Jai Alai IPA - Cedar Aged (Humidor Series) - Cigar City Brewing

johnnnniee

New Hampshire

3.43/5  rDev -15.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clear golden color with a decent sized white head that slowly fades to a ring around the top of my glass. Smells like that old chest at the end of your grandmothers bed. Earthy and woody with a hint of patchouli. There's some citrus in there as well, and maybe some malt, but the cedar is such a powerful aroma its hard to find anything else. It tastes just like it smells. Cedar and citrus with a hint of pepper and malt splashed in for good measure. I'm not sure if I'm imagining this, but after each sip my pallet seems awash with the flavor of cannabis. Medium body with a moderate level of carbonation and a sweet bubbly mouthfeel. The cedar flavor and aroma is quite strong here and the first few sips were rough until my taste buds finally cried uncle. This is not something I would drink often, but I applaud the result.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2012 01:52:51 | More by johnnnniee

bigfnjoe

Pennsylvania

3.43/5  rDev -15.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle into a Victory tulip

A- pours a cloudy shade of orange with a one finger slightly offwhite head. A decent bit of sediment in this one. Huh.

S- the cedar is the primary aroma, with some sweet fruit creeping through as well

T- slight bitterness, decent smoky wood flavor, mild sweetness. It's ok

M- body is actually relatively thick

O- not a huge fan. I know this is one of CCB's staples, but I'm not in love with it

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2012 15:19:54 | More by bigfnjoe

jf60657

Florida

3.4/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

Drank @ work off a cask.

Poured a cloudy yellow with a nice thick head into a standard 4oz tasting glass. Pretty murky for an IPA but thats not a problem. Head was about finger thick and receded quickly.

Nose was of fresh grapefruit and just a tiny bit of wood. I also got some sugary tones like melted watermelon jolly ranchers. If you take the wood out it smelled like every other big, citrusy IPA I've had as of late. There was a slight peaty smell as well.

Tasted it and BANG, HOPS! Pretty much a hoppy grapefruit spritzer mixed with a picket fence. I wanted the candy tones I smelled to come in and rescue this beer but it did not happen. Unbalanced and a little confused, this beer was interesting but by no means great. After a few sips it turned into a yawner. Hops, hops, hops. Yeah, I get it.

Mouthfeel was viscous and warm. A little oily and chewy.

I had 8 oz's of this and I was set. Did not want more

Serving type: cask

05-29-2010 19:39:26 | More by jf60657

beagle75

Iowa

3.4/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 750 ml bottle into a tulip glass.

A: Slightly hazy, medium amber color with one finger of diminishing white foam head. Light lacing remains on the glass.

S: A sharp-edged combination carbon dioxide and fresh-cut wood largely masks the presence of malt. Esters are also present, providing a suggestion of sweetness and becoming more pronounced as the beer warms.

T: Begins nearly dry, with volatile wood and robust toasted malt, with a lively coppery taste just under the surface. Carbonic acid soon surges to an aggressive level and stays there, tapering off well into the finish. Hop aromatics are earthy and spicy early, then developing a faint dark citrus quality as the middle elapses. Grainy toasted malt becomes resurgent in the middle, where estery fruit and black pepper may also play a small role. The finish sees the various flavor threads approaching the end like runners whose endurance is flagging--diminished by their journey, but still in it. The cedar, nuanced even at the beginning when it was at its strongest, is relatively unrepresented here, although it may be responsible for the mellowing effect had over the bitterness, which stays mild but with a medicinal quality.

M: Thin to medium viscosity, acidity builds on the palate to the point of distraction, with brisk carbonation.

D/O: Complexity is a quality that cannot usually be attributed to the function of any single ingredient, and neither is it something that is always desired in a beer. Here complexity reigns, and it is probably this beer's best quality. While it struggles with some acidity issues, it produces some very intense and resonant flavors that are challenging to put into words. It is definitely not a typical IPA-drinking experience, and that is irrespective of coasts. This is eminently sippable, with the ability to hold its own against tripels and strong ales.

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2011 02:16:44 | More by beagle75

BDLbrewster

Minnesota

3.38/5  rDev -17%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

First off thanks a ton for this goodie, my best to all who participated in the Football and Beer BIF.

Pours a very hazy ripe grain hued orange amber with a large frothy, sticky head. Large bubbles and tons of sticky lacing wrap up this category.

I don't get the huge amounts of cedar that a lot of the other reviews highlight in the smell. Mildly powerful pine resin is my first thought, oh wait. The more I sniff the more wood I get. Ha Ha. Sweet almost fruity malts make up a huge proportion of the odor as well along with a faint spice. Other than that not a whole lot going on here.

The cedar is epic in the flavor, it seems to drag down the plethora of other things going on in here. The spicy, piney hops put up one hell of a fight but ultimately fail in breaking through the woody forefront. The malty backbone is sturdy enough here and releases flavors resembling toffee and earthy grains. I would enjoy this a lot more without the heavy wood taste.

The mouthfeel is good, feels naturally carbonated in your mouth. Very large bubbles and not at all syrupy. This is the best part of this brew so far.

Overall, this beer really makes me want to try the non-cedar aged. I bet it is amazing. This brew is a knockout, but I just don't think that cedar aging is necessarily the best compliment to an already amazing IPA.

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2009 01:06:31 | More by BDLbrewster

Dreadnaught33

District of Columbia

3.38/5  rDev -17%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Overall, I'm not sure the Cedar really works with this as it's so much cedar and grapefruit all around, but this grew on me as I drank it. Opened this last night with friends thanks to aepb1 for this as an extra in a recent trade.

A: Dark orange with gold highlights, this beer has a nice bubbly ring of white head with good retention and ok lacing.

S: For me, I think the cedar just makes this smell almost like fresh grapefruit juice and grapefruit rinds, but not in a hop way, in the pure bitter fruit way. Lots of cedar pulp, with some smoked malts in there as well. Kind of a weak aroma in terms of how much springs from the glass to me and friends drinking it, definitely unique.

T: Bigger palate and complexity here, again with an abundance of grapefruit pulp and rinds and sweet savory spicy cedar notes, both of those certainly dominating the flavor. Nice citrus and tropical fruit hops behind the grapefruit though and the woodsy smoked malt notes are pleasant. Seems dry and tobaccoish in ways, I can see how this would be good with a cigar as the label states.

M: Very biting grapefruit, it's a little astringent. Smoky charred feel somehow without the RIS like malt or porter char. Bitter finish. Ok.

Overall this is an interesting beer but not one I would ever buy myself, as it seems like a beer to only have with a cigar, by itself it is kind of bizarre and a little off-putting.

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2011 13:43:16 | More by Dreadnaught33

khiasmus

South Carolina

3.35/5  rDev -17.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

"I'm kind of a big deal, my library smells of rich mahogany..."
So it is with Cigar City, a big deal, small batches, cedar-aged IPAs(really?), the hype monster. So here's the first try at it, sitting in the library of rich mahogany with a puro and a CS Lewis book for good measure.
"I say, what a bit of alright! What of it, chaps?"
"Blimey! White pepper! Bakery-rolls and all, what with a bit of grapefruit to boot!"
"Lightly cloudy and little head, but what of a chance at rain? Heh heh..."
"Crikey! Here, lads, is a load of hops. A bloody monstrous bitter too, I say..."
"Well, after I dropped a bomb on this, I did expect to be gobsmacked, while this is a bit of a disappointment."
"Well I think it's bleeding ace."
"Write your own bloody review then."
"Stonking hopping, bitterness, and lemon-sour, then just a bit of white bread, cedar..."
"I think they made a blatant dog's dinner. What of all the chemical bits?"
"Well, horses for courses, I suppose."
"Low carbonation, watery, astringent, ill-balanced, bitter and spicy. I find little to enjoy in this."
"Well, there's little sense in waffling on and on... I'm a bit squiffy anyway."
"It was a fine piss up. Ta."
"Cheers mate."

Serving type: bottle

09-14-2009 15:40:08 | More by khiasmus

TheSevenDuffs

Ontario (Canada)

3.28/5  rDev -19.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Bottle purchased from Lueken's Liquors on-line. Date on label was JUN2012. It appears that this is well past its prime which is disappointing.

A -Poured a cloudy medium orange/amber colour with two fingers of bubbly white head with some great lacing.

S - Cigar smoke up front - the Spanish cedar really comes through. Sweet caramel and a light citrus aroma round out the nose. The hops are barely noticeable.

T - Follows the nose. The Spanish cedar really shines, creating a cigar-smoke like palate that is definitely the predominant flavour. The hop presence is barely noticeable, likely the result of this bottle not being very fresh. Sweet caramel malts and some muted pine notes round our the palate. Somewhat one dimensional.

M - Medium body with a good chew. Light carbonation.

O - Past its prime and one dimensional but interesting nonetheless.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2011 02:26:52 | More by TheSevenDuffs

beertunes

Washington

3.28/5  rDev -19.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Received in a trade with NYBrews a couple moths ago, this one got lost in the back of the fridge until now. Poured into 16oz nonic. Poured over 4 inches of head on the initial pour, less than 1/8 inch of beer at the bottom. This problem would continue throughout the bottle. When there was finally enough beer to look at, the beer was a slightly hazy, very attractive orange-gold color.

The aroma was good, some malts showing through the citrusy hops. The flavors were also good, those same citrus hops on a nice malt base. Maybe I tasted a bit of cedar, or perhaps it was the power of suggestion.

The body was good, full, sharp and dry, but the finish was a bit harshly bitter. Drinkability was good, but is losing a half-point because I ended up drinking as much head as I did beer. Overall a pretty nice brew, almost a must try. You should give it a shot if you see it, and it's probably worth setting up a trade for.

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2012 22:30:46 | More by beertunes

jsanford

Georgia

3.25/5  rDev -20.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

A - Pours a cloudy orange-amber with a fluffy, khaki-colored head. Nice retention, leaves sticky, sudsy lacing.
S - Sweet caramel malt, pineapple, orange and cedar wood. Very cool to smell the cedar, it's obviously not the most common of beer ingredients.
T - Very close to the nose, mostly caramel, pineapple and orange peel with a pleasantly bitter finish. Again, the cedar is there, but it's nicely balanced. I feel like too much wood presence would really detract from this beer.
M - Medium-heavy body with a sticky mouthfeel and crisp, moderate carbonation.
D - It's good, but a bit sweeter then I'd like. May be tough to drink the bottle by myself.

I thin I'm gonna give up on Cigar City IPAs, just not my thing.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2011 00:18:37 | More by jsanford

laituegonflable

Australia

3.23/5  rDev -20.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours a red-tinged deep amber colour with lovely beige head that webs out into sparse patterns, retaining a great crown of small but visible bubbles. Bit of cloud in the body. Looks great.

Smell is very funky and spicy. Not a huge whiff of rank though, rather there's some fresh floral notes on there but largely an earthy blend of aniseed, lavender and a touch of chicken batter. Intriguing, could really be more complex, it's all a bit one-note.

Taste is quite dour; gravelly and spicy with a mostly earthy palate. Starts bitter with soil notes, gets some organic spice midway with steamed bok choy, fennel and black pepper. Slight fruity bitterness on the back reminiscent of late-addition hops, but not a lot. The cedar just subjugates the palate and it's quite astringent and unpleasantly spicy. It really needs toning down, I can't say I'm a big fan.

Not bad feel, goes down quite smooth but a bit empty as it goes through the mouth.

Not an everyday drinker; it's too bold and yet doesn't clean itself up by the end of the palate.

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2011 04:21:38 | More by laituegonflable

cpetrone84

Pennsylvania

3.23/5  rDev -20.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Re-review November 14th 2011

Pours a deep slightly hazed copper orange with a full off white head with medium to large bubbles. The nose has a fair bit of lemon and orange peel with a slight phenolic twang behind a strong sweet sugary malt. The cedar may be playing in there blending with the citric flavors. The flavor is very similar, still a slightly off twang, lots of sweet malts and overly sugary, strong citric orange peel and lemon, touch of sweet wood with some tinges of booze and and strong hop bitterness. The feel is full bodied and a touch creamy mixed with grainy. Light carbonation and a bit of a muddled semi dry finish.

***
Huge extra from HeyOhh, amazing trader!

A-pours a hazy orange amber color with bubbles running up the side of the glass. The head is two or three full fingers of a slightly off white head that is fulffy and creamy. The retention is huge as it doesn't want to leave at all. The lace is thick and velvety covering the whole glass without let up.

S-the nose is quite big with cedar right up front and hints of vanilla underneath. Hops lie behind and have a solid presence. Herbal and floral hops are strongest with touches of pine needles

T-the taste follows the nose only bigger. The woody cedar is right up front with just a touch of vanilla. Hops take over with a strong herbal tea like presence, hints of floral hops with some tangerine in the back. Fresh pine needles in the finish as he bittering is light but present as well

M-medium body with a lightly syrupy texture and somewhat sandy on the palate. The carbontion is strong with a crisp bite at the finish.

D-this is a great IPA, the cedar has enhanced the piney hops and makes it taste so fresh. Nice hop presence with a light bittering so you can really enjoy.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2011 23:06:28 | More by cpetrone84

mrmiles

California

3.2/5  rDev -21.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

My first Cigar City beer becomes my first review. A lovely item from Santa Deuane. Thanks Deuane!

A: Poured into a Stone pint glass, color is light orange when held to the light with rather large bubbles rising to the surface. Half finger head with good retention.

S: Initial smell is piney hops with a strong cedar back bone. Pretty much as advertised. Hints of citrus but not much.

T: Taste is very similar to the smell, but with a stronger citrus flavor on the front end than I had expected given the smell. Cedar is very powerful on the back end almost overpowering the malts however there is a slight caramel malt presence that appears in a delayed aftertaste. Interesting.

M: The larger bubbles noticed in the pour really come through here as the foam spreads throughout the mouth upon drinking. Making this beer seem more viscous than it might otherwise.

D: The mustyness of the cedar might throw some people off, but I quite enjoy it. It's a rather heavy beer and at 1pt 9oz it might be too much for most. 1 bottle will be more than enough for me.

Overall I'm really glad I've gotten to try this as it is a neat departure from the traditional IPA I'm used to. I would definitely drink this again.

Thanks Deuane.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2010 04:34:27 | More by mrmiles

yeahnatenelson

Illinois

3.15/5  rDev -22.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Appearance -- Pours a rich orange, a bit murky, with two fingers of stiff beige head. Lacing was okay.

Smell -- Tropical fruits, tangerine, grapefruit, pine resin, cedar wood, bready malt, faint caramel.

Taste -- Cedar tannins and pink grapefruit are up dominant with tropical fruits also present, though more subdued than in the nose. Malt profile is bready overall, but with a faint bit of caramel sweetness. Hop bitterness toward the finish is pronounced but not overwhelming. Finish is grapefruit rind and cedar.

Mouthfeel -- Medium in body with moderate prickly carbonation. Mild astringency throughout. Finish is dry.

Drinkability -- Very unique! I've had IPA's aged briefly on fresh oak, but this is a completely different animal. the cedar adds a muskiness that makes the grapefruit-like hop notes really pop and lends a dryness to the finish. However, the cedar becomes overwhelming with a great deal of tannins in the flavor and astringency in the mouthfeel.

I doubt that I would drink this regularly if it was available to me. That said, it's still worth a try if you love unique IPA's.

Serving type: bottle

07-25-2010 21:13:37 | More by yeahnatenelson

Treebs

Illinois

3.15/5  rDev -22.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

750 ml bottle served in a Deschutes tulip. Thanks to eorwar for the share.

A: Pours a hazy amber color with a frothy white head forming on the pour. Some splotchy lace is left down the glass.

S: Big woodiness up front. There is a weird fruity tang and it mixes with big hops and more big raw wood.

T: I'm getting the big raw woodiness and the slightly awkward fruity tang from the nose. I get more of a tobacco leaf flavor here on the finish as well.

M: Medium bodied with a medium carbonation. The finish is an earthy tobacco leaf.

O: This beer really tastes like the environment inside a walk-in humidor. If you love that smell and feel you'll love this beer. I just don't find those flavors really meshing well the fruity hops from the base beer. Not a bad beer, but I wouldn't revisit.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2012 14:40:44 | More by Treebs

sweemzander

Illinois

3.03/5  rDev -25.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

750mL bottle poured into a tulip. Thanks to Matt for sharing!

(A)- Pours a slightly hazed goldenrod yellow/orange color. Some decent white froth and lacing.

(S)- Very woody. I can see how much the cedar is playing a role in this beer. Citrus gets kind of lost in the deep cedar and pine notes.

(T)- Again, intense notes of the cedar and pine. Some citrus is there, but it sure gets lost behind all the wood.

(M)- A good carbonation level. I appreciate the nuance of the cedar in this, but it really overwhelms the rest of the beer's profile.

(O)- I always appreciate and enjoy different ways to make the same beer, but I think in this instance, it gets lost behind all the wood characters.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2012 17:12:03 | More by sweemzander

Arbitrator

California

2.98/5  rDev -26.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Chilled 750mL into a glass. A generous extra from Jw347. Thanks Johnathan!

A: Pours an extremely cloudy amber color that glows a diffuse orange against the light. Great-looking body that would be improved by some clarity. With some inspection I can see bubbles streaming up the glass. The pour results in 1.5 fingers of creamy, off-white head that retains for several minutes before retreating into a light cap on top of the brew. Leaves some dribbles of lacing down the sides of the glass. I like my IPAs clear, unfortunately.

S: Wow, they really take the cedar to heart. Very tannic and earthy, with an herbal note to it. The hops are almost an afterthought, or perhaps they're fading a bit. There's some dankness in there, with citrus hops coming last. The smell really stands out on this one; I'm having a great time just sniffing it and not sipping (I like cedar). Not a great nose if you're looking for IPA characteristics, though.

T: Initially malty with a caramel flavor, but it gets hoppy midway through with, as the nose suggests, citrus and a stronger pine/weed flavor. Dank, earthy pull into the finish, which is fairly tannic (if I can be honest, TOO much so) and surprisingly dry. A lingering bitterness with some pepper in the aftertaste.

M: Medium-bodied. Well carbonated. I don't like lingering bitterness in beers, and the bubbles in this one do a decent, but not great, job of staving it off. Kind of a chewy body.

D: A very distinct flavor and one I appreciate. But a bit much to have on a regular basis. Definitely a brewery to keep an eye on, though.

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2009 09:44:47 | More by Arbitrator

jrallen34

Illinois

2.98/5  rDev -26.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

I drank this from a 22oz bottle into an Orval glass.

The beer pours a medium orange with a bright white head that rises about a finger, but gone pretty quick. Light lacing.

The aroma is very unique, took a couple minutes to place the smell, but finally realized the front is tobacco leaves and a hint of horesradish. There is a slight amount of smoke, very unique but flavors that probably shouldn't be in a beer.

The taste is also all tobacco, its like drinking an ipa that was filtered through fresh tobacco leaves. Once again, supremely unique but not drinkable at all. The finish has a hint of pine.

Overall, different but just not drinkable. If you're a smoker give it a shot.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2010 01:20:55 | More by jrallen34

AgentZero

Illinois

2.95/5  rDev -27.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

A - Dark amber color, with some brownish tints. Small white head. Some retained sticking on the sides during the drink that slid down back into the beer very quickly.

S - Wow, super huge wood smell right off the bat, smells almost like gin. Something quite spicy in there, maybe spicey soy sauce or horse radish. Also a lot of cigar smell in there, like it sat in tobacco or something. Very unique.

T - Really hard to describe what is going on here. Huge woody taste, some very hot spice going on here, and it really does taste like it was filtered through tobacco. There is some hops present but all the wood and tobacco taste kills in.

M - Lighter side of medium, decently carbonated.

D - Taste really kills this one for me, maybe my pallate is not sophisticated enough for this, but I just can't do it.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2010 01:33:35 | More by AgentZero

champ103

Texas

2.88/5  rDev -29.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A big thanks to jenray for the generous surprise. This is an IPA aged on Spanish Cedar.

A: Pours an incredibly cloudy copper/orange color. Way to much suspended sediment that detracts for me. A large white head forms, but gently fades to a ring. Not much lace to speak of.
S: The cedar is very prominent. Musky wood, almost moldy wood even. Some citrus tries to break through, but with no avail.
T: A little better. The cedar takes an up front and center seat here. Though more IPA does come through. Bitter grapefruit is dominate in the finish.
M/D: A medium body and carbonation. Not nearly dry enough for me though. This is a bit of a chore to finish. Not something I will come back to.

Overall, an interesting idea. Though poor execution IMO. Way to much wood takes over, and not much else. I am glad I tried it, but not something I would recommend.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2011 01:45:32 | More by champ103

UCLABrewN84

California

2.85/5  rDev -30%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Thanks to ehammond1 for sharing this at DarthKostrizer's tasting.

Pours a murky honey orange with a beige head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Small dots of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, caramel, earth, citrus zest, and some cedar wood. Taste is of malt, dirt, ashes, earth, and damp wood. There is a medium amount of bitterness with each sip. This beer has a pretty good level of carbonation with a slightly crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty poor beer with a better smell than taste.

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2012 20:34:42 | More by UCLABrewN84

DefenCorps

Oregon

2.8/5  rDev -31.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Thanks to Mike for sending this rare beer as an extra, of all things!

The pour is quite gorgeous, clear amber with a dense off-white head with an off-white head with great retention and nice lacing to boot. Unfortunately, that's about all there is to really like about this beer. Rich and malty, rather simply so, with a lot of caramel, a touch of honey and some burnt caramel as well. Pine hops are apparent, and when cold, the wood character isn't particularly noticeable. However, as it warms up, the harsh cedar character becomes all too apparent. Woody and astringent, with a touch of varnish-like alcohol is present as well. The palate is rather similar, OPENING with woody tannins and a rather astringent character. Once you get used to the highly astringent nature of the brew, you are assaulted by the massive sweetness with sugar, caramel and some pine bitterness. Hop flavor is rather reserved, and frankly, is whelmed by the sweetness. There's no semblance of balance in this beer. While the finish starts off sweet, the tannins really dry out the palate with a harsh astringency. Medium in body with low carbonation, this is pretty much exactly what an IPA should NOT be, and the addition of cedar strikes me as a gimmick. While I drank my 8oz, it was only in the hope of it improving, which it didn't.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2009 14:33:29 | More by DefenCorps

barleywinefiend

Washington

2.63/5  rDev -35.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

A : Poured a dark orangish color, cloudy with amber/brownish highlights. A moderate white head sits at the top which fades leaving some white bubbles and faint lacing

S: Definite cedar, some boiled vegetables, a little bit of spice and thats about all folks

T: Not exactly sure what is happening here. Moderate cedar taste upfront which then seems to grow as I swallow. There is a light spice to it and some citrus is barely noticable. The finish is more cedar, a bit tannic with more cedar, Earthiness on the finish

M: Medium bodied, a little low on carbonation perhaps, the cedar notes really kill this beer.

O: I ahd a Jai Alai just before this and I swear I could not find one single distinguishing note from Jai Alai to this beer. The cedar and whatever else happened along the way just killed this beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2012 14:53:40 | More by barleywinefiend

willseph

Illinois

2.42/5  rDev -40.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Poured from a 750ml bottle into a Duvel tulip glass, 2011 release date. Part of a mini-tasting with Spdkilz.

It poured a translucent amber color with a pillowy white head and quite a bit of lacing. The nose is dominated by cedar with hints of vanilla and grapefruit. Taste...holy cedar. Way too over the top cedar taste for me, it was like I was chewing wood chips. Slight hints of spiciness and hop bitterness, but the cedar was over powering. Medium bodied with an oily residue finish. Overall, the cedar was so extreme that it really brought the beer down for me. Maybe it would be better if it aged for a bit and some of that dissipated but I couldn't wait to finish this one and move on to the next.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2011 16:28:04 | More by willseph

marvin213

North Carolina

2.4/5  rDev -41%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

A murky brown pour contrasts with a vibrant white foam. Legs cling a little to the glass sides. The nose is a woody bittering hop. I'm not really good at distinguishing hops, but smell seems Saez or Czech, or Hallertau, or maybe even Willamette. Are these even accurate? Point is, the hops I do smell really aren't like the delicious Simcoe or Cascade or Centennial that I was expecting...and certainly no Citra. I detect only like bitterness hops, and that's a tad disappointing.

It tastes better than it smells, but not as good as it looks--not as good as the cool-looking bottle and label suggest, and definitely far short of the hoopla I've encountered surrounding CC Brewery. I'll try not to let my let-down overly contaminate my review here, but this beer is not that impressive. It's not that it's too malty; it's that the hops/ingredients seem inferior! [Edit: maybe it's the cedar?!?!?]. I think beers in big bottles--particularly 750s--should taste better than their 12oz peers. Though I bought both at the same time and place, this is my second such beer. For me, it's the hops in this IPA that just aren't that good.

The feel is also lacking. Though bittering hops seem to dominate, there is no enamel-ripping or cool-like bittering feel. It's beers like this that make me wonder if my palate is suffering! :-0 It's also dark-ass pale ales like this that remind me that I hate Irish reds. This is what the beer most reminds me of. It's not even Thanksgiving yet, but oh how I want a Hopslam....

Edit: after reading other reviews, maybe it's the cedar wood that I found overwhelming and off-putting. For me, it totally masked any citrus or grapefruit (interestingly, the wifey picked up some grapefruit...but she likes the wood more than me ;-). As for a comparison to Burton Baton, I guess I've concluded I like oak better than cedar.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2011 21:42:26 | More by marvin213