Jai Alai IPA - White Oak - Cigar City Brewing

bheilman

Indiana

4.1/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Nice light golden color. The smell is great with strong oak; rich bourbon scents. The citrus scent I was expecting is fairly well muted by the oak. I usually like the hops scent, but I don't miss it too much here becuase it comes through strong in the taste. Tastes like an orange given a couple pin pricks, soaked in whiskey and then squeezed into a pale ale. It's definitely good. The tastes lingers with a bit of the hops and still some oak notes. It is fairly drinkable, but a bit strong to drink too many of these in a sitting.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2011 22:36:10 | More by bheilman

BrownAleMale

Wisconsin

3.9/5  rDev -6.9%
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

Pellinore1

Illinois

3.9/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to CoastieSimon for this extra.

Pours light orange and just a little hazy, producing two fingers of white head. This slowly fades to a nice cap.

Some hops and malt are present in the nose, but the oak is dominant here. If somebody asked me what oak aging smells like in a beer, I would point them to this.

There is a very nice balance of hops, malt, and oak flavors in this beer. It leads in just a little sweet, then shows the bitter hops. The finish is dry, bitter, and oaky.

Medium-bodied with a nice level of carbonation, this is quite drinkable.

Overall, a very enjoyable beer. I find it much more interesting than standard Jai Alai, and am glad to have been able to try it.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2011 01:41:02 | More by Pellinore1

Genghis22

California

3.73/5  rDev -11%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Gusher! Exploded out of the bottle and pours a deep hazy amber color. Huge foamy slightly off white head. Lots of lacing.

S - Earthy hops with oak and alcohol. Faint hints of citrus. Bready, biscuity malt.

T - Big sweet biscuity maltiness. Lemongrass hops and wood. Bitterness sets in as the tongue dries out. Oak and alcohol are left behind.

M - Medium body with lots of carbonation. The carbonation is very refreshing.

O - Meh. Not exactly sure of the age of this bottle. I think it may be a little past its prime. That being said. The body, appearance and aroma are nice. Not a ton of hop bite, but I think it perhaps has just faded.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2011 00:19:40 | More by Genghis22

WesM63

Ohio

3.73/5  rDev -11%
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

pigc

Nebraska

4.43/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

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

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

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

M - Medium with average carbonation.

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

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2011 02:38:25 | More by pigc

Seanniek91

New Hampshire

4.61/5  rDev +10%
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

Preismj

Illinois

3.9/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

a: amber/red with a cream head which foams up to a half inch in the glass. slowly retreats and leaves nice sticky lacing as it goes. a touch darker and cloudier than I expected.

s: malt forward. has a a sweet aroma, and a touch of sourness like grape skin. wish I was getting a bit more hop here.

t: some bitterness from the hops, but this is all malt. Nice and sweet. I am getting a toasty caramel/toffee with wooden aspects here. i wouldn't know it as oak, but this certainly tastes like beer was mellowing in a wooden humidor. Quite nice taste, though I was I was getting some fruit flavors in here as well as some nice hop taste considering it is an IPA...I'm getting none of that here.

m: nice, creamy and with good fizz. It is a touch thin given the flavor profile and wish it covered the palette a bit better as the malt sweetness would be nice to savor.

o: a solid brew. doesn't taste a ton like an IPA as it is missing that leading hop character, though it is certainly a nice use of wood aging. The white oak must be what adds the caramel/toffee flavor and i'm enjoying it.

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2011 02:25:49 | More by Preismj

OddNotion

New Jersey

3.23/5  rDev -22.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Received as an extra in a trade with brewpaab. Thank you! I have had regular Jai Alai which I think is amazing and the Humidor series which I also really enjoy. Poured into my Fantome Tulip.

50th Review for me!

Appearance: Pours a beautiful orange color with a light tan uncontrollable tow and a half finger head. Extremely active carbonation and the head keeps building, over three fingers now. This is one of the most active beers I have ever poured, and definitely the most active in this style. Starting to get a little bit annoying, maybe I should have used a more open glass.

Smell: The smell of cut oak hits me immediately. I love that smell. Some nice citrusy fruity notes follow.

Taste: Going to be a while before I get the chance to taste this beer. Everything is blended very well in the taste, most things are not too distinguishable from one another. The bitterness shows up a little bit on the back end. I feel the oaking of this beer has made it too smooth, no bite that I like in my IPAs and the fruity bouquet of flavors present in the original is almost lost to the oak in this version.

Mouthfeel: Medium to heavy for an IPA, carbonation has calmed down after the head dissipated, I wouldnt call it flat but would appreciate more carbonation.

Overall: Not a huge fan of this one. I feel that oak is a very hard flavor to successfully incorporate into an IPA, I do not Jai Alai is very well suited for the overbearing flavor of oak. I love the original, just not the oakiness.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2011 18:32:18 | More by OddNotion

Cheesemoose

Florida

4.13/5  rDev -1.4%
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

Bmoyer0301

Pennsylvania

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

Appearance:

Upon pulling off the cap, I only noticed a slight amount of hissing coming from the tiny 12oz bottle neck. I poured this into my English Imperial pint glass and was left with a surprising three finger thick tan head that slowly diminished to just a trace after a few moments. As I hold my glass up to the light there is a deep amber appearance almost a toast color with some haziness. On the swirl there is a decent amount of lacing that is slowly creeping down the walls of my glass.

Smell:

Right off the start something reminds me of a Orange Julius. Very bright citrus with some creamy undertones and a huge nose of wood pencils. I am guessing the creamy smells come from the wood which can impart vanilla.

Taste:

Oranges are front and center here with lots of woody earthy notes that blend together very well. Very clean and fresh tasting with tropical fruits, vanilla, and Chinese food duck sauce. A delicious long finish that is semi-sweet and makes me keep coming back for more. This is a nice spin on a old beer good job CCB.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2011 21:37:16 | More by Bmoyer0301

olimpia84

Florida

3.73/5  rDev -11%
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

biglobo8971

Minnesota

3.88/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

poured from bottle into a pub glass. The color is incredible, vibrant golden orange. Very little head with slight lacing present.
The first smell is of sticky sweet fruit, want to say papaya or mango, though not tasted. Dug my nose into the glass the whole drink, kept picking up different smells. Very enjoyable. Taste is different, not a bad different, just different. There is a taste that I cant describe well, I am assming its the white oak. Very well done specialty IPA, the mouthfeel is easy to drink, making it easy to drink again while trying to figure out the different nuances in the taste.
Overall, interesting beer. Will want to try again fo sho.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2011 20:36:38 | More by biglobo8971

StLThrash

Missouri

4.03/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Received in a trade with richalexander78 - lots of great CCB beers!!

12 ounce bottle poured into a pint glass.

A - Clear, copper hue with a nice, thick foamy 2 finger head that definitely lingers and left a nice cap all the way down. Very sticky with excellent lacing that stuck all the way down as well.

S - I can definitely smell the oak, along with some citrus (pineapple / mango?), and some toasted malts. Hop character not as pronounced as your typical IPA.

T & M - Nicely balanced with good carbonation, some sweetness up front with the toasted malt, and the hop / oak flavor finished it off.

Overall - A great beer. Nice, refreshing and great balance.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2011 14:52:05 | More by StLThrash

Justin_Neff

Ohio

4.03/5  rDev -3.8%
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

grover37

District of Columbia

4.1/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle picked up at Connecticut Ave Wine & Spirit for $5. Poured into a New Belgium snifter. Bottle dated September 20th, 2011 so not super fresh at almost 3 months.

Appearance (4): Pours a cloudy dark orange with a finger and a half of thick off-white head. A thick layer of foam remains nearly until the end and leaves some lacing around the glass, especially at the top.

Aroma (4.5): The oak is extremely dominant which says a lot since Jai Alai is typically an aromatic and floral IPA. This is a nice contrast to the cedar version which I've tried previously and loved; much more straightforward with the wood characteristics however. Your typical lumber and chalkdust comes from the light (in feel not intensity) wood aroma from the oak. There is a touch of vanilla of course but more of a bourbon note. This mixes nicely, but also overpowers, the citrus flavors lying underneath; just a touch of grapefruit and lemon comes through. Almost turns it into a piney nose. I love the complexity here although I wish the oak was a little more subtle or the hops stood up better.

Taste (4): Caramel up front with some white wine and oak of course. More vinuous through the middle with maybe a touch of tequila; could just be the oak though. Lots of the vanilla and bourbon through the middle and a touch of sweetness. Some bitterness too through the finish, though not that harsh. The finish is dominated by that same white wine and is pretty dry from the wood. A bit of the fruity mango and orange comes through at the end. Too much oak throughout though this gets better as it warms up (but the alcohol is more noticeable at the same time).

Mouthfeel (4): Medium to full bodied and medium carbonation. Smooth just short of creamy with just a bit of roughness on the finish from the oak. A bit coating as well. The oak really dried out the finish which is nice; Jai Alai can be a little sweet for my tastes (which strongly prefer dry IPAs).

Overall (3.5): I like the nose a lot but only because the oak is interesting. It really overpowers the taste. Not sure if I would prefer regular Jai Alai side by side, but I definitely would not ever drink a ton of this. A solid beer worth trying once or twice, but I wouldn't pick up a case. I would call it a B+ even though my scores say otherwise.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2011 03:09:08 | More by grover37

antlerwrestler19

Nebraska

3.63/5  rDev -13.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours hazy amber with a two finger head of sticky foam that leaves some excellent lacing once it starts to drop. faint smell of coconut and vanilla comes through with the oak-like woody aroma - not a whole lot of kick from the hops but the hops that are present are tangy pineapple and citrusy. The flavor is not nearly as hoppy as I expected it's all just balanced with each characteristic just connecting one to the other - nice sweet caramel malts reach out to the subtle oily tropical hoppiness and a sawdust woody flavor to round this beer out as a more balanced less "in your face" hoppy beers. The mouthfeel was pretty full almost syrupy but somehow not too sticky - there was a whole lot of carbonation. Overall this beer is a nice sipper and enjoyable for a new beer that isn't readily available to me. I can appreciate the craft but I was a bit underwhelmed when comparing to my expectations of the incredible beer I was anticipating. Perhaps I shouldn't get my hopes up as much as I did - oh well - it was still a good brew!

Cheers

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2011 02:54:20 | More by antlerwrestler19

bierbrauer

Wisconsin

3.93/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz. bottle, brought back from visit to Tampa and Cigar City Brewery in September. This is clearly past its optimal state. No freshness information. Poured into Duvel tulip glass.

A: Cloudy amber with no effervescence; 1-1/2" off-white, fluffy head that drops slowly and leaves gobs of lacing.

S: Oak, period.

T: Oak again, with increasing bitterness.

M: Creamy and smooth, with medium carbonation and medium body; dry finish & alcohol warming.

O: I've tasted this before and though the oak was always a prominent feature it not totally dominating -- I recall experiencing more complexity.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2011 04:29:54 | More by bierbrauer

Bobheed

Texas

4.13/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Nice copper color with a two and a half finger soapy white head. Head dissipates fairly quickly

S: Tons of earthy hops. Maybe the earthiness is from the oak though because it's a whole different beast than normal jai alai. Still get a lot of that pineapple citrus kind of hops too though

T: Bit of citrus, some pine, then goes into a sweet bready kind of flavor.

M: Very well carbonated. Pretty thick for an IPA and pretty dry

Overall this was quite nice. I liked it much more than the normal Jai Alai IPA

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2012 03:08:38 | More by Bobheed

Jammies

Illinois

2.3/5  rDev -45.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

A - pours a golden orange with a thin layer of foam. No retention

S - a very oaky and overwhelming odor. Extremely difficult to endure.

T - the oaky flavor completely dominates the whole beer

M - light and sloppy on the finish

O - Not impressed. The oak completely destroys the flavor of the beer. I did not enjoy this one.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2011 17:33:50 | More by Jammies

bierenutz

Michigan

4.43/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

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

Serving type: bottle

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

Nachojon

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A- Nice looking beer. A nice gradient from blonde to almost an amber when put to light. 1/2 finger head, dissipates into a layer.

S- Smells like an aged IPA...yeah the malt overtaking the hops and I am not one to say that aged IPAs are barleywines, but it smells kinda like a barleywine.

T- Oh wow, the oak. I mean I gotta give credit on the purity of that oak flavor, oaked wines don't hold the flavor this well and it really blends well with the IPA base here. Really pleasant, warm. This is coming from a hop head who wants IPAs fresh off the bottling line. Has like a medicinal finish, not unpleasant tho. I am very impressed. Glad I opened this on Christmas eve.

M- Smooth with a nice crisp finishing note.

O- Really impressed, especially considering I wasn't impressed by Jai Alai itself.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2011 04:55:06 | More by Nachojon

mastodonj

Colorado

4.33/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

This was a 12 oz bottle into a wide short glass (I may have had this on tap at Cigar City brewery also)

an amazing fine-textured head, slightly off-white color and exceptional lacing, also with one of the finest bubble sizes that I've seen

great oaky slightly malty smell

taste is just what the smell prepares you for; excellent with quite a strong aftertaste of barrel-agedness

feel matches the look of the head; exceptional

very drinkable but at 7.5%, gotta take it easy.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2011 01:09:34 | More by mastodonj

hmf05

Florida

4.03/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a deep gold with a three finger head. The website says I should be getting vanilla and dill on the nose. That description could not be any more true. I get dill first followed by vanilla and a noticeable whiskey aroma. Very bizarre, yet interesting aroma. No hops to speak of on the smell. The taste is much smoother than the standard Jai Alai. I get tons of vanilla and whiskey initially, while the dill and hops finish things off. I don't taste a hint of bitterness. Overall, one of the more interesting takes on an IPA. While I am impressed with this brew, I prefer the regular Jai Alai more. This is not nearly as drinkable as Jai Alai and the whiskey-like taste can be a little overpowering. Either way, a must-try and I will enjoy the rest of the 4-pack throughout the weekend.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2011 23:44:43 | More by hmf05

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