Cubano-Style Espresso Brown Ale - Cigar City Brewing

brentk56

North Carolina

4.88/5  rDev +18.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Appearance: Arrives with a translucent brown color and a nice one finger head that tracks spots of lace around the chalice

Smell: If there is a more awesome coffee aroma on a beer, I have yet to encounter it

Taste: Brown bread and coffee, up front, with a developing chocolate aspect by mid-palate; even fudgier after the swallow with the coffee returning to match the chocolate in the finish

Medium: Medium body with moderate carbonaton; not as creamy as I would have thought given the oatmeal

Drinkability: Most other brewers blend coffee with stout or porter but Cigar City has gone in a different direction, using a brown ale base - extraordinarily different

Serving type: on-tap

04-28-2010 21:33:35 | More by brentk56

JohnQVD

New York

4.76/5  rDev +15.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Pours a deep ruby brown with a light, bubbly head that quickly dissipates to a thin layer. Smell is Cuban coffee: dark espresso with sugar, with a touch of chocolate. Body is medium with high carbonation. It definitely feels substantial for a 5.5% brown ale. Taste is espresso with a hint of roasted grain in the background with a definite espresso aftertaste. It's drier than expected from the sweetness in the smell.

This is unique among the coffee beers I've had in that it's not a stout and the coffee is Cuban coffee. It's a really good combination of two of my favorite drinks and is the beer that originally made me take notice of Cigar City a couple of years ago.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2012 16:30:59 | More by JohnQVD

saintk9

Florida

4.75/5  rDev +15.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Was in Tampa today and went by CCB. Had this beer fresh on tap.

WOW is all i have to say. This beer was tops for me. I love the espresso finish to it. Could stand to have a little stronger nose.

Could only get it in pints. Wanted to buy a growler but they would not let us.

If your in Tampa area go to CCB and have some beers!!

Serving type: on-tap

03-01-2011 01:00:35 | More by saintk9

RashyGrillCook

California

4.75/5  rDev +15.6%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Cubano-Style Espresso Brown Ale
Those with adverse effects to caffeine need not apply. Color is reddish brown and pours very clear despite the yeast sediment. Head is minimal but leaves a pretty pattern of lacing. Smell is PURE espresso!!! Has a creamy feel with a medium weight that just glides effortlessly across the palate. Taste is again PURE espresso! There is some hops and malts in the finish. A fantastic brew that'll leave you running laps around the house(hello espresso!!). This is definitely one of my new favorite brews. Perfect for those lazy sunday mornings.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2011 22:52:34 | More by RashyGrillCook

JISurfer

South Carolina

4.74/5  rDev +15.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.75

Wow, this was one amazing beer! After going to Miami and actually having legit Cafe Cubanos in Calle Ocho, I had an idea what I was looking for. I honestly don't think you could get any closer of a representation in a beer, it was spot on. The smell has that sweet, roasted bean body to it, unreal. Taste was similar, maybe a little more vanilla, still amazes me how close to the real thing it is. The closer it got to room temperature, the better it got.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2013 04:41:20 | More by JISurfer

Paincane

Georgia

4.72/5  rDev +14.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Medium brown color with one finger tan head poured into pint glass. Head leaves behind a bit of lace, not much though.
S: Roasted coffee beans, espresso and malt are very evident from the start and do persist throughout.
T: Delicious Cuban coffee taste with a touch of sweet and malt.
M: Medium bodied with good carbonation.
O: Smooth and very drinkable. I am of Cuban origin and it is a familiar taste worked into a delicous beer. Will have to hunt more down ASAP.
Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2011 20:05:19 | More by Paincane

DosBeerigos

Florida

4.7/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

C. Clear
H. Dark Brown
N. Smells like straight espresso coffee

Ok this is another one of those I think I might accidentally attempt to order this beer at Starbucks instead of at a bar. Straight coffee on this one, although it is very refreshing and light bodied. Unlike the Wake N' Bake from Terrapin this beer is smooth, light, and not very filling. There is a hint of brown sugar and cinnamon lingering around the taste of the beer. This bee is pretty dangerous.

Serving type: on-tap

03-19-2010 20:37:50 | More by DosBeerigos

CaptinRedBeard

Pennsylvania

4.7/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Big thanks to urwithdave for hooking me up with a growler of this. Poured from the growler into a Cigar City snifter.

A: Pours a nice amber hued dark brown color with about a finger of a light tan foam head. The head stays around for a while accompanied by some moderate lacing.

S: smells like some fresh brewed coffee in the morning. Subtle hints of vanilla and chocolate bring up the tail end of the aroma.

T: More coffee, lots of coffee. Sweet but with just a touch of bitterness in the finish. Again here some vanilla and just a touch of chocolate interplay with the coffee. There is a bit of roasted malt in there as well but the coffee is clearly the star here.

M: a perfect level of carbonation paired with a nice medium body make this one real smooth on the palate.

D: At 5.50% this might not qualify as a "session" beer but it sure is drinkable. This growler will be empty in no time flat. I could drink this with a nice breakfast, or anytime really. It's great that this is gonna be on full time at Cigar City. Now if they would only bottle it as well. This is absoutely one of my favorite beers.

Serving type: growler

07-04-2010 12:26:55 | More by CaptinRedBeard

AgingWarrior

Florida

4.7/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Enjoyed on tap at Cigar City Tap Room.

Pours a dark brown with about a finger of dark tan head. The head dissipates into a layer rather quickly, but hangs around until the very end.

Smell is incredible! Is this Starbucks?!? Strong espresso in the nose, with some hints of brown sugar.

Taste is as good as the smell. Strong coffee taste on the front, but with a slight vanilla taste and some bitterness on the end.

Tastes ever so smooth and creamy.

This is a very drinkable brew and at 5.5% abv you can enjoy several.

Highly recommend!

Serving type: on-tap

08-01-2010 14:39:08 | More by AgingWarrior

beldin96

Florida

4.7/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Appearance: It was a very dark brown color. Very little light getting thru almost like a stout or a porter. It has a very small head that did not last long.

Smell: You get lots of great espresso on the nose right off. Under that you get some great malt and some caramel or chocolate. There is some light sweetness to the nose.

Taste: You get what you smell. The espresso is right up front. You get some of that bitterness that you would expect from coffee or espresso. The bitterness smoothes out quickly, and you get the great malts that you would expect from a good brown ale.

Feel: Solid mouth feel. Nice and full bodied.

Drinkability: I think that is has great drinkability. I would session this beer even though it is just over the ABV level. It was all around very enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2011 16:31:54 | More by beldin96

Goldfish19

New York

4.68/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

~ Purchased this 32 oz growler from Big Z Beverage in Huntington, NY. Appearance is dark brown with a small tan head. Wow! This beer has such an amazing and intoxicating smell. It's like sticking your nose inside a can of Folgers Ground Coffee. And for the taste...you've guessed it - more coffee. This beer is really delicious and went down smoother than anything I have ever tasted before. I polished off all 32 ounces in record time, and now, I wish I had more. If you are a coffee lover - this is a must have.

Every once in a while a beer will come along and knock me off my feet - this is one of those beers.

Cigar City, congratulations on a job well done!

Serving type: growler

12-27-2009 03:52:37 | More by Goldfish19

BucBasil

South Carolina

4.65/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured on tap at the Cigar City tap room in Tampa.

A: Dark brown with a light tan head. Surprising bright and clear. Some read notes coming in on the sides.

S: Very roasty. Cafe au lait. Creamy caramel. Heavenly note almost like a good chocolate ice cream.

T: Creamy coffee. Super smooth. Chocolate and mocha. I love this beer.

Fantastic. Smooth. Everything I want in a brown ale. Recommended.

Serving type: on-tap

01-03-2012 00:23:39 | More by BucBasil

Immortale25

Florida

4.64/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into an Evolution Brewing pint glass.

A- Pours a dark, dark almost opaque brown with a full inch of off-white head that retains a bit before slipping down to an 1/8 inch ring around the edge of the glass. A good amount of surface foam and minimal lacing.

S- Dark, roasted espresso with plenty of chocolate and caramel notes. Smells just like the way I enjoy my iced coffee. The espresso becomes more apparent when the glass is swirled and the carbonation is released.

T- Just as amazing as the first time I ever had it on tap. Heavy espresso that gives way to sweet chocolate in a pure and fully balanced delivery. Slightly bitter finish with hints of caramel, cinnamon, raisin and rice pudding (as the label suggests for a food pairing).

M- Thick, creamy and chewy. Medium-high carbonation.

O- Cigar City. Reinventing beer one project at a time.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2011 20:49:38 | More by Immortale25

Floydster

California

4.63/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

32 ounce growler from tpd975, thanks again for our first trade Greg, poured into an oversized vanilla version, shared with Ben, Bob, and Danny last night, color is medium brown with dark red edges, one inch beige head that is rather creamy, decent retention, some lacing at first, aroma consists of heavily roasted espresso beans, chicory, roasted malts, cream, dark chocolate, burned almonds, toasted caramel, and maybe a little vanilla, starts off very dry with a huge coffee component, unlike any coffee beer I have had as far as the consistency and feel, it almost felt like there was actual grounds in the beer, finish has more coffee and a good amount of charred nuttiness, there are not many brews out there other than weasel that make coffee work this well in beer, such a different taste with the freshest and most roasted taste imaginable, super dry, very roasted, and almost chewy mouthfeel, medium bodied, moderate carbonation that allowed this beer to feel absolutely perfect on the senses, taste lingers for a very very long time, could have drank this and another growler,amazing drinkability for a coffee infused beer, very light, would like some with my breakfast in the morning, smooth and crisp, this was hands down my favorite of the Maduros and if this stuff becomes widely available, this brewery is going to make an even bigger name for myself, this stuff is awesome, highly recommended

Serving type: growler

07-09-2009 02:54:59 | More by Floydster

Gtreid

Florida

4.6/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Growler, poured into a standard pint glass.

A: Dark auburn color, the pour produces one finger of tannish color head that leaves nice rings of lace.

A: Huge coffee and espresso, and I mean huge! Great earthness to the hops. The malts have a little chocolatey sweetness to them. Great nose.

T: Wow, coffee all the way. Just like a fresh brewed cup. Grassy hops, a touch of chocolate, and a few roasted nuts. But the malts are just great in this brew.

M: Lighter in body, but increadibly smooth. Just a perfect amount of carbonation.

D and overall impression: I am a coffee lover, so I think the drinkability is impressive. Non-coffee lovers will disagree given the sheer amount of espresso beans in this one. Overall, this is another great beer by Wayne and Joey over at CCB. So smooth and at 5.5%, breakfast is a great spot for this one. As far as the American Brown Ales I have tried, this one ranks right at the top! Great! Skal.

Serving type: growler

06-23-2009 20:41:52 | More by Gtreid

KickbacksSteve

Florida

4.6/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Kickbacks in Jax. Poured into a Unibroue tulip. Nice beige head sticks around for just a moment. Aroma is strong of dark, toasted malts and coffee, coffee and more coffee. Taste follows suit, with some mild sweetness somewhere in the background. Great balance upon tasting, not too over the top on the coffee and just a great balanced brown with a twist along with the typical Cigar City complexity. The Cuban espresso treatment is delicious and wonderful. I'm still waiting for Cigar City to make a less than world class beer. It may never happen.

Serving type: on-tap

11-21-2009 09:29:24 | More by KickbacksSteve

CampusCrew

Florida

4.6/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

appearance: deep dark brown with a loaded head and good retention. Had it poured in a unibroue tulip.

smell: a coffee delight... loaded and I was scared that the taste would be overpowering after taking a nice whiff.

taste: coffee was extremely balanced and a had a smooth rich flavor. Unlike a coffee stout, I think the subtle roasted malt went very well with this beer. Best coffee beer that I have had and probably by far.

mouthfeel: medium bodied

drinkability: I'm still waiting for CC to miss on a beer. Seems like they are perfect!

Serving type: on-tap

11-21-2009 23:56:54 | More by CampusCrew

thagr81us

South Carolina

4.6/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Served from tap into a Dogfish Head stout glass, enjoyed with JackTheBear on a recent trip to Athens, GA. Poured a deep dark brown with a one finger tan head. Maintained phenomenal lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of BIG espresso, coffee, and cream. The flavor was of roasted malt, espresso, coffee beans, cream, and chocolate. It had a medium-heavy feel on the palate with mild carbonation. Overall this brew was quite excellent. Since I personally don't drink coffee, I could see this as being a damn fine substitute. Had an excellent aroma and flavor on this one. Very well balanced even for a non-coffee drinker. The aroma was almost intoxicating it was so rich. Also it went down nice and smooth leaving you craving more. Very nice brew CCB!

Serving type: on-tap

11-22-2010 12:53:37 | More by thagr81us

ggilman

Maine

4.58/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a bottle into a brandy snifter.

A - Deep mahogany with a ruby tinge. No head retention.

S - Very fragrant. Freshly ground espresso beans, tobacco, chocolate.

T - More of the same. Delicious. Coffee & espresso followed by chocolate and earthy cigar.

M & D - Slight mouthfeel. Not as robust as the flavor. Carbonation is on the low side.

This was an enjoyable beverage! Makes me want to head to a cigar shop for a Montecristo & strong coffee. A taste of Cuba!

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2011 23:01:28 | More by ggilman

socon67

New York

4.58/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Brown pour with a cola colored foam. Nice lacing and a slight carbonation.

s - The smell of coffee bean is incredible. Easily among the best I've ever come across. Rich coffee beans that beckon back to coffeehouses. Roasted bean, caramel malt, and a bit of english toffee. Intoxicating.

T - Smooth as silk. Tasted slightly like tiramisu. Coffee flavor was akin to a good cigar (no irony there). Reserved taste, roasty flavor. Could pass for a nice latte.

M - Another positive is how mellow this beer is. not heavy, not overpowering, and well balanced. I had a couple of these and would love to session this on a late night. Heck, maybe some caffeine in this.

O - Mightbe my new favorite from CCB. If bottles make their way up here I'm in. Coffee lovers need to try this one.

Serving type: on-tap

09-15-2012 02:56:05 | More by socon67

dudecandle

New York

4.55/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Dark brown, nearing on black body with thin, mocha head, which is excusable given the oversized wine glass serving. Good showing on agitation from the head.

S/T: Amazing coffee and chocolate with a good nuttiness and caramel, along with the perfect amount of smoke: enough to round out the rest, never overwhelm them. The coffee really stands out remarkably well, making the smell alone intoxicating. A subtle earthy hop presence was possible.

M: Seems a bit thin at first, but it has an exceptionally long, sticky finish.

D: This beer is wonderful. This is what a brown ale should be. It smells amazing, it tastes great. Now I know why Cigar City has the name it does.

Serving type: on-tap

12-17-2009 07:18:58 | More by dudecandle

Maxwell

Massachusetts

4.55/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

The beer pours a light roast coffee-brown, slightly like synthetic pancake syrup, and it sits in the glass as a very dark syrupy brown. It pours with about a quarter’s finger width of very slightly tanning head that fades from the middle of the beer but stays consistent on the sides. The beer leaves a slight lacing of dry splotchy bubble sheets. The beer’s body is dark and slightly hazy, but seems clean of particles. On the nose, the beer smells phenomenally of thick bitter chocolaty espresso. It has that sort-of stale coffee bean scent that is really quite inviting. It has a grainy yet slightly milked coffee bean smell to it that I am just loving the superb slight creamy chocolate nuances. On the tongue, the beer tastes sweet and then builds into a lovely coffee bitter. The flavor begins as sweet cacao chocolate flavors that slowly roast in the mouth and become sweet creamy espresso with a touch of bitter instant coffee. The finish is beautiful mocha espresso flavors. The aftertaste is of slight bitter coffee. In the mouth, the beer feels on the thinner side of medium with a creamy, latte-foam feel to the carbonation. The mouth is left feeling slightly dry from the encroaching roast of the coffee beans and some slight acid-neutralizing spittle, presumably also from the coffee beans. Overall, I really like this beer. This is a superb coffee beer, and a superb coffee brown ale. I love the creaminess of the beer, and I absolutely love the balance between the bitter coffee and the creamy, sweet vanilla and chocolate flavors. This beer thrives on superb balance, and is fully worth sampling. This is probably the best none-stout coffee beer I’ve ever tried. Try this beer!

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2013 20:59:11 | More by Maxwell

Onenote81

North Carolina

4.53/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 3 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 32oz. growler, received from the excellent trader, Kiefdog. Thanks, Kevin!

This wasn't the prettiest of beers right off. Pours a more ruby-brown with about a half inch of tan head on top. Retention was zilch, and there was no lacing whatsoever. That is definitely an expendable weakness though, because this beer was stellar on all other counts.

This smelled like freshly ground coffee, chocolate, muffins, brownies, and finished with a roasted woodsy character. Wow. I want to dip my whole face in this beer. The mouthfeel is creamy and smooth, with just enough of a carbonation kick to let you know she's fresh. Moderate amount of bubbles rising through.

As I sip, my mouth is filled with everything I like about a good morning meal. Huge coffee presence that warms and soothes. Following this is a mild breadiness that finishes sweet and satisfying. There's definite bitterness in here that is pleasant, but the sweetness and the coffee are kings. This is an excellent brown. I realize that it is limited in its release, but get some if you can.

Serving type: growler

06-16-2009 12:18:44 | More by Onenote81

adam42381

Florida

4.53/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a Duvel tulip.

Pours a very dark amber brown with a 1 finger creamy light tan head. Good lacing.

Smell: Espresso with light touches of chocolate and malt. It smells like I just walked into a coffee shop. Smells delicious.

Taste: Coffee is dominant throughout, which in this case is a very good thing. There are light touches of hops and chocolate in the middle and toasted malt at the finish. Aftertaste is mildly bitter with a typical coffee aftertaste. This is like drinking iced coffee.Extremely well-balanced and delicious.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied with a fairly high amount of carbonation. Goes down very smooth.

Drinkability: Excellent drinkability. You could knock back a few of these without any trouble.

Overall: Excellent beer overall. This is the best flavor I've ever gotten from a coffee infused beer. I really like that Cigar City went a different direction and blended the coffee with a brown ale instead of a stout. I would highly recommend this beer to anyone, especially coffee lovers.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2011 20:29:13 | More by adam42381

thirsty4beer

New York

4.53/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

my second annual Cigar City tasting at Rattle 'n Hum. ordered 2 flights of the various offerings but started with a full pint of the cubano espresso - it was my top pick from the previous year and I had long-awaited its return

A: clear chestnut brown with a rapidly dissipating off white head. a good-lookin ABA

S: spot on! semi-sweet cuban espresso aromas slap me around before I even pick up my pint. like no other coffee beer. like a bag of freshly ground coffee beans. if I had been blindfolded, I might not have believed it was a beer. caramel malts are present with a hint of cocoa and roasted nuts. the beer's strong suit.

T: roasted malt deliciousness takes the front seat while the roasted espresso and toasted nuts sit in the rear. a balanced caramel/light brown sugar sweetness hangs out from start to finish. mocha lingers on the palate. the hops are hiding, as they should. superb.

M: very smooth but the body and carbonation seem to be on the slightly lighter side. it works well for the carbo but I could use a tad more body.

D: bartender, I'll have another. and another. and another. bravo, Cigar City. by far my favorite of the maduro oatmeal brown ale series. I hope it's as good in the bottle bc I'm on a quest to find some more. such a unique take on coffee beer

Serving type: on-tap

03-08-2011 11:49:38 | More by thirsty4beer