José Martí American Porter - Cigar City Brewing

pokesbeerdude

Colorado

4.38/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle courtesy of Blazer06. Into a DFH Signature glass. Bottle says November 2011 Eight.

A: Pours a very, very dark brown with a khaki colored head that bubbles up to half an inch and quickly fades back down to a thin cap. A few nice globs of lacing left behind. Completely opaque.

S: Huge coffee and roasted malts, a fair amount of citrusy hops, and a ton more coffee/espresso. Some dark fruits and a touch of caramel find their way into the nose as well. Smells pretty nice.

T: Huge flavors all the way around. Tons of coffee, burnt malts, and citrusy hops. Tons of hop resins linger for a long time after the swallow. Excellent bitterness that balances a really sweet malt backbone. Caramel and chocolate, and brown sugar pair with the coffee and citrusy hops to make a unique, yet really damn tasty beer. This beer has thoroughly impressed me.

M: Medium body,with moderate carbonation, finish is just right for a porter, not too sticky, not too dry. Absolutely spot on.

O: Wow, I didn't know what to expect with this beer at all, and I have been more than impressed. The amount of hops and coffee make for an interesting flavor, that really works nicely. Very well done beer. Glad I could try it.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2012 01:35:03 | More by pokesbeerdude

Spider889

Ohio

3.43/5  rDev -15.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Brought a 32oz growler back from FL and drank it in July, also sampled a bottle tonight (Dec).

I have averaged the scores since the option to review multiple serving types is about to be sacked. Given my notes, there is a definite difference between the two samplings.

Growler (3 day old growler consumed 7/19/11):
A - Black with decent thickness for a porter. Tall sandy head, excellent lace. (4.5)

S - Green hops and a dry light dusting of some phenols. Bitter roast with a mild sweetness to it. (3.5)

T - Sweet, mild bakers chocolate. Quite hoppy with nice bitterness in the form of pine and some citrus. (4)

M - Very dry, moderate carbonation. (3)

O - Not bad at all. A nice take on an "India Porter." A bit sweet for the style, but I liked this as a balance to all of the hops. (3.5)
____

Bottle (stamped on the label is NOV 2011 EIGHT):
A - Seemed much less carbonated. Barely any head, no lace. (3)

S - Not phenolic at all, which allows more of the roast and chocolate to shine. Hops aren't as green. (4)

T - The hops are coming through as very bitter and provide a minty quality that I am finding more and more distracting. (3)

M - The "mintiness" and the alcohol are tickling/warming the back of my throat as if I chewed up a mint and then took a sip of cool water. Not entirely unpleasant, but worse off than the growler I had. Sticky, lingering palate coating effect. The first time I had this beer (growler) I never even noticed the abv, and thus never would have guessed this beer was 8%. This time I have no struggle in believing it. (2)

O - Still a solid beer, but fresh from the source on tap has got to be the way to go here. Also, who knows what type of batch variation a brewery like CCB sees? (3)

Serving type: growler

12-26-2011 08:34:42 | More by Spider889

sirdrinkwell

Florida

4.5/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Advance note: This brew is mislabeled here at Beeradvocate. The word India doesn't appear anywhere on the bottle, labeling, or carrier. It is labeled as Jose Marti Robustly Hopped American Porter, as can be seen in the image on BA's own page. Anyway...on to the review:

A-Pours a deep, dark Coca Cola shade of brown/mahogany. Fair amount of bone colored head, receding to leave a subtle bit of lacing around edge of my CCB snifter.

S-Very pleasant roasted coffee and rich malt, and a light undertone of hops fights to for some play as well. The aroma grows in intensity and pleasantness as the glass pour warms.

T-Nice bite of roasted coffee and dry chocolate, with a mildly hoppy finish. As with the aroma, the hop character grows in intensity as the glass warms.

M-Well balanced and medium carbonation, overall a dry but refreshing mouthful.

O-Cigar City did it right once again with this one. This is a nice brew, and a nice blend. Recommended!

Salud!

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2011 22:54:34 | More by sirdrinkwell

Viciousknishs

Virginia

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

A- pours a dark brown color with a finger of light tan head. Ok retention. Some lacing.

S- aromas of burnt caramel, dark chocolate and sweet roasty malts hit the nose at first. Finishes with a rather assertive leafy herbal hop character.

T- roasty malt and leafy herbal hop flavor hit the palate at first. Black strap molasses flavors in the middle with some sweet malt sugar notes. Finishes with a lingering hop bitterness and some dark chocolate flavors.

MF- slick sugary mouthfeel with a medium body and average carbonation.

D- good drinkability

overall a good hoppy porter.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2011 02:58:14 | More by Viciousknishs

hmf05

Florida

4.13/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a reddish brown color with a massive three finger creamy tan head. Aroma is grassy hops, licorice, dark chocolate, some smoke, and bitter espresso. Extremely complex. Taste is similar, but the hops are most dominant from beginning to end. Extremely dry finish. Overall, this is a delicious porter. My biggest complaint is that the hops are a little too present, which as a result mutes the other flavors that I was getting in the aroma.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2011 03:49:27 | More by hmf05

KAP1356

Pennsylvania

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

Reviewed from notes. 12 oz bottle received as an extra a while back. Poured into a Weyerbacher tulip...

A - Pours a deep, dark brown color. A HUGE 3 finger head forms, light tan in color. Some nice lacing is left along the glass.

S - Rich, big roasted malt aroma right out of the gate. Bitter coffee, milk chocolate and a good amount of earthu hops come next. The hops really give this an earthy and almost citrusy aroma.

T - Lots of roasty goodness like the nose. Bitter coffee flavor comes next along with rich chocolate. The hops again add a nice earthiness to the beer which really makes it an interesting porter.

M - Medium bodied beer with a nice moderate level of carbonation.

O - I was surprised by how much I ejoyed this one. The hops took this one in a different direction than just being a regular porter. Nicely done!

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2011 18:24:07 | More by KAP1356

Gehrig

Illinois

4.28/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Deep brown body with mahogany trim topped by two fat fingers of light tan froth; good lacing and head duration on the trusty ol' DAB mug. Nice but somewhat subtle nose with roasted French coffee, dark chocolate, and a whiff of tobacco--all of which could be more pronounced.

The taste more than atones for the understated smell, with loads of coffee bean taste accompanied by vanilla, dark chocolate, and toasted almond. This is really delicious porter, so enhanced by excellent, smooth texture. The advertised hops do not, to me, emerge so strongly in the taste except at the end, with some bite, a bit of heat and with some welcome resin in the texture. Jose Marti manages to present robust flavors in a highly accessible way.

CCB has proven to me to hit much more often than miss, and has been a most welcome revelation here in Tampa. Jose Marti has quickly planted itself in my top ten porters, taking its place by GL Edmund Fitzgerald, Zwyiec, and FD Gonzo Imperial. Very well done by CCB, and heartily recommended.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2011 16:19:52 | More by Gehrig

Ungertaker

Minnesota

4.35/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle poured into a Deschutes snifter.

A- Pours dark brown with little light penetration and a one-finger, root beer float-like head that fades to 1/4" then stays throughout.

S- chocolate brownies with faint cherry.

T- similar to the smell, but with subtle hints of coffee.

M- The frothy head remains for the duration of each sip; the medium mouthfeel is perfectly complimented by this.

O- Cigar City has not let me down yet. This is a very interesting porter. It does not depart from the style, yet manages to make its own mark.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2011 03:36:36 | More by Ungertaker

scott2269

Ohio

4.8/5  rDev +17.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Poured a 12oz bottle, dated 8/2011, into my DFH sniffer. Appearance is very pretty, dark with a big head. Smell is similar to a chocolate cake. After a few big sips, I declare this is one of the best porters I have had to date. Very complex, tons of chocolate, smokey malts, and a hint of coffee. Glass is coated with tons of sticky lacing. This tastes like a stout, but drinkablity is amazing with ABV at 8%. I wish I had better access to Cigar City beers, as this would be a staple in my fridge.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2011 01:10:30 | More by scott2269

AndyAvalanche

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12 oz. bottle poured into a Duvel Tulip Style Glass. Beer comes out a little darker than I expected. Very dark brown, reasonably close to black. Lighter brown highlights on the sides of the glass and you can see it as the liquid gets a little thinner at each sip. Reasonably good lacing on this one. A hard pour produces a thick foamy tan head with many sized bubbles.

Smell is really good. A complex, but very good balance of aromas working together here. Chocolate, black coffee, then followed up by the hops. Earthy, floral, pine, and some very slight citrus zest.

Taste is outstanding, much like the smell, but more layered. This beer is big all around, starting with the malts. Decadent chocolate followed by strong black coffee. I'm not really a big fan of chocolate, but this was like having a nice chocolate dessert with some coffee. The malt profile alone are big and help counteract the sweetness and bitterness. Hops make themselves perfectly known here too, mostly earthy, very well blended.

Mouthfeel is great. Silky smooth with a good carbonation level. Alcohol provides a warming feel, but well hidden in the flavor profile, wouldn't have quite though as high as 8%. Sweet with a bitter pinch at the end from the hops. An extremely well rounded beer. I'm seeing why Cigar City is getting all the hype now. These are some tasty brews!

Thanks miamichael2 for the trade!

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2011 02:10:20 | More by AndyAvalanche

kingcrowing

Vermont

2.85/5  rDev -30%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

750ml bottle bottle poured into a tulip.

Pours a very dark brown with a small brown head, no lacing. Nose is woody, sweet and slightly funky.

Taste is also kinda tart, a bit sweet and a multitude Ness with some really good odd off flavors I can't name. Mouthfeel is light and slightly sharp.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2011 00:28:44 | More by kingcrowing

bierguru

Florida

4/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - dark in body reddish hues against the glass thick tan head stays thoughout the drink

S - bold roasty notes subtle hints of coffee and chocolate

T - loads of roasted notes subtle coffe chocolate notes

M - roasted flavors kind of dries the mouth a tad but not annoying mild carbonation and light

O - is a really good drink

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2011 01:20:52 | More by bierguru

grittybrews

Washington

4.38/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured cola brown with a finger of light khaki head. Nice aroma with hints of cocoa and coffee.

Moderate carbonation and a full, rich mouthfeel. Lots of malty chocolate and toffee sweetness up front followed by smooth espresso and an interesting smoky/spicy character.

Really enjoyed the balance of flavors with this one--an excellent and complex porter.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2011 02:47:15 | More by grittybrews

Bung

North Carolina

4.35/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12 oz. The standard black/brown with a nice frothy fine bubbled light tan head. Head retention is very good.

Aroma, Toasted malt, cocoa, peat. Some herbal notes, hops?

Taste, Loads of dark chocolate and cocoa. Fairly heavy roast malt, some mocha latte. Finishes dry just faint a hop presence and a ton of cocoa.

Solid medium body, nice and creamy. A little too much abv to be a session porter, but it drinks like you would want to put down a bunch.

Thought this was really very good, the 2nd I've had from Cigar City and I'd say the best. Better than the Imperial Milk Porter, which was good.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2011 02:18:04 | More by Bung

readbaron

Illinois

3.85/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a dark brown with plentiful tan foam and excellent lacing (3 fingers).

Nose is sublte but pleasant - malty with hints of chocolate and a strong dose of coffee. Finishes sweet.

Taste is more intense than the nose. It's potent - almost stout like. Starts off with a blast of bitter hops and coffee, then mellows into a faint malty molasses sweetness.

For as dense as it is, it doesn't feel overwhelmingly thick - feels somewhat thin. Not quite as creamy as I'd like either.

Overall - a really solid brew. I wish all the variations I've tried also as intended (had a number of infected bottles).

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2011 03:33:30 | More by readbaron

Berrmecca13

Florida

3.98/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz btl into a nucleated tulip/snifter. A solid light brown head that maintains a nice cap. Deep dark brown coloration that allows no light through. This is a dark porter!

The nose has notes of dark cocoa and coffee. Very enticing and inviting. I cannot wait to taste.

There is a sharp hop-note upfront that hits the palate with nice crispness. Then the coffee and chocolate hit the back half of the mouth. Almost a tannic dryness that leaves the mouth with a lengthy finish. Coffee remains heavily on the finish up to a minute.

The level of alcohol in this porter remains hidden amid a nice solid flavor. Overall a tasty experience that is best enjoyed sipped slowly. There's no sessioning this delicious porter.

Cheers to Jose Marti!

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2011 23:35:17 | More by Berrmecca13

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

raznug

Ohio

4.38/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Jose pours black in color with a few reddish hues like I expect out of a porter. A top sits an inch of tannish head that leads to thick Belgian lacing all the way down the glass.
Smell: I smell a lot of roasted malt and maybe waifs of peat here and there.
Taste: The taste of roasted coffee and the smallest amount of hops to provide added bitterness shine through. I can especially taste the hops upon the first belch. Very tasty beer even on a warm summer evening.
Mouthfeel: This is another beer that has a nice lingering effect on the tongue without being too heavy.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2011 10:41:59 | More by raznug

homebrew311

Illinois

3.23/5  rDev -20.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: pours a dark black with brown highlights, 1 finger of frothy brown head, nice lacing.

S: weird sweetness on the nose up front followed by a combination of smoke, roast, and oak. The oak and smoke seem to compete with the sweet quality. Something I'm not digging here.

T: a little bit of sourness starts things off with smoke and oak coming through, the oak has a very raw presence and overshadows the base. Perhaps the oak is teaming up with the hops and bullying out the chocolate and roast that I'm searching for.

MF: medium body, mid level of carbonation

O: another unique brew from CCB, this one doesn't work for me though. The flavors seem to be competing with each other which takes away from the drinkability.

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2011 06:30:36 | More by homebrew311

cwguy5

North Carolina

4.33/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to 67couple for this one! Poured from bottle into Jackie O's munich glass.

A - black with garnet hues when held up to light; one finger foamy head that faded to a thick ring; some spotty lacing
S - roast, coffee, faint black cherry; whiff of alcohol
T - touch of hops bitterness followed by espresso and milk chocolate
M - medium, superfine carbonation yields an extremely smooth mouthfeel; creamy and rich; on the heavy side of medium carbonation; long dark roast linger that fades nicely
D - right up my alley; nice combo of taste and mouthfeel that really works for this style; i could probably drink one of these every night!

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2011 23:48:22 | More by cwguy5

TheFightfan1

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bought this one at Total Wine in St.Petersburg. Poured into a mug with a tremendous brown heading that stuck around to the very last sip. Lacing in full force.

Smell is a bit muted. I didn't get too much from this one except roasted malts and a solid chocolate background.

Taste is superb however. A heavy bittersweet chocolate taste with a beautiful charring roasted malt finish. The alcohol is very well hidden so watch out for this one.It is sneaky.

Mouth is smooth but did have a bit of a grainy like texture.A thicker feeling porter than most I have tasted. More like a baltic porter.

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2011 18:28:16 | More by TheFightfan1

LiquidBread219

Indiana

4.25/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A= Great Pour, It is dark deep brown in color, Nice tan head with great retention, also as some nice lacing

S= Kind of a sweet smell you get some of that bittersweet chocolate in the nose and some roasted malts.

T= The Taste is similar to the nose, the finish is great with a bittersweet roasty feeling.

M= Full bodied feels kind of like a stout really like the creaminess in this one.

O= Overall great beer from a great brewery they are really doing great things in Tampa can't get enough of CCB one of my favorite breweries just wish I could get them in my area.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2011 17:49:53 | More by LiquidBread219

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

jayhawk73

Maryland

4.4/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bottle generously given by Chaney- Thanks man!

A- Pours a dark brown almost black w/ an amazing two finger chocolate head. Head sticks around for a long time, and is just about perfect. Decent carbonation and great lacing. This beer is impossible to see through- really nice for the style!

S- Wow. Leather, cigar, malt, hops, coffee, chocolate. This beer is fantastic smelling, and very complex. Very balanced as well. Nose improves w/ warming. Getting a little vanilla as well. Very close to giving this category a 5.

T- Coffee, leather, hops, and chocolate come out in the taste, w/ hops and cigar evident on the aftertaste. Beer definitely improves w/ a little warming. Really nice, especially for the style.

M- Medium bodied w/ some hop bite/malt smoothness. Fairly dry finish as well. Very balanced, complex, and well done.

O- Fantastic beer for the style. I highly recommend this beer to everyone. Check it out!

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2011 21:14:03 | More by jayhawk73

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