Jai Alai IPA - White Oak - Cigar City Brewing

beer2day

North Carolina

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

Honey gold pour, a little richer and earthier than the regular Jai Alai. Towering rich 3-finger head. Great lace.

Definite woody nose, lots and lots of oak. Just can't decide if that's a good thing. Getting a little juniper, too. Might be a mix of the hops and the wood. Very different.

Very interesting tastes here. Vanilla strikes me first, but that develops into a pepper-wood flavor. More carbonated than the regular Jai Alai, too. Faint hop bite in the finish.

Slightly malty for the style.

Definitely an acquired taste.

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2010 01:13:19 | More by beer2day

AgentZero

Illinois

2.8/5  rDev -33.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

I'm trying to figure out if these beers are just so progressive I don't understand them, or if they just taste bad. Based on my review, I guess you see where I went with it.

A - Nice Orange colored beer, opaque, with a great two finger foam head that had amazing retention but dissipated unevenly.

S - An herbal/woodey/almost cedar type smell wraps the malts up and kind of mixes with some citrusy hops. It's a bit fruity smelling, almost some pineapple, not bad.

T - Wow, if there's such a thing as an oak bomb, this is it. Seems a lot more like cedar in some respects, but I feel like I'm straining my beer through a stick or chewing on when when drinking this. There is a nice pineapple fruit precense, and some very citrusy hops, not very bitter, but this weird wood is too much for me, don't like it.

M - It's creamy, medium bodied, decent carbonation.

D - Hard for me to drink due to the taste. I don't like this beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2010 17:25:52 | More by AgentZero

thagr81us

South Carolina

4.35/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Served from bottle into a Stone nonic. Poured yellow-orange with a four finger bone white fluffy head that subsided to two fingers very slowly. Maintained decent lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt and massive citrus hop. The flavor was of slightly sweet malt and citrus hop. It had a medium feel on the palate with medium carbonation. Overall a nice IPA. To be honest there really isn't a whole lot missing in this one as far as flavor and aroma. I definitely enjoyed this one more than the regular version I had a few weeks ago. This one is a definite must try for any IPA fan.

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2010 11:38:30 | More by thagr81us

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.23/5  rDev -22.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Reviewing this beer NOT from notes. Finally have a bit of time to sit down with a new one. Direct from Florida and received today.

Bottles makes a nice hiss as I pry off the top. A bit of oak scent wafts from the bottle. Poured into my tulip.

Initial pour is quite hazy. The beer itself is a copper color that is on the lighter side. It looks like it has been infused with a bit of peach coloring. The head starts out about 1.5 fingers high and slowly fades down to half a finger. Very nice lace circles around the edge of the glass and some bigger carbonation bubbles in the middle.

Nose is a bit muted and not nearly as hoppy as I would expect given the base beer. A bit of oak makes its way through alongside some dull toffee notes and hints of cardboard. Not necessarily in an off way; more like fresh, non-soggy cardboard. Also a bit of a light nutty character. Three scents and not a single one deriving from hops. Interesting.

Initial sip reveals a good amount of fresh oak, although there isn't much tannic character present. Soft notes of caramel and toffee along with some fresh-baked bread. Slightly bitter mouthfeel. Slightly dry and tannic in the finish, as my cheeks and the roof of my mouth are somewhat dried out.

All in all, I'm definitely quite perplexed by this beer. The oak character has completely taken over the hops, and all that is left of them is a bit of bitter dryness in the finish. While the oak certainly isn't bad, it takes over what are some really great, fresh hoppy characteristics in the original formulation. While it is a decent enough beer in its own right, I believe it's a fairly signifiant step down from regular Jai Alai, as well as from some of the fruit-aged versions.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2010 00:21:58 | More by Thorpe429

thetomG

Illinois

3.58/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Nice clearish amber colored pour with a beautiful layer of thick white foamy head.

Smell is a good blend of bitter hops with a hint of citrus. The flavor is DOMINATED by oak. I'm really amazed how the wood flavors come through here. I have to admit I was a bit disappointed by this brew - particularly after having the regular Jai Alai and loving it. Its not bad, just a bit underwhelming. I think that if this a bit less "woody" in flavor it would be much much better.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2010 04:01:18 | More by thetomG

fear025

Illinois

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

Aroma:Sweet cotton candy, subtle fruit, oak in the nose.

Appearance:A deep shade of amber, nice white fluffy head, good retention.

Taste:Lots of oak on the first sip, along with some great candylike sweetness. A fair amount of bittering hops, but the specific hop flavors are hidden with all of that oak. There is a very slight tart flavor on the foretaste too. The oak lingers long into the aftertaste.

Mouthfeel:This beer has a refreshing bite to it, great carbonation.

Drinkability:This is a great alternative to your average IPA, very unique in flavor.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2010 23:46:37 | More by fear025

bernardus1212

Florida

3.9/5  rDev -6.9%
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 +0.2%
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

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

3.7/5  rDev -11.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Liter flip-top growler into a tulip glass. Thanks go to Jw347 for this in a recent trade.

Pours a great looking clear copper here, with maybe just the slightest haze to it, topped with about a finger of bright-white foamy head. This retains with a tight ½ finger that throws a heavy cascade of rich and spotty foam all over the sides of the glass. Really nice rich look here. The Jai Alai jumps out immediately, being floral, spicy, and lush with tropical fruit character that it then undercut some more herbal and danker character as well. Stiff smelling grains and warmth sit underneath the hop flavors but it's the wood and vanilla notes that are most prominent here. Maybe a bit too much actually, but it doesn't seem to interfere with the other flavors in the nose much.

The taste is initially pretty sweet with lightly toasted grains and juicy citrus character but is well balanced by a hoppy bite of bitter grapefruit and lingering notes of rind and spice which give this a deep and assertive finish. The vanilla and tannins from the oak add a LOT of extra woody and earthy tanginess to the profile that then lends this some considerable dryness as well. The mouthfeel has a heavier medium bodied feel to it, with a fuller creaminess that fills up the mouth in the front but then gives way to a much slicker feel from all of those hop oils more towards the swallow. There is some warmth here in the body and it about falls into what you would expect for a 7-8% beer.

I haven't had a whole lot of wood-aged IPAs to compare this to but this one seemed a little too heavy on the oak flavors at times. I would have liked to have seen all of that vanilla and wood be a bit more integrated in with the other flavors and that combined with the alcohol heft that is present in the body are what held the drinkibility of this back some for me. I'm definitely glad that I got to try it but this liter growler was more than enough for me.

Serving type: growler

10-07-2010 17:08:21 | More by Kegatron

mondegreen

Georgia

4.6/5  rDev +9.8%
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 -3.3%
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 +4.5%
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

Yimosan

Florida

4.18/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Cigar City.

A - Cloudy and honey-like in color. Nice head retention and sticky lacing.

S - Citrus and pine as an IPA should smell, but there is also a nice hint of vanilla and tropical fruits.

T - Citrusy but not pungent. I think the oak aging mellows out the Jai Alai base and makes it more drinkable, IMO.

M - Beautiful carbonation and creaminess throughout the session.

D - A very smooth and easy drinking IPA. I think the oak adds a gorgeous complexity to the aroma and palate.

Definitely A Winner...move over Humidor!!

Salud!!

Serving type: on-tap

09-24-2010 21:33:37 | More by Yimosan

MasterSki

Illinois

4.05/5  rDev -3.3%
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 +0.7%
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 +0.2%
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 -9.3%
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

nickfl

Florida

4.6/5  rDev +9.8%
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

jpmclaug

South Carolina

4.58/5  rDev +9.3%
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 -7.4%
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 +4.5%
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 +2.6%
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

JohnnyBarman

Ontario (Canada)

4.58/5  rDev +9.3%
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

glid02

Georgia

4.25/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Growler shared by Lee - much obliged!

Pours a slightly hazy copper color with a one-finger off-white head. The head recedes into a patchy layer on top leaving solid lacing.

Smells of smooth pale malts with good amounts of pine and citrus hops. Also present are mild amounts of vanilla aromas.

Tastes very similar to how it smells. Pale malts with hints of darker caramel malt flavors kick things off and are joined quickly by bright citrus hop flavors. Midway through the sip the hop flavors fill out a bit with the addition of pine flavors and shortly thereafter vanilla flavors make an appearance. The vanilla flavors carry through to a solidly bitter ending.

Mouthfeel is very good. It's got a smooth thickness with grainy carbonation.

Drinkability is also very good. I finished my glass quickly and could easily have a few more.

Overall this was a very nice example of an oak-aged beer - the influences were subtle but undoubtedly there. Well worth a shot.

Serving type: growler

07-30-2010 00:45:04 | More by glid02

Gtreid

Florida

4.5/5  rDev +7.4%
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