Jai Alai IPA - White Oak - Cigar City Brewing

bernardus1212

Florida

3.9/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle into a ssnifter. Enjoyes this puppy at WOB in tampa. (Thank you Rob.) Very bright orange. When I mean bright I mean like flourescent, not light. Super dense White head that lasted for a good 5 minutes. The white oak reminded me alot of a Balvenie scotch. Great balance between the hops and the aging. CC aged this guy perfectly. Would have had another one but I was at WOB so I had to move on to the next adventure. Highly recommend this uniquely aged IPA.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2010 16:02:46 | More by bernardus1212

pwoods

Ohio

4.2/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Big thanks to Blazer06 for this awesome extra.

12oz. Brown bottle poured into an imperial pint.

A: Pours a copper tinted firy orange. Decent sized head on the pour and it still holds for a bit even with the oak aging. Good lacing.

S: lots of tropical fruits with pineapple and papaya in the front with mango and some other citrus backing it up. Plenty of spicy oak... Almost cedar like spiciness. Herbal and maybe even a touch of pepper.

T/M: Not a lot of bitterness left but understandable and not extremely off putting. More of the tropical fruits and citrus with more of the pineapple/papaya/mango tastiness. Very balanced oaking, very tasty with the herbal and spiciness notes. Body is medium to medium light with smooth carbonation.

D: Very tasty and drinkable beer and interesting at the same time.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2010 04:25:32 | More by pwoods

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

Thur123

Georgia

4.05/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

This beer pours a deep hazy red orange color with one finger of off white head. Looks a little darker than regular Jai Alai. The smell is stifled it seems, it's not coming off as very aromatic, which is unexpected. A slight hop presence with something like fresh cut wet wood coming through very faintly. Maybe a bit of vanilla.

Glug glug glug

The oaky flavor is complex, with wood, vanilla, crème, meshing with typical big IPA flavors like bitter grapefruit, orange, and herbal resin. Coconut and maybe at the very initial contact between beer and tongue, something like mango too. Overall a very interesting beer that could use a bit less of the oaky aspect but it does taste fresh and 'real' if that makes since. At least compared to other oak IPAs. The flavor is a bit big and complex for great drinkability but this is mostly just great beer. Mouth feel is fine.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2010 00:42:52 | More by Thur123

gunnerman

Florida

4.38/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a pint glass pours a simply impressive two finger fluffy head that leaves some serious lace on the glass, pale yellow in color with heavy little carbonation bubbles, you can't make a beer look any better. Smell is pretty funky nothing like I have smelled before, possibly oak wood fragrance with a sweet undertones of perfume. Taste is just like smell, this has a bready funky earth taste to it, hops up front with a tangy earth wood taste towards the finish with a hop bitterness towards the end. Overall a simply different and strange tasting brew and I simply enjoyed it outstanding.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2010 23:07:32 | More by gunnerman

MasterSki

Illinois

4.05/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to tpd975 for the bottle of this one. Served in my Surly pint glass.

A - Pours with two fingers of creamy off-white foam that slowly dissipates to a thick cap and leaves behind intricate patterns of lace. Body is murky and evokes peach nectar.

S - Massive amounts of oaky vanilla, toasted coconut, and dill mixed with citrus and tropical fruit flavors. It's reminiscent of the humidor IPA, but not as brash or in-your-face. There's some toffee malt in the periphery but it's obscured by the vanilla for the most part. Surprisingly well-integrated.

T - Taste is surprisingly muted, but has a good amount of toffee malt, vanilla, and citrus flavors. Bitterness is quite low, which is a bit of a surprise - there's a bit of bite mid-palate, but it doesn't linger for very long.

M - Too much carbonation - left me feeling a little bloated after 6oz. Otherwise it was pretty solid, with a surprisingly hefty medium body that's juicy and viscous. Definite enamel-coating resin at the end.

D - In some ways, I liked this more than José Martí, but due to the egregious over-weighting of score, it's going to come out behind. Nice variant on a solid IPA, although I think I'd prefer fresh Jai Alai nine times out of ten.

One of the best oak/barrel-aged IPAs I've had, not that it means much seeing as I haven't had very many.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2010 00:47:43 | More by MasterSki

kkipple

South Carolina

4.22/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Big thanks to Todes and Bobby8402 for hauling some of this up fer me!

12oz bottle, no bottled on date, says: "India Pale Ale aged on American White Oak". Okay!

A. A very pretty head on this baby, dense and fluffy, long lasting and solid. Tiny amounts of lace and active carbonation beautify my Sam Adams pint glass. The dull mandarin orange brew seriously needs drinking.

S. Smells just like Jai Alai but with a bunch of dry, spicy oak! Woodsy and reminds me of an oaky white wine. The IPA here is no slouch either: a sweet-sticky grapefruit hop presence with a significant floral orange note. A delightful take on an already good nose.

T. Flavor is solid, a tasty, sticky well-balanced (and high abv...) IPA with added characterful wood. The oak works well here, and Cigar City made the right call by not going with a heavy toasted oak, as I feel it would have been too much. The oak here also dries this out a little in the finish and wraps the hop bitterness up and tames it a little -- I think this is honestly an improvement on the base beer! In fact, as I drink more of it, I'm quite confident in saying so.

M / D. Adequate carbonation here, medium bodied mouthfeel, honey-hop bitterness with that dash of smug oak again in the finish. There really is no escaping it.

White Oak Jai Alai is really great, and a fun take on an already above-average East Coast IPA. Highly recommended, and I hope Cigar City makes this a seasonal offering. Delicious!

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2010 22:38:37 | More by kkipple

rudylaw

Illinois

4.2/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Big thanks to Kiefdog for this awesome extra!

Pours a cloudy gold with a thin head.

A very woody aroma. Getting hints of coconut, pine and butterscotch.

Oakiness is dominant in this IPA. Sweet malts are not to be overshadowed and I'm really digging the butterscotch flavor that this has. This is sweet and bitter... good balance.

Medium carbonation and a creamy mouthfeel. This is a winner! For a brewery with such oddball concoctions... this one really strikes a chord with me. Kudos!

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2010 00:44:13 | More by rudylaw

Patrick

Massachusetts

3.8/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

The beer pours a hazy golden amber color with minimal white head on top, not a whole lot of lacing either. The aroma screams oak, and it isn't subtle at all. Lots of vanilla and coconut with subtle grapefruit on the nose. A really nice smell, very different. The flavor has a lingering vanilla/coconut flavor throughout, but it is kind of subtle. Grapefruit is dominant up front, the oak dominant in the middle, and the finish brings more oak flavor with dominant sweet coconut. The beer is dry, well carbonated, and astringent. As an IPA, this is a good one, though the oak is kind of overbearing and almost makes this beer one note.

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2010 20:26:45 | More by Patrick

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

Shaw

Florida

3.88/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a hazy orange in color with a sticky, foamy head that reduces quickly in my glass.

Big, woody aroma of oak and hops. Reminds me of spices like rosemary and thyme, for some reason.

The taste is also spicy, no doubt from the oak. The hop flavors are also there, but mixed in with all the woody notes. This is a very interesting flavor. It tastes like the beer was made with herbs. Quite powerful.

Nice hefty body.

The oak may be a bit too much for me, but overall this is a beer worth trying. It's quite different from Cigar City's Humidor cedar version of the same IPA.

Serving type: bottle

09-14-2010 02:48:16 | More by Shaw

adkirkish

Florida

4.38/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 3 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Poured golden amber with a thin off white head w/ no persistance / lacing.

A: Fruity maple sweetness with piney and sweet oak aromatics. The wood really stands out and is really complimentary with the piney hops. Imaginge an oak tree, a maple tree, and a hop plant got busy one night...this is their offspring in regards to aroma.

F: Piney hops and oak stands out all the way through. The malts are sweet (maple, caramel) and give great body. The finish is lightly bitter with hints of remnant oak.

M: Medium across the board (Mouthfeel, body, and carbonation), no alcohol warmth.

O: One of the more complex and enjoyable noses of an IPA I've ever had. The taste is equally enjoyable. My only issue with this one is appearance and mouthfeel. I like my IPA's to have a creamy kick and some nice head retention. Other than that this smells and tastes great. Hopheads will enjoy a change of pace with this beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2010 22:19:33 | More by adkirkish

khiasmus

South Carolina

4.3/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Many thanks to Todes for hooking me up with this one, as repayment for almost nothing.

We watched an episode of Blue Planet the other night. The one where they go into the deep sea and you gaze at the sea monsters that are reminiscent of nothing else on earth. What amazing creation is on this earth. So there it is, a virtual aliencraft, a white cap on a pulsing, throbbing robotic light show. Shining goldish orange at times through the faint murk, and of course the obligatory flashes of green, blue and red as they stand out starkly against the dense blackness behind. White trickle-sheets between the lights, a beautiful wall of fresh lace. All of the strange aquatic vegetation, waving in what looks like wind though you know it to be current... and if you could breathe like a fish what aromas and flavours might this alien world provide? Perhaps the rich and odd opposing yet somehow coherent aromas of fresh oak wood, sappy, white wood, and pine resin, christmas tree, orange peel and booze? Flavours as the foreign, other-worldy aromas are taken in through the senses of another animal, something totally unlike us, that has an ability to distinguish nuances rather than the crushing burn of drowning, a creature that would explode if brought up to the light of day.
This is a subtle masterpiece. The density is a bit much, but that may have helped the flavour. the carbonation is a bit little, but overall it has come together beautifully. Don't take the little wonders for granted. Enjoy every sip.

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2010 02:00:58 | More by khiasmus

Amalak

New York

4.13/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

I had at Torst in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.

A. A dark caramel color with a haziness, but light where you can see through it. It has a thick white foamy head with lots of lacing.

S. Very lovely honey and hop and grassy scent.

T/M. It has a dry taste, but there's also a nice grape and sugar smoothness to it. It has a nice grassy taste underneath. A bit more malty than hoppy. Full bodied. Noticed some butterscotch after drinking for a bit.

O. Very flavorful and smooth for a dry IPA.

Serving type: on-tap

06-18-2013 13:40:47 | More by Amalak

scottyshades

Florida

4.25/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

On tap at BX Beer Depot's CCB Tap Takeover - looking forward to this one

Really different than Jai Alai and Cedar Jai Alai. Citrus (orange, orange marmalade) and jam flavors. Unique. Mellow and lacking bitterness. Slight herbal spice to it. Dry dry dry with an oak finish.

Serving type: on-tap

01-25-2013 18:58:39 | More by scottyshades

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

First had: on tap at Cigar City, Tampa, FL

Hazy copper pour, with a small but solid cap of frothy white head that retained well and left soapy lacing on the glass. Fresh hops in the aroma, juicy citrus, woody, notes of sweet biscuity malts just barely coming through. Citrusy malts were the dominant factor in the taste, a big hit of grapefruit greeted me, lesser notes of biscuity malts, cane sugar, crisp oak and just a hint of vegetal vanilla bean. Medium body, effervescent carbonation, quite good overall.

Serving type: on-tap

12-29-2012 02:09:29 | More by Rifugium

fields336

North Carolina

3.98/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: light brown, orange

S: light vanilla, oak wood, dill, tropical fruits, and earthy hops

T: vanilla, dill, pepper, peach, pineapple, mango, oak wood, herbal

M: creamy mouthfeel, not rough at all, almost a nitro mouthfeel

O: this beer tastes very different from jai alai, but in a good way. I like the flavors and the best parts of jai alai shine through

Serving type: growler

12-19-2012 23:57:44 | More by fields336

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

dtivp

West Virginia

3.98/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a cloudy orange bronze with a two finger frothy white head, good retention and moderate lacing.

Aroma of oak, malt and citrus hops.

Taste followed the nose with a nice balance between the bitter oak, hops and sweet malts along with hint of citrus.

Mouthfeel was Medium body and carbonation. Smooth, crisp and refreshing.

Enjoyed poolside in Naples, Florida, a very nice refreshing beer on a warm day by the water.

Serving type: on-tap

11-05-2012 01:52:20 | More by dtivp

Lare453

Florida

4.65/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap into a ccb pint glass

A golden, hazy, nice thick white head, light lacing, head dissipates at a medium pace into a nice white crown

S wow! Coconut, vanilla, sweet hops, light citrus. Amazing!

T the best thing ever! Heavy coconut, vanilla beginning and middle, almost tropical hop and citrus ending. The after taste is mellow and smooth coconut milk.

M smooth as silk. light, good carbonation, fun.

O in my top 3 ipas of all time.,, this beer is delicious, if you have the opportunity get it and get a lot of out. Highly recommended by me, not that it matters, but wow, it is great

Serving type: on-tap

10-22-2012 04:20:41 | More by Lare453

david18

New York

4/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I had this on a recent trip to Orlando at the World of Beer, which is a very good place. The beer was recommended to me by the bartender and it was good. Not great but very good. The combination of cask conditioning with the oak and other IPA characteristics made for an interesting beer.

Appearance was a dark hazy orange with a surprising amount of carbonation, especially considering that it was on cask.

Aroma was a great combination of hops, maltiness and oak.

Flavor was also quite complex featuring all the qualities that went into making the beer.

Overall a good beer that I would recommend to anyone who can find it.

Serving type: cask

11-15-2011 20:37:28 | More by david18

shivtim

Georgia

3.83/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Had on tap; 12oz pour in a tulip glass.
Clear straw colored. Translucent. Sticky white head fades.
Nose is barny hops. Slightly floral, even vague Belgian hints. Some wild yeasty hops combo.
Taste is tangy orange, hops, with slight pepper. More citrus and dry wood. Decent mouthfeel.

Pretty good IPA overall.

Serving type: on-tap

10-13-2011 20:52:55 | More by shivtim

olimpia84

Florida

3.73/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Had this on-tap at CCB. Served on a pint glass.

A: dark amber/brownish color, more on the opaque side. Small fizzy head but good retention. Very good lacing decorating the glass with foamy strands.

S: strong coconut smell, oak, pineapple, also some floral hints and hops. More on the 'sweet' side.

T: herbal, hoppy, wood. The taste of the hops is disguised a bit as the beer goes down and ends with some sweet notes.

M: light to medium body, carbonation was a bit on the high side.

O: overall it was a pretty good beer and a very peculiar IPA. I wish carbonation was on the lower side. Regardless, I recommend this beer.

Serving type: on-tap

09-03-2011 17:39:34 | More by olimpia84

Cheesemoose

Florida

4.13/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Served to me in a standard Pint Glass from my local gastropub of choice, Kickbacks.

Lighting is poor. But to say that this one is on the amber side would imply that in better lighting it would better to be called a few shades lighter. Found a better light source. A deep yellow, near red. Nice clarity. A solid finger of head on the pour. Lacing is rather nice, with distinguishable lines from sip to sip.

This is not my first attempt at this beer, so each time I am greeted by the same aroma. Apricots. There is a dominant sweetness off played by the hopped up oak body that creates a pleasant and quite fruity IPA. Very nicely done. Perhaps a bit on the sweet side.

Clean and crisp is how I would describe the regular Jai Alai. This one has a bit more sticky sweetness, followed by a residual lingering after-bite that distracts from the hoppy base of the beer. The foreflavor is rather weak, though the finish is pure white oak apricot essence. Very fruity, light and semi refreshing. Suprising, yet defined. Quite pleasant.

Mouthfeel is a bit sticky from the oak resins, though it has a clean "presence" to it. I find the mouthfeel to be remiscent of a sipping belgian triple. A bit on the sweet side, but a solid hop base that provides a nice balance. This one comes off a bit on the sweet side though.

Overall, I find it to be an excellent example of taking a rather straightforward style (American IPA) and having a bit of fun. Well executed.

Serving type: on-tap

08-31-2011 04:09:36 | More by Cheesemoose

kylehay2004

Florida

3.58/5  rDev -14.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Crimson and copper. half finger head. Hazy.

S: Oak, vanilla and some hops in the aroma

T: lot of oak and wood flavor. More vanilla. The jai alai hops are kind of overwhelmed however

M: Moderate carbonation and medium body.

Overall: I like the beer but the oak was a little stronger than I like and I am not sure if the flavors off-set each other or cover up the hops. A little off for me.

Serving type: on-tap

08-28-2011 22:52:35 | More by kylehay2004