Maduro Oatmeal Brown Ale - Cigar City Brewing

Brad007

Vermont

3.63/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

First I've seen of Cigar City in my corner of VT. This is only available at one location and that's a health food store.

Pours a cloudy reddish brown with a thin head. Not as brown as I hoped it would be but it's close as it is.

Caramel, toffee and a touch of cocoa are apparent in the nose of this ale. It certainly does more complex than a standard brown ale.

Tastes like a porter with the mouthfeel of a brown ale. Sweet and toasty with a very nice roasted coffee/cocoa note in the middle. Caramel. Toffee. It doesn't lay anything on too thick.

Lots of balance and interplay between flavors. The mouthfeel is sort of thin though.

Very tasty and well worth what I paid for the 6 pack.

Serving type: can

01-22-2013 06:35:57 | More by Brad007

spinrsx

Ontario (Canada)

3.51/5  rDev -11.4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

12oz can from Total Wine Tampa FL for 2$

Appearance - Hazy brown colour with a small size fizzy beige head. I can't make out the amount of carbonation showing and there is some fair lacing. The head lasted for only 2-3 minutes before it was gone.

Smell - Malts, nuts, chocolate

Taste & Mouth - There is a below average amount of carbonation and I can taste malts, chocolate, and some light coffee. There is a bit of a nuttiness and the beer ends with a malty and chocolatey aftertaste.

Overall - Mouthfeel isn't great, but it has a taste that keeps it interesting throughout the glass. Worth a try but probably not a repeat purchase for me with some many other great beers out there.

Serving type: can

01-17-2013 01:39:42 | More by spinrsx

BrownAleMale

Wisconsin

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

12oz can poured into a Sprecher snifter glass

Appearance- A very murky brown with a finger of light kahki head that dissipates into a thin surface layer and leaves some minimal lacing.

Smell- Some carmel, a little bit of nuttiness and a citrusy hop smell that is pretty predominant.

Taste- Front and middle of the tounge is a nutty flavor that then transitions into a long cloying citrus rind finish.

Mouthfeel- Nice chewy mouthfeel that still has loads of carbonation to balance and make it pretty easy drinking.

Overall- A little more hopped then Im used to, but had a pretty good balance in both flavor and mouthfeel.

Serving type: can

01-05-2013 17:41:10 | More by BrownAleMale

jrenihan

Ontario (Canada)

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

Canned November 28, 2012.

Beer is very dark brown, almost appears black on certain angles. Small off-white head disappears immediately.

Aroma contains vanilla, brown sugar, toffee and caramel. A bit nutty and sweet,

Taste contains caramel, toffee and vanilla. Milk chocolate and some slightly roasted nuts. A bit sweet. Tastes like a better version of Newcastle Brown - not wildly different, just improved.

Medium to light bodied, moderate carbonation. A bit chewy,

Overall, good. Nice rendition of the style. Not a thrilling beer, but flavourful and something that you could readily drink quite a lot of.

Serving type: can

01-05-2013 04:43:06 | More by jrenihan

Arithmeticus

Maryland

2.6/5  rDev -34.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Poured chilled in straight-edged ale glass

A: dark cola colored; very well carbonated; medium-sized head, mixed sizes of bubbles
S: brown-ale aroma; bit of root beer aroma
T: sweet; low on hops; tinny flavor; oatmeal is not really all that present
M: a bit thin-bodied

A bit disappointing for a brown ale

Serving type: can

01-04-2013 04:36:53 | More by Arithmeticus

BEERchitect

Kentucky

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

With the strong Tampa influence, Cigar City continues to brew contemporary-style ales but with a twist and a turn that harks to the culture of high quality and fresh tobacco. Maduro Brown Ale brings about the smooth earthy taste of well matured soft cigars with fragrant chocolate and toast and a super smooth texture.

Dark brown in color and with a light and fluffy head, the beer carries a very stout-like color, but has the viscosity and head character of something lighter. A fantastic long lasting ivory froth consists of loosely knit bubbles and endures the session well. Styrofoam lacing blankets the glass as the beer fades.

Aromas of toast and walnuts kick things off, but they do so with stern whiffs of dark chocolate, heavy toasted grain, burnt toffee, and a light blackberry-like twang. Where the brown ale doesn't seem as nutty or sweet as most English-style browns, it seems to favor a toastier and stronger American-type of version.

The char of heavily toasted breads lead right into the flavors. French roast coffee flavors stop just shy of espresso and allow a nuttier taste of strong walnuts and bittersweet chocolate to temper the dry almost-roast flavor. Its toffee flavors are also scorches as are the dry grain flavors that attempt to give richness to the taste. The light berry fruit notes are more subtle than the aromas suggest and hide deep behind the coffee bean taste.

The beer's remarkable dryness is evident early on as the strong carbonation carries the malts off into a finish even before the taste is completely understood. Its Belgian-like sprite exacerbates the texture of dryness and gives even more life to the toasty-roasty mouthfeel. Never ashy or astringent, the beer closes with medium warmth, soft powder, and fast fleeting malt richness.

Maduro Brown Ale is a surprisingly dry and effervescent dark ale that's focused in its toasty taste, aroma, and texture. Delicious and effortless on the palate- ideal for nutty parmesean slices or softer earthen cigars.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2012 05:44:35 | More by BEERchitect

Immortale25

Florida

3.7/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Poured into a Dogfish pint glass. No freshness date.

A- Pours a see-through brown color with a 1/2 inch light tan head that retains a bit before becoming a thick ring around the edge of the glass and a mostly full sheet of surface foam. Light, spotty lacing.

S- Roasty chocolate, caramel and brown sugar. Kind of smells like a sugar daddy or Werther's tastes. Some faint vanilla and mocha.

T- Smooth and toasty with some mild hop bitterness. Not as sweet of a flavor as the aroma implies. Alcohol is extremely subdued. More subtle notes of chocolate and caramel. Semi-stale aftertaste.

M- Slick, borderline creamy with medium carbonation and a medium-full body.

O- Definitely not one of my favorites by CCB but it's, at least, a nice and sessionable brown ale.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2012 02:57:27 | More by Immortale25

birchstick

Missouri

4.05/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - pours a mahogany brown color with a nice white head on it

S - chocolaty macchiato with a bit of pecan nuttiness ascend from the glass into the nasal cavities

T - starts off with brown sugar sweetness with underlying tones of milk chocolate. These move on to more a nutty, roasted pecan slickness. A little bit of chocolate flavors sneak up on the back end, but the nuttiness and subtle roasted coffee notes see the rest of this beer through the palate.

M - full, slick, smooth - nice

D - overall this is a really nice brown ale from Cigar City. It has nice complexity and a really nice interplay between the different flavors. I would love to try some of the other variations of this beer, but just being able to try this base version makes me happy enough.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2012 22:54:26 | More by birchstick

williamjbauer

West Virginia

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

Bottled served in a pint glass, this is a pretty brown, clear, with red light throughout and 1 finger tan head with good retention, fluffy. Nice roasted malts on the nose, taste is sweet caramel and toffee malts on the front palate with espresso, tobacco, earthy hops on the middle, and very toasted peanuts or burnt bread at the back end. Moderate body, mod-low carbonation a bit thin/wet mouthfeel. A fantastic brown, has great drink-ability.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2012 20:49:02 | More by williamjbauer

starrdogg

District of Columbia

3.85/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Beer pours a dark reddish-brown with a thin off-white head. Smell is not quite what I'd expect from a brown ale, it's got that sweet caramel malt presence, but also a good amount of dark fruit like a Belgian dark ale, but not quite as well-integrated. Flavor incorporates that fruitiness from the aroma in a mellow way and combines it with some nuttiness and roasted malt - it's unique and fairly easy to drink. It's sweeter and less bitter than most brown ales. Mouthfeel is thin-medium bodied with nice carbonation, but a little too thin for the sytle. Overall, this is an interesting take on a brown ale that works fairly well. It's not a great beer, but it's certainly a good one.

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2012 05:36:06 | More by starrdogg

Beerenauslese

California

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

Light brown body, tan head dissipates quickly to a film and ring. Not much lacing.

Smells of roast nuts, coffee, and toffee.

Tastes nutty, with hints of coffee and toffee. Not too hoppy with a little hop bitterness in the quite dry finish that complements the other flavors.

Light in body and carbonation, quickly goes flat.

A good tasting brown beer with a nutty flavor, nicely hopped, and fairly low ABV. Decent beer for drinking and enjoying with food, but not highly remarkable.

Serving type: can

11-21-2012 02:16:48 | More by Beerenauslese

GregSVT

Texas

3.9/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

12oz can into a tulip

A: Pours brown with a nice off-white head that fades to a ring and leaves a bit of lacing on the glass.

S: The nose is sweeter than I expected with notes of vanilla, raisins, cocoa, and chocolate malt.

T: The taste is much like the nose with good flavors of chocolate malt, raisins, and a touch of vanilla on the finish. Sweet but not overly so and the roasted malt adds a touch of bitterness to keep it from being cloying.

M: The feel is par for the style...light-medium bodied with good carbonation. Although my can didn't say anything about Oatmeal I expected a bit more body on this one.

O: Typical run of the mill Brown Ale...maybe a bit sweeter than others. Not sure I'd go out of my way to get this one but I was glad to have tried it.

Serving type: can

11-17-2012 07:00:06 | More by GregSVT

Lawl3ss

Texas

4.33/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Lightly chilled 12 oz. bottle into a shaker pint. No visible bottling date.

Look- Crystal clear deep red-brown with a finger of dense off-white head that settles fairly quickly. Sparse lacing.

Smell- Vanilla, woody, toasted biscuit, caramel, almost roasty. Light sweetness. Fresh-baked sourdough aroma adds something of an edge.

Taste- Lightly browned toast with chocolate-laced hazelnut spread. Vanilla, again a slightly woody feel. Mild dry leaf tea, balanced bitterness. Pretty clean finish, lingering whole-grain toast. I'm not generally a brown fan, but that's excellent.

Mouthfeel- Full for the style, silky on the swallow. Soft carbonation. An easy drinker, and not one I'd get bored of.

Overall- It's nice to see someone take a basic style and knock it out of the park. I don't typically seek out browns, but I will after stumbling upon this one. Absolutely worth seeking out.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2012 07:36:08 | More by Lawl3ss

SkeeterBoganski

Colorado

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

Poured from a can in to a pint.

A - solid brown in the middle, lighter brown towards the top and bottom of the pint (b/c of light and reflecting light); 1/4 inch head; nice yet dissipating lacing

S - cocoa; oaty; milky; really nutty; some subtle caramel of toffee

T - roasted malt up front; milk chocolate; cocoa up front and on the back; the roasted maltiness shines through; there's some subtly sweet oatmeal here; some mild and subtle hop aroma

M - this beer is creamy and pleasantly carbonated; mild body despite a full flavor; well-balanced; hardly any notion of alcohol; nutty smoothness

O - technically not sessionable at 5.5, this is still the kind of brown ale you could drink all night; there profile is solid...slightly sweet, delicious on the front end and the back, lots of roasted nutty goodness. Great brown ale offering up there with Avery's Ellies for any everyday beer.

Serving type: can

11-12-2012 00:09:35 | More by SkeeterBoganski

StJamesGate

New York

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

Rock solid lumpy whipped cream sepia head over disappoint dark amber with cherry highlights. Could be an IPA by the color.
Irish brown soda loaf, cherry stones and some toast on the nose but also acid sourness and, oddly, soap.
Cocoa powder, more brown bread and a coffee bean oiliness and a hint of tobacco leaf, then earthy but mild hops.
Carob finish and sour leafy linger. Medium edging towards light, tingly, some chew, a bit thin.

Dated March 2012 - are the hops gone after 6 months? Very much more on the English side of things – no citrus here and some interesting complexity. But too fizzy and a bit too… bitey.

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2012 23:42:51 | More by StJamesGate

yamar68

Minnesota

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

Pours like a glass of good root beer... cola brown body with some lively beading, dense khaki head that laces well.

Loads of tasty breakfast notes... oats, milk chocolate, cereal, fresh cream, actually a bit of 'root beer' aroma as well.

Excellent mouthfeel is the first thing I notice... big nutty smoothness... some latte type notes, none of that uniquely brown ale "hard water" presence. Super smooth and super easy drinking.

Thanks Matt!

Serving type: can

10-30-2012 23:58:11 | More by yamar68

ckollias

Maryland

4.33/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Enjoyed this 12oz bottle out of a large snifter glass.

A: Pours an opaque brown hue with a 1-finger, off-white, fizzy head that quickly dissipates down the side of the glass leaving a decent trail and solid persistent lace.

S: Toasted malt aroma with hints of coffee and caramel.

T: Slightly sweet and tart flavor. Big toasted malt taste – with some mild chocolate, coffee, and caramel hints.

M: Medium body and medium carbonation.

O: Excellent brown ale – great balanced brew.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2012 00:49:23 | More by ckollias

barleywinefiend

Washington

2.45/5  rDev -38.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2

A: Poured brown with good carbonation leaving a nice off white/beige cap, with a 1/4 head leaving some bubbles and light lacing

S: A little on the mute side. Your typical toffee, caramel but that's about all folks.

T: Immediate toffee and light caramel sweetness with an odd and flat taste that starts after immediate taste and then finishes sordove blah..not much flavor, sordove muddy. There was an odd issue with this beer. See Mouthfeel. The finish was dry, light bitterness.

M: Sordove thin, perhaps a tad bit overbarbonated and this beer was leaving a gassy, bubbly type feel on the palate, like the beer was young or had some fermentation issues.

O: I did not finish this beer, five sips and I was done. Pass.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2012 15:38:52 | More by barleywinefiend

chanokokoro

Illinois

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

12 oz. bottle poured into a Cigar City Brewing shaker pint glass

Pours a deep darker brown amber topped with a two finger cream colored head. Biscuity and nutty on the nose. Opens with toffee, caramel, light chocolate maltiness, hints of espresso and biscuity yeast, and finishes with roasted nuts including hints of cashew, peanuts, and almond. Medium body, smooth, and a pleasant level of gentle carbonation. One of the better American brewed English Brown Ales. I had the pleasure of enjoying.

Serving type: bottle

10-05-2012 18:47:10 | More by chanokokoro

Baguio

4.2/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Served: bottle in Guinness style glass.
Nice Brown appearance with a splash of Red.
Smell is good dark chocolate with a touch of crunchy toffee and smokiness.
Taste: nice and complex with chocolate, toffee, hop and a linger of smoke.
Mouthfeel is good but perhaps a little thin for the taste.
Overall great from the bottle, I suspect Outstanding on draft the odd (in a good way) smokiness makes me crave a cigar, although I don't smoke cigars.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2012 19:53:57 | More by Baguio

macrosmatic

Florida

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

Reviewed from notes. Poured from 12 oz. bottle into a CCB pint glass.

A: Moderately dark burnished brown in color. I believe this is relatively clear but very dark and doesn't let much light through. Forms only a thin brown head despite an aggressive pour, and lacing is decent throughout the drink.

S: Some roasted malt, some sweetness, but also a flat cardboard aroma. Potentially from oxidation, but the beer is only about five months old.

T: Brown roasty malt, a bit of hoppy bitterness, and a bit of coffee.

M: Thin body, medium carbonation, no alcohol presence to speak of.

O: It's OK, but really doesn't do a lot for me. I wouldn't hesitate to order one if my options were limited at a bar, but I don't think I would seek it out. Not my favorite CCB brew.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2012 23:01:44 | More by macrosmatic

deadonhisfeet

Kentucky

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

Obtained via trade from Mposha. Poured from a bottle into a Newcastle signature glass. The beer pours out a dark, fairly clear brown color with some orange highlights. The head is small and dissipates rather quickly, leaving a thin layer of lacing along the surface. The nose is mild and nutty, with notes of biscuits and toasted malt.

The beer has a nice firm mouthfeel, almost creamy, and a good medium to full body. According to Cigar City's website, this is ``a Northern English-style brown ale with some American affectations'', and they are not lying. The sweet toffee-like character of the toasted malt one expects on the front of the palate is immediately joined by a balancing, yet rather pronounced (for a brown ale) hop character, leaving one of the drier finishes I have encountered in a brown ale. The hop flavors, while not at all intense, are a bit overdone in my opinion. The lemony note they lend to the finish interferes with the complexity of the malt. Then again, this is a Northern English-style brown ale.

Overall, this is a very nice brown ale. I don't think it shows the malt complexity of the best Northern English brown ales (for example, Samuel Smith's Nut Brown), but the hop character must certainly appeal to a lot of American drinkers.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2012 18:12:44 | More by deadonhisfeet

socon67

New York

3.68/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - Brown pour with a tan colored foam. Decent lacing.

S - Smell of coffee, almonds, and roasted malt. Has a slight smell of fresh wood.

T - Tastes of hazelnuts, coffee, and english toffee. Flavor mellows with an earthy taste. Mellowed malt profile on the finish.

M - Well balanced english ale with a nice contrast of toasted malt and coffee bitterness.

O - Having had this after the Cubano Espresso I probably didn't appreciate this guy as much. A nice soft drinking brown ale that pairs well with a good burger.

Serving type: cask

09-15-2012 03:31:20 | More by socon67

rfbenavi80

Missouri

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

Thanks to miamimichael2 for the trade.
Bottle poured into a Nonic pint.

A- Pours a nice nutty brown color with 2 fingers of foamy tan to almost light brown colored head that leaves mild lacing on the glass.

S- Nice and toasty smelling. Hint's of chocolate and coffee, but just barely. Sweet toffee and caramel. Nutty, toasty malts.

T- Follows nose well. Lot's of toasty malts, sweet toffee and caramel, but not overly sweet though. Slight metallic taste. Some earthy flavored hops on the finish. Leaves a light roasted coffee aftertaste. Pretty taste brown ale.

M- Solid medium body, not overly carbonated at all. Seems spot on for style.

O- I enjoyed this one. Wish their beers were available where I live.

Serving type: bottle

09-14-2012 10:03:29 | More by rfbenavi80

stephenjmoore

Maryland

4/5  rDev +1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Huge thanks to Zappbranagan for the extra!!

A- A cloudy, murky medium brown body with a thin bubbly tan head.

S- Sweet toasted malt, a dash of piney hops, hazelnut, oats, sugary bread.

T- Nice sweet hazelnut brown ale taste in the beginning, with a malty body that has a bread/oat taste.

M- Pretty smooth, medium bodied, perfect carbonation.

O- Very solid brown ale, not too sweet, but great flavor.

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2012 23:09:10 | More by stephenjmoore