Jai Alai IPA - White Oak - Cigar City Brewing

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

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

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

Gtreid

Florida

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

Poured into a pint glass at CCB on the Double Barrel MZ release.

A: Hazy, copper, orange color, pretty much just like the other Jai Alai's. A big quarter of off white head shows up and then leaves great lace.

A: Man, where do I start? Coconut, macadamin nuts, grapefruit, orange, vanilla, and yes the oak. This has got to be, hands down, the most complex nose on an Ipa I have had to date.

T: Taste is just as good as the nose. The sweet coconut, vanilla, and islandy nutty flavor is balanced so well with the base Jai Alai. The caramel malt and big citrus hops play perfectly together. And the white oak gives is a dry, woodsy finish that is just sublime.

M: Great carbonation, medium body. Just fantastic.

D and overall impression: Drinkability for an IPA that is so complex is really quite nice. Overall, this is the best IPA CCB has done to date, and maybe the best IPA I have ever had. Skal.

Serving type: on-tap

07-24-2010 17:09:50 | More by Gtreid

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

soughtbygod

California

4.53/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This beer pours a dark slightly cloudy amber with a barley off white 2 finger head.

the smell is unique right off the bat i pick up some roasted caramel sweetness, followed by hops and a little bit of funkiness maybe that is the white oak pulling through

the taste wow this beer is great i don't find myself saying ipa and aged together as a good thing very often, but they did well with this. they gave it enough malt backbone that as it aged on the oak and the hops fell off that it picked up a sweet characteristic. this after you swallow you pick up grapefruit and floral hop flavors and it finishes with the oak

the mouthfeel is incredibly velvety for an ipa, it drinks like a milk stout. very thick and luscious.

overall this beer is on par with its BA score. very good will def hunt some down in the future.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2012 01:30:22 | More by soughtbygod

KickbacksSteve

Florida

4.53/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at kickbacks in jax. Poured into a snifter. White head, moderate lacing on a hazy marmalade body. Soapy and oily lacing. Aroma is spicy, hoppy, fruity (citrus), maybe a touch smokey. Taste has a nice light sweetness, high bitterness, very smooth with no alcohol taste at all. Nice spicy character on taste along with a touch of vanilla. Awesome.

Serving type: on-tap

11-19-2012 20:20:05 | More by KickbacksSteve

hornsup

Virginia

4.53/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle poured into a Sweetwater pint glass

A: Pours an orange amber color but on the lighter side with a half finger head than leaves a thin head after only a few seconds.

S:Smells like a pina colada? yea...very tropical fruit flavors, vanilla, light off coconut, citrus..interesting

T: this blew me away....nothing like any IPA I have ever had. The oak hits you hard first then it transitions into a smooth smooth vanilla flavor and finishes with a little bitterness..bonus is the burp gives you a little pine.

M: creamy, medium bodied, just feels right

O: This is a great rendition on an IPA. The vanilla white oak really compliments the hops and bitterness well, its not something you would session all night to me only because it is slightly sweet on the tongue but damn is it good. CCB never ceases to amaze me

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2013 06:13:18 | More by hornsup

Dreadnaught33

District of Columbia

4.55/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer is really interesting and not like any other IPA I've ever had. I really think that the white oak works great with the regular jai alai as a base, very nice beer.

A: Dark Amber to brownish body, very opaque with a nice stable pinky of foamy head and super lacing. A little too dark for an IPA, but nice.

S: Awesome bouquet of oak, pine, vanilla, hop resin, sugary citrus, and nutmeg. Very nice.

T: I am very pleased with this taste, it is very awesome to me, though I can see why others might not like it since it is really quite different. Pleasing hop bitterness overall mingles with vanilla oak, spicy herbs, citrus hops, a nice malt backbone as well. The nutmeg and pine also shine through as it warms. Wow this is excellent.

M: Nice medium feel overall, but I find it a little over carbonated. Nice bitter finish.

D: Awesome beer overall, very tasty. I highly recommend trying this, though I dont think you could do more than one 12oz of this before it would get old. Awesome showing from Cigar City.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2010 21:34:14 | More by Dreadnaught33

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.58/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Another instant classic from CCB, I was beyond thrilled when this one hit my porch yesterday. Thank you soo much. Served cold and poured into a pint glass, this one was consumed on 07/10/10.

Pour is immediately cloudy with a thin wispy head of white that caps the top rather nicely I might add. Settles down into a dark amber color that really puts on quite a nice show.

Aroma is soo different then anything else it is hard to put into words. Spicy, lots of oak, hints of pepper, light hops. Really very nicely done. A whole nother world here folks. As you let it warm it really starts to show off. Really such a woody beer as all I can really taste are spicy notes of oak, hints of light peppery hops, some herbal qualities and that wonderful sense of oak. I really cannot describe it any other way. Light hints of booze in the finish with a dry spicy note again to close the show.

Overall one of the best treatments I have seen them do by far Simply amazing.

Serving type: growler

07-11-2010 19:21:39 | More by mikesgroove

JohnnyBarman

Ontario (Canada)

4.58/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at the Marshal Zhukov RIS barrel-aged release party. I'm really intrigued by CCB's tradition of revisiting of their standard brews-this should be a treat.

Poured into a small sampler glass. Slightly murky golden-copper, with a thin but lingering head.

The nose is brilliant - a superb blend of citrus hops, oak, smokiness and a lovely tropical blend of mango and orange, possibly coconut, vanilla. Anything but your standard IPA bouquet. Love it!

Taste is also superb, probably my favorite IPA of the trip. I could really detect the standard Jai Alai foundation (citrus and earthy hops, malt, caramel), but the addition of the oak wood brought about an excellent woodsy, fruity character that brought out the best in the basic recipe.

Medium bodied for an IPA, easy drinking carbonation.

Were I able to stay longer, I would have had several of these on draft. Just a great blending of flavors. Definitely restores my faith in the evolution of the American IPA! (Shame I can't bring some home with me!)

Serving type: on-tap

08-03-2010 03:47:16 | More by JohnnyBarman

jpmclaug

South Carolina

4.58/5  rDev +9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a stemmed tulip. Thanks goes to Todes for this one.

A - Beautiful orange amber that almost looks like it is glowing. Big fluffy yellow tinted white head on top. Nice sticky lacing is on the side of the glass as this one goes down.

S - Sweet pineapple, mango and other tropical fruit smells with a nice sweetness in there. Honestly one of the best smelling IPA's I've ever smelt.

T - Once again some mango like sweetness with a nice touch of citrus and tropical flavored hops. The white oak is definitely present and takes away some hop bite but this is still delicious. Easily is the best oak aged IPA I've had yet.

M - medium body with a good amount of carbonation and a bit of sticky syrupyness.

D - really drinkable. A really solid IPA. The smell is phenomenal and the tropical fruit qualities in the taste is fantastic. After having 110k + OT 3 I wasn't expecting much from this but now I see why Cigar City is so well regarded.

Serving type: bottle

09-14-2010 23:22:48 | More by jpmclaug

VncentLIFE

North Carolina

4.58/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Just landed tonight:)

Pour is a little darker amber than the traditional Jai Alai. Its more of an amber.

The smell is just amazing and perfect. Sweet sticky hops dominate the hose . Oranges and lemons really just explode, and the oak is slightly peppery.

Ok so the taste. The first, and most important thing is the wood. It adds a peppery bitterness which just sets this thing apart. The hops are fruity and citric upfront with a serious oranges and lemons taking over. I never knew that peppery fruit was a good thing, but yes it is.

The body is super light, with only a hint of powdery malt really showing through the blast of hops and wood. The hops extracts feel slick, which just helps the drinkability.

This is definitely the best wood-aged IPA ive had yet. Burton Baton is out of the question, but Oaked Unearthly from Southern Tier was close. This one has more of a balance and a better hop bill. The fruits still shine through everything, while the oak aging is a fantastic accent.

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2012 23:55:10 | More by VncentLIFE

nickfl

Florida

4.6/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

A - Pours with one finger of white foam on top of a hazy, copper colored body. The head settles quickly and leaves moderate lace.

S - An incredible, complex aroma of coconut, vanilla, dill, and cardamom. The hops only come out in the background with notes of pineapple and resinous pine along with a subtle note of bready malt.

T - Bready malt up front with a little bit of toffee. Savory spice notes of dill and basil come out in the middle along with moderate pine hop flavors. Finishes with a hint of coconut and lots of herbal wood flavor as well as moderate pine hops and fairly strong, somewhat pithy bitterness. Lingering herbal flavors blend with the bitterness and leave a grapefruit note on the palate.

M - Medium body, moderately low carbonation, and a balanced finish.

D - This is a great IPA that really benefits from the white oak in unique and wonderful ways. The aroma is absolutely spectacular and I find myself sticking my nose back in the glass time and again just to enjoy it. The character of the white oak is like nothing I have ever experienced in a beer before and it works with the base beer perfectly. The notes of coconut and dill mesh exquisitely with the hops and bring out a resinous pine note that is much stronger than I remember it being in straight up Jai Alai. A beer aged on an alternative wood like this had the potential to simply be a gimmicky one off, but in this case it ended up being something really different that showed me some character that I had never seen in a beer before, which is something that happens only very occasionally at this point in my beer tasting career. This has to be my favorite version of Jai Alai so far and perhaps the best Cigar City beer that I have tried.

Serving type: growler

09-17-2010 05:22:36 | More by nickfl

mondegreen

Georgia

4.6/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12oz into a DFH Signature Glass.

Pours a hazy deep orange. Throws up a giant 3 inch head with nice retention and great lacing. Aroma is sweet citrus hops and lovely wood. Taste follows, with the oak taking center stage. I love what the guys down in Tampa are doing with Jai Alai. This beer is their canvas, and every iteration I have been lucky enough to try is a masterpiece.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2010 18:31:54 | More by mondegreen

Danny1217

Florida

4.6/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Orange amber with a two finger white head. Nice sticky lacing. Good looking beer.
Smells of Grapefruit, vanilla, and coconut. Nice hop aroma balanced with sweetness from the oak. Incredible smell.
Tastes of citrus and vanilla. Orange, grapefruit, and coconut. Good balance. Bitter hop taste is melded together with the sweetness from the oak. Dry finish. Medium body and carbonation.

I still may like regular Jai Alai slightly better, but this is definitely a nice twist to one of my favorite beers.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2012 23:39:09 | More by Danny1217

davey101

Connecticut

4.6/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A bit faded but the date appears to be Aug 15, 2012. 12 oz. bottle into a tulip glass.

A - Pours a hazy dark orange body. Loads of yeast and sediment line the bottom of the glass. A frothy and soapy two finger off white head forms and sticks around for a while. Immense lacing and retention. Looks like the topping of a cappuccino. It certainly doesn't bother me, but I've yet to see a beer have this much sediment.

S - Where to start? This beer is just so unique. Aroma starts off with intense ripe mango and peach juice. Candied peach rings, some floral hops and a touch of the dankness that I found in the standard Jai Alai. Finally on the end there is some wood and warm vanilla.

T - Less tropical than the nose. Grassy and floral hops start off. Some peaches and cream. Then a strong wood presence with some vanilla. Mouth feel is silky, creamy and well carbonated. Really great feel to it.

O - Really unique beer here. I guess the closest thing to compare this to would be Burton Baton. Huge gobs of tropical notes with a fresh white oak finish. Perma-ISO!

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2012 02:13:57 | More by davey101

mnphish

Minnesota

4.6/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottled at the Cigar City Brewery less than a week ago, thanks to my great friends in Florida! 12oz bottle poured into a Snifter.

A: Color is amber gold, head recedes quickly and leaves a little bit of lacing.

S: Here is where this beer dominates. Heavy aromas of grapefruit, oak/wood, citrus, and hints of pineapple, peaches, and coconut. Amazing, i can't wait to indulge.

T: Very nice. All that comes through in the smell translates beautifully in the taste. Lots of grapefruit, well balanced, and the oak adds a one-of-a-kind complexity to this beer.

M: Light carbonation, smooth and light, very drinkable.

O: I am pretty wowed by this beer, never had an IPA with all these tropical flavors. So damn good.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2012 04:41:43 | More by mnphish

Seanniek91

New Hampshire

4.61/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Served from a 12oz bottle into a Grey Sail pint.

Appearance- Hazy copper with no head and a good bit of sediment floating around.

Smell- Oak (go figure), caramel malts, light piney hops, vanilla bean, mango (tropical Fruit). Very exciting!

Taste- Oaky caramel and vanilla, light piney hops with a solid malt backbone. No real fruit as was in the nose. Finishes smooth and malty with a light hoppy bitterness.

Mouthfeel- Medium bodied with light carbonation. Based on the taste of the beer, I want more viscosity.

Overall- Soooo much different than normal Jai Alai. Tastes more like a heavily oaked Bigfoot.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2013 15:55:11 | More by Seanniek91

Chaney

District of Columbia

4.63/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I had a sample of this on tap at the brewery, but I'm reviewing the bottled version.

A: Splotchy, cloudy orange, with a nice finger or so head that continued to stick to the glass even as I siphoned down the liquid.

S: Weird how the oak makes this more bitter, fruity, and colorful than the actual based beer. Mango, orange, and vanilla.

T: Citrus Creamcicle! Honestly, that is the absolute best way to describe this one. I would say that overall it is more on the fruit (candy) side than the hop bitter one.

M: I got a mild, yet divine booze warming on the end, but overall, this was creamy and smooth. The sugar was tempered by the oak, and the carbonation was low to moderate.

O: Pretty awesome stuff. Cigar City makes some of the best non-bitter IPAs on the market.

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2011 23:58:23 | More by Chaney

StonedTrippin

Colorado

4.64/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.75

wow, this is one of the best beers ive ever had! it pours a deep copper color with good carbonation amounting to a few fingers of lasting white head. the nose is incredible. pine hops in full swing, but with some oaky and bourbon style vanilla essences giving a refined sweetness and earthen profile to an already outstanding ipa. the oak adds a lot of flavor too, with vanilla being the most evident contribution. its there through the whole drink, and really softens up some of the bitterness from the regular jai alai, without depleting the intensity of the hops at all. the malt is sturdy enough to support all this complexity, and the carbonation is mellow but just right. the alcohol is also very well disguised, and I could happily (and drunkenly) consume five or eight of these no problem. this beer is in many ways everything I stand for in beer, its artfully made, its super sessionable, is complex and hoppy, and its entirely unique. one of the more memorable beers out there, and one I would love to acquire more of. not sure ive had a wooded beer that I like more, no kidding. this is an A+

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2013 16:24:32 | More by StonedTrippin