Jai Alai IPA - White Oak - Cigar City Brewing

adam42381

Florida

4.5/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 12 ounce bottle into a Duvel tulip.

Appearance: Pours a hazy caramel brown color with a 3-4 finger creamy off-white head. Excellent lacing.

Smell: Orange, pineapple, grapefruit, coconut, vanilla, pine and oak. Very tropical and fruity aroma. Very complex aroma which smells delicious.

Taste: Pine and grapefruit up front followed by coconut, vanilla and sweet citrus in the middle and ending with a blast of lemon rind and grapefruit hops at the finish. Aftertaste is bitter grapefruit. Extremely well balanced and delicious. Flavor is nearly flawless.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with a nice amount of carbonation. Quite creamy. Goes down very smoothly.

Drinkability: Excellent drinkability. I only bought 2 bottles so I'm going to save the other for another day. I really wish I had more. You could knock back a few of these without any trouble.

Overall: Excellent IPA overall. I really wish that this one was a year-round offering from Cigar City. This is one of the best beers I've ever had and I will be looking for more.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2010 15:47:29 | More by adam42381

merzeone

Iowa

4.5/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12oz Bottle out of a 4 pack purchased 10/11

A: Pours Golden/Copper light and CLEAR Nice Cream head 2 fingers thick then dissipates to 1/4 finger and stays. Great Lacing.

AR: Oak Up front Sweet and Floral Some Spice im guessing from the oak.Almost like a spicy pine and maple undertones pretty awesome. Some hops break through but mainly overpowered.

T: Def get the oak right away but very little tannins from it. Good malt roundness and some fruit from the hops. Bitterness all the way through stays with you even for a good 15 plus seconds after the drink. The oak stays as well...

M: Medium Body finish is great carb is spot on. This finishes a little heavier than the standard Jai IPA.

O: Seriously Good I was always told the "American White Oak" would be to intense to barrel age with well.... F**k that this is outstanding much like most american styles its over the top and is still delicious. I read this is a beer they produce all the time... Cheers to that I am very impressed I like it almost as much as the unearthly oak aged from southern tier.. its damn close.
Cheers

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2011 17:54:58 | More by merzeone

ediaz

Florida

4.5/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle Date: 15 Aug 2012. Review Date: 21 Aug 2012.

A: Fluffy white head on a copper body

S: Sweet bitter citrus hops, oak, smoke.

T: really sweet and smooth, the hoppy taste is well-tempered by the oak treatment. smokey on the back end.

M: Medium with low carbonation. At first, i thought more carb would help the beer, but as i drink it i feel like the low carb and decent weight help the taste come through.

O: Fantastic. I will be having this plenty as long as they can keep it in stock! I would recommend seeking this out or trading for it. Definitely on par with the best of them. Much better than the untreated jai alai, not that the untreated version was bad at all.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2012 21:24:58 | More by ediaz

gcamparone

Rhode Island

4.49/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a tulip. Thanks RayUF07 for hooking me up with a few of these bad boys.

A- Pours a murky, hazy dirt-brown body with a 2" white head that reduces to an uneven white ring and leaves some leggy lacing.

S- The aroma is very upfront, consisting of a sweet vanilla-bourbon aroma. Somewhat musty and woody, with some citrus rind in the background. Quite inviting.

T- Woody bourbon, vanilla and caramel notes that nearly overpower the IPA character of this beer (I said nearly). Unlike most IPAs, the hop presence of this beer is not intense. I'd call it a pale ale. Usually I'd complain about this, but the white oak really added character and worked together with the hoppy grapefruit and pine pines notes to create some nice balance.

M- Light in body, medium carbonation. Drinkable.

I've also tried regular Jai-Alia and I'd say that the addition of white oak really did it well. Oak-aged IPAs are very uncommon and are a style that IMO should be experimented with by other breweries. If they could pull off what cigar city did with this brew, they could create some real masterpieces.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2013 21:09:56 | More by gcamparone

zac16125

South Carolina

4.48/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle poured into a pint glass
No born on date or other distinguishing numbers

A: Pours a hazy amber with 2 fingers width of light off white colored head, which takes a while to dissipate down and leaves a good amount of lacing.

S: Citrusy hops (orange mango and grapefruit), piney hops, sweet bready malts, and of course oak. Some lemon zest, a touch of alcohol. Very nice!

T: Tons of oak in the flavor, in a good way! Balancing out the oak is a solid hop profile, including great citrus notes of mango and orange. Piney hop flavors shine through as well. It all molds together with a firm malt backbone that has a honey sweet characteristic. A hint of alcohol is noted on the backend towards the finish, but doesn’t detract from the flavor profile. Great complexity in this beer, well balanced and oh so tasty.

M/D: Great smoothness here, particularly for the style. On the full side of medium bodied, with an appropriate but not overwhelming carbonation, and a noticeable drying finish. Relatively easy to drink, as this is my second one this sitting, although two is plenty.

O: Overall, what a terrific offering. I am not a fan of the regular Jai Alai, at all. I think its too malt heavy without the big hop profile I look for in an IPA or really any complexity. The White Oak Aged version, on the other hand, is excellent. The oak aging adds so much. Not only does is add an oak flavor, but it balances out the malt dominance of the original version, and somehow manages to pull out a pretty significant hop profile with great citrus notes. A great beer, and a must try that I highly recommend.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2012 03:19:43 | More by zac16125

WanderingFool

Massachusetts

4.48/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

(Thanks go to a friend who went home to Tampa for Christmas and brought me back some Cigar City beers). Jai Alai White Oak IPA pours a clear amber with a medium sized creamy white head on top. As the foam fades it leaves behind some spots and lines of lace on the glass.

The aroma is very woody with notes of oak and some vanilla. Reminds me of a wood shop. Some citrus, pine and light fruit (peach)are also present.

Each sip of this medium bodied beer is creamy with mild carbonation. The flavor is sweet with fruity notes of peach and mango. Lots of oak throughout. It finishes with citrus flavor of orange and grapefruit. Once gone the sweet peach flavor and oak lingers on the palate.

This is a very tasty, easy drinking beer with a unique flavor of fruit and oak. Now that I've had some I want more.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2013 00:22:31 | More by WanderingFool

amc2341

New York

4.47/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Had this on tap the other day at the tasting room in Tampa. The appearance is a hazy orange color, they didn't run this through the filter like the straight Jai Alai. The smell is what initially blows you away with this beer- the white oak really combines well with the hops. It has its own way of standing out without really dominating the aroma. I find the taste of this more well-balanced than the regular Jai-Alai, as if the addition of the oak actually mellowed out some of the bitterness. The mouthfeel has some substantial body to it, but not too much to be cloying. Good carbonation. As far as drinkability, I really enjoyed my first and ordered a second right away. either the 7.5%abv is hidden fairly well, or I am just getting too used to the high abvs in IPAs...

Overall the White oak Jai Alai is a great success. I love Cigar City's MO: experiment with their beers but not to the point where they have to write a new recipe every time. To be honest, I appreciate the regular Jai Alai more after having had the White Oak.

Serving type: on-tap

12-31-2010 17:05:30 | More by amc2341

jstilwell

Massachusetts

4.47/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Big thanks to ShrLSU for running the two drink minimum Fantasy football league. Thanks to a nice CCB package sent from tpd975, I get to review this gem!

Normal pour yields a hazy orangy brown base with a bright white thick creamy head. This head lasts for a bit and produces a fair amount of lacing. Pour = Quality appearance. The aroma is of strong citrusy hops balanced by Oak and butter cookies. The first sip is smooth with the mildly sweet oak reminiscent of toffee, hitting the front of the tongue. At first taste the style of the beer is indistinguishable as the oak does its thing but it is soon overtaken by a strong bitter hop blast. The carbonation is perfect and leads to a dry brisk peppery finish, with noticeable alcohol. The mouthfeel is medium thick and velvety.

The only beer I have to compare to this is Oak Aged Unearthly by Southern Tier. I find this vastly superior with the oak not as overwhelming, the ipa base zestier, and none of the sticky sweetness.

This is an A class brew for sure!

ISO More Cigar City (Effective immediately)

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2011 00:20:01 | More by jstilwell

Zraly

Virginia

4.47/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a hazy, orange-gold with a two-finger head in a DFH goblet. Rich smells of wood and vanilla predominate. Really pretty.

Taste-wise, this is a special IPA. Wonderful tropical notes of pineapple and a hint of coconut; I get the sense that this is an IPA with a crush on a pina colada. An orange peel note ties the fruits to the hoppy finish. For a brief second, it also has a saison feel to it. The finish is dry and bitter, with the oak coming through and smoothing the body and mouthfeel out. The citrusy hop bitterness lingers just long enough until your next sip.

Extremely original and very tasty. Excellent and a must-try if you have the chance. I'd love to pair this up with sweet and sour rabbit...yum!

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2011 22:49:50 | More by Zraly

Bfarr

Washington

4.47/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Cloudy orange amber and thin tan head with good retention. Fruity (mango/guava) oak and earthy undertones. Sweet grapefruit and earthy spice and oak finish. Moderately low linger thought the hops increase slightly. Sharp bite with a slick dry feel and a little tack.

An amazingly complex and enjoyable IPA that’s sweeter than your normal IPA and could use a dose of bittering to completely round it out. A nicely unique flavor and a little dryer than average due to the oak but it’s balanced although it’s not a beer to drink more than a pint but it makes a fantastic treat.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2011 01:28:49 | More by Bfarr

ales4baldo

California

4.47/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Big thanks to Hdelavega for this one in a trade. Thank you sir. Poured in the wonder Cigar City Snifter he also sent.

Presentation-Simple bottle, showing the white oak on the label. Big hop announces the presence what your gonna get.

Presentation-Appearence-Hazy deli mustard coloration. Almost a cloudy and foggy beer than you cant see through. Good head. About a finger and a half of head.

Smell-The white oak gives this beer a really sweet smell. Sugars and wood oak come up really nice. Lots of hops and a bit of tangerine.

Taste-Really nice man. The white oak does wonders to this beer. Grapefruit like youll usually find in an IPA. Sweet lemon notes hide behind the strong presense of hops. A bit of orange and like some red apple as well.

Mouthfull-Get a nice full mouthfull with this beer. Has a lot of body to it and the hops aged with the white oak add a really nice sweet bitter. Carbonation is really nice as always.

Overall-A really nice beer. Really nice. Simple and with a lot of body and flavors. I really like this one.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2011 04:07:04 | More by ales4baldo

cjgator3

Florida

4.45/5  rDev +6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle

A- Poured into a Cigar City tulip glass. Pours a clear golden amber color with an off-white head with great retention and lacing. 

S- The aroma is nothing short of amazing. There is a lot of tropical fruits and citrus notes from the hops with some of the woody/oak notes from the White Oak treatment. What a fantastic aroma, I could smell this all day long.

T- The taste like the aroma is filled with delicious hops flavors. There is some malt up front with a little oak in the background and a nice amount of bitterness from the hops in the finish. Just picked these bottles up from the brewery a couple of days ago, these taste super fresh!

M- The mouthfeel is between light and medium bodied with a good amount of carbonation.

D- Overall, White Oak Jai Alai is one of my favorite beers from CCB. I tried it on-tap when it was first released but I'm glad they are now bottling it.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2011 05:29:45 | More by cjgator3

lordofthewiens

Maine

4.45/5  rDev +6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

In a snifter the beer was a hazy amber color with a small white head. A small amount of lace.
Great aroma. Lots of citrus, some pale malt. Definite vanilla/oak aroma.
Similarly great taste. Grapefruit, tangerine, tropical fruit. Biscuit. Oak lingering in the background the whole time.
The oak really tempered the IPA. Very smooth.
Will have to get more of these while in Florida.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2011 12:36:15 | More by lordofthewiens

woosterbill

Connecticut

4.45/5  rDev +6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle courtesy of Vonschplieffen into a Weyerbacher tulip.

A: Deep orange-amber body under an inch of fine off-white head. Good retention and lacing. Very nice indeed.

S: Sweet tropical fruit hop notes mix seamlessly with vanilla oakiness and dry bitterness. Excellent.

T: Fruit, vanilla, caramel, pine, oak, and clean, fresh bitterness. Delicious mix of oaky/malty sweetness and oaky/hoppy bitterness. Great.

M: Soft medium body with intense, prickly carbonation.

O: I was entirely ambivalent about regular Jai-Alai, and hugely impressed by the cedar version. Happily, the Quercus Alba iteration of this beer is every bit as amazing as its cedar forbear. The vanilla from the raw oak mixes perfectly with the fruitiness of the hops, creating a beautifully luscious flavor that's reminiscent of nothing so much as NEBCO Gold Stock - and that's about the highest compliment I can give. Don't get me wrong, this beer is no Gold Stock, but it's damn good.

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2011 01:41:02 | More by woosterbill

thedoubler55

New Jersey

4.45/5  rDev +6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: A perfect golden color, slightly transparent, a nice finger of off white head at the top that leaves a nice lacing around the glass.

S: Up front are notes of pineapple and banana, and slight hint of pepper at the tail end, a nice smell to this brew.

T: Same as the nose, but great tasting was very surprised at the kick this beer had, not bad at all. Fruits and spice everywhere.

M: Medium bodied and moderate carbonation.

O: This was a great brew, my buddy had it for me when I went to visit in Atlanta, Georgia; Enjoyed it thoroughly.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2012 21:47:02 | More by thedoubler55

Hamburgers

California

4.44/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Pours dark amber with a lot of little floaties. One finger white head with nice lacing. Super juicy nose of mango, peaches and other tropical fruit. Seriously though, you will never find a nose like this on another IPA. Amazing! Flavor is equally amazing. Notes of mango, oak and like the description says a hint of dill in the finish. Medium body with light carbonation. Slightly bitter finish. One of a kind.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2013 07:10:54 | More by Hamburgers

LiquidBread219

Indiana

4.43/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A= Light amber color nice foamy head, with lots of lacing.

S= I had the regular Jai Alai right before this one and that one didn't have much of a nose. This one however has a real powerful nose smells like tropical fruit and vanilla really stand out you also smell the oak in this one.

T= The taste is very nice really like this one the oak blends well with the hops and the vanilla really good.

M= Medium bodied and nicely carbonated.

D= Really nicely done haven't had a IPA like this one really like the oak tasted nice. Went down smooth would love to get more of this one.

T=

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2010 01:19:56 | More by LiquidBread219

babaracas

Florida

4.43/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a slightly hazy dark amber with towering creamy just-off-white head and slowly fades to a meringue-like cap leaving thick styrofoam globs of lace. It doesn't get better than this. Smell: the oak is fantastically upfront and lends a coconut character. Second level we have sticky pineapple, soft tropical fruit, and citrus rind above a sweet melon + caramel base. Taste: acidic pineapple, toffee, pink grapefruit, vanilla + coconut + oak character, caramelized cantaloupe (can that be done?). Creamy with perfect slightly prickly carbonation. Freakin' fantastic. As much of a revelation as the humidor was, this is orders of magnitude better.

If the tasting room can stay open for a few weeks I'll be back begging for a growler fill of this.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2010 05:49:49 | More by babaracas

bierenutz

Michigan

4.43/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A-Pours a murky brownish orange color with about a finger's width head and nice lacing.
S-Very unique...with a hoppy earthiness and strong aroma of fresh cut wood.
T-This beer had a butter like quality with a taste almost like popcorn and of course the woody oakey flavor. The hops were bitter but took second stage with this different beer for me.
M-Moderate feel and carbonation.
D-This was a different experience and not what I expected. I was pleasantly surprised and wowed by this brew.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2011 10:38:53 | More by bierenutz

aubuc1

Florida

4.43/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12 oz bottle poured into tulip pint glass.

Pours a nice orange with a thick off white head.

Smell is huge citrus with some light pine and then woody oak.

Taste is sweet, but not cloying, citrusy without bitterness. The oak cleans up the aftertaste and absorbs the bitter finish but still is dry.

Mouthfeel is good and drinkability is great.

Was surprised by the effect of the oak.

Great beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2011 01:58:25 | More by aubuc1

aepb1

Florida

4.43/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A- Quite similar to their normal Jai Alai, Nice amber body with 2 fingers of a white head with little lacing

S- This is where it diverges and it does so splendidly. Oak, earthy tropical fruits and some sweet malts

T- Earthy, woody sweet malt with the hops bite being tempered by those great malts. More fruits too.

M- Medium-bodied and good carbonation

D- Very easy to drink. Cool concept and awesome flavor!

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2011 18:36:29 | More by aepb1

jjanega08

Minnesota

4.43/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

No freshness date but drank within a day of trade.

A= Pours a nice hazy orange with a finger of head on it. The head looks a little lighter in color than the regular Jai. The head is also a little less dense and maybe falls a bit faster but not by much.

S= The smell on this is very interesting. I can say with confidence that it smells like oak. Straight oak and hops. There is no misunderstanding what kind of wood was used. The hops are a little taken over by the oak but it still is there and maybe a little more fruity with the oak smell. Reminds me of overripe mangos or something.

T= The taste is much more oaky than I would have expected. Still very very tasty though. It has a lot of coconut flavor I think. Pineapple as well. Tastes almost like a pina colada! Really interesting and unique. This maybe the only IPA that I've had that I thought made a totally new and tasty beer when it had wood added.

M= The carbonation is a bit lower than the regular version which is nice.

O= Wow I thought I would have hated this beer but it's actually really really nice. Unique and delicious. Worth trying and drinking regularly if it's avalible to you. I would gladly drink a lot of this.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2011 00:48:41 | More by jjanega08

pigc

Nebraska

4.43/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Pours a dirty light copper with two finger head.

S - Citrus, pine, orange, tropical notes. Slight oak.

T - Mango, orange marmalade, citrus, pine. Bitterness is apparent yet not overwhelming. Slight oak taste from the barrel. Malt backbone is minimal. Slight sweetness. Nice dry finish.

M - Medium with average carbonation.

O - I enjoyed this oak aged version more than the standard Jai Alai. One of my favorites from this style. CCB hit the nail on the head with this one, well done!

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2011 02:38:25 | More by pigc

emerge077

Illinois

4.43/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Drank quite a bit of this at FoBAB '12, several pours served in the festival taster glass, at least 12 oz. total. Quick review from notes.

Pours a nice deep orange color, saturated hue with a glowing haze that's visible when backlit. Sudsy foam on the surface with an initial cluster of larger bubbles resting atop a fingers width of head. Aroma is full of oak character, dry woody traces with some sweet vanilla and coconut elements that blend harmoniously with a resinous citrus oil hop character. Dry and bitter feel, with a little bit of sweetness in the middle from the pale malt and possibly the oak too. Smooth and medium bodied, hops lend a good deal of citrus peel and herbaceous bitterness in the aftertaste, though it's smoothed out a bit overall from the oak aging. Pretty drinkable considering the abv, but probably a 1-2 in a sitting type of beer. Very well done.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2012 16:38:39 | More by emerge077

rudzud

Massachusetts

4.41/5  rDev +5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

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

A - Bottle was, oddly enough, a slow gusher. Thanks to this sediment was stirred up and so the brew, while a nice hazy orange is just full of sediment and yeast on the bottom. Nice half a finger head that just doesnt quit and leaves light side lacing. Quite nice head retention.

S - Wow, very un IPA like. Lots of fruit...was this new oak? Light pear and white grape skins. Light citrus hops, musty (almost like a wild). Pretty unique smelling.

T - Again, fun. Get lots of white grape skin/tanins, light malt sweetness and a lightly bitter hop finish. Lots of lingering oak on the finish along with hints of vanilla. Faint grape and pear juice on the finish as well.

M - Mouthfeel boarders on aggressively carbonated yet somehow smooth finish.

O - So yeah, I really, REALLY like barrel aged IPAs. The fun notes they bring to the table definitely freshens up the pallet. I dig it.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2013 01:31:12 | More by rudzud