Tocobaga Red Ale - Cigar City Brewing

HuskyinPDX

Washington

3.3/5  rDev -21.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Opened on 5.16.12.

A - A very cloudy, dark amber body with a small yellow-tan head. Decent Retention.

S - Sweet fruity malt, almost cherry-like, some hops.

T - Bitter dark fruit, mostly raisin up-front, then some sweet bready malt.

D - Medium carbonation and body. A bitter bite that lingers.

O - Smelled really nice, but taste didn't quite deliver for me.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2012 05:13:42 | More by HuskyinPDX

Lawl3ss

Texas

3.3/5  rDev -21.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Lightly chilled 12 oz. bottle into a shaker pint. Bottling date appears to be 10.7.12.

Look- Three solid fingers of loose toasted coconut head that settles to an inch and a half of silky foam.. Amber-brown, serious haze. Sparse lacing. By the end of the pint, I've got about an eighth inch of sediment in the bottom of my glass.

Aroma- Immediate blast of citrus-pineapple-fir tree. Grapefruity as it warms. Background of graham cracker, moderately sweet. Pretty nice.

Taste- Similar to the aroma, a nearly indecent amount of hop flavor. Not overly bitter, but it's got some bite. Mango-pear-melon with some pine that fades into a grassier flavor. Malt never makes much of a showing, but what's there reminds me of toasted rye bread and maple.

Mouthfeel- Light-medium body, Carbonation has a sharp edge. Granular, silty feel. Clean, but cottony finish. One's enough.

Overall- Alright, aroma and flavor certainly average to above average. The rest, however, is a bit of a mess and really reminds me of a couple mediocre batches of homebrew I've had (and sometimes brewed) in the past. I'd bet it's better on tap, but a bottle's what I've got.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2012 04:35:30 | More by Lawl3ss

rudzud

Massachusetts

3.38/5  rDev -19.1%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

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

A - Pours a nice slightly hazy reddish amber with a one finger white blanket head that fades to leave a thin, creamy blanket.

S - Perhaps this is a bit on the old side. Getting alot of malt sweetness and honey with this along with dank, cardboard hops. Yeah...eh.

T - Again, yeah, wheres the hops? More of the caramel and malt sweetness. There is some faint, older hops. Its not too bad, but well, I've had better red ales.

M - Mouthfeel Is not that bad for a red ale, alcohol is a bit noticeable. Nice light bitter finish that plays off the caramel sweetness.

O - Overall this isnt a bad beer, I just think it was perhaps not super fresh. All the players are there for this to be a solid brew, they just didnt step up for me.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2012 18:13:34 | More by rudzud

ZDub

Illinois

3.4/5  rDev -18.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

Poured from the bottle into a snifter-tulip hybrid. Nice reddish hue with 1/4inch of cream head that lingers. Upon pouring I immediately smelled some sweet lightly toasted malts. After taking a stronger whiff the piney hops came into play with perhaps some floral/grassy notes. This red ale has a smooth light mouthfeel with a good but not overwhelming malt backbone. What surprised me was the significant hop presence in the finish that hung around for a bit. For me this threw off the overall balance and was a bit disappointing. For the style, I think the hops were too much. This one would be best described as a Red/Amber Ale trying to be an IPA. I'd have it again, but only because we don't get Cigar City in IL. If it was available in IL, I wouldn't hesitate to leave in on the shelf and grab a Bell's Amber Ale.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2013 01:46:13 | More by ZDub

TheSevenDuffs

Ontario (Canada)

3.43/5  rDev -17.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle obtained in a recent on line order with Leuken's in which they sent a number of less than fresh beers. This was one of them - bottle dated MAY1511. So 6 months old.

Poured in to Duvel tulip glass.

A - Medium orange/amber colour, slightly cloud; one finger of foamy cream-coloured head.

S - Sweet caramel/toffee malts up front with a s light bitterness present. A somewhat one dimensional nose with only the malt bill coming through. Not surprising given the freshness info.

T - A decent hop bitterness is evident up front with some floral and piney notes. A big sweet caramel/toffee malt backbone balances out the palate and as the beer warms, begins to take over the flavour profile. The bitterness returns in the finish. This would probably be excellent fresh, but at this age was a shadow of its former self.

M - Medium body with moderate carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2011 02:12:23 | More by TheSevenDuffs

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

3.51/5  rDev -16%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

First had: bottle, throw in on a trade from...er, I don't remember

A pretty typical red ale all over. Reddish amber pour, with a foamy cap of off-white bubbles. Malty aroma with some piney hops coming through. Taste of caramel malt and toffee, piney hops, citrus pith, somewhat metallic in the finish. Pretty average even for the style, but still a good brew. Probably overrated just because it's CC. Medium body, and decently drinkable, aside from that off-flavor, which could just be a freshness issue (didn't check for a bottle date).

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2013 20:18:22 | More by Rifugium

trxxpaxxs

New York

3.53/5  rDev -15.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a deep amber with with hints of brown around the edges. There is about one full finger of off white head that sit top the beer. There some, but not much, lacing as it drinks.

S: I'm picking up berry, citrus, pine, and aluminum. It has a definite berry twang to it.

T: The taste follows the nose. Berries, citrus, pine, canned beer, tin, and weird metals. I'm not diggin' it.

M: Medium bodied beer. There is nothing special about this beer. Nothing cloying, not too thin, not too crisp, not too sweet, not too anything.

O: Not a huge fan of this beer. Something about the taste is off. I've had this many times, a bunch of different batches, and it's always the same. Pretty disappointing. I'll never seek this out again.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2012 01:03:34 | More by trxxpaxxs

chinchill

South Carolina

3.55/5  rDev -15.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12 oz undated bottle (presumably 2012) served in an Anchor Steam pint glass.
Looks like an amber or red ale but smells [3.75] like a pale ale or IPA, with the hops far more evident than the malts. Still hoppy for style in tasting, with at least as much hop presence as the surprising nose suggests. The malt is a bit more obvious in tasting, but little enough to leave this a moderately bitter and quite hoppy "red" ale. Relatively high ABV is almost completely hidden in the flavor and aroma, but lends some harshness to the feel.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2012 23:01:11 | More by chinchill

Bosoxfan20

Missouri

3.61/5  rDev -13.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A- Aggressive pour leads to a barely 1 finger, light tan head. Hazy amber with lots of sediment. Clearly looks to be bottle conditioned. Don't mind the yeasties, just a little surprised. Avg lacing and retention

S- Citrus and pine hops, dark fruits- dates or raisins, slightest touch of caramel malts. Bready biscuits. Quite hoppy for an amber. Nice aroma, but a pretty timid nose.

T- Hop forward with the citrus and pine. Grapefruit pith, herbal woodsy notes followed by a toasted bread malt. Nice esters fruity notes. Bitter finish that borders on astringency. Certainly a hop take on the style.

M- Mid body near full. Dry as can be in the finish. Some alcohol present. A littel heavy, so not the most drinkable.

O- A beer that seems to taste a litte different with each sip I take. While the hop level tends to overshadow the malt some, it is still a nice beer. Of the 5 or 6 I have had from CCB, this is one of my least favorite....which says a lot about a brewery when one of my least favorite is still pretty good.

$11.49 for a 6 pk

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2013 18:39:54 | More by Bosoxfan20

stxSS07

Illinois

3.65/5  rDev -12.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Reviewed from notes.

A- Pours a dark copper with a finger of off-white head. Leaves cobweb lacing.

S- Caramel malts, bitter earthy hop notes. Not much going on here.

T- Sweet layers of malty caramel and toffee paired with the hop bitterness from the nose and a bit of a citric hop note. Much better than the nose.

M- Medium bodied with slightly aggressive carbonation.

O- Tastes more like a barleywine than a red ale, but pretty decent.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2012 10:00:32 | More by stxSS07

KajII

North Carolina

3.7/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

[Suggested Glassware: Shaker Glass]

The pour was a hazy medium caramel brown with a small (1 finger or less) off white rocky head that reduced to a large puddle and medium collar, with very good streaky lacing.

The aroma was of a light bread malt, pine and citrus hops and a soapy yeast with notes of caramel, citrus (grapefruit) and a mild fruity ester.

It tasted lightly bitter with a nice malty sweetness, a hint of caramel and a slight fruitiness early on, and then it became very hoppy with a big grapefruit presence towards the end. The flavor was about average in duration with a slightly sweet hoppy citrus taste that was left to hang out a tad longer.

Mouthfeel was almost medium in body and dry in texture with a moderate carbonation.

Overall this was a brew that possessed a bold hoppiness with mild fruity sweetness and a smooth drinkability. This one a really enjoyed and plan on drinking again...

http://www.facebook.com/KAJIIsBeerReviews

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2012 16:25:39 | More by KajII

drabmuh

Maryland

3.73/5  rDev -10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

At the time of this review, this is the #3 American Amber / Red Ale on beeradvocate.com best of styles lists, slightly overrated in my opinion, served in a DFH snifter.

Beer is dark amber, red, with a nice big tannish head of small bubbles, nice carbonation and lacing, looking good. Beer is mostly clear until the sediment ends up in the glass. Looks pretty decent.

Aroma is malt malt and more malt, a little piny hops.

Beer is thick, seriously thick, heavy on the malt in the front, middle and back. this is a malt bomb. tastes pretty good though, just too heavy for me, especially for such a big bottle. It was good and I'd have it on draft again but not again in the bottle.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2011 20:53:04 | More by drabmuh

WrathsU

Florida

3.73/5  rDev -10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A - Pours a murky brown with red hues to it. Small tan head that lasts a medium amount of time.

S - Strong American pungent hop aroma. It overpowers the smell of caramel or any other "typical" red ale aromas. I don't dislike the smell I just wish there was more to it.

T - Again strong American bitter hop presence throughout. It does finish quite a bit sweeter than you'd expect upon first taste. It's a great hop forward beer but I again find it lacking the essential red ale qualities.

M - A nice medium mouth-feel, it doesn't have any alcohol burn or unpleasantness.

O - Overall this is a great and tasty red ale. It isn't a classical red ale but it is a great American take on one. I'd definitely recommend anyone to try this beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2011 22:59:32 | More by WrathsU

litheum94

California

3.78/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours out a deep, brushed bronze color, with a ton of sediment floating around. A two finger head, brown tinged, falls to a short, tight cover. Not much lacing.

Aromas of caramel malts with a citrus zest. Light spicing and woody pine.

Big malt profile, with flavors of caramel and toffee. Very juicy, grapefruit hop flavors, with some sweetness and citric sourness. Floral and woody, reminds me of redwood tips. Touch of alcohol on the finish, but not overpowering at all. Hop bitterness lingers in the mouth, with some residual sweetness.

A really nice red. I like the malt profile, and the citrus hops are very juicy.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2012 03:21:48 | More by litheum94

kbutler1

Minnesota

3.8/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Draft. Pours a clear copper red color with a slight tan head. Hoppy citric aroma on the nose along with sweet malt and some woodiness. Nice lace left on the glass as it settles. Medium mouthfeel with good carb. The flavor starts off with some sweetness followed by flavors of citrus hops and the earthy/woody notes in the nose. For a red ale this is nicely balanced without being too maltyl. Very easy drinking as well. Ends with a lingering bitterness from the hops.

Serving type: on-tap

12-06-2010 13:42:09 | More by kbutler1

socon67

New York

3.83/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Pours amber with a tan foam that lingers. Minimal lacing however.

S - Scents of citrus, and caramel. Kinda like a caramel apple. Funky, but relatively faint.

T - I like that this has some complex layers of flavor. Spicy, malty, and a touch of fruit sugars. It is tame, and I don't know if I like that it isn't just another in your face amber, or if I would like a more robust beer.

M - Extremely drinkable and smooth. Perfect for just about anytime you want a beer. Carbonation is soft, robust body yet not too heavy, and easy on the taste buds.

O - Another solid offering from CCB. This is a good change of pace and an example of subtle characteristics making a good beer.

Serving type: on-tap

09-13-2011 21:17:06 | More by socon67

TheFightfan1

Pennsylvania

3.83/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a nice semi-clear ruby color. Nice thicker white heading with some great lacing. Some particulates left over while pouring the second half of the bottle.

Nice sweet caramel aroma pulling through here to start things off. Nice bit of hops settle in behind the sweeter caramel wall along with a decent cedar wood finish. Very nice.

This was a tad of a let down. After a big build up in the nose this didn't seem to capitalize on the bigger hoppy notes that I initially smelled. Crisp and malty but no big hop bite that I have grown accustomed to in this style.

Mouth was kind of the same thing. A little thin a little watery but was smooth. Slight buttery slickness in the mouth the left a film. Good carbonation.

Not a bad offering at all.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2011 17:14:07 | More by TheFightfan1

Arbitrator

California

3.83/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Chilled bottle into a glass, courtesy of JeepCop. Thanks!

A: Pours a hazy maroon body with a pinky finger of beige head. Poor retention, but it maintains a fairly thick collar on the beer. No lace.

S: A substantial dose of caramel malt, bread, and plenty of piney hops. A touch of toast.

T: I think this was going for the hop-forward approach, but it's a bit faded now, causing the malt to step forward. It is caramel-dominated, along with a rye bread and toast characteristic that emerges during the odd sip. I detect a lesser character of pine hops. Good balance.

M: Full-bodied, and surprisingly so for a 7.2% beer. I found this kind of a chore to drink due to the heaviness. No trace of the alcohol, and no lingering bitterness.

O: A pretty tasty amber ale on the whole; I suspect this isn't all that fresh, and I'd probably enjoy it more if it were. I'd also probably enjoy it more if it were drier. But it's very solid.

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2012 06:50:48 | More by Arbitrator

brystmar

Texas

3.83/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

CCB event at Barcade.

Red body, white head and lace. Effervescence is apparent amidst the malty, hoppy aromas.

Nicely blended and balanced as I sip; high drinkability doesn't bode well for tomorrow morning. Between this, the Orange Wood IPA, and Huna on tap, tomorrow will be rough. Cheers!

Serving type: on-tap

09-13-2012 22:37:22 | More by brystmar

chanokokoro

Illinois

3.83/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a Cigar City Brewing branded shaker pint glass

Pours a hazy amber with heavy rusty highlights. A one a half finger cream colored caps the brew, average retention, scattered splotchy lacing. Caramel notes, citrus blossoms, and orange rind on the nose. Opens with flora and citrus specifically tangerine, mandarin orange, and pineapple. Light toffee and caramel malt midpalate. Finishes pleasantly dry with mild mandarin orange rind bitteress with more caramel accents. Abundant but gentle carbonation. Smooth, silky, fairly large malt bill and on the lighter side of medium bodied. Amber/Red Ales are certainly not one of my favored styles, but this is certainly one of the better ones I've had. Yet another winner, among many, from Cigar City Brewing.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2013 03:21:43 | More by chanokokoro

cosmicevan

New York

3.85/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle. thanks billyshears!!! you da man, great to see you again.

a - opened the bottle and filled my E snifter...brew poured a transparent brown which settled a dark brown with a full finger of bright white frothy bubbly head. lacing was chunky and clingy. to the light, the beer is a murky red...amber. looks really classy for an amber.

s - nicely balanced hoppy red. citric blast...tropical fruit basket. very ipa. possibly even nicer than jai alai.

t - wow, a fight between bittering hops and caramel malts of an amber. a bit of a battle for supremacy.

m - bitter and biting.

o - overall, a very interesting take on the amber style. the hoppy ipa in there seems to clash with the red a bit, but makes for an interesting blend of flavoring. certainly worth a taste or a few...probably pretty polarizing. amazing for the hop heads, but a bit of an identity crisis for the style police.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2011 04:41:09 | More by cosmicevan

inlimbo77

Delaware

3.88/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle with no date and no real information on the ABV ( I don't think). I have had this one for about a month I think. Poured into DFH signature glass

A: Very cloudy unfiltered brownish red. Bits of yeast etc. Thin layer of off white head. Fades to ring quickly. Lack of carbonation. Not really any lacing.

S: Piney hops and sweet malts. Pretty simple smells. Some hop astringency.

T: Nice sip actually. Nice piney hop bitterness on the tip of the tongue. Then you get those sweet maltiness in the mid mouth. And a clean piney filled close.

M: medium bodied red ale. Nice mouth coating.

O: B+ on the old grading scale. Might have been higher without some of the flaws in appearance and smell. Those yeast particles really were offputting to me I guess.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2012 14:54:16 | More by inlimbo77

olfolxholme

California

3.88/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

26

thanks to hdelavega for this 12 oz bottle, poured into a Samuel Smith tulip pint

A - 2 finger head of medium size off white bubbles over a surprisingly cloudy dark copper beer. Head died down to a respectable level that lasted for quite some time. Pretty good lacing. Bottle has a nice story about the Tocobaga people - mentions that they were the only Florida natives to use maize. Seems like a lost opportunity to make a maize beer, but this American Red will have to do. (kidding) Bottling date is NOV2011. Also says "TWO TWO," maybe that means 11/22/11.

S - Beautiful hop aroma on this one. Smells exactly like I want this style to smell. Very inviting, totally classic. Only drawback is it doesn't last the whole time. Also, there is a hint of earthy stone in the back somewhere. First impression was great, though.

T - Really hoppy, good easily be considered an Imperial Red. Malt is there, but has a muted quality about it that reminds me of the earthy stone aroma.

M - I am surprised by how much bitterness is lingering on my tongue. To the point of puckering, even. It's totally smooth and highly refreshing going down, though.

O - I was surprised by how hoppy this beer was. I like hoppy beers but I actually found this a little astringent. I can see how this could become a favorite if I could drink a ton of these all the time. For those who can't get this, I'd compare it to a really hoppy version of Red Chair NWPA from Deschutes. Definitely worth trying and one I would gladly drink again.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2012 03:30:59 | More by olfolxholme

womencantsail

California

3.9/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to Mike for this beer.

A: The pour is a really nice bright ruby color with a thin layer of off-white head.

S: Plenty of hops on the nose. They're primarily of the oily pine variety, which is always welcomed. There's some toffee and bread, along with a bit of citrus.

T: The hops are again the dominant characteristic. Quite bitter, which is always nice, with some earth, pine, and citrus notes. The caramel, toffee, and bread are still there as well. There's also a hint of roast at times.

M: The body is medium as is the carbonation.

D: I really had no idea what this beer was until I came on here to review it (though I sort of figured it was some sort of red ale). Pretty nice, actually.

Serving type: growler

09-25-2010 06:14:37 | More by womencantsail

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.9/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Hoppy red, the caramel malt is very much in the secondary. Light red colour, very lacey, with minimum head. Big hops, some caramel.
On tap at the brewery. Meets the style, popular locally, fresh. Hoppy aroma, good drinkabilty,
Had agin on bottle and was very interesting, citrus hoppy, piney, with malt balance.So drinkable.Big head.

Serving type: on-tap

05-15-2011 22:16:02 | More by northyorksammy