Vuja De - Cigar City Brewing

billab914

Virginia

3.75/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Another bottle shared by Rhettroactive. Poured from a 750ml bottle into a tasting glass. It poured a murky dark brown color with a thick foamy head to it.

The aroma is slightly funky with a lot of fruitiness coming through. A little bit of a malty, slightly caramel like flavor is there. I liked the light funk to it. Not bad overall, but not great either.

The taste shows a little more funk and sourness to it but the tart fruits show through as well. Pretty big malty base to it as well. Pretty decent flavors to it.

The mouthfeel is medium bodied with high carbonation. Overall I thought it was pretty good. It had a nice mix of funky, tart fruits and some decent supporting malt flavors. It was pretty drinkable as well.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2012 16:29:14 | More by billab914

Rhettroactive

Virginia

3.75/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

From 750mL bottle to Portsmouth glass on 3/24/12
*From notes

A: Shit brown. This beer ain't taking anyone to prom. A hearty pour yields a one finger white head and a decent collar.

S: Traditional funk. Not much more to it.

T: A lot more malt then I was expecting. It's rich and robust, like there's a bigger beer underneath the wild yeast that covers this from top to bottom. Fairly well balanced and reasonably complex. Not nearly the "paint thinner" I'd been warned of.

M: Extremely thick for a Wild Ale. Plenty of bite. Creamy and robust.

O: A surprisingly above average beer. I'd heard horror stories of this one. It's lingered in the back of my cellar for well over a year, and I'd no idea of when I was gonna open it. Yet after all of my worries, I'm glad I finally shared this with friends. Everyone generally enjoyed CCB & St. Somewhere's Vuja De. Not the best of the Wild Ale style, yet it certainly passed my taste test.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2012 19:24:38 | More by Rhettroactive

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

3.95/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottle: Poured a deep amber brown color ale with a nice thick foamy head with good retention and some very good lacing. Aroma consists of hibiscus and tart notes with light funky ester. Taste is a complex mix of tart notes with fruity flavour courtesy of the berries and hibiscus. Sour level is bit more pronounced then I would have expected but not overly so. Body is quite full with good carbonation. Alcohol is not apparent though not sure it is required to have such ABV for this beer. Good, would love to try this one again.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2012 03:26:01 | More by Phyl21ca

Overlord

California

1.55/5  rDev -55.2%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 1 | feel: 3 | overall: 1

Whoa ... this is one epic misfire.

Pours an almost grape-y purplish red with a large off-white head. The smell gives warning that something is terribly, horribly amiss. There are some vague spicy notes, a bit of unidentifiable sweet fruit-i-ness, and an overpowering miasma of cleaning solvent/nail polish remover. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot?

It was all I could do to get through four or five oz. I like flavor bombs. I seek them out. I crave them. This beer has too much flavor. Needs to have the spices and nail polish dialed down by a factor of 90%. The sad part is the vinegar/tannin/leather notes are almost pleasant, and the fruit-y/sugar-y/lemon-y spiciness might have been good ... if not for that horrible god awful paint removal flavor that throttles everything it touches.

A truly epically awful beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2011 06:10:09 | More by Overlord

indesertum

New York

3.85/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

dark caramel brown. fabulous head. retention is nice. lacing is nice.

smells like fruit. currants, black raspberries, lemon. it's like a dark fruit stew in here.

sweet comes forth immediately on the nose. tart. quite floral in taste. there's something odd on the finish. lemon peel. bitter leaves. not exactly a hoppy bitterness. also reminds me of those fruit jerky stuff.

mouthfeel is fabulous. velvety. just like big sound. only the tartness is more lifting and makes things lighter. way boozy at first but at warmer temperatures everything else kinda masks the booze

again, not my favorite but quite a good brew. everything is just way too much. i was hoping for something lighter. it reminds me of brute, just with a bunch of other things added to it

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2011 01:14:45 | More by indesertum

claspada

New Jersey

2.45/5  rDev -29.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Pours a garnet color that is almost bordering on purple with a good tan head and a bit of lacing as it goes down.

Aromas begin with quite a bit of an acetic presence right from the start. The nose also carries a bit of chocolate, raspberry and cherry.

The tastes begin much, much worse, as vinegar is about all I'm able to grab out of this one, with a distinct metallic twang that is quite off-putting. The acidic flavors are simply too overpowering.

The mouthfeel is too vinegary and acetic. Just can't get past it. It lingers on the palate and if qay too dry and unpleasant throughout the finish.

Overall a disaster from a normally reputable brewer. Not sure if this is just past it's prime or was just rubbish from the start, regardless avoid going forward.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2011 14:24:01 | More by claspada

alpinebryant

Connecticut

4.1/5  rDev +18.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Deep dark pour with a massive thick tan head.

S: Acetic vinegar with a deep tart smell of Oregon canned tart cherries and funk. Barrel aroma clear and present.

T: Taste is very acetic. Vinegar flavors clearly there, but this is so rich and thick that there are multiple layers of complexity. There is more of a Flanders Oud Brune flavor with tons of oak than I have had out of most American Wild Ales but I would say the yeast in here is very similar to a Roselare yeast strain maybe with some other bugs added later. Tart lemony and mouth puckering / teeth resin reducing. Your teeth will feel similar to how teeth feel after eating a persimmon... Chalky and grainy! Oaky and tart through the finish with a hint of sour cream.

M: Thick body for the style clearly with a lot of carbonation. The bugs are still eating...

O: I had seen some bad reviews when this came out and have let it sit for the last 8 months or so I think. In any case I think it tastes pretty good at this point. Maybe the earlier reviews needed to let the bottles sit longer.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2011 22:17:31 | More by alpinebryant

chickenflea

Florida

3.8/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Aroma: Malt vinegar with booze and bing cherries and flowers. Slight milk chocolate.

Appearance: Pours a clouded, dark brown body with a moderate-sized, whitish head.

Taste: Briefly sweet and them immediately tart and sour. The berries are clearly there now. This beer is clearly better at room temperature. The first few sips were harsh and boozy. Lemony sourness.

Mouthfeel: Medium-light body. Medium-high carbonation.

Overall: A very different ant refreshing beer. Again, let this beer warm up to thoroughly enjoy it's unique blend of flavors.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2011 18:45:12 | More by chickenflea

twiggamortis420

Texas

4.4/5  rDev +27.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

750 mL bottle courtesy of fthomasl, thanks bud. Pours a cloudy brown color with an ample tan head. Retention and lacing are average at best.

Nose is great! Lots of berry aromas and acetic vinegar. Smells like an aged Rodenbach mixed with a nice lambic. Me likey.

Pithy, lemon zest flavors play nicely with the acetic sourness. Damn, this is a tasty beverage! The sourness is plenty there for extreme sourheads and also displays some ancillary flavors of hops and berry fruitiness. Wine-like at times with a grape-esque tannin aspect. I think this is a well balanced sour that hits some high notes at times but has some pithy bitterness that I could see turning some folk off. I really like it though, and would be more than happy to have a few more of these. Very enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2011 01:45:13 | More by twiggamortis420

TheGordianKnot

Tennessee

3.8/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured into DFH glass...

A- Dark like a porter. Inch of crema head, stable. Clingy.

S- Sour nail polish remover. Lemon juice and grasses on the back end, but overpowered by something slightly off.

T/M- Not sure how to describe this. Very sour. Has a bitterness to it, not roasty or hoppy, very weird. Finishes with a sweet toffee flavor. Tart fruitiness is a mix of light citrus and berries. Medium body, stinging carbonation. Fitting to the profile of this beer.

O- Much different than any other wild I've had. Definitely a great dark brown ale base to it, with the awesome twist of being sour. Flavors really transitioned and blended well together. Would be interested to see what this beer does with some age... Wow, surprised this is only rated a B

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2011 18:53:04 | More by TheGordianKnot

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

4.15/5  rDev +19.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Pours a clouded, dark brown body with a moderate-sized, whitish head.

Smell: A nearby opened bottle of malt vinegar with notes of macerated fruits, skins and all, a bit of stale chocolate, and some curious florals one would find well at home in a cup of herbal tea.

Taste: A brief introduction of a brown ale malt base and then, bang, a burst of sharp tartness, no time for sweetness, Dr. Jones. Homemade jams of black cherries and a blackberries stirred up with a generous pour of acetic vinegar and dusted with a small pinch of cocoa powder and lemon seeds. One tiny drop of acetone. Notably acidic and still unforgivingly tart on the finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-light body. Medium-high carbonation.

Overall: Though it seemed quite a few did not, I certainly enjoyed this one. A fun, interesting ride.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2011 16:17:40 | More by ChainGangGuy

TheFightfan1

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Now this is the epidemy of a love it or hate beer. I for one did liked it. Served in a tulip. An extremely hazy amberish color with a nice off white heading that sticks around for a little while. Heavy tart aroma and taste. Cherry mostly with a slighter brown sugar like taste in the finsih. Extremely slick in the mouth and medium bodied tetering towards full with nice a carbonation feel. I was very hesitant on getting this one but aah what the hell.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2011 21:49:16 | More by TheFightfan1

birchstick

Missouri

3.63/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - pours dark without much of a head

S - smells very floral with the elderberry and hibiscus; the lemon leaves also give off strong citrus notes.

T - Very floral and soapy was my first overall impression. Digging deeper, this starts with flowers and some honey upfront. It ends with a nice sweetness / sour combo. Really nice complexity going on, however the floral/potpurri flavors were a bit too dialed up for my liking. Very good, though.

M - nice soft carbonation with a medium body

D - solid American Wild Ale. I didn't even Cigar City made sours and was pleasantly surprised by this one. Also, let let this warm up a bit...the more it warmed, the more it opened up. Good stuff!

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2011 16:21:33 | More by birchstick

ehammond1

California

4.2/5  rDev +21.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle

Acquired via trade
Thanks sendsilk!

Hazy and murky auburn brown with a rapidly growing khaki colored head. Dots and specks of lace down the glass.

Bright aromas of cherries, currants, and lemon, along with some mild tang and sourness, and a bit of wood.

Bright, popping flavors: currants and cherries, a little bit of lemon, tart sourness and some underlying funk--a really lovely combination. I had no idea what to expect from this beer, though I really enjoyed it.

Light to medium mouthfeel with plenty of carbonation. A joy to drink.

A great surprise, as I didn't have any idea what to expect from this beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-05-2011 17:10:03 | More by ehammond1

devilben02

North Carolina

4.13/5  rDev +19.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a deep, opaque burgundy brown color, with a thick, creamy beige head. The aroma is wonderfully fragrant and fruity, with a combination of red wine grapes, berries, and a vinegary acidity. The flavor is much tarter, more floral, and dryly fruity, with the fresh grape and berry fruitiness being complemented by some herbal earthiness and a bit of brown sugar sweetness. The fine yet present carbonation is noticeable without distracting from the complex flavor profile. Overall, this is an intriguing, smooth, easy drinking beer that I wish was available in my area.

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2011 04:44:13 | More by devilben02

cjacobsen

Illinois

3.93/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to Bay01 for bringing this one by.

(A) Pours brown, almost a dark cloudy maroon/really burnt orange. It's pretty cloudy as well.

(S) Prune, raisin, funk, herbs, and vinegar.

(T) The sour and tart is there. It's pretty acidic. The currants and the lemon are highly noticeable. Tart green apples, some vinegar, cherries.

(M) It's not very carbonated but it's lacking enough to feel flat. It's got that sour kick to it though, the one that gets you in the back parts of your mouth behind your ears.

(O) This was an interesting brew. The reviews are all over the place and I can see why. I think this beer seemed to be on a bottle-to-bottle basis. I think that unless kept right, I could see this changing into an abomination and be close to undrinkable.

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2011 21:16:33 | More by cjacobsen

FosterJM

California

4.03/5  rDev +16.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

770th Review on BA
Bottle to Goblet
750 ML

@Woodshop Classix
Thanks to Eric and Sam for sharing!

App- Interesting mix of brown/ambers and reds. A huge puffy two finger head with a good amount of cling to it. A nice wild ale.

Smell- Brighter medium dark fruits with a little yeast behind it. Very bubbly and bright on the nose. No trace of the infection some are smelling on her. Get a little bit of the lemon but not much hidden behind the other fruit.

Taste- Taste really follows the nose although with a little twist. Had a little bit of sour to it but not all that much and more of the lemony notes come in with currants to give it a twang on the taste.

Mouth- Medium bodied and medium carbonated. A little bit of bubbly fruits remain and smooths out on the finish.

Drink- This was a nice beer. I have been pretty happy with all the CCB beers I have had and this was nice as well with some unique flavors melding seeminly well.

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2011 19:48:54 | More by FosterJM

sweemzander

Illinois

4/5  rDev +15.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750mL bottle poured into a tasting glass. Thanks Matt for sharing!

(A)- Pours a deep and cloudy mahogany color. Some tan/transparent lace.

(S)- A big sour acidity. Can definitely see the black currants and lemon leaves.

(T)- High acidity, but rather floral too. Bits of spice and lemon with an overall good sour character throughout.

(M)- A good carbonation level and balance. Again, high acidity, but it has a good backbone of rich fruit and citrus. Subtle chalky finish to it.

(D)- Uniquely acidic with a fun profile of rich fruits and citrus while being a tad dry and chalky. Enjoyable. Based upon some of the reviews I see, there must be off bottles out there or extreme bottle variation going on.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2011 18:08:34 | More by sweemzander

jsanford

Georgia

3.58/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

750ml bottle poured into a CCb Snifter.

A - Dark mahogany with a thick, red-tinged khaki-colored head that sticks around for some time, leaving some streaky lacing as it (eventually) recedes.
S - Very tart flavors of red wine vinegar, currants, lemons. Reminds me a bit of an Flanders Oud Bruin.
T - Lots of vinegar is present, just like in the nose. Getting some dark, chocolatey malt in there, as well as a bit of currant, lemon, and a good portion of oak. Reminds me a bit of Sea Bass.
M - Smooth and creamy, with a medium-full mouthfeel, lowish carbonation, and a very dry, tannic finish. Low carb hurts it a bit for me, I like my sours to have a bit "crisper" feel.
O - Very unique, I'll give em that. Definitely shares some of the flavor components with Sea Bass, but this is kinda the "sour" take on that beer. Would have been nice to try them side-by-side, but oh well.

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2011 23:09:26 | More by jsanford

Chizoad

California

4.25/5  rDev +22.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Porter-like appearance with a thin brownish head. Not overly impressive.

Sour and funk in the nose, and they mesh well. Some herbal scents too, probably from all the random things they tossed into this beer.

I want to give this a 4.25 on the taste, but I'll round up. It's initially quite sour, dominated by vinegar, but with plenty of backbone to fix it up. Not as clean as most other sours, but everything is harmonious.

Lacks the refreshing mouthfeel that is common to many sour beers, and I think that it suffers a little bit for it. A little heavy and eventually overly sour. But after 3 bottles in a row who can really complain.

Too bad this is probably the last we'll ever see of the Vuja De. Cigar City isn't brewing with Brett currently, and probably won't start back up for a while, according to one of the employees there. Enjoy it while you can still find it.

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2011 14:55:28 | More by Chizoad

AgentZero

Illinois

1.45/5  rDev -58.1%
look: 3 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 1.5

A - Not a particularly attractive beer, somewhat reddish brown, with a thin off-white head that didn't leave much stick on the sides. At the ABV it has, I guess that is acceptable.

S - What in God's name is this? Nail-polish remover? A massive amount of acetone hits the nose. Wow, that is just gross. There's also some smell of vinegar, and some sort of sickly fruit sweetness. I think all the hair in my nostrils just disintigrated along with my desire to put this beer in my mouth.

T - This is an abomination, the bastard child of nail-polish remover and bad apple cider. Somehow it actually manages to taste worse than it smells. Solvent heavy, bad vinegar, who knows what else at this point because I don't care enough to figure out anything more with this beer as there can't possibly be any qualities redeeming enough to keep this from going down the drain.

M - Somewhat thin, softer carbonation.

O - Shame on Cigar City for putting this in bottles.

Serving type: bottle

07-25-2011 22:10:21 | More by AgentZero

Kkottonmouthkngz

Massachusetts

4.13/5  rDev +19.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours murky brown, but with an appropriate light tan colored head and some decent lacing, this brew looks pretty tasty.
There is definitely a ton of vinegar on the nose but not so much that it pushes me away. I can see how this may be a breaking point for many, but im ok with it. Currant and elderberry flower and dark dank fruit dominate, the plethora of ingredients in this beer provide a huge nose and a ton of depth.
Again, so much vinegar assaults the palate, but i kind of enjoy the battle. I love the addition of the flowers and i think it really its the clincher for me. The lemon and citrus notes come through in the backend after all is said and done. The downfall of this i think is the leftover tang in the back of my throat that i know is capavle of driving people away. As this warms, it has a surprising creaminess that rounds it out once you can get past the sour dark fruit. Good carbonation, aggressive flavors, overall pretty damn decent. Im more pleased than i thought i would be.

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2011 01:39:51 | More by Kkottonmouthkngz

SFLpunk

Vermont

3.73/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

750mL brown glass pry-top champagne bottle purchased at Knightly Spirits OBT, Orlando FL in May 2011.

Pours a deep reddish brown with quickly receding khaki head. Nose is dominated by red wine vinegar (flemish red, anyone?), turpentine, lemon zest, raisins, dried cherry fruit leathers. Palate is very similar to a flemish red, lots of raisin-y flavors. Currants come out on the palate, preserved lemon, lime essence and something that reminds me of The Bruery.

Super sour, very much like a flemish red. Very much red wine vinegar. Not my thing, but interesting.

Serving type: bottle

07-10-2011 06:01:08 | More by SFLpunk

JayS2629

Alabama

2.17/5  rDev -37.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Perhaps my palate isn't sophisticated or developed enough to appreciate something that others may find genius. This was an awful tasting beer. I want to judge this on its style merits and what it was supposed to taste like, but I also think if it hit the mark on that then the original idea was a horrible one.

There is entirely too many things going on in this beer that are going in too many directions at once. Its overly complicated and confusing to the palate. Its a mess.

It pours a mahogany color with a creamy tan head, nice retention and great lacing.

The smell is of balsamic vinegar, tart lemon, musky sour funk, yeasty qualities, and dark fruit. Acetone, fingernail polish remover, chemical smells burn the hairs out of my nose. Pungent, putrid, soured vinegar dominates, but ripe black currants do peek through to lend a bit of sweetness. There are some floral notes hidden in there as well.

The taste is horrible. I want to say there is a malty, caramel tone underneath but the dominating vinegar and lemon punch its lights out to the point it is unrecognizable. Woody notes and harsh red wine clash against chemical tasting acidic, tart white wine flavors. Citrus notes are burried beneath funky, yeasty, musky funk. Black currants try to push through but clash with the other flavors too. Interesting, but clashing on flavors. Overly vinegar and acetone.

The mouthfeel is puckering, medium bodied and smooth, and very dry in the finish. Overall it is a definite sipper and takes some adjustment to get used to. Even for its style its flavors clash and its a total mess.

Serving type: bottle

07-02-2011 16:41:44 | More by JayS2629

adam42381

Florida

3.98/5  rDev +15%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 750ml bottle into a Spiegelau tulip.

Appearance: Pours a dark mahogany brown with caramel highlights and a thick and creamy 3 finger beige head. Excellent head retention and lacing.

Smell: Wine grapes, cherries and apple cider vinegar. Smells quite tart.

Taste: Tart wine grape hulls up front followed by a touch of tart fruitiness I can't place along with a bit of lemon in the middle before ending with just a hint of funk at the finish. Aftertaste is light and fairly sour. Alcohol is almost completely masked.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied with a fairly low amount of carbonation. There is a bit of a burning sensation as it goes down - not from the alcohol, but more like a peppery, smokey, take your breath away sensation I can't exactly explain. It's not unpleasant, just different.

Drinkability: High drinkability. This goes down so easily it's hard to remember that it's right at 10% ABV. You could drink a lot of this if the alcohol didn't sneak up on you.

Overall: Very good beer overall. I'm not too familiar with wild ales, but if this is any indicator of what they're like, I'm sold. I would highly recommend giving this one a shot.

Serving type: bottle

07-01-2011 23:05:32 | More by adam42381