Tocobaga Red Ale - Cigar City Brewing

ninaturner

Florida

4.98/5  rDev +19.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Appearance: Red/amber color, unfiltered, poured with a one finger head.

Aroma: Caramel sweetness is the only way to describe the aroma.

Taste: Caramel, malty sweetness, bittering hops at the finish.

Mouthfeel: Smoot, medium body which is perfect when you're tasting the malty character of this beer.

Drinkability: Highly drinkable.

Overall: One of the best beers I've had the pleasures of drinking.

Serving type: bottle

08-14-2012 23:12:26 | More by ninaturner

Finatic

Florida

4.93/5  rDev +17.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Growler poured into a chilled Cigar City pint glass.

A: Pours a dark orange, red color with a lovely foamy, white head that recedes ever so slowly.

S: Lots and lots of hops with citrus and pine at the forefront, smell some malt sweetness in it as well.

T: Tastes just like it smells with the hops lingering on the palate to the end. Nice sweet malt background balances out the hops brilliantly.

M:Medium bodied and very easy to drink, alcohol masked very well.

O: My favorite amber and when fresh like this one very hard to find a better amber ale out there.

Serving type: growler

01-16-2012 23:42:13 | More by Finatic

67couple

South Carolina

4.9/5  rDev +17.2%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Pours a nice honey colored red with fluffy head that fades slowly leaving nice heavy lacing on the glass.
Smell of pine and citrus, with a touch of sweetness to back it up.
Nice balance of maltiness to hoppiness. Love the way the hops stay with it to finish strong.
Nice mouthfeel, not too thin or too thick.
Very dangerous drinkability. The alcohol content is masked well with the great flavors. You will want to be careful if trying to session this one.
Over all another great offering from CCB.

Serving type: growler

09-19-2010 13:09:55 | More by 67couple

Ben505

Florida

4.9/5  rDev +17.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I've actually had this twice, once on tap at World of Beer on Brude B Downs and once when I got a growler from the brewery. Interestingly, the two batches tasted a little different, with the second batch seeming even hoppier than the first.

Appearance is a great copper/red color with a nice head that does its job leaving a nice lace down the glass as you drink.

Smell was pleasant and somewhat as expected with lovely citrus hops coming through while still giving off the nice malt you would expect from a red ale.

Taste was absolutely fantastic. I'm not the best at describing this stuff, but it really is a great red ale with the added twist & uniqueness of having a strong hoppy flavor. As I said, the most recent batch was to me (as well as a friend who has had it many, many times) even hoppier than the first. I'm a hophead so this was a welcome surprise!

As others have said, it is very easy to drink and the alcohol really doesn't come through at all.

Just an outstanding beer, very similar to Terrapin's Big Hoppy Monster (which you should try if you like Tocobaga). I can't wait for them to start bottling it, I heard the newest batch was going to be bottled in 750ml sizes...not sure if its been done yet or not.

Serving type: on-tap

12-31-2010 05:45:56 | More by Ben505

Danny1217

Florida

4.9/5  rDev +17.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 5

Pours an amber color with a red hue. A small foamy head. Excellent lacing.
Smells of hops, citrus fruits, and dare I say... guava. I love the smell so much. I want to bathe in it.
The taste is almost as good as the smell. Lots of citrus flavors with a bit of a caramel sweet malty flavor. A nice crisp, dry finish similar to an IPA. Good carbonation and medium body.
Once again Cigar City brewing makes me happy to live in Florida. Unfortunately, even in Florida, this beer isn't available as often as I would like, because I would like to be drinking this all the time. This is the best American red ale available, and my favorite of Cigar City's year round beers.

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2012 20:46:26 | More by Danny1217

shand

Florida

4.88/5  rDev +16.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Enjoyed on tap at the CCB taproom.

Pours a copper color with a nice head that retains well and leaves nice chunky lacing down the glass. The smell is absolutely amazing. Like sticking your nose into a bag of hops. There's just a bit of malt in the back of the nose. The taste here is a hop-head's dream. Nice citrus and tropical hops are really front and center here. The malts are just a supporting role, this is a superlative hop-forward brew that drinks closer to an IPA.

The mouthfeel is pretty good, if fairly unremarkable. The drinkability is absolutely stellar. This is an absolutely phenomenal brew, and I'm looking forward to the bottles they made yesterday so I can bring this bad boy home and drink it every night.

Serving type: on-tap

05-17-2011 22:50:26 | More by shand

ktrillionaire

Florida

4.83/5  rDev +15.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

First off, let me say that this brew is like Jai Alai part II. Which is not to say that it is an IPA, but instead that it is a phenomenally robust and hugely hop-centric brew in the same vein as Jai Alai.

A - Big reddish-amber hue, capped with a voluminous ecru head, it deposits rocky boulders of lace all over the glass.

S - Huge everything is apparent in the nose. The malt is big, even aromatically, and it is slightly toasty as well. Hop contribution is significant, centered in the pine-y and cannabis-dank range at least as much as grapefruit-citrus.

T - This is the best example of the American Red Ale style that I have ever had. Suggestions of green pine cones, cypress, cannabis, and cut-grass are tempered by a toasty and dryly caramelized malt backing.The hop bouquet is huge, the bitter dankness is so palpable, and the body is just big enough to support it all.

M - Just like a big IPA, this brew is a weighty medium-bodied brew, well-carbonated and smooth yet substantial.

Serving type: growler

10-31-2010 14:58:08 | More by ktrillionaire

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.83/5  rDev +15.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

huge thanks for sending this one up to me, i was simply not expecting it to be as good as it was, but damn i was suprised as hell by what i got. growler poured into a pint glass and enjoyed on 10/29/2010.

pour is a medium amber color with a light cloudiness that settles out quickly. a big head of white foam then towers over the top of the glass and quickly coats the sides and leaves a ton of lace all around it.

aroma again is classic ccb. loads of hops and cedar notes right up front. takes a while to get any caramel malts to come through but they are there, albeit in lesser quantity then you would expect in a normal red ale, but this is simply an amazing beer on all other accounts. smooth hops and a rich and creamy feel are just what is needed as the flavor simply cannot be beat. clean hops, resin, notes of cedar, light malts and a light dry finish seal the deal.

overall an excellent beer on all accounts. i would love to try this again.

Serving type: growler

10-31-2010 15:32:17 | More by mikesgroove

VncentLIFE

North Carolina

4.8/5  rDev +14.8%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pour is light amber with a serious soda pop fizzy head. This thing smells like it was just randallized with fresh hops. Super juicy mangoes, apricots, and a hit of pineapple just dominate. I love it! Lots of sticky sweet malt to back what is already sweet. Kind of like a darker Waldo's 420 from Lagunitas. The taste is more bitter and malty than the nose led on, but not in a bad way. It gives the beer some body to back that uber sweetness. Chalky bready malt comes through quite nicely. Theres still a ton of apricots just wanting to take over, but they really just add a very nice balance. Finishes sweet and citric with a hint of alcohol coming very late only to be destroyed by more citric hops.

Nugget Nectar aims to be more of a traditional bitter IPA, this thing goes for a West Coast super tropical fruit Amber. For my taste, this is preferred to the famed NN.

Serving type: bottle

07-20-2012 16:37:17 | More by VncentLIFE

GilGarp

Colorado

4.78/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Served cold in a shaker pint at Hops & Pie in Denver.

Tocobaga is a beautiful hazy red color with a thin layer of tight creamy head.

Aroma immediately lets you know that this is going to be a hoppy red. Citrusy, piney, and a little bit malty sweet.

Flavor is really something special. It's such a great balance of malty red ale and big hop flavor. It doesn't knock you out with bitterness but gives you lots of hop goodness.

Mouthfeel is amazingly smooth and easy drinking for a strong hoppy beer.

Overall this is such an amazing beer. Flavor and mouthfeel are spot on. I've always wondered if Cigar City beers were overrated but, if this is anything to go by, they've earned their hype.

Serving type: on-tap

11-08-2012 19:56:43 | More by GilGarp

rhartogsq

Virginia

4.7/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Acquired through a trade. I first had it on tap on a trip to Florida and was eager to get some at home.
A. Hazy amber...on the darker side of red. Finger head. Slight lacing.
S. hop first, then a little burnt (slightly) caramel. Makes me smile.
T. Damn good! A sweet, but not too sweet roasted caramels rot end, followed by a hoppy after taste.
M. A little carbonation, a littl refreshing.
O. This beer is as good as I remember. I would love to run a little hop through it. But a unique red hoppy ale...beats Nugget Nectar any day.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2012 01:50:54 | More by rhartogsq

FLBeerGuy

Florida

4.68/5  rDev +12%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a deep red/copper color with an off white head that leaves superb lacing all the way down the pint glass.

Nose has tons of citrus hop goodness with some caramel malts, very nice.

Taste is citrus, grassy, pine, nice malty backbone with a little sweetness and a nice hop finish, outstanding.

Very easy to drink, even with the 7+ ABV, which is pretty well hidden

This is a great example of a hopped up red ale, well done. This is one of my favorite CCB beers, they need to bottle this one.

Serving type: growler

11-19-2010 23:25:28 | More by FLBeerGuy

THANAT0PSIS

Wisconsin

4.68/5  rDev +12%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: The first red ale that this reviewer is writing on pours a beautiful mahogany color that approached opaque in clarity; it is capped with a slightly rocky, cream-colored head that takes its sweet time dissipating down from an initial four fingers to a manageable one-and-a-half. The carbonation that is visible through the dense fog appears very active, but it is honestly difficult to tell with any certainty. There is some spotty lacing. The pour looked incredible, but once it is sitting in the glass the beer starts to take on the appearance of the end product of chewing tobacco. Still, the ruby red that occurs when light shines through is a pleasure yet to be held by this reviewer.

Aroma: There is a certain hoppiness that I was not expecting in this style after reading about it, but this is usurped almost immediately by a very “beery” smell that can only come from a strong malt character. This malt character also lends Tocobaga a pronounced and enticing sweetness. There is perhaps a bit of yeast that plays on the nostrils as well and mingles with the malty sweetness and gives it a mild spicy characteristic akin to cinnamon and cloves (or maybe allspice). It is quite complex (as many great beers are) and begs the holder to drink immediately.

Taste: The gauntlet has been thrown down for all future red ales that pass these taste buds. There is nothing to dislike in the taste of this beer, no faults to be found. It is initially bitter, but just for a second (following the nose step for step), and then the sweet malts step in, flooding the mouth with caramel notes, nutty notes, and even a hint of banana. Then the hops come back in and leave the tongue craving more and more of the delicious elixir, somewhat like Founders Double Trouble, though not nearly as bitter due to the difference in style. The aftertaste is a bit puckering and astringent, but not in a displeasing way. This beer is off the charts rich, somewhat like Apocalypse Cow. Just wow.

Mouthfeel: The beer swallows a little thick for my taste and leaves the lips sticky afterwards. As mentioned under “Taste”, Tocobaga has a puckering effect on the mouth, but this is very welcome. The carbonation is as active as seen earlier, but not as omnipresent as expected, which really is not an issue; the carbonation is perfect for the beer and gives it the refreshing quality that carbonation so often does. This beer is insanely drinkable, which, at 7.2% ABV could be a bit dangerous.

Overall: This is an excellent stepping-stone into the world of red ales. Before drinking this beer, I was not overly excited about venturing into red ales, but now I could not be more eager to have another. I am also disappointed that this was my only bottle. This is a beer I would love to have in my fridge at all times. It is just spectacular. 17.5/20

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2012 05:05:10 | More by THANAT0PSIS

NoleDoc

Florida

4.63/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Had this beer on tap at Tap 42's Cigar City event. Good beer with a pretty dark red amber color. Really likin the color. Not too heavy and very well balance taste with hops and citrus notes. Feel the nice caramel taste, very smooth finish. Hops feel lingers in he mouth, great complexity. Very refreshing.

Serving type: on-tap

03-14-2013 16:53:50 | More by NoleDoc

BeerImmediately

Pennsylvania

4.58/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Had I known what this sixtel cost before I hit the register, I wouldn't have bothered... but boy, am I glad I did.

Poured into nonic pint glass with a booming, 1/2 glass full of foamy cream colored head over a rich amber body with plenty of carbonation flowing slowly up. Tons of sticky lacing.

Equal parts citrus and pine in the aromas, with some woody notes in the background.

Whoa, one of (if not THE) smoothest beers I've ever had. Flavors are a combination of tropical citrus flavored hops (pineapple, papaya, mango) with lots of banana cream pie sweetness, and some vanilla bean and cedar in the back. Touch of pine in the finish. Incredibly creamy mouthfeel, but still with sufficient carbonation to cleanse -

Drinkability is quite remarkable for a 7% hop-forward beer. Drinks like an English Pale Ale, and that's scary.

Serving type: on-tap

12-22-2010 01:18:00 | More by BeerImmediately

fields336

North Carolina

4.58/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

32 oz growler served in SN snifter.

A:dark red, purplish color almost, with 2 fingers of frothy creamy, khaki/mocha colored head. this is an intense looking red ale.

S: citrusy and piney in aroma, with caramelly, malty background notes.

T:tons of pine, pineapple, grapefruit, lemon, delicious delicious red ale. truly amazing

M:cant expect much more from a red ale, medium body, really nice carbonation, not too dry of a finish.

O: I really really enjoyed this beer, truly one of CCB's most awesome style examples of how far they can take it. I think it's more of an Imperial Red but I'm not complaining. I'm going to be getting this on growler a lot more frequently.

Serving type: growler

08-30-2011 04:43:39 | More by fields336

yamar68

Minnesota

4.55/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Looks like Nugget Nectar.

Smells like a more citrus focused version of Furious... plenty of support from the malt bill but the juicy hop notes lead the way.

Fucking so delicious... goddamn. Delicious citrus hops - their relationship with the sweeter malts trick the palate into perceiving some tropical fruit. Bittersweet in the best possible way.

This beer rocks, nothing more to say. Jesus.
THANK YOU robinsmv!

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2012 23:57:16 | More by yamar68

CampusCrew

Florida

4.5/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

appearance: deep dark reddish brown with a loaded head and good retention. Had it poured in a unibroue tulip.

smell: nice hop presence

taste: awesome imeprial red. balanced caramel and citrus hops.

mouthfeel: medium bodied

drinkability: I'm still waiting for CC to miss on a beer. Seems like they are perfect!

Serving type: on-tap

10-07-2010 15:04:43 | More by CampusCrew

AdamBear

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A-apricot colored with a thick cream colored head that has good lacing

S-well it also smells like apricot, fresh apricot. some spices and caramel. and a lot of citrusy hops. this is a complex smelling beer.

T-this is amazing. comes in with smooth apricot, hops, and caramel with a tinge of bitterness. the after-taste is a long lasting bitterness along with what reminds me of rye. has a certain amount of spice to it as well.

M-medium and creamy carbonation with a creamy bitter finish.

O-becomes less complex but still stays great. i want them to bottle this. people will love this. i could drink this all night long. i find it to be MUCH better that nugget nectar.

Serving type: on-tap

05-04-2011 06:53:48 | More by AdamBear

babaracas

Florida

4.5/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a hazy red-tinted dark orange with two fingers of dense cream colored foam, settles very slowly to a thin cap. Sheet of delicate lace left down the glass. Smell: caramel and toasted grain base with a dose of pineapple. Citrus rind and a soft note of tropical fruit along as well. Taste: caramel, mildly toasty, sugared tropical fruit, blam of white grapefruit, earthiness, and a note of alcohol. Medium bodied with exceptionally creamy feel. Liked this on tap last year, love it in the bottle now. 6 packs, please. And, whoa, is this a bottling stamp from CCB? May 15 11 stamped in white on the side of the label.

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2011 04:52:24 | More by babaracas

CoastieSimon

Virginia

4.5/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

What a delicious brew from Cigar City! The smell of this beer is amazing citrusy, and kind of like a cotton candy smell mixed together. The taste was excellent, a malty IPA with a bunch of flavors but the caramel flavor is very prominent. The mouthfeel again is great. Overall one of the best brews I have tried as of late, easy drinker to!

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2011 17:21:08 | More by CoastieSimon

Jerone

Florida

4.5/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Hazy brown with a reddish tinge to it, cream colored head that sticks around

S - Citrus hops with some lightly toasted malt, very nice smelling.

T - Wham, citrus hops right off the bat hit you, mostly grapefruit, then mellows to the malt and eventually a bready flavor. Lots of good flavor packed into this beer.

M - Medium mouthfeel with low carbonation, flavor sticks in your mouth for a while, very nice.

O - Beautifully crafted beer. Maybe slightly less hops with a touch more of the bready flavor would have made it epic to my taste buds.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2012 16:45:54 | More by Jerone

brother_kenneth

Virginia

4.48/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A- Pours a golden red with a fair amount of white/cream colored foam; lacing is pretty nice. Sticky brew!

S- Aromas are very citrus-fruity and hop-forward with a nice caramel smell. There are floral and pine notes as well.

T- Delicious malt is the undertone for the prominent citrusy hops, pine, and caramel. The malty caramel thing goes incredibly well with the hop. Probably the best I have tasted in a hoppy red. It is nicely carbonated and juicy (I have seen that as a descriptor before and I have not really understood it until now). Great mouthfeel!

O- This is a remarkable beer, and is the first I have tried from CCB. Looking forward to many more if they are half as good as this one!

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2012 02:55:04 | More by brother_kenneth

RonfromJersey

New Jersey

4.48/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

The Lost Spring Break 2012 Beer Reviews - Chapter Seven

Dense whipped off-white foam tops a dark amber body with shiny copper highlights.

Big powerful and inviting citrus aroma assaults the nose.

Deep caramel foundation. Breadliness. Juicy fruit follows. Good bitterness that carries through a long aftertaste.

Smooth, creamy medium-plus mouthfeel.

A surprise to find on the shelf on vacation, and I hope to find it again someday.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2013 02:19:32 | More by RonfromJersey

croixian1

4.45/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Truly delightful beer! Reminds me why I quit drinking 'Shareholder Beer' like Bud and Miller. Nice carbonation that lingers in the mouth, intensifying the hopy bitterness.
The really wonderful surprise, however, is the most wonderful toasted-cherry-like aftertaste, even though this is not a fruit-flavored brew. This sweetish aftertaste and the bitter hops are perfectly balanced. Fantastic beer!

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2012 20:18:07 | More by croixian1