Jai Alai IPA - White Oak - Cigar City Brewing

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

chinchill

South Carolina

3.44/5  rDev -18.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.25

2012 bottle served in a pint glass.
The aroma is dominated by fruity hops, with notes of tangerine and orange, as well as oak. The oak becomes even more prominent in the flavor. Too much oak IMO. At least the oak aging has the benefit of creating a very smooth feel in this medium-bodied IPA. Moderately bitter but has an overly earthy/woody aftertaste.

O: quite woody IPA. I much prefer the regular Jai Alai.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2013 02:56:58 | More by chinchill

GameFreac

Georgia

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

Had on tap at the brewery and loved it so I got a 4 pack.

Appearance: Pours a murky orange color with floaties.

Smell: Smells of hops citrus and oak.

Taste - Tastes like the regular Jai Alai with an oaky twang - hard to describe but a very nice flavor.

Mouthfeel: Medium mouthfeel.

Overall: Overall, really good. One of the best and most interesting IPAs I've ever had.

EDIT: After my 4th bottle, this is in my top 5 IPAs. Absolutely delicious.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2013 06:06:45 | More by GameFreac

WesM63

Ohio

3.73/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a tulip. Many thanks to dachshundude86 for this one.

A: Pours a dark hazy amber with a 1finger head that quickly dissipates to a thin film. Plenty of lacing is present.

S: Oak, Toffee, Vanilla, a hint of resin/pine a hint of tropical fruit lingers as well.

T: Very close to the nose. Lots of Oak, toffee, vanilla some pine and hint of grapefruit.

M: Medium body and carbonation. Finish's dry and slightly watery.

O: Not sure what to make of it. Lots of oak but minimal citrus /IPA. Worth a tick non the less.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2013 22:15:01 | More by WesM63

Duff27

Illinois

3.91/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Half inch off white head on a small sediment filled light ruby red body. Great lacing and head retention.

Earthy hops, wood.

Well balanced hops and malt profile. Does have a oaky essence to it. Wouldn't peg this at 7.5%abv as it drinks smaller than that.

Medium mouthfeel, lower end of carbonation for an ipa.

A good not great ipa. Unique with drinkability. Oak adds another layer onto an already above average ipa. Thanks egrace84.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2013 02:39:10 | More by Duff27

BrownAleMale

Wisconsin

3.9/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle poured into a Ommegang chalice glass

Appearance- A murky reddish yellow with lots of carbonation and yeast particles floating. There was a finger or so of off white head that dissipates about half way and leaves nice streaky lacing.

Smell- Lots of fruit including mango and lime. Also an underlying vanilla sweetness.

Taste- Up front has sweet ripe fruit that is swept away and finished with a long woodsy and earthy finish.

Mouthfeel- Pretty heavy mouthfeel that could use a little more carbonation to help create a crisper finish.

Overall- I like the complexity that the oak aging bring to the smell, but it kinds of hinders the juicy fruit that you get from the original version. The oak brings more of a woodyness rather then a sweet vanilla. That being said, it is an excellent beer that I wouod definitly drink again.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2013 20:24:02 | More by BrownAleMale

jrenihan

Ontario (Canada)

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

Beer is a slightly-cloudy orange colour. Small white head.

Smell contains oak fairly strongly, as well a lot of floral scents. Hibiscus, perhaps? A lot going on here but I cannot identify all of it. Very nice smell.

Flavour contains oak and an unusual flavour that I guess accounts for the "white" part of it? Floral flavours (whatever that means, it seems right!), herbal. After all of that, the more typical IPA flavours come into the picture. Grapefruit, citrus. Oak is strong but not overwhelming. Very nice and unusual.

Medium bodied, moderately carbonated. A bit oily, but the oak results in a drier feel.

Overall, really good. The oak flavours are unusual and very nice. A great twist on the regular Jai Alai.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2013 00:02:45 | More by jrenihan

kpanter

Florida

4.35/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I am lucky enough to get this fresh from the brewery and at my local beer shops. I can never seem to have enough. Pours a hazy amber / burnt orange color with a nice 2 finger head w/ some lacing. Initial taste is smooth citrus & tropical, mainly orange & grapefruit notes. Finishes crisply with a hoppy / oaky flavor. Light and creamy mouthfeel. The white oak pretty much dominates the complex flavor of this beer, but this is quite the drinkable brew. I bring this to friends' and it always gets finished, too drinkable in those instances. This might just top their Humidor IPA for me, and I that is no easy feat. The latest batch was the freshest I have enjoyed, and it definitely has been my favorite to date.

I haven't had many (if any) aged IPA's, but this is one of my favorite IPA's in general.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2013 23:19:31 | More by kpanter

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

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

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

jaasen64

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle poured into CCB snifter. Thanks to johnyb for this one.

A- Pours a little bit hazy orange brown with about a finger and a half of foamy white head that has excellent retention and coats the glass in lacing. Decent amount of consistently rising carbonation bubbles.

S- Citrusy hops of lemon and grapefruit balanced with sweet vanilla extract, oak, and a hint of dill. Very well balanced, fairly aromatic, appealing, interesting, and fairly complex for an IPA.

T- Surprising amount of citrus lemony hops that balance with an oaky vanilla extract flavor that gives a fairly sweet taste that balances surprisingly well with the citrus. Finishes with significantly more oaky vanilla, a considerable amount of dill (even more then the nose), and a little bit of a bitter hop bite (a little bit more then I was expecting). Lingering aftertastes of citrus hops, vanilla, and dill. The white oak definitely gives it a very unique IPA taste that is surprisingly very tasty and balances well.

M- Medium bodied, nice carbonation, very smooth, lightly creamy, very easy to drink.

O- This is probably one of the most interesting beers I've had to date. I haven't had many barrel-aged IPAs (probably mostly CCB ones), but this is probably my favorite. It drinks kind of like a citrusy milkshake when you take in consideration the smooth vanilla, foamy head, and creamy feel. Unlike any other beer I've ever had and very well done. It might not be for everyone, but I definitely recommend trying it out.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2012 22:20:25 | More by jaasen64

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

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

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

axeman9182

New Jersey

4.18/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle, a great extra from djmichaelk. It was poured into my petite Duvel tulip.

White Oak Jai Alai pours a fairly hazy orange, lightening plenty towards tangerine when held up to light. Three fingers or so of fluffy white foam comes together to top the beer. Head retention is very good, and some solid chunks of lacing are left attached around the inside of the glass. The nose is very fragrant, and features a nice blend of grapefruit and lemon zests, and a distinct dill aroma. Just a little bit of oakiness is appreciable as well. The flavor takes things up a notch, and everything really comes together nicely. A soft caramel sweetness opens, bolstered by some vanilla from the oak. A fairly noticeable bitterness greets my palate next, along with some earthy, spicy oak flavors. That same dill presence from the aroma acts as a bridge to the traditional citrus finish. Ideally I'd like the grapefruit and pineapple flavors to pop just a little bit more, but the balance really is almost perfect. I don't know if it's the tannins from the oak, but the body just feels a little full to me. It's partnered with a plenty active level of carbonation though. I've had regular Jai Alai before and enjoyed it without thinking it particularly stood out from the pack as far as IPAs go, but this oaked version is a fantastic twist on one of the more popular craft beer styles.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2012 04:15:30 | More by axeman9182

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

Beerenauslese

California

3.63/5  rDev -13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from bottle into a tulip glass. Like the base beer, a hazy amber gold with an ample off-white head that leaves lots of sticky lacing.

Smells of light caramel malt, green, citrus and earthy hops, vanilla, and caramel sugar--like the base beer.

This doesn't taste as smooth as the base beer. The oak aging has made this a bit less balanced and the hops are more harsh. There is a very distinct flavor of vanilla that is immediately noticeable and permeates the taste of the beer throughout the palate and the beer is sweeter than the base beer. There are notes of citrus and grassy hops, but they also seem somewhat harsher--especially the bitterness--and the result is the beer is not as nicely balanced as the base beer, being sweeter and harsher.

The body is medium and the carbonation is a bit fizzy, giving this a more crisp than creamy mouthfeel compared to the base beer, whose creaminess I liked better.

Overall, the wood and vanilla notes dominate what is a delicious and nicely balanced base beer. This version teaches me that I don't find vanilla to be a pleasant addition to an IPA.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2012 04:12:22 | More by Beerenauslese

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

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

fmccormi

New York

3.8/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Straight pour from 12oz pry-off beer to a 25cl Duvel Single tulip; bottling date of October 16, 2012 printed in white ink, sideways near the back of the label (“16 OCT 2012”), so exactly two weeks old on the date of consumption.

Appearance (4.0): Pours a good two fingers of moderately tight head, custard-colored, above a very slightly hazy, deep amber colored-body that has deep orange hues against the light. The head leaves some widely-spaced but thick legs of lace, and the head falls to a thick collar towards the end. Good-looking beer, not perfect but very good overall.

Smell (3.5): Dill? Yeah, that’s a very noticeable dill scent, which I hadn’t picked up on before. Little bit of vanilla that blends with that at-first-odd dill note to come off somewhat coconutty. There’s some understated, pale, grainy malt character underneath, but it gets lost in the oak and hops, for the most part. Turns more toasted coconut as it warms.

Taste (4.0): This can go one of two ways: at first it can come off as a pale ale brewed with some dill that accounts for both body flavor and bitterness, or it can come off as a moderately citrusy IPA with some toasted coconut and coconut milk tones, adding a mellow, buttery but still fruity dimension to the base beer. Personally I’m not enjoying the dill end of the spectrum, so I’m trying to focus on the coconut dynamic. Fortunately, it goes more toward the coconut tones as it warms. Moving on . . .

So, the Jai Alai base is evident here: some plain, lightly sugary bread character (think of, maybe, an elephant’s ear pastry) acts as a base for some good, citrusy fruit character. The juicy, orange-pineapple kind of citrus tones that are so prominent in the base beer are muted here underneath the coconut tones (hi there, white oak), but the citrus zest bitterness comes out at the end, though somewhat tame compared to the base, too. This really mellows as it warms, the coconut (née dill) blends in better; meanwhile, no alcohol or yeast notes at all. Improves quite a bit as it warms, actually.

Mouthfeel (4.0): Even carbonation, not prickly at any point but sharpens a bit before it foams on the way down; the body is just under medium-weight, not syrupy at all and only a bit of oily character. Finishes pretty dry.

Overall (3.5): I haven’t had many wood- or barrel-aged hoppy pales before, and I appreciate this one but I admit I’m not convinced on the idea behind it*. I’m sure it has potential and I can see why a lot of people like this beer a lot, but it’s not 100% for me. My advice is this: if you think you’d be averse to dill, let it warm up first, and then it turns into a smoother, woody, coconutty dimension. Definitely not a bad beer overall, but not for everyone.

*Edit: I take that back, Burton Baton is a phenomenal beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2012 23:58:25 | More by fmccormi

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

Justin_Neff

Ohio

4.03/5  rDev -4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to smokinoak for the bottle!

A: Cloudy burnt orange color with a very sticky white head that loses fluffiness quickly but laces the glass for an extended period of time.

S: The overwhelming oak smell creates a pleasant faux coconut whiff. The end of the smell finishes a hoppy and citrus oak-centric smell.

T: Starts really sweet, but the oakiness balances out the sweetness towards the finish. Not a lot of hoppiness, but there is enough hidden in between the oak and smoke that it creates a special taste. This is very unique.

M: Medium body with medium carbonation level. Naturally carbonation dissipates a little as it warms, which only brings more flavor out. Very good balance.

O: The smell says it all with this one. Take a whiff and expect to taste what you're smelling. The oak and smokey flavors tone down the natural sweetness to create a very different experience. Best after sitting for just a few minutes so the flavors can open up and expand. I could drink a whole sixer of this on a summer day. I will actually try to trade for more. THANK YOU SMOKINOAK!

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2012 23:40:53 | More by Justin_Neff

cfrances33

Illinois

4.15/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottle thanks to johnyb. Poured into a tulip.

Pour: Hazy deep orange with two fingers of off white soapy head. Head sticks around and leaves moderate lacing.

Smell: Wow. I get a huge burst of citrusy hops, followed by a mellow coconut. Some caramel rounds out the nose. Unlike anything I've smelled before. Huge surprise.

Taste: Another first. Never tasted anything like this. A sweet caramel upfront leads into a citrusy coconut. Some vanilla mingles in there as well. This was really nice.

Mouthfeel: Super juicy, and yet very dry. I think the flavor profile cuts down on the drinkability for me. I would only have one of these at any one time.

Overall: Really curious, and a very good beer. I would consider this a nightcap of an IPA, not for the ABV, but the intense, different flavor profile.

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2012 18:55:21 | More by cfrances33