Total Wine in Tampa. Canned March 20.

A - Pours a murky iced tea colour. One finger white head gone fast. Good carbonation. No lace, no retention. Murkiness is good, but no head is a fault.

S - Nutty, vanilla, toffee, a little dark fruit. A nice malty English brown aroma.

T - Chocolate, nuttiness, vanilla, toffee, caramel. A little woody. Nice.

M - Nice carbonation, light to medium body that leans towards the lighter end. Clean, slightly sweet finish.

O/D - Very much a well put together Brown Ale. Doesn't knock the ball out of the park, but it does what it intends to do very well. Highly drinkable and quite tasty.

Serving type: can

04-12-2013 21:06:50 | More by tbeckett

CloudStrife

New York

4.13/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Full pour into a CCB pint glass.

A: pours a quite dark opaque brown with a thin head (full pour) Some visible carbonation through the side of the glass. Light does penetrate.

S: Very roasty nutty aroma. Hazelnut and peanut. Also chocolate with a touch of vanilla.

T: As expected from the aroma this is a nutty brew. Great balance between roasted malts and nuts. A touch of chocolate in the background. Not much of a hopping.

M: Full body that comes across as very creamy perhaps thanks to the oatmeal. Has a clean finish.

Overall a real tasty beer with a great mouthfeel. Would be phenomenal to pair with a cigar.

Serving type: on-tap

04-06-2013 16:54:27 | More by CloudStrife

Rutager

British Columbia (Canada)

3.68/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Another big thank you to Coldsnack for this treat from Florida!

Appearance. Pours a deep and hazy amber-brown with almost a finger of khaki head.

Smell. Sweet caramel malts, coffee and vanilla with a little bit of sweet chocolate and molasses.

Taste. Sweet caramel malts again, a little coffee and cherry, roasted nuts and a bit of vanilla.

Mouthfeel. On the low side of medium bodied with medium carbonation.

Overall. For a style that isn't my fav, this is a pretty decent beer. Could see myself easily putting back a bunch of these around the campfire.

Serving type: can

04-05-2013 00:03:10 | More by Rutager

breakingbland

Michigan

3.88/5  rDev -2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Poured from a can into a pint glass. (Forgot to look for a date on the can.)

Appearance: Brownish-red, nearly opaque. The brownish head dissipated quickly. 

Aroma: Malty with espresso and chocolate. Initially, I detected a slight, odd detergent aroma, but it seemed to dissipate quickly and didn't interfere with enjoying this beer. (maybe it was my imagination...) 

Taste: Espresso and chocolate followed the aroma (but no detergent!). Only a faint hops presence as anticipated for this style.

Mouthfeel: This beer had a nice body -- a full feeling in the mouth. It had a pleasant level of carbonation with medium-sized bubbles. Espresso and chocolate intensify on the tongue if you let it linger.

Overall: I had heard that this was a beer to seek out while in FL. It definitely didn't disappoint! It was fun to drink and went well with food (a big burger @ Ford's Garage in Ft. Myers, FL). I will look for this again while in Florida.

Serving type: can

04-02-2013 00:25:04 | More by breakingbland

clayrock81

Virginia

3.84/5  rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Poured a brownish body with two finger offwhite head that stuck around and left some lace. Aroma hit several minor notes of caramel, bitter chocolate, toffee, coffee, some roasted malts, touchs of other sugar sweetness and a tad of grainy hops or breadiness (something akin to those) but nothing spectacular. Taste of the beer is more of the same. While it is medium bodied and easy to drink and has a drying sensation on the finish, there is nothing spectacular about the beer. There is a balance of sweet malts and dry, roasted malts as well as a touch of hops but I really can't say this beer is too sweet or has a peculiar dryness/breadiness/hopiness to it to classify it as something else. A good beer but one, that for me at least, is just slightly under par with some other, better, brown ales/oatmeal stouts (which I really didn't get any taste or feel of oats although it would explain the smoothness of the beer).

Serving type: on-tap

03-29-2013 18:41:18 | More by clayrock81

olfolxholme

California

3.71/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

12 oz bottle poured into Newcastle Geordie Schooner glass

A - Pours with a thin layer of head that dissipates quickly. A ring of bubbles lasts. Some lacing. Beer is a nice burnt copper color.

S - Wonderful aroma of vanilla and "cereal grain" malt character.

T - Very malt forward. Maybe a little on the husky side, but the darker malts push through. Heavy malt in the aftertaste. Some fruitiness, presumably from esters. A bit of a tanginess in the finish.

M - Nice and soft up front. Nice dryness in the aftertaste. Some oily coating, too. Enjoyable.

O - Glad I tried this. Thanks to hdelavega for this bottle. This is definitely more of a "malt" beer than I tend to prefer, but it still had great drinkability. Wouldn't be my go to beer, but I hope to have it again. I bet it would be GREAT with pub food and strong cheese. Oh man, is it lunchtime?

57

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2013 20:07:31 | More by olfolxholme

NoleDoc

Florida

4.35/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Had this beer on tap. Smooth finish. The chocolate and the roasted components are very well balanced. You can taste the oats in the after taste. The color is okay and had a decent "head" to it. Overall it's pretty good. Tastes great. So far Cigar City hasn't failed to impress.

Serving type: on-tap

03-20-2013 21:25:03 | More by NoleDoc

Swedgin_Wu

Florida

4.6/5  rDev +16.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

My first tangle with Cigar City, despite the fact it's given quite a name for itself especially in Florida.

12 oz can ( i guess they abandoned the bottle) into a Tulip Glass. Perhaps the best "canned" beer i've tried thus far

Appearance - Nice medium brown color, decent amount of head

Smell - Wonderful smell. Toffee, Caramel and some nut stand out. it's very inviting and matches the taste. I don't really sense an oatmeal presence despite the name

Taste- Much like the smell...A blend of toffee, nut and caramel. Maybe a little coffee. It's a very flavorful beer to the point you want to take just the right sized sip to savor the flavor. beautiful transition to the finish.

Mouthfeel - moderately carbonated but i tend to like beers with more than a little carbonation.

Overall - Excellent beer..perhaps a great dessert beer, but i can drink this on any occasion. It's not a session beer....but it's one of my favorite just to have as a standalone. Between this and the Rogue Hazelnut, i have been fully converted to loving Brown ales. the oatmeal aspect of it i did not really notice

Serving type: can

03-16-2013 09:14:44 | More by Swedgin_Wu

ExtraStout

Massachusetts

3.64/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Had this from a can poured into your standard draft pint.

A: creamy white 3/4 inch head on top of a cola like brown in color

S: smokey, oatmeal with tangy hops in the nose, with some sugar like malt, very nice.

T: sweet oatmeal malt, with a nice mild hop bite (25 IBU) and some hints of oak and smoked barrel flavors.

M: creamy but not heavy, smooth, but quits easy on you

d: easy to drink, while @ 5.5% ABV its on the higher end of ABV's for the style.

Serving type: can

03-11-2013 19:56:23 | More by ExtraStout

ADZA

Australia

3.56/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a dark sherry brown hue with a creamy one finger head and a rim of lacing,the smell is sherry,oak,chestnuts and a touch of chocolate,the mouthfeel is medium bodied with minimal carbonation and has tastes of chocolate,roasted nuts,tobacco,oak and finished with a toffee bittersweetness and overall it's easy to drink but could have a fuller feel cheers.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2013 11:50:42 | More by ADZA

kagent777

Utah

3.58/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.75

One from a six pack I purchased from Knightly's Spirits on OBT while on vacation in Florida last week. I poured this one into my perfect pint.

Appearance: A two finger thick sandy colored head cannot keep the pleasant mild smell contained. The color is nice and brown just like a good maduro should be, this also has some amazing red highlights.

Smell: Smell breaks through the head with notes of chocolate, lightly roasted malt, coffee, and a touch of alcohol. No strong hops to speak of.

Taste: The taste largely follows the smell. Overall, it seems quite mild. A hint of vanilla matches up against the chocolate. A very balanced beer. The finish seems very short.

Mouthfeel: The body is on the thinner side while the carbonation is middling.

Overall: I usually love cigar city, but I am not wowed by this one. The other cans in this sixer were all nice, but I am not getting as much flavor from this one. It is good flavor, but just really diminished.

Serving type: can

03-07-2013 04:45:14 | More by kagent777

RonfromJersey

New Jersey

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

The Lost Spring Break 2012 Beer Reviews-Chapter 6

Light tan head is densely bubbled, but breaks down to a film quickly. Dark brown ody with Coca-Cola highlights.

Aroma of roast coffee, cocoa, and oatmeal. Strong and inviting. Pleasing.

Taste follows nose. It's coffee, hen chocolate. Hops ride across the top with a solid bite at he swallow. Oatmeal at the finish.

Light mouthfeel, which is what keeps this a brown ale and not a hoppy porter.

A superior brown ale, recommended for both Florida vacations and home consumption.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2013 02:12:49 | More by RonfromJersey

sketchpunx

New York

4.33/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Poured into a snifter. Huge rocky head bellows up, tanish white in color with super compact bubbles. Massive lacing. The beer is solid dark barely translucent deep brown.
The smell has a bunch of Orval/Rayon Vert style belgian yeast to it up front, rather unexpected but really nice! Caramel and molasses follow on the nose.
The taste is really nice. Lots of belgian yeast with subtle coffee caramel and vanilla notes but nothing overly sweet here. really balanced with a dry smack of hops that aren't at all in the front, but enable this beer to finish smooth and dry. Honestly at 5.5% i could enjoy this big tasting beer all day!
The mouthfeel is maybe a bit thin, but overall really well carbonated to my liking. maybe slightly chalky. While not distracting from my enjoyment of this beer,the feel might be it's weakest aspect.
Overall i think this is a great outside the box Brown ale. I would drink this again in a second and seek it out.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2013 07:01:10 | More by sketchpunx

facundoCNB

New Jersey

3.91/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

a deep amber almost brown with 2 fingers of creme colored head leaving behind great amounts of sticky lacing. smells of delicious sweet chocolate, bread, grassy hops. a very chocolatey oriented flavor - toasted grains with a light coffee hint, grasy hops are there but subtle, very subtle sweetness. medium body with a slightly chalky feel, moderate carbonation. very creamy, thanks to the oats.

a really great brown ale.. it's hard to come by an impressive one, but this and ellie's brown ale by avery are my top 2 i think

Serving type: can

02-21-2013 21:58:06 | More by facundoCNB

themind

New Jersey

4.31/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Beer pours a very large head. Has a good aroma and good taste. The beers carbonation to me is a big plus, giving this brew a good mouth feel. This is the first Cigar City beer I have had and it does not disappoint. It is easy to see that Cigar City makes quality beer. I look forward to more variations of brew from them.

Bottom Line: I would buy this on a regular basis if it was available.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2013 23:44:52 | More by themind

draheim

Washington

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

12oz can (canned 10/18/12) into a tulip. Pours a hazy mahogany brown w/ a 1-finger head that leaves behind a thin film on the surface.

Aroma is bitter roasted malt, fresh donuts, bitter coffee, and chocolate. A little lighter than a porter but lots of good complexity. I'm going to let this warm up a bit.

Taste is roasty and bitter with caramel and toffee, maybe even some pipe tobacco. Has a smoky quality, some dried figs and dates in there too. Bitterness is tempered by a vaguely fruity sweetness.

Mouthfeel is light but not quite watery, finishes bitter. About right for the style.

Overall a good, robust brown ale. Flavorful enough to satisfy, light and clean enough to refresh.

Serving type: can

01-30-2013 01:51:41 | More by draheim

ThisWangsChung

Maryland

3.78/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Thanks to Momar42 for the can! 12 oz can poured into a Duvel tulip.

A: Pours a hazy dark burgundy color. The head is a gorgeously textured one finger offwhite color - shame it fades so quickly. It leaves a modicum of lacing on the glass.

S: There's a dark fruit note to it that sets it apart from the more dry/bitter browns out there. Concentration of the aromatic senses will yield some light chocolate, hazelnut, and unroasted coffee, as well.

T: This could almost pass for a porter at times. There's an initial flavor of coffee (this time taking more of a roasted quality than in the nose) and oats, before transitioning to caramel, chocolate, and hazelnut on the midtaste and finish. After it warms up slightly, I notice a slight twinge of earthy hops. Rather simple in its flavor profile, but what's here works very well.

M: Not fully creamy, likely due to the strong carbonation. The latter quality gives the beer a light and airy dryness to counteract the smooth, syrupy finish. Very wet on the aforementioned finish and aftertaste otherwise. Perhaps not as easy to drink as it could be, though - the sweetness gets to be a bit much at times.

O: Cigar City could have called this an oatmeal porter and I wouldn't have batted an eyelash. That's a compliment. It's a bit too sweet to be a quick drinker, but it's richness belies its 5.5% ABV. Would make a great dessert beer.

Serving type: can

01-29-2013 23:53:02 | More by ThisWangsChung

ArrogantB

Colorado

3.4/5  rDev -14.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

12oz bottle thanks to CruisaC, thanks man. Soft brown color with a quickly disappating head. Aroma is ok, mostly malt and a touch of sugar. Flavor is about the same. Decent beer but nothing I'd go seeking out a second time. Still, I was thankful to get the opportunity to tick this.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2013 05:12:40 | More by ArrogantB