Cubano-Style Espresso Brown Ale - Cigar City Brewing

davey101

Connecticut

3.43/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Dated May 10, 11...sooo, not fresh at all being almost exactly two years old. Pours a dark brown body that lets some light through. Huge mocha foam head forms instantly over flowing the glass, cools down into one fingers worth. The smell is surprisingly still coffee heavy. Cold pressed espresso with some metallic notes. The taste is much better with faded espresso beans and some lightly roasted malts. A bitter coffee bean aftertaste. Somewhat creamy mouth feel. I hate reviewing a coffee beer with two years on it, but its not as terrible as I thought it would be. The coffee is still hanging on.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2013 01:53:18 | More by davey101

Treyliff

West Virginia

4.21/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.25

A- poured into a snifter. Pours a nice dark chestnut-brown with ruby hue, decent size light-tan head that reduces to just a ring

S- smells like a straight shot of espresso. Notes of vanilla, caramel, chocolate, nutty, hazelnut, coffee and roasted malt. Very enticing aroma

T- flavors of vanilla and toffee with a slight hazelnut kick, mid-palate provides a malty sweetness with a touch of chocolate, finishes dry with an astringent coffee bitterness and a long linger

M- medium-thin body with low carbonation, slightly foamy mouthfeel with a smooth finish. Mouthfeel seems just a bit too thin for the bold flavors

O- Definitely a coffee lovers beer with bold flavors and a nice hazelnut-vanilla kick. As bold as these flavors are, they balance out nicely. Really enjoyed this one.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2013 01:17:59 | More by Treyliff

rlee1390

Indiana

4.04/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A-Almost black in the glass, clear ruby, some carbonation one finger head.

S-Great deal of coffee, lots of it, some nuts, but man does the coffee dominate.

T-Not as much coffee as the nose, some vanilla along with nuts and spice.

M-Light and not much carbonation, a drawback for the beer.

O-Everything was downhill after the nose, still good but was expecting more.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2013 22:43:11 | More by rlee1390

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

Rutager

British Columbia (Canada)

4.04/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Big thank you to Coldsnack for this and all of the other great brews!

Appearance. Pours a deep red-brown with a thin off white head.

Smell. Espresso beans, some sweet caramel and vanilla and just a trace of caramel malts.

Taste. Big espresso and vanilla followed by cocoa powder. I keep expecting the cocoa powder bitterness but there's only a little along with the coffee in the finish, which is nice.

Mouthfeel. Medium body, below medium soft carbonation.

Overall. A flavourful easy drinker which isn't swamped with sweetness like so many beers with these types of flavours going on. I could drink a bunch of these. On a side note, yes it is flavOUrs. I am Canadian and that's how we roll, neighbour. Thanks again Tobey!

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2013 01:25:53 | More by Rutager

CloudStrife

New York

4.29/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

12oz pour into a snifter.

A: Pours a clear brownish dark ruby with a minimal slightly yellowed head. A spot or two of lacing.

S: Strong coffee aroma is the first thing I notice. Fresh coffee grounds. Also a pronounced chocolate character as it warms.

T: Smooth balanced taste with a blend of coffee and nuttiness. Not much bittering at the end. Lots of flavor for a lower ABV coffee brew.

M: Medium body appropriate for a brown ale. Good smoothness to this, and a clean finish. Nice and easy drinking.

Overall another great Cigar City beer. They make some damn good brown ales and this is right on par. A must try for any coffee beer fan, a good change from the stronger stouts.

Serving type: on-tap

04-09-2013 16:32:58 | More by CloudStrife

mnphish

Minnesota

4.3/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Pours a light brown body capped by a small white one finger head. The nose is the highlight for me. Lots of espresso beans with hints of vanilla and malts. The taste is incredibly smooth and refreshing.

It's very light bodied and highly drinkable. The coffee comes through relatively light on the palate and is blended impressively by a powdery cocoa milk chocolate finish. A very delicious treat.

Not too rich or sweet by any means. It's kind of watery but still contains large doses of flavor. A finely crafted brew from CCB and one I'd crave at anytime.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2013 07:25:24 | More by mnphish

sweemzander

Illinois

3.44/5  rDev -16.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

12oz bottle poured into a snifter. Thanks Chris for sharing!

(A)- Pours a very very dark burnt sienna color. Some minimal tan froth.

(S)- A great coffee aroma. The espresso is explosive and welcoming. Slightly sweet with a creamer-like vanilla finish. Really really nice.

(T)- Man, if only it tasted like it smelled. A hefty sweetness from the malt backbone and vanilla addition up front. The espresso is extremely subtle; almost seems faded; not sure on the age of the bottle.

(M)- A good carbonation level. The balance is ok, but would have liked to see the espresso come forward more; its bitterness would have balanced out the large sweetness really well.

(O)- The smell is incredible (as a coffee lover), but would have liked to see that carry over into the taste. The sweetness either just overpowers any espresso there might be in it somehow.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2013 17:57:23 | More by sweemzander

beerloverofbham

Washington

4.1/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

This may be one of the best non-imperial coffee beers I've had. Poured into a snifter. Coffee! Whew! Lots of it! Pours dark, with a large tan-white head. Clings to glass exceptionally well. Smells of nothing other than coffee in the nose. Espresso taste in the beginning, then moves to vanilla and a little bit of chocolate before returning back to a more bitter coffee finish. Props again to ksurkin.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2013 22:47:08 | More by beerloverofbham

bonkers

New Jersey

4.31/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Irecieved this in a recent stout bif, served in a CCB snifter. It pours a deep coffee brown, good head, solid lacing. The best smelling coffee beer I have ever sampled, pure esspresso beans. Taste like it smells. he beer is light and easy drinking, well made all around. IMO more of a stout than a brown ale, but who cares, damn tasty!

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2013 01:22:54 | More by bonkers

Pinknuggets

Vermont

4.38/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Bottle to Rock Art Pint glass

A: Dark brown to brick red in color it has a small tannish head that goes away fast and leaves a decent lacing around the top of the glass. Not necessarily dark but pretty much completely opaque except around the edges under light.

S: Well it smells like a heaping amount of expresso quite literally smells like a fresh cup of coffee the smell is dominant and as aromatic as coffee added beer I have seen I'd go as far as it could be mistaken for fresh beans

T: It tastes exactly as advertised this is essentially a cup of coffee in a beer. There are rich espresso flavors that are not only powerful upfront but really last throughout the taste and through the finish. It fits the brown style well as the malt adds just the right backbone to balance out all that expresso. This is basically as perfect as you can get in terms of brown ale with coffee flavor.

M: The feel is light, thin and watery so it is very easy to drink, but you can feel the grittiness from expresso beans. It is smooth, good for a brown ale but not great not as impressive as other aspects of the beer.

O: I really like this beer it smells and tastes exactly like how I would imagine expresso beer would taste like I am very impressed. It is only okay in the other aspects but the smell and taste more then make up for that. Get this beer if you can a must try for any coffee drinker or fan of coffee in beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2013 01:16:58 | More by Pinknuggets

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4.14/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

This poured out as a nice amber brown color with a cream colored head on top. The retention is very good along with the lacing. The ever is big with coffee aromas and some cream. The taste is coffee, roasted malts and some chocolate. The mouthfeel is nicely carbonated and smooth. Light bodied and drinkable. Overall this beer is very good. Really enjoyable!

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2013 00:59:17 | More by Knapp85

srhoadsy

Florida

4.13/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Poured slightly chilled into a pint glass.

Pours an extremely dark brown with a quarter inch of tan head that quickly recedes with little to no surface layer and lacing.

Strong aroma of coffee.

Very strong coffee flavor with a hint vanilla and cream.

Mouthfeel is a bit on the light side with a flat finish and moderate coffee aftertaste.

There are plenty of beers for beer drinkers who like coffee. This is a beer for coffee drinkers who like beer. Excellent paired with a nice sweet dessert.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2013 00:03:41 | More by srhoadsy

rudzud

Massachusetts

4.46/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Received as an extra in a trade and poured in to my Duvel tulip.

A - A nice rich, deep clear brown/chestnut hue with a one finger tan head that fades to leave a thin cloud and light halo.

S - Aromas of rich espresso, very light chocolate, and faint malt. This really, really smells like I'm taking a deep breathe from a bag of espresso beans. Top notch.

T - Similar to the nose here with big big espresso notes. Not quite as overpowering as the nose but it is bold here. Very smooth, not all that bitter, light sugars, milk chocolate, hints of nuts and cream.

M - Mouthfeel is quite nice, lightly sharp and super drinkable.

O - Alcoholic ice coffee (black) is basically what this is. Really, really love this brown ale. Super coffee forward. Would love to have more of this on a regular basis.

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2013 23:30:41 | More by rudzud

standardcherry

Massachusetts

4.28/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

On tap at CCB takeover at OTC.

A: Dark brown color with small tan head. No lacing.
S: This smells like a cup of coffee. Not much else. It's just a huge kick of coffee. A tiny bit of vanilla and nuttiness.
T: Huge coffee flavor as expected from both the name and the smell. A bit of a nutty flavor. Hint of maple syrup as well. Very tasty beer.
M: I feel like these flavors would go well with a thick, full-bodied beer. The mouthfeel is a bit thinner than I expected. Everything is well balanced though, with a nice roasty bitterness at the end.
O: This is a great beer for coffee lovers, I suggest seeking this out. Another great beer by Cigar City.

Serving type: on-tap

03-21-2013 04:36:59 | More by standardcherry

WillCarrera

Illinois

4.26/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

12 oz bottle I picked up at the brewery a few days ago, no bottled-on date, poured into a nonic pint glass.

A- Pours a dark brown with some reddish tinges at the edge, topped with a finger of creamy off-white head, recedes to a thin layer, leaves spotty lacing.

S- Smells fantastic, really awesome aroma of espresso, which dominates everything but smells delicious, as well as cocoa, bready malt, maybe a bit of chocolate. Really the espresso aroma kicks ass.

T- Lots of espresso again, but it's soft and mild rather than bitter, done very well. There's also some brown sugar, milk chocolate and almond.

M- Medium-bodied, has a soft, smooth feel.

O- A really tasty beer and not a bad price ($11 for 4 I think?), this is tasty enough to just savor and sip at, but I could knock these back pretty easily too. A nice go-to coffee beer, if I loved down by Cigar City I would buy a lot of this.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2013 03:08:51 | More by WillCarrera

Lare453

Florida

4.31/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

12oz into a dfh glass.

A cola brown, light foamy tan head, no lacing. Tiny crown left over. Some islands in the middle.

S wonderful fresh coffee, vanilla cream, nut,

T huge coffee forward beer, hints of lemon peel, vanilla, cocoa, nut, malt

M medium body, smooth, good carbonation, great

O amazing! A great beer, and I'm not a brown ale fan. Great infusion of coffee, vanilla and cocoa. Another hit from ccb.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2013 22:48:26 | More by Lare453

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

beergod1

Ohio

4.23/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a nice dark brown with some red highlights, small tan head, decent lacing. Aroma is a soft chocolate and a light Malt and nice coffee. Flavor is a mellow coffee with a nice hint of chocolate and a subtle roast. Fantastic flavor of coffee one of the best i have had. A very well done beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2012 00:20:21 | More by beergod1

merc7186

New York

4/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I had this beer poured from a 12oz bottle into a pint glass.

A: Deep Brown/Amber Hue, Passes Mild Light, Thick Foamy Off White Head, Decent Lacing

S: Espresso, Coffee, Mildly Nutty, Mild Maple

T: Coffee, Mild Milk Chocolate, Mild Maple

M: Decent Carbonation, Medium Bodied, Mildly Bitter, Mildly Sweet

Overall, a nice coffee brown with solid carbonation, great if you love coffee beers.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2012 15:10:17 | More by merc7186

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

brystmar

New York

4.2/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Breuklyn Bier Merchants. Had the pleasure of drain pouring two awful bottles of this a few months ago (wreaked of cardboard and drywall), so let's see if we can get an uninflected pour!

Sweet hazelnuts and espresso greet my nose up front. Candied coffee leads to a slightly-watery brown ale base supported by espresso beans. Nose and taste are constructed very nicely. Smooth drinking, totally sessionable. Hard to believe this is the same beer because I really like it. I'd happily drink this regularly -- provided there's no infection!

Serving type: on-tap

07-15-2012 02:50:41 | More by brystmar

jeonseh

Indiana

3.63/5  rDev -11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle poured into a FFF mug

A - Dark, espresso black with a massive root beer float like head that sits on top throughout. Nice and rocky. It also had a ton of a carbonation which created a giant head with even a very light pour

A - Roasted coffee, slight wet coffee grounds and vanilla fill the nose. The wet coffee grounds give it a slight mustiness in the nose. I was surprised by how much the vanilla made itself known.

T - Light roasted espresso with a nice hint of vanilla to it. The vanilla lingers on a bit in the finish as does a slight espresso and coffee bitterness

MF - Medium body but, unsurprisingly, highly carbonated to give it a very full and slightly creamy mouth feel

O - A good,but not great coffe beer from Cigar City. It reminds me a bit of a lighter version of Coffee bender. Overall, I did think the vanilla added a nice sweetness to the beer that prevented it from having too much bitterness from the espresso.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2012 02:22:37 | More by jeonseh

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev -10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

First had: on tap at Woody's, Philly, PA

Poured a very cloudy cedar brown color with a small cap of tannish head that retained as a ringlet and left a bit of lacing on the glass. Nutty aroma rife with coffee grounds. Taste of coffee grounds, as promised by the nose, nutty, caramel malts, toasted grains, grassy and slightly astringent in the finish. Body was about medium, a little thin-tasting, but generally pretty drinkable. Not something I'd go out of the way for again.

Serving type: on-tap

06-05-2012 00:41:21 | More by Rifugium

Danny1217

Florida

4.48/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

12 oz. bottle poured into a Cigar City pint glass. Enjoyed in a hotel room in Tampa where I got the beer and the glass from the nearby brewery.

Pours a very dark brown color, almost porter like in appearance. Nice tan head that doesn't stick around for too long. Decent lacing. It smells of toasted malts and coffee beans. Lots of coffee, as expected. Cigar City makes the best smelling beers. Tastes of oats, nuts, and coffee. A fairly sweet beer with a strong coffee finish. Tastes very much like a cuban espresso at the end. Delicious. Medium body and medium to high carbonation.

Cigar City has yet another delicious brown ale, with a nice Floridian twist. This is a delicious brew.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2012 17:45:57 | More by Danny1217