Batch #69 - Double Cream Ale - Cigar City Brewing

maximum12

Minnesota

2.25/5  rDev -41.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 1.5

More thanks to moose3285, who is providing the carbonated entertainment for the evening once more...this one an extra I haven't tried yet from Cigar City. 750ML bottle split with my wife.

Bottle makes interesting reading, & the pour looks just like a Creamsicle. Exactly. And once that image adheres to the edges of my mind, the damn thing smells all orange sugary, too. Sweet & fruity.

Batch 69 Double Cream Ale certainly succeeded during the creamy portion of the program; this is smooth as varnished silk. The taste, on the other hand, is all over the place. Very bready up front, just pulling back from rubbery Fat Tire territory, which is a strange meld with the orange, banana-like soakings that move in behind. Tangy yeast, with a middling citrus bite at the end, which is just bizarre. Warming does it no favors, either, as the tang becomes more pronounced & obnoxious. One & done, & could have been a 22 oz. bottle.

A rare Cigar City miss for me, this is just a smeared jumble of a beer. Not sure what they were aiming for, but for guys with such good aim, maybe they weren't either. Not good, not even mediocre, & the further I get in, the less appealing it is. Not going to finish my glass.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2013 03:13:39 | More by maximum12

AltBock

Ohio

3.14/5  rDev -18%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3

750ml bottle with a simple peach colored label with the name of the beer in the middle and big 69 in the background. To the left is the Government warning and to the right is a description of the beer. On the front and to the right should be a bottled on date. My bottle was bottled on 30 July 2012 and drank on 18 Nov 2012.

When poured into a Cigar City snifter, 69 was an extremely clear amber orange color. No highlights. Just straight up amber orange. The initial head of foam was about 1/4 of an inch in height and was solid white in color. It had OK retention that left behind a tiny string of rings along the edge. It was pretty much an average looking appearance.

The aroma of this beer is going to give me very little to write about. It was a grainy aroma with a spatter of hops and a solid fruity background. I can't even point out the kinds of fruit in the aroma. All the fruits mixed in with each other so it was hard to pin point certain fruits. It was simply fruity and grainy.

The taste was almost the same as the aroma. I detected more of a bitterness in the taste. I guess the hops decided to break through the grain wall. Besides the grain and the hops, there was a quick taste of juicy citrus fruits. I still couldn't taste what kind of fruits they were. Slightly above average taste. It was the hops that saved it from an average taste.

This was a medium bodied beer with a grainy aftertaste. This beer doesn't bother to hide it's 9.5% ABV. Overall, it's really nothing that special. It was simply a grainy fruity beer with a high proof. It can be missed. 

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2013 21:52:31 | More by AltBock

stakem

Pennsylvania

3.38/5  rDev -11.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Kinda interesting to see this out again. I had the original batch on draft 2+ years and this time from a 750ml care of Leon. Thanks for the share man. Into a snifter, the brew appears a clear orange with a solid creamy finger of yellowish stained head. The cap fades leaving webby lace sticking to the glass.

The aroma is filled with a scent similar to orange marmalade with a bit of caramel sweetness. A fine touchvof alcohol and herbal hops balances things out. As it warns up, a slight touch of minerals evolves.

The taste is hoppy with fruity rind and zest like mandrins. Some caramel maltiness, lightly toasty with almost a lingering corney sweetness. The aftertaste has minor mineral elements just like the nose suggested.

This is a medium bodied brew with a full level of carbonation but maintains a nice smoothness throughout. It lasts with a bit of a cling inside the mouth after the swallow. For nearly 10% it is integrated well.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2012 18:05:21 | More by stakem

beergod1

Ohio

3.25/5  rDev -15.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a semi-cloudy golden orange with a white head and creamy lacing. vanilla and citrus dominate the nose. this is backed up by a slight though noticeable grassy hop element. the flavor is a little sweet with a decent bitter finish. Almost a hint of corn/grainy taste, but smooth and very drinkable. Excellent mouthfeel. creamy, one might even say velvety. A decent though very laid back beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2012 00:10:35 | More by beergod1

kylehay2004

Florida

3.73/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: single finger head rapidly dissipates on a half amber half golden body. scattered lacing.

S: fresh flowers, milk, caramel and grass.

T: the cream is not too sweet and near perfectly applied for what this is. also with honey and bready malts.

M: smooth, medium body and moderate carbonation.

Overall: I was expecting an overly sweet and boozy beer but this one is smooth, well balanced and more complex than I would think.

Serving type: bottle

10-05-2012 02:11:55 | More by kylehay2004

nickfl

Florida

3.4/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Pours with a small head of white foam on top of a clear, copper colored body. The foam settles quickly and there is little lace on the glass.

S - Grainy malt and a touch of fruity peach with little else.

T - Thick, almost syrupy malt up front with a bit of red apple flavor in the middle. Some toffee and more apple in the finish with a lingering bready flavor.

M - A thick body, moderately high carbonation, and a slightly sweet finish.

D - This one doesn't do much for me, perhaps the barrel aged version would be more interesting, but this is just this and flabby, despite the extra carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

10-05-2012 02:10:53 | More by nickfl

shand

Florida

3.83/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Well, this is what it says on the label for sure. Double the cream, double the booze, double the smooth. The aroma is definitely too hot and sweet. The taste is still primarily sweet malts, but the excellent creaminess from the mouthfeel really smooths out the beer's rough edges. It's really a what you see on the label is what you get situation. This is, for better or for worse, a double cream ale. Pick up a Naragansett Cream Ale if you haven't had a cream ale in a while, and imagine it doubled. You'll get more flavor, more sweetness, and more booze.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2012 02:48:42 | More by shand

Danny1217

Florida

3.93/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours clear amber with a small head. Lacing is decent enough.
Smell is very subdued. A little bit of a bready yeast aroma, and light fruits. Very hard to smell though. Disappointing in comparison to the rich aromas of most CCB beers. Taste is like the smell, but a little stronger. The light fruits and yeast are there. The high alcohol is mostly very well hidden, but gives a nice warmth at the end. Pretty nice. Very smooth feel. Low carbonation and medium body.

Not my favorite offering from Cigar City, but damn good still.

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2012 03:41:41 | More by Danny1217

pixieskid

France

3.53/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a perfectly translucent, copper hue with a one finger white head (decent retention).

Aroma: bready malts, toffee, and touch of fruitiness...fairly mild in the nose.

Taste: Notes of honey, caramel, light fruitiness, floral hops and a lingering herbal bitterness and a touch of alcohol.

Mouthfeel: creamy (just like you hope for in a cream ale) and slick with a slightly spritzy carbonation.

Overall: exactly what they called it, an imperial cream ale. Simple and straightforward with the abv being pretty well hidden.

Other than that, not much else to say. I would have preferred it to have a lighter body/mouthfeel and drier more effervescent carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2012 22:14:03 | More by pixieskid

macrosmatic

Florida

3.55/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Reviewed from notes. Poured from bomber into pint glass.

A: Clear light amber in color with a one and one-half finger white head. Good amount of visible carbonation, but the lacing doesn't stick to the glass well.

S: Sweet, toffee, malty, no hops that I get.

T: Follows the nose. Sweet with creamy biscuity malt, and bits of yeasty and fruity aspects. There is a definite boozy character here as well.

M: Has a pretty creamy texture, and has some alcohol heat, especially at the end.

O: This really didn't do it for me. Not offensive but I don't want another.

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2012 01:09:25 | More by macrosmatic

TCgoalie

Michigan

3.98/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Notes from way back - 12/21/10.

Pours a very light golden yellow with a creamy white head. The head recedes to a splotchy foam which is absorbed by the glass to form a nice lacing.

A lovely fruit aroma greets my nose showing a lot of banana with some pine and clove. The yeast presence is very prominent.

Much like the smell, the taste brings about banana, clove, and dusty yeast. The yeast blends with a bit of heat creating a bitter character in the end.

Very creamy and full on the tongue with a light drying in the end.

It is hard to believe this is 10%. Not bad, a solid cream ale.

Serving type: on-tap

02-27-2011 19:45:24 | More by TCgoalie

Avagadro

New Jersey

3.05/5  rDev -20.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

A: this pint is amber-gold with a frothy white head, and considerable haze. It is also visually viscous. The bubbles, while enthusiastic at first, are weighed down by the massive thickness of this brew.

S: definitely some high alcohols here. Bubblegum, rose, and tropical fruit are prevalent.

T: the most obvious flaw in this brew is its lack of attenuation. It is much too sweet, with little bitterness to balance it out. Also, the fermentation byproducts are out of control.

M: thick, sticky, unappetizing.

D: I admire the innovation, but this definitely needs some adjuncts to thin it out, and a cleaner fermentation. I can't really recommend this to anyone.

Serving type: on-tap

02-15-2011 21:20:18 | More by Avagadro

cosmicevan

New York

3.83/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Ordered on tap at the porch in key west. Aarived in a pint a deep foggy orange with no head or lacing. Smelled of candy and apples and citric aromas. Flavor matches the nose but the heat is there. Kind of tastes like a shot of rum or brandy was poured in it. Mouth had a bit of a tingle and a sour aftertaste. It's available in tap, but this will be the only one I order. Too heavy on the heat for me.

Serving type: on-tap

01-17-2011 03:57:17 | More by cosmicevan

tchaos

Florida

4.05/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Enjoyed from a CCB snifter at the tasting room on a growler-fill mission.

A -- very clear, gold/copper color with minimal head

S -- Sweet/bready malt, followed by apples and citrus hops

T -- Consistent with many CCB items, the smell gives a very good indicator of the taste. Sweet malt, citrus with a hint of bitterness; long, lingering sweet finish

M -- moderate carbonation; very smooth, very soft and creamy...wonderful

D -- Very drinkable, even with the high ABV. Overall sweetness helps keep down the amount I would have in one sitting. Would have been nice to get a growler to share, but definitely worth getting if you are in the area.

Serving type: on-tap

01-10-2011 21:41:22 | More by tchaos

HeyItsChili

South Carolina

4.1/5  rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Had this on tap at Cigar City's tasting room. Served in a snifter glass.

A - Pours a rich apricot-amber with a thinnish-medium creamy white head.

S - Brew has a light candy sweet aroma, with hints of apples. Hops are blended in there but not overpowering. As other fine, upstanding tasters have noticed, it's got some bready malt in there flexing its muscles.

T - More appley than the scent. Little bit of hops, citrus, comes through. Sweet and malty flavor to boot. Alcohol is a little warm here too.

M - If a beer can be velvety and oily at the same time, this one is.

I enjoyed it and put it up there with some of the better cream ales from the UK.

Serving type: on-tap

01-01-2011 04:23:50 | More by HeyItsChili

RossCain

Florida

4.05/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Served on-tap into a pint glass:

A: Dark copper with a medium, off white head. Decent retention and webbing persisted through the course of the beer.

S: Gave off a first impression of apple coated in lemon juice which was followed up by the sweet aroma of bready malts.

T: Clean citrus up front mixed with a very subdued apple flavor followed by a very distinguished (not overpowering) caramel malt profile in the finish. An alcoholic twang resides in the the finish which makes itself known but does overpower the flavor of the beer itself (more warming than anything).

M: Thick and creamy with moderate carbonation (perfect amount in my opinion) making for a remarkably smooth and refreshing mouthfeel. Pretty much a standard offering for a rich CCB beer.

D: Dangerously drinkable. I wasn't aware of the 9.5% abv until I had finished the beer and looked up more about it after getting back from the bar. Smooth and easy drinking but more than tasty enough to drink back to back while enjoying a night at the bar with friends.

Serving type: on-tap

12-20-2010 14:38:09 | More by RossCain

PorterLambic

Florida

3.73/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a rather attractive dark orange color with minimal head. The head drops to nothing in the very full shifter in seconds leaving a faint ring and no lace.
Smell is hops, citrus, apple, a light touch of cardboard plus a note of something I can't define. Pretty good balance.
Taste is less balanced with apple, malt and hops dominating.
A medium to full-bodied beer with medium effervescence at the front (almost sharp) that drops off fairly quickly. A nicer finish, more balanced, less harsh. Drinks like an IPA, looks like one as well. A detectable alcohol note though not 10% . A decent brew but in my estimation, the least of CCB's offerings of the 10 I've had so far.

Serving type: on-tap

12-17-2010 20:33:58 | More by PorterLambic

CampusCrew

Florida

4.13/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

At Kickbacks on draft

appearance: bready malts, subtle trpical

smell: sweet bready malts and some hop presence

taste: more on the malty side, may have been hoppy, unsure of freshness. nice flavor

mouthfeel: medium bodied

drinkability: nice, beer. not the best CC, but a solid offering.

Serving type: on-tap

11-09-2010 00:15:33 | More by CampusCrew

Lerxst

Florida

4.1/5  rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Kickbacks

A-Pours a golden/orange with a one finger white head that has good retention and left sticky lace all the way down.

S-Citrus hops dominate with notes of bready malt. The nose is not terribly complex, but very prominent and pleasant.

T-Follows the nose with the citrus hops and also a slight tropical fruit taste to go along the a slightly sweet maltiness.

M-Medium body, a bit slick and oily.

D-Goes down easily and another is certainly doable.

Serving type: on-tap

11-06-2010 23:28:41 | More by Lerxst

beersensei305

Florida

4.03/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From Notes on Tap a CCB Tasting Room:

A: Nice light orange color with a fomay head, good lacing.
S: Citrus, hops, and some sweet malts.
T: Fairly sweet. Sweet malts, mild hops, Citrus- mostly orange, and a nice vanilla back.
M: Creamy medium bodied beer with a good amount of carbonation.
D: Great beer. Very unique.

Serving type: on-tap

11-02-2010 22:21:58 | More by beersensei305

beerwolf77

Wisconsin

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

The CCB growler pipeline continues thanks to fogdog. Kevin you are the man.

Poured into my duvel tulip.

A: amber orange, one finger of off white head, decent lace ring

S: loads of citrus hops heavy on the tangerine, as it warms it almost has a barley wine thing going on

T: pretty much where the nose led me, clean citrus hops, light malt backing, crisp and refreshing

M: carbon copy of all CCB beers, creamy medium body with average carbonation

D: overall a solid beer, strong ales don't really excite me, but this one has potential

Serving type: growler

10-09-2010 00:49:24 | More by beerwolf77

cjgator3

Florida

4.15/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On-tap at Redlight Redlight in Orlando, FL. Pours a dark orangish amber color. Aroma is sweet malt, tropical fruits, orange and citrus. The taste like the aroma is fruity and malty up front with a very nice citrusy hop bitterness in the finish. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with a perfect amount of carbonation. Overall, this is not your daddy's cream ale. Once again, another solid beer from Cigar City.

Serving type: bottle

09-14-2010 04:22:02 | More by cjgator3

babaracas

Florida

3.9/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On tap, a "double cream ale." 330cl pour in a Unibroue glass, hazy orange with creamy white head that's settled by the time it got to the table. Smell: fruity, orange citrus, grainy, a suggestion of alcohol. Taste mirrors the nose closely with hints of pine and apricot. Finishes like a cream ale should. Not fantastically enjoyable but succeeds at what it intends to be.

Serving type: on-tap

09-12-2010 04:23:06 | More by babaracas

Axic10

Pennsylvania

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

On-tap at Capone's during the Cigar City event during Philly Beer Week.

Appearance: Golden yellow with a thin layer of head.

Smell: Had a hoppy, piney and some what creamy nose.

Taste: Very good citrus (especially pineapple) taste mixed with cream and slightly bitter hops.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied and incredibly smooth.

Drinkability: Another good beer from Cigar City, although I felt dirty asking the waitress for a "69". Very tasty and made me even more excited to seek out more beers from Cigar City.

Serving type: on-tap

07-06-2010 04:01:44 | More by Axic10

KickbacksSteve

Florida

4.1/5  rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Kickbacks Gastropub in Jax. Poured into a Unibroue tulip. Moderate, white head on a golden body. Oily, resiny, sticky lacing slides down the glass. Aroma is a touch boozy, nice hop aroma and a bit of malt sweetness, maybe a touch of banana? Feel is only a touch creamy, maybe a touch thinner than expected. Taste includes a bit of the malt sweetness and obviously a ton of hops. ABV is hidden much more than expected considering the nose. No other flavors really stand out but a very solid and tasty and very strong ale.

Serving type: on-tap

07-02-2010 02:24:44 | More by KickbacksSteve