José Martí American Porter - Cigar City Brewing

azorie

Florida

2.13/5  rDev -47.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

A: sadly too cold out the tap, Standard in Florida. Its a dark brown ale, filtered, no cloudiness. no lacing or head period.
I give it a pass since its poured to the top of glass.

S: overpowering nose of smoke, cigars and some chocolate malt. no hops detected. as it warms up it gets no better, in fact it gets more smokey. I had and love Stone and Alaska smoked porters and this one is overkill.

T: Bitter sour smokey mess of a beer. Balanced hop to malt ratio, about all the good I can say for it. If I not paid 5 bucks for it , I might have just left it on the bar. YUCK. chalky which is surprising. Some chocolate in there, its just overpowered by the cigar bomb that went off in the brew barrel.

M: medium body, medium to low Carbonation

O: overall I never pay for one these again. and I had a few years ago version that did not seem so bad. This 1 is a drain pour sadly.

Serving type: on-tap

09-17-2011 15:01:59 | More by azorie

kylehay2004

Florida

4.22/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: black. No light getting through. single finger head

S: toasted malt with dark chocolate and notes. Hops are mild but are there if you search for them.

T: roasty, nice stout. The typical stout taste but done very well. Very nice hop flavor. This is my first stout with this amount of hop flavor and it was excellent.

M: medium body, moderate carbonation and semi-dry finish.

Overall: Drinkable and the right amount of hop flavor with a solid stout background.

Serving type: on-tap

08-31-2011 02:22:40 | More by kylehay2004

olimpia84

Florida

4.08/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This was my last beer of the night after visiting CCB for the first time with the pure intention of taking notes and write my reviews. Since it was my 6th or 7th beer I was pretty buzzed by then but I still did a good job of taking notes with care (I think).
Served on-tap into a pint glass.

A: pours a very dark brown color, opaque enough to not let anything through. One finger coffee colored head and decent lacing. I thought I was looking at a Stout for a second.

S: it was a bit hard at that point of the night for me to get something but I was able to get roasted and burnt malts with dark chocolate.

T: it starts out with a deep malty and sweet chocolate flavor and ends with a hoppy bitter pine-like taste. Pretty good.

M: medium to full body, moderate carbonation

O: another quality product from CCB. I can easily see myself going back to this one, highly recommended.

Serving type: on-tap

08-28-2011 15:10:55 | More by olimpia84

rel

Florida

3.6/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I had this at the CCB tasting at cervezas. It was the only beer I picked blindly and out of my style preference.

Dark, oil like color with a very thick tan head. Amazing retention and some lacing.

Aroma is burnt/roasted malts, lots of coffee and some woodiness.

I enjoyed this beer for the most part. Very deep roasted flavors, coffee, some smoke... the bitterness made it my least favorite beer of the night.

Dry medium body, but that bitterness stuck around...

But that's just, like, my opinion, man.

Serving type: on-tap

08-25-2011 19:54:23 | More by rel

polisanl

Florida

4.55/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On draft during CCB takeover at Coffee District. Watered down coffee in color with with 2 fingers worth of white foam. I was simply amazed by this brew, as I have never had or heard of the style. Tastes of hops at first, then the usual suspects of a porter emerge afterward. Smell is similar to taste, hoppiness and roasted malts. The name is so fitting. Thin bodied, carbonation throughout and very drinkable. Could be had all day like a session beer, but be aware of the creeping 8% ABV. Wonderful balance of both styles.

Serving type: on-tap

07-31-2011 18:20:28 | More by polisanl

ffejherb

Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Devil's Den on 6/3/11 for the Bella Vista Rare Beer event during Philly Beer Week.

A - Deep chestnut brown liquid with a creamy tan head that yielded some thin lacing around the glass.

S - Whoa! I went in expecting a hoppy porter, but instead I was greeted to a plethora of exotic Indian spices, with clove and cumin at the forefront, but also hints of tarragon, cinnamon, nutmeg and tarragon. Overall, the nose is quite fragrant with lots of floral, herbal and perfumy notes, as well as a hint of chocolate and mild bar soap.

T - Exotic spices mingle with dark chocolate and woody notes, giving this porter the flavor of spicy Indian cuisine with a touch of sweetness to counterbalance all of the heavy spices. Clove is definitely apparent, as well as cinnamon and nutmeg. Finishes with a hint of perfumy hop bitterness and cooling chocolate sweetness.

M - Medium bodied with a creamy mouthfeel soft texture. Finishes quite spicy with a hint of light bitterness on the palate.

D - This one really grew on me. At first, I was thrown off, because I thought the "India" referred to "hoppy" (akin to an IPA) and not the actual country itself. This was indeed a pleasant surprise. Leave it to Cigar City to come up with something like this. I'd love to try a cedar-aged version of this puppy!

Serving type: on-tap

06-06-2011 14:11:06 | More by ffejherb

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.58/5  rDev -12%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

return trip after the Cigar City event night, enjoyed on tap at Rattle N Hum. Big head and a good porter, above average mouthfeel. A little towards the baltic porter or imperial porter. Average drinkability.Chocolate and roasted malts.Nice that "coffee" taste is in secondary.

Serving type: on-tap

03-06-2011 03:19:45 | More by northyorksammy

sisterray

Florida

4.43/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Had this on tap at the Ale and the Witch in downtown St. Pete.

I should preface this by saying that while I enjoy all different forms of beer, I don't find myself often loving Porters. Perhaps it's any easy style to mess up, but typically I find something just off enough to prevent my enjoyment from becoming full-fledged beer love.

I can love this Porter.

A: Deep brown. Tan head.

S: Freshly ground, fresh-brewed coffee. Bittersweet chocolate. Subtle earthy hops.

T: The coffee dominates, but the chocolate comes around to add a nice twist, and the hops peak through to add some spice.

M: Creamy, moderately thick, not overbearing. Provides a great template for the flavor and lingers nicely.

D: While 8.0% ABV is tame by some standards, you can get into trouble with this beer. It goes down so easy and calls you back. If I had the money and time to blow, I can see myself putting away a few pints of these.

Serving type: on-tap

02-01-2011 14:25:24 | More by sisterray

PorterLambic

Florida

2.85/5  rDev -30%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Three porters on tap? Love it!
Pours an extremely dark brown though dark red at the edges. Good head, tan colored with decent retention.
Smell is hops and very light malt.
Taste is hops first then light malt with a hint of coffee in the back.
Medium bodied with a light effervescence. Pretty good beer but way too hoppy for this malthead and the style. More of a DIPA vibe from it.

Serving type: on-tap

01-05-2011 03:08:27 | More by PorterLambic

BigBlacke

Florida

4.22/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I just had this one on tap at Cigar City Brewery. A nice 1/2 inch light tan head that slowly dissipates to leace a nice ring. Smells of robust coffee and molasses. Taste is of toasty coffee and molasses with a fruity hop background. Mouthfeel is creamy and smooth, and drinkability is through the roof. Excellent porter in my opinion.

Serving type: on-tap

12-24-2010 16:59:30 | More by BigBlacke

Jefe73

Florida

4.68/5  rDev +15%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Cigar City José Martí - On tap at the Tasting Room poured into a pint glass. 8% abv.

A: Pours a midnight brown with an active, frothy cap of tan foam. Leaves behind a good amount of spotty lacing.

S: Roasted malt, a mixture of herbal hops and semi-sweet chocolate.

T: Dry, overly roasted malt,dark chocolate, spicy herbal hops and ash. Finishes with lingering roast and bitterness.

M: Medium bodied with lively moderate carbonation.

Dl: An exceptional porter. Roasty, chocolaty, hoppy.

Serving type: on-tap

12-17-2010 15:08:58 | More by Jefe73

tpd975

Florida

4.45/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Consumed this one numerous times both on draft and from the bottle.

A: Pours a nice rich deep black. Nice tall espresso like head that lasts and lasts. Nice thick lace all the way down the glass.

S: Wonderful roasted malt aromas with loads of chocolate and light coffee. The hops are there in a big way as well.

T: Wonderful rich roasted flavors. Wonderful chocolate balanced by equal amounts of bitter coffee. The roast is bold just shy of what I would call smokey. The hops are very earthy and green with a light citric undertone.

M: Medium in body, smooth, drinkable, with a bit of hoppy bite in the finish.

D: Great, I love this beer. Will miss it when it's gone.

Serving type: on-tap

09-15-2010 23:05:34 | More by tpd975

SSEngelbrecht

Louisiana

4.35/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured into a standard pint glass.

This pours super dark brown with a light tan head that fades quickly. Bits of lacing remain on the glass as it is emptied, not heavy.

The smell of this beer is amazing. It has roasted malt, caramel, brown sugar, smoke and molasses very prominently.

The taste is quite smoky and tangy at first with a burnt smoky finish and bitter hop after taste. I really didn't know what to make of it. As it came up to room temperature, the flavors really bloomed. The complex roasted malts and caramel, the hoppy bitterness, the smokiness that were all present in the aroma came out fully.

I also picked up flavors of dark fruit, earthy leather, cocoa and tobacco that I found pleasant.

Overall, this is a really complex porter that stands out among those I've tried. I think its better as it warms to 65-70 degrees. The smoke is heavy on this one and the aftertaste is really strong

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 01:08:38 | More by SSEngelbrecht

Bosoxfan20

Oklahoma

4.45/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A- Poured into a Cigar City sniffer glass (yeah, kinda nerdy but it seemed right). Near black with deep mohogany accents and a 1.5 finger tan head. Solid retention as a cake of creamy head remained on top all the way to finish. Very nice lacing. Not sure why this porter seems to receive such average appearance ratings. It's a mean looking porter.

S- Big chocolate, toffee, mocha, and roasted malt notes. Chalky, earthyness also comes through with coffee on the back end. Similar to Maduro, but more intense.

T- Just like the nose indicates, but the hops step up to the plate a little more here. Just the way I like my porter...Lots of chocolate, caramel, and hop bitterness to finish it off. Bitter and dry.

M- Full flavored, mid body. Avg drinkability, but a wonder creamy feel. At 8%, it lets you know what you are getting yourself into without taking over the palate.

O- Certainly an american style porter with the hop presence. Love the balance and complexity. Maybe not for those that prefer the English style porters with lower IBUs, but damn, it's so good. Right there with COOP Gran Sport as my favorite porters.

No bottled on date that I could find
$7.49 for a 4 pk

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2013 17:03:03 | More by Bosoxfan20

ffOpusx

California

3.88/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Got this via trade!

S - roasted malt, chocolate and some hops

A - dark brown color with a brown head little lacing

T - roasted malt comes through with chocolate flavors, nicely hopped

M - Nice full body

O - This is a good beer easy drinking, will enjoy the rest of it!

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2013 18:49:42 | More by ffOpusx

OBeerMeGreatOne

California

4.25/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Pours out deep brown, almost black, solid tan head, moderate lace.

Roasted chocolate, earth and heavy citrus make up most of the smell.

Chocolate, roasted malts and lemon rind start this off. Wood and earth follow, with a nice roasted, grassy finish. Does down thick and smooth.

Very nice, heavily hopped porter. Would certainly grab another if given a chance.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2013 21:47:19 | More by OBeerMeGreatOne

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4.19/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

This poured out as a nice deep brown color with a moderate tan head on top. The retention and lacing are very good on this beer. The smell of the beer is robust and hoppy. The taste is bitter, plenty of piney hops in there with a chocolatey roast flavors in the finish. The mouthfeel is smooth and dry, nice bitterness also. Overall this beer is basically a Black IPA but very good regardless.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2013 02:36:39 | More by Knapp85

tbeckett

Ontario (Canada)

4.2/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Bottle from Total Wine in Tampa. From notes.

A - Poured black with a two finger brown head that was thick and creamy. Good carbonaiton coming up. Great lace rings and a film of retention.

S - Yup this was robustly hopped. Vanilla, cocoa beans, coffee bean fruits?

T - Nice hop profile. Nice and roasty, citrus and lot's of sweet malt. Some dark fruit, roast, and light coffee.

M - Good carbonation, medium body, dry and slighty bitter finish. Lacking a little body.

O/D - Complex and very drinkable. A tasty, hoppy porter. Pleaseure to sip and the 8% is well masked.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2013 19:41:46 | More by tbeckett

stephenjmoore

Maryland

4.28/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A- Very dark brown body that lets no light through. Frothy mocha-colored head that stays around and leaves an absolute mess of sticky lacing all over the glass.

S- Lots of roasty malt, hints of bitter coffee, an earthy/herbal hop aroma, some grainy bread aromas.

T- Leads off with lots of roasted malt flavor, with the hops coming through in the middle. The earthy and herbal flavors come through along with a hint of pine. The finish is roasty with lots of bitterness.

M- Comes through full at the beginning with medium carbonation. The middle has a slight carbonation tingle and the finish is dry.

O- This is a great porter with big flavors. The hops and roasty malts compliment each other very nicely.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2013 15:58:47 | More by stephenjmoore

mattsdenney

Tennessee

3.73/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Always good to try another Cigar City offering.

Pours dark brown with a thin, quickly receding head. Typical porter look but I wouldn't describe it as robust. Smells more of dried fruit than your typical porter. Some hints of chocolate, cherries, malt, and a little smokiness. Taste is interesting, bittersweet chocolate and heavy on the dried fruits. Finishes with smoke, charcoal, and raisin. Nice flavor but definitely not a classic porter in the sense. Mouthfeel is thin and light bodied, very little carbonation. Soft on the palate. Overall another excellent CCB offering. I love everything this brewery produces and this one is no exception.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2013 02:28:15 | More by mattsdenney

rudzud

Massachusetts

3.84/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Received as an extra in a trade and poured into my Duvel tulip.

A - Pours a nice deep brownish black hue with a one finger mocha head that fades to leave a thin thin cloud and light halo.

S - Aromas of nice roast malts and chocolate. Good bitterness too thanks to some hops. Light citrus too.

T - More of the heavy roast, nice chocolate and coffee grounds. Very lingering burnt/biter finish. Like a much more roasty, less hoppy black IPA.Dont get me wrong, theres a good amount of hop bitterness and faint citrus, but it just comes across like a weak black IPA.

M - Mouthfeel was a bit on the astringent side with a dry finish. Fairly solid.

O - Overall, not a bad porter, just wish the flavors were a bit more well rounded with each other.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2013 04:24:40 | More by rudzud

bsp77

Minnesota

3.78/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.75

Serving glass: Poured from bottle into wine glass.

Appearance: Very dark chocolate with moderate tan head.

Smell: Heavily roasted aroma with chocolate and coffee. Some bitter notes, with a hint of citrus.

Taste: Strong roasted backbone, with chocolate, coffee, char and burnt molasses. The hops are a mix of citrusy, floral and spicy notes. Finish is somewhat bitter, partially from the hops, but mostly from the slightly distracting burnt character.

Feel: Medium to full body that is fairly creamy with a nice dry finish. Carbonation is in check.

Overall: This is more-than-solid hoppy strong porter. Too bad the burnt notes take away from the hops and the core complexity of the roasted malts.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2013 16:19:57 | More by bsp77

chinchill

South Carolina

3.7/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

12 oz bottle served in a Unibroue snifter. Vigorous pour only yields a modest light tan head that dies down quickly. Decent lacing on the glass. Clear but very dark brown and essentially opaque in the glass.

Rich, complex aroma has dark chocolate notes over plenty of roasted malt and a suggestion of coffee grinds. A bit of piney/herbal hops lie in the background. The flavor displays a more intense roasted malt character, but the chocolate and hops have faded quite a bit. Some coffee in the mildly bitter and long-lasting aftertaste. Mildly marred by a bit too much burnt quality.

Mouthfeel: near full body with moderate carbonation levels. Slightly astringent up front and dry in the finish.

Overall: a very rich porter appropriately described as a "robustly hopped American porter" and properly classified as an Imperial porter. Higher ABV is fairly well hidden.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2013 00:34:59 | More by chinchill

barleywinefiend

Washington

3/5  rDev -26.3%
look: 4 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: Poured a dark brown with a great look. A dirty tannish cap with some substantial stamina leaving behind a nice amount of bubbles and moderate lacing

S: A green like funk, grains and sordove husky. A moderate roastiness with bakers powder cocoa and light coffee

T: Immediate astringency with roast and baking cocoa, grains, a lingering funky, taint rides the taste buds until the finish. There is a borderline harsh bitterness, astringency on the end which is a little to much for the style.

M: Medium leaning full bodied, well carbonated, harsh roast and lingering greeny like seaweed funk and skunk on it

O: Average porter at best

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2013 18:55:05 | More by barleywinefiend

ThisWangsChung

Maryland

3.04/5  rDev -25.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.75

Thanks to Momar42 for the bottle! 12 oz bottle into a Duvel tulip.

A: Pours a very dark red color. The head is a one finger offwhite shade with poor retention.

S: I'm sure a fresher bottle would provide a better hop profile, but in its current state, it offers light notes of citrus and herbal pine. The malt itself provides light chocolate, hazelnut, toffee, and roasted malt.

T: The hops are evident at the onset - and even in their faded state, still offer notes of grapefruit peel and evergreen. After a while the hops fade to reveal more of the dark, chocolaty malts. Like many robust porters, it's ultimately too acidic, especially near the finish. The hop profile picks back up after the midtaste. Not bad, but there's something here holding back (maybe the catty Simcoe-esque tone on the aftertaste? That's what ruined Night Stalker for me) its potential.

M: It features a strangely chalky dryness to it - for some reason, it makes this very hard to drink. Or maybe that's because of how heavy it feels. At least the carbonation fits its resiny, heavy texture.

O: Don't hate it, don't love it. I'm finding it hard to drink, if not quite completely unpalatable. These robust porters never fully work for me. Still, I'd like to try this fresh - we can't look a gift horse in the mouth, can we?

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2013 01:48:27 | More by ThisWangsChung