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

mnphish

Minnesota

4.01/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Looks like a Jai Alai. It's the same stuff but slightly less tropical and less bitter. It starts with tropical flavors of peach, citrus, guava, and orange which are balanced nicely by some smooth caramel malts. The finish is where the bold wood character almost overwhelms the base beer.

It's a very good beer, but I don't know if the cedar necessarily benefits it. Still got to give it to CCB.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2013 07:09:02 | More by mnphish

jcnd9803

Illinois

4.33/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to trappistlover for sending this!

I've had this a couple other times, but now finally getting around to reviewing.

A - Very cloudy amber to gold with a foamy off-white head that sticks stays pretty much the entire time.

S - As advertised, wonderful cedar with heavy citrus and floral hops. Also catching some vanilla and actually pepper.

T - Lemon and bitter orange. Just some really nice hops. Finish follows the smell of cedar and that vanilla and pepper.

M - Medium bodied and oily.

I continue to forget how much I like this beer. It just has so many things going on that keeps it interesting, yet stays oh so drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2011 03:06:07 | More by jcnd9803

Mounty4Life

Pennsylvania

4.48/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

750ml bottle at ginos in Tampa
poured a nice orange color with a lot of foam. Nice pacing and small head stuck around.
Smell was similar to jai alai but more subtle. Citrusy but didn't have the pop of regular ipa. Taste of pine citrus and just a bit mellow for what I was anticipating, the cedar must mute some of the hops. Not a bad thing just after jai alai was expecting major hop pop on tongue. Medium mouthfeel for ipa with nice aftertaste. Overall great job again by cigar city! I was just expecting more reading they just aged jai alai in Spanish cedar and after paying 15$ for 22oz. Glad I did, but know that your better off saving some ding and sticking with the reggie jai alai!

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2013 21:29:06 | More by Mounty4Life

kbm

Arizona

3.55/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Received a bottle in a trade with Keifdog.

Preface: I decided to drink this in a cigar store (which boasts one of the largest walk in humidor's in the state, so lots of cedar smells already) with a cigar (Rocky Patel Sungrown).

Appearance: Poured slightly cloudy copper with a huge head (maybe four fingers) with great retention and lacing.

Smell: Citrusy/piney hop metallic and the more I drink the more I smell the cedar.

Taste: Malty and citrusy with cedar prominent in the after taste. Moderate hopiness. The cedar is not a bad flavor, just different but I don't think the cedar adds to the beer. I've had the regular Jai Alai IPA and given the choice, I would order the regular Jai Alai every time. However, the cedar did add an interesting complexity in the cigar shop which was already cedar smelly in its own right.

Mouthfeel: Moderate to heavy carbonation. Pretty refreshing on a warm day.

Drinkability: Somewhere between a gulper and a sipper. Medium body.

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2009 07:15:29 | More by kbm

miketd

Ohio

4.33/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Big props to mcbackus. Thanks man! Pour is bronze with a nice, fluffy white head. Aroma of pine, grapefruit and fresh grass. Flavor is bitter upfront with a lot of cedar and almost smokey. The body is thick and almost seems to contain pulp or something. Very clean and dry. This was my favorite beer from Cigar City so far. Hook a brutha up!!!

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2009 12:49:39 | More by miketd

TotallyHosed

Illinois

3.48/5  rDev -14.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks goes to Heatwave33.

The appearance has all the markings of a good brew: thick off-white head, translucent dark amber color, lacing from top to bottom and bubbly.

The smell of this brew is lacking. I certainly smell the cedar wood, but at no time could I smell anything else.

The taste is a little better than the smell. When the brew was cold, I was only able to taste cedar and a little bit of sweetness. As it warmed up I did pick up some hoppy bitterness.

The feel is nice. There's adequate carbonation and light body. The bottle says the brew is unfiltered, but the appearance nor the feel reflected this. I would expect to see some cloudiness and a light-to-medium body. In my opinion, this is simply an observation, not a negative critique.

I do enjoy IPA's that are aged with wood. That extra layer, or layers, of complexity is a welcome change from the usual profile. My only disappointment is that I expected more hops in the nose. Maybe a bottle that is more fresh would deliver this. This is an interesting beer that I recommend you try once. I don't smoke cigars, but I imagine this brew would make a good pair.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2012 00:43:29 | More by TotallyHosed

jonB

New York

4.4/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

The smell of this one is intriguing. It smells slightly sweet, but with noticeable hoppiness. The hops wind up tasting very smooth and their citrus flavor evens out the wood perfectly. I was expecting more of a sharp taste or smell of cedar, but the balance of floral hops and subtle woodiness is very nice. This beer leaves a nice foam on the side of the glass and is well carbonated. The combination of which is a perfect full body mouth feel. Great beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2010 23:59:08 | More by jonB

nhudson

Alabama

4.18/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Finally Cigar City is being distributed to Alabama and I would assume that this review would be the 1st review of said Cigar City beer sold in Alabama.

a: Golden/Yellow in color, very clear though still minimal hop haze (good thing) with a rocky white head that has pillows that wont go away.

s: The smell is amazingly complex. Cedar hits you up front with some Citrus and Earthy tones. Some vanilla is present, but only as the beer warms up. Not overly hoppy as I expected, you can still smell a good malt base.

t: A very well balanced IPA lies beneath this beer which serves as a great base. Taste up front is wood earthy notes, cedar. The back end is mostly citrus. I am very surprised how well the cedar goes with the hope here.

m: medium body seems really dry, which I like. The cedar just coats your mouth as you keep drinking.

d: Very great beer. One of the best wood aged IPA's out there IMHO. I could drink this again and soon.

Thanks again Cigar City for coming to our great state!

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2010 22:59:36 | More by nhudson

IrishHockey

Indiana

4.6/5  rDev +13%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Recieved this awesome beer in a trade from Immortale25.

Poured into a Founders tulip glass

Pours a cloudy orange color with a 1 finger off white head.

The smell on this beer is amazing! It's like smelling a glass of fresh squeezed orange juice.

The taste on this incredible. Lots of citrus taste. I can taste the orange, grapefruit, and maybe some peach. Not a bitter hop forward brew, but a very tasty easy drinking IPA. I love it. A little less carbonation would have made this a perfect beer.

Overall I would buy this again and again. Very well done!

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2012 02:30:27 | More by IrishHockey

gwguest

Kansas

4.35/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

via trade with BastionShaw

Poured from a 750ml into Boulevard Smokestack Goblet. Unsure of freshness as I did not see a freshness date. I didn't expect too much from this as it had pegged my 'over-hype' meter into the danger zone.

The aroma from across the room -- as I did not pour this myself -- was unreal. A nice combination of hops and 'weird' wood (cedar) in the nose. Not a typical crazy west coast hop aroma, which was a welcome surprise.

Visually, it is a nice looking beer, but nothing too special. The pour was good, but the head didn't make a lasting impression. Amber color with a delicate off white foam.

Wow, there is a lot going on when this beer hits the tongue. The combination of the cedar -- which I dislike in some other beers -- with whatever else is happening here gives a very tannic, tobacco-like sensation. It almost feels like a gimmick coming from a brewery named 'Cigar City', but it's so different from any other beer I have tasted, that I can't help but want more. A tempered, but sturdy, hop flavor balances the cedar perfectly. The malt is just enough to provide some structure, but I could use a smidge more. Flavor wise, this is one of the more interesting beers, I've tasted. I really enjoy this beer.

Mouthfeel is spot on for what I need out of a wood aged IPA. Enough carbonation to scrub with enough body to keep it from becoming a hot cedar mess. It's perfect for what this beer needs.

Drinkability: Well, as much as I love this beer, it's not the most drinkable bottle in the bunch. I split the 750 with one person, and it was almost too much. After every taste, I let go of my glass while the 'tannic' woody flavors took hold. I really wanted more, but I needed a quick break after every pull. Alcohol is completely hidden, but the cedar / tobacco balance really dries the mouth. Split 3 ways, I would be clamoring for more, but 2 ways was almost more than I wanted.

Overall, I would love to have another bottle of this. Actually, I'd love 2. One to cellar away (yes, the heresy!!!) to see how the hops and cedar play over the years, and another to drink soon.

This is a great beer. The hype may be overblown, but not by much. You should try it at least once. I'd like to have more.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2010 02:20:26 | More by gwguest

starkmarvelo

Texas

4.55/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Cigar City Humidor Series IPA

A- cloudy amber/orange with a big fluffy slightly off white head. Lacing all the way down the glass.

S- the smell is great. A lot of passion fruit, pineapple, mango. Really like a sweet tropical fruit salad.

T- it tastes the same as the smell. The hop flavors are on the fruity/aromatics side with a bunch of tropical fruits. Has a slight hop bitterness to balance it out. I'm not sure if I tasted the cedar.

M- medium mouthfeel, a bit sticky, bit low on carbonation (it needed more). Has kind of a fuzzy fruit nectar mouthfeel. Very drinkable.

O- I liked this beer a lot. It's not an IPA for hop heads. It's a very mellow laid back type of IPA. I like that its a bit more about the flavor of the beer without trying to crank up the hops. Very good, very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2012 01:06:58 | More by starkmarvelo

Mess

Massachusetts

4.83/5  rDev +18.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Served at cellar temp and poured from a bomber into a SA perfect pint glass. Pours rich and clear orange, then cloudy from the yeast sediment, which to me enhances the flavor. Thick 2 finger white head.

Wow - strong grapefruit peel aroma. Hint of cigar box from the cedar. Spicy woody hops on tongue. Earthy flavors - cedar nuances on tongue - really nice touch. Pleasantly bitter on back and sides of tongue. Great malt/hop balance.

Really complex - love this beer. An IPA in a league of its own. True this brew whenever you can.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2010 03:31:12 | More by Mess

bpfishback

Maryland

4.33/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

a- pale orange, nice lacing
s- nice,hops and malty sweetness, maybe a hint of cedar
t- a little bit of citrus and from the hops then some sweet malt and then on the very end you get the cedar and some bitterness
m- full bodied
d- a big beer, definitely a sipper, I enjoy it but it is taking a bit to drink

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2010 03:57:16 | More by bpfishback

MenloBeer

California

4.2/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 750ml bottle into a big beer mug.

A: Hazy, amber-orange. Lots of lace on the a big head that died down but stayed alive throughout the session.

S: The cedar aging is present, but the grapefruit comes across immediately. Hops, too, but that grapefruit just would not quit.

T: The cedar was evident, but like the smell, the grapefruit jumped out and demanded respect. Not as bitter an IPA like I am used to from my west coast brews, but bitter nonetheless. Not a lot of sweetness, a touch of spice.

M: Well carbonated, and very nice. Not sticky on the tongue, and not watery in any way. Well done on this front.

D: I like this IPA because it doesn't hit me over the head with hops. So many IPAs today just attack your mouth. This one is drinkable, but the grapefruit can be a little overpowering after a while. I like grapefruit, so plus one for me. Alcohol taste is masked well, so I could quaff this one without too much trouble.

I was glad to try this beer. Have been following their blog for awhile, and was curious to try their brews. A good beer, and unique in application. I will be looking to forward to more from Cigar City down the road.

Serving type: bottle

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2010 02:18:34 | More by MenloBeer

HoosierInOhio

Ohio

4.43/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to a buddy in FL for trading this and some others for some FFF's I had. My 1st ever Cigar City offering.

A - Hazy Orange to tan, 1 inch creamy head. Nice Lacing, good retention

S - Lots going on. Earthy, malts, some wood scents, grapefruit caramel/toffee, nothing really outdoing the other. Really nice aromas

T - Hops, balanced nicely with malts, some sweetness going on (Vanilla?), finishes crips, lingers a bit, but not too long

M - Pretty good, a touch dry but not bad.

O - Solid brew, would much like to try some other Jai Alai offerings.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2011 01:33:07 | More by HoosierInOhio

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

Sanford

Missouri

4.47/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Quite a few reviews for this beer from, aparently, the same firkin. All bad. Too bad for them. I found this beer to be pretty good looking kinda orangey-gold with a nice medium length lasting creamy head. I wasn't provided with any lace, and not great retention, but I am at work, and I know that the sanitizer probably has an effect. I really enjoy the woody fruity earthy grapefruity aroma. the ceder seems to me to be REALLY well integrated. I often think that beers that have seen wood would have been better without...like it's an extra un-needed ingredient, tossed in because someone thought that we would think it's cool...even though the beer was great already. I don't think that more is always better. I think the ceder is great, it works. I find balance in the bitter, wood, fruit, and earth...with a bare touch of malt sweetness. Nice smooth creaminess on my palate with carbonation that really seems appropriate. I like it. I would gladly drink it again. CHEERS

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2011 02:19:18 | More by Sanford

DustinPowers74

North Carolina

4.47/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

750 mL champagne bottle into shaker. Pours a slightly hazy deep amber with a two-three finger tan, rocky head that has excellent retention and leaves sheets of fluffy lacing. Pouring it until the end of the bottle comes the yeast in suspension and clouds the bottle to an almost opaque orange. Aroma is enormous grapefruit hops along with- no joke- a Montecristo No. 2 cedar cigar box...incredible. Taste is grapefruit juice with massive citrus hops and beautiful cedar in the background. As it warms more cedar and caramel notes show through. The cedar is such a perfect addition. Not only original but it works so well. The spicy hops and spicy cedar flavors blend perfectly but the beer is still creamy and refreshing all the same. What a treat.

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2011 18:25:27 | More by DustinPowers74

milliCAN

Indiana

4.45/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Poured into Dark Horse Brewery pint glass.

It pours a soapy head that diminishes to a beautiful lacing with loads of sediment that suspends perfectly and a few bubbles of carbonation sneaking through. I smell straight up cedar and mild hops. Breathing in while taking the first sip reminds me of my cigar smoking days. The unmistakeable cedar smell and taste gives me a beer boner. What a unique and balancing marriage of flavors. Mouthfeel is a nice and thick but unexpected hearty gulping beer. It's hard to not chug this. Ultimately I want these all day long. I have a theory on people that create art, as this beer clearly is, and that is: weather or not you have direction what you do passionately the only thing that comes out is something not of choice but something that is pure. This is a solid ass beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2013 02:39:11 | More by milliCAN

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

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

byrdman16

Alabama

4.38/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Great beer. I got this from the only store in Alabama that sells beer in bottles greater than 16oz...weird huh? Poured a cloudy copper color. Had a huge creamy white head with spotty lacing. Cedar is all over the place, and is accompanied by citrus and earthy aromas. Great mouthfeel with a wonderful balance of sweet malty flavor up front followed by crisp hops. Nice beer, I will definitely be buying another if I'm lucky enough to come across it again.

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2011 00:09:55 | More by byrdman16

LusciousJackson

Illinois

4.28/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A great big thanks to Janderson91 for sending me my first taste of Cigar City goodness. And what a helluva introduction!

Poured into to the trusty New Belgium balloon produces a sensuous off-white two fingers atop a hazy dark amber. Good gracious...as Meatloaf would say the head on this guy "just won't quit". Absolutely gorgeous lacing all over this one.

Aroma is, as you might have guessed, dominated by the cedar. I get the pine and grapefruit of your standard IPAs but the wood is what's being showcased here and I'm a fan. A bit of a sweet malt character creeps in the more I smell.

The citrus flavor comes in first but is very easily balanced by a sweet caramel element. Having not had the base Jai Alai, I'm left to reviews to gauge the base beer. I see that some previous reviews labeled it as a bit on the sweeter side. Its difficult to remove the cedar element, but i could see that. Although, i see that as a positive attribute. The cedar has been there the whole time but clearly dominates on the finish and leaves a spicy, peppery aftertaste. Thoroughly enjoyable from my angle.

Mouthfeel is full without being syrupy. Carbonation seems adequate. A great medium feel, very pleasant.

Overall, this is a winner for me. It's certainly not the thirst-quenching everyday IPA I would gulp down without thought. Not quite a sipper, but this is certainly a beer that lends itself to a more contemplative session. An aroma and flavor as unique as cedar demands attention. Sipping this one after some porkchops off the grill seems appropriate. The occasional whiff of the charcoal still burning off and the perennial summer sound of Cicadas in the big Illinois oak trees behind me seem to complete the experience. A great beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2011 01:03:59 | More by LusciousJackson

bebbcorp

Kansas

4.45/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 750 into a belgian beer goblet. Beer pours a delightful tan with one finger head which recedes into a patchy lace. Smells of cedar, caramel, and aged hops. Tastes of cedar almost like an old cedar chest that is warm and inviting. Followed by caramel and almost the slightest touch of a cigar. Later after the pour I enjoyed this beer with a mellow cigar and the two paired perfectly. The mouthfeel is good, nicely carbonated and a bit drying at the finish which comes to be very enjoyable and has me anticipating it in every sip. Overall I like this beer and find it to be a comforting, sit down and relax brew. As I have only had oak aged ipa's before this, and this beer is right up my alley. Many who enjoy wood aged ipa's will enjoy this beer quite a bit. First I've had of cigar city's beers and it is a winner.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2011 02:08:07 | More by bebbcorp

cochell

Georgia

4.25/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I tried the humidor after a few jai alai's. Let me say: this beer is a face peeler! Love it. The color is dark blonde, cedar on the nose and solid hop taste. Finnish is dry cedar and almost salty. I couldn't get enough and will mail some home for trades. Loving it!!!

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2010 02:57:05 | More by cochell