Florida Cracker White Ale - Cigar City Brewing

harrymel

Washington

2.99/5  rDev -21.3%
look: 1.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.75

Canned 06MAR13

Had this before at a wedding in FL. It was nice there. Pours a near excellent clarity golden with a solid central dome of bone white foam, unimpressive for the style. Smells of flowers, grass, some light lemon, a little bit of sweet dough and seeds of paradise. Flavor is nice and sweet with yeast overtures and some bits of coriander. Pretty one dimensional flavor, but refreshing nonetheless. Thin bodied for the style with hi carb and a wet finish. Meh.

Serving type: can

04-17-2013 05:08:45 | More by harrymel

AdamBear

Pennsylvania

3.18/5  rDev -16.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A-golden slighty cloudy yellow. thin white head

S-good and spicy taste of fresh wheats and bananas. faint scent but decent

T-comes in with an aged taste of tobacco leaves, spices, wheats, and a lot of bananas. this taste lasts awhile along with some alcohol bite which is odd considering the ABV. not a clean beer.

M-medium and creamy carbonation with a dry finish

O-i always expect a lot from CCB so this beer lets me down. its fairly harsh for a witbier. it actually reminds me of the harshness of many wits from Belgium. this style should the kind you want to drink large amounts of all night long, but this just isn't the case here.

Serving type: on-tap

09-10-2011 01:14:34 | More by AdamBear

GarthDanielson

New Hampshire

3.25/5  rDev -14.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured on-tap at the Cigar City Brewing tasting room in Tampa. The beer was served in a pint glass, and it poured a slightly hazy, pale gold color with no head. The nose is very muted, with floral (juniper?) smells, and very light spicing. The beer is light and smooth, with flavors of slight sour citrus and a smooth, bready spicing. Light in mouth, this beer has an aftertaste that is mostly coriander spicing. The finish is minimal and quick, making an easy drinker.

Serving type: on-tap

06-11-2011 18:40:05 | More by GarthDanielson

Lerxst

Florida

3.35/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

On tap at CCB

A-Pours a semi hazy straw yellow with a one finger white head that has good retention that leaves decent amounts of lace.

S-Citrus and wheat are all that I am picking up. Its ok, nothing that really rocks my world.

T-Follows the nose with wheat and citrus hops leading the way with a touch of some kind of spice that I can't put my finger on. Once again, its ok, but doesn't rock my world.

M-Light bodied and crisp with a dry finish.

O-This one was ok, but nothing I'd seek out again. Wish I could give this one a 3.25 overall, but I can't...so I'll give it a 3.5.

Serving type: on-tap

12-07-2011 01:52:18 | More by Lerxst

birchstick

Missouri

3.43/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A - pours a faint, straw yellow color without much of a head on it, and the one that is there quickly fades away

S - nose is orange, coriander, and some spicy hops

T - sweet lemony citrus upfront moves on to a bit of grassy pepper spiciness. The softer orange/coriander comes into play. A nice grassy spiciness also comes into the mix to help finish off the flavor profile.

M - highly carbonated burn a little as it goes down

D - overall, this is a nice white ale. Good flavors all around and nice complexity for the style. As with any CCB beer, its definitely worth a shot.

Serving type: can

12-22-2012 23:44:37 | More by birchstick

chinchill

South Carolina

3.44/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 oz can poured hazy golden straw with lots of visible carbonation and a towering, durable white head.

Aroma: Malty-musty-yeasty with ripe banana and traces of lemon and coriander.

Taste: Much better than the aroma (my usual response to witbiers), with more lemon and less banana and yeast. There are hints of bread dough, flowers and orange peel. Tart.

Feel: above average amount of carbonation; medium body; close to creamy for style; tart; less dry than expected.

Overall: worth trying, particularly if you like this style. Refreshing.

Serving type: can

03-28-2013 02:50:05 | More by chinchill

elgiacomo

Georgia

3.46/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 2.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12oz canned December 28, 2012. Served at around 40F. Thanks to Mark for this gift.

Pours lightly hazy gold with a two finger white head that recedes to a light cap and doesn’t leave much lacing behind.

Aroma is pink bubblegum, banana, coriander/spice, some lemon and citrus, wheat/grainy, Belgian yeast. Good to very good strength.

Flavor is lemon citrus, some sweet fruity malt, spice/coriander, Belgian yeast, minimal alcohol, moderate sweetness, mild to moderate bitterness.

Mouthfeel is light to medium bodied, somewhat sticky, good to sharp carbonation.

Pretty good Wit, although admittedly not a style I normally seek out.

Serving type: can

02-03-2013 23:34:46 | More by elgiacomo

StJamesGate

New York

3.49/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Cloudy limocello yellow with puffy craggy white froth.
Light herbs, lemon zest and clean wheat on the nose - mild.
Cream crackers, waxy yeast, coriander hum and citrus tartness to end.
Carambola finish and herbal linger.
Light to medium, clingy, soft.

Too sweet, some rough edges, flat and a bit heavy - could definitely use more fizz. Basically, exactly what you're not looking for in a hot weather beer. Mediocre at best.

Starting to wonder just how good a brewery CCB really is...

Serving type: can

03-30-2013 01:19:10 | More by StJamesGate

hmf05

Florida

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

Pours a pale, hazy yellow with tons and tons of bubbles sticking to the glass. The head dissipated rather quickly. Aroma is very average and resembles most wits and hefes I've come across. In the nose I get a lot of banana, spicy cloves, and a tinge of orange. A very "yeasty" smelling brew. Taste follows the nose exactly. Nothing else really jumps out at me. Carbonation is high, but not too high and the mouthfeel is light to medium. Overall, this is a tasty wit, but nothing new or original. To me, this brew falls in the hefe category more so than a traditional wit. I say this because that signature banana smell/taste in hefes is the predominant taste in this beer. Definitely worthy of a try, but nothing life-changing like other CC offerings. Get it if it's available in your area, but I do not recommend trading for it.

Serving type: can

12-28-2012 06:12:28 | More by hmf05

AgentZero

Illinois

3.53/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Medium golden beer with a bit of a white head and some lace on the sides.

S - A wheat smelling witbeer with some citrus and a bit of coriander.

T - Light, crisp flavor with a little bit of yeast and a fairly crisp finish. Some orange and a touch of spice.

M - Medium bodied, good carbonation.

O - Solid witbier, nothing mind blowing, but easy enough to drink.

Serving type: on-tap

02-20-2012 04:17:20 | More by AgentZero

oline73

Maryland

3.53/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I had this on-tap while I was in Key West. Served in a standard pint glass.

Appearance: Pours a slightly cloudy golden color with an amber hue. There is a finger of white head that leaves a layer on top of the pour.

Smell: Slightly sweet with a very mild grain note. There are very mild fruit and spice notes.
Rather mild.

Taste: This is a very light beer. Somewhat muddled spice notes with a hint of citrus fruit. Lots of light grain with a crisp finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with foamy carbonation and a dry finish.

Overall: This one is light and summer, but not very interesting. I might have another depending on the situation.

Serving type: on-tap

09-15-2012 18:05:07 | More by oline73

JayS2629

Alabama

3.58/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured a hazy golden color with a big white head that fades fast but leaves nice lacing.

The aroma has a touch of coriander and citrus peel on a wheat malt backbone.

Slight sweet on the front from wheat and toasty edges, citrus on the finish with a lemony and orange zest and spicy coriander.

Nice balance, nice crisp body, and easy to drink.

Serving type: on-tap

09-15-2011 04:12:38 | More by JayS2629

fmccormi

New York

3.58/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Straight pour from a 12oz can to a 25cl Duvel Single tulip; canning date of December 6, 2012 printed in black ink under the kick-up of the can (“DRINK LOCAL CANNED ON 06 DEC 2012”).

Appearance (3.0): Kind of a pale, yellow-orange colored body topped with a finger of bone-white head that fizzles pretty quickly; very minimal lacing or retention (read: almost none of either one). Perfectly hazy body, which now that I think about it looks almost exactly like passionfruit juice.

Smell (4.0): Nice coriander and sweet orange notes mixing with a very pale, grainy malt character, like very fresh bread and water crackers. There’s a bit of white pepper underneath, but overall the nose is dominated by crackery, dry malt and classic wit spiciness.

Taste (3.5): Following the nose, the flavor is dominated by coriander spice notes, very pale, dry biscuit / oyster cracker kind of malt, and some sweet orange essence underneath. There’s a decent balance between that sweetness and the dry, pale malt character, but it’s not as spicy as it warms up. Some floral hops in the finish. No alcohol detected and not much in the way of a distinct yeast character—just some light straw and breadiness. It’s decent, but nothing about it really jumps out.

Mouthfeel (3.5): The carbonation lends a coarse tingling all over the mouth, but it doesn’t last all that long; the body is about medium-weight, maybe a bit lighter, and finishes pretty dry. It’s good, nothing crazy.

Overall (3.5): This is a decent wit; it’s not amazing, but it’s great that Cigar City is offering a decent wit in cans for about $8/ sixer. It’s not the best domestic wit I’ve had, but it’s a decent value. I’m guessing this will accrue quite a bit of popularity—tasty enough, juicy, and easy-drinking, at a reasonable price. And it offers more character than some other widely-available, comparably-priced alternatives. But, don’t expect a life-changer.

Serving type: can

12-20-2012 00:47:41 | More by fmccormi

Maxwell

Massachusetts

3.59/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

The beer pours a straw yellow with a rocky soap bubble head that collapses into a fizzy, thick scrim. The beer’s body is cloudy but clean and free of particles with a lazy and slow stream of bubbles treading towards the top of the glass. On the nose the beer smells of sweet orange peel, cuaraco with lemon sweet bread notes and a touch of bitter grass. There is also a bready sweet note that stands apart from the lemon and reminds me of a sweet cracker, which goes nicely with the beer’s name. On the tongue the beers tastes of bready sugars and citric lemon acid. The flavor begins as sweet lemon bread, opening into grassy hops and orange peel flavors with a touch of coriander spice. The finish suggests slight green vegetal apple flavor with notes of lemon and grass, then dips into a creamy cracker flavor briefly as the beer warms, but quickly washes away, this flavor really has to be searched for though and is not abundantly clear to the palate. The aftertaste is very light and clean. From the can, the beer smells nearly the same, and tastes a little sweeter due to the concentration of flavors in the tiny can opening. In the mouth, the beer feels medium in body with a slight wateriness. The carbonation is a little sharp on the tongue, and the mouth is left slightly sticky with nice amounts of saliva from the acid in the beer. Overall, this is a nice sessionable wit with some interesting flavors. I don’t really get the cracker flavor, but I can see what the brewers were reaching for with this beer. It’s tasty, sessionable, and worth a try. A nice middle of the road wit.

Serving type: can

04-10-2013 02:28:20 | More by Maxwell

socon67

New York

3.6/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Cloudy straw colored pour. White foam on top lingers. Hazy and some clingy lacing.

S - Smells of fresh grain, lemongrass, and a light hoppy scent.

T - Light flavors of grain and a tartness of lemon and lime. Refreshing witboer that is nice on those hot floridian nights.

M - Easy drinking, thirst quenching beer. Light feel with a bit of a grainy grit to it.

O - Not exciting, but a solid enough witbier to be enjoyed. Some stronger lemon flavor would help this.

Serving type: on-tap

09-15-2012 03:08:13 | More by socon67

facundoCNB

New Jersey

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

a cloudy lemon-yellow pour with 2 fingers of fluffy white head, great retention and spotty lacing left behind. smells of black pepper, lemongrass, hint of celery, very bready/yeasty. a slightly funky, peppery belgian style wheat beer.. the majority of the flavor lies within the yeast. a medium (on the lighter side) body beer with high carbonation. very tasty.. i guess this would be a good step into craft beer for people that like hoeegarden or whatever the hell that beer is called.. not my favorite style, but definitely tasty.

Serving type: can

04-05-2013 01:48:11 | More by facundoCNB

olimpia84

Florida

3.63/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Had this on-tap at CCB, poured into a pint glass.

A: looked exactly like pineapple juice with a particular and intriguing yellow color. Small head that managed to stay on for a while. Little to no lacing.

S: a bit mute on the nose, some sweet scents along with citrus aromas.

T: followed the nose with emphasis on the citrus (lots of orange), some lemon and strong wheat presence.

M: medium body, very refreshing.

O: an excellent choice for hot summer days, this is a very refreshing and good tasting beer.

Serving type: on-tap

08-28-2011 04:42:21 | More by olimpia84

tectactoe

Michigan

3.69/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Pours a weird color, somewhere in limbo between straw and yellow with a pretty hefty haze, giving a grungy, unfiltered look and feel. The skull-white head grows and then bellies up almost instantly - completely vanished within 20 seconds of the pours. Being so volatile, a quick swirl can bring it back, but only for a very brief moment. Aroma is packed with some nice spices; clove, coriander, and other warming spices. Some moderate bubblegum on the very tail end thanks to the Belgian yeast. Not really picking up much of a hop flavor - maybe some lightly floral notes deep down in there, but it's stretch.

Pretty light on the palate with a thin-medium body, densely packed with carbonation; crispy and snappy on the tongue. Orange peel and lemon zest come out in the flavor right away - the lemon more so as it warms up. More clove, coriander, and perfume-like spices jump on the palate while a very light hop profile makes its way in. Slighty wet and floral, they are almost too far in the background to matter, though. I'm picking up a moderate funky flavor and aroma near the latter half of the beer now - corky, musky, cellar-like, wet wood. Is this a characteristic of the yeast strain? It was actually quite pleasant, not overpowering or off-putting at all - a nice little addition. Very "wet" on the palate despite the high carbonation. At times, it seemed a bit watered down and not packed with as much flavor as it should've had - but at 5% ABV, you've gotta give them some leeway.

Listed as a witbier, but it drank more like a spin-off of a toned down Belgian style. Not a bad crack at the style, especially when you consider the relatively low ABV, but nothing comes close to the real thing. I could imaging this one going down well on a warm beach somewhere.

Serving type: can

02-08-2013 04:23:35 | More by tectactoe

Vec2267

Florida

3.7/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - hazy pale yellow, nice foam, remains as a thin film throughout

S - quite spicy, lemon/pear, floral

T - light, spice dominates, lemon accents, quite dry

M - light and crisp

O - spot on for the style, exactly what I want in a Wit - nothing spectacular but a nice mellow escape from big beer, simple has its place

O/T - With respect to the name, for those not from Florida, Florida Cracker is a good thing, not a slur.

Serving type: can

11-20-2012 01:49:24 | More by Vec2267

spinrsx

Ontario (Canada)

3.71/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

12oz Can from Total Wine Tampa FL for 2$

Appearance - Hazy gold colour with an average size fizzy white coloured head. There is an average amount of carbonation showing and there is some faint acing. The head lasted for 3-4 minutes. There are also some particles floating around in it.

Smell - Breads/grains, lemons, coriander

Taste & Mouth - There is an above average amount of carbonation and I can taste bread/grains mixed with some lemons. There is also some coriander and some yeasty notes. It ends with a grainy lemony aftertaste.

Overall - A decent well rounded beer but nothing ground breaking by any means. The one thing I really like about it the fruity notes taste natural and not too artificial. A beer worth trying.

Serving type: can

01-17-2013 03:45:14 | More by spinrsx

d1ckvanswype

Florida

3.76/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

Remember, kids, if it's in a can, pour 2/3rds into your glass, swirl the can vigorously to stir up the yeast that settles at the bottom THEN pour the rest. You'll be rewarded with a nicely cloudy beer and a large head.

A: Properly poured so it has a pale gold, cloudy look about it, starting with a big billowy head, but it quickly dissipates and leaves very, very little lacing.

S: Bananas, clove, a touch of red apple and spice, a twinge of malt, a tiny hit of black pepper, maybe a hint of a farmhouse funk from the yeast. More fragrant than I expected, but not blowing me away.

T: All of the above, with a clean lemony flavor added, very dry crackery malts and a touch of clove at the end to finish. But it's really rather subtle.

M: Far too zippy for me, I like a Belgian ale that feels more rich and velvety, this seemed too highly carbonated for my tastes.

O: A standard because it's always fresh in Florida, a great beer to get into Belgian styles, but nothing groundbreaking.

Serving type: can

05-22-2013 00:20:42 | More by d1ckvanswype

RoamingGnome

Wisconsin

3.78/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Cigar City Florida Cracker

Poured from a 12 oz can into a shaker pint glass. Served chilled...

A) A golden brew with a bit of haze to it. Lots of bubble trails. Nearly two fingers of white foam reached the top of the pint. This settled quickly.

S) Pale malt, yeast, coriander, lemon zest, and a little spice that had me thinking black pepper.

T) Faint wheat, citrus flavors of orange peel and a little lemon too. The yeast gives it a little farmhouse funk. Nice spices as well.

M) Medium to lighter medium. This is well carbonated. Crisp and highly refreshing. Finishes dry with a nice aftertaste.

O) This was pretty darn good. Definitely a great option on a warm day. It's also nice that it's in cans. I'd buy some if it were in Wisconsin, but it's not. Oh well....

Serving type: can

05-05-2013 21:03:50 | More by RoamingGnome

MCain04

Illinois

3.8/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

a: yellow and opaque, bright, big fizzy pure white head that sticks around but not much lacing.

s: lemon, wheat, herbs, coriander, some other spices

t: follows the nose with coriander and curaçao peel playing a big role. taste lingers, but tastes a tad sour on the very back end. Perhaps a little stale, as it is on the older side

m: thin bubbly body is a little to champagne-like for me. also a bit sticky on the back end.

o: not a bad white ale, certainly a good beer on a warm spring or summer day, but the mouthfeel brought this one down.

Serving type: can

03-14-2013 22:05:22 | More by MCain04

rudzud

Massachusetts

3.8/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

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

A - Pours a nice hazy cloudy straw hue with a good two finger white head that fades to leave thin clouds and a thin halo. Not too bad.

S - Nice wit notes....coriander, wheat, lemons, light malt sweetness and faint orange. Very pleasant.

T - Solid wit, lots of wheat, solid coriander, light on the banana. Citrus becomes awfully faint too. Finish is lightly sour too.

M - Mouthfeel is fizzy and on the thinner side. Little syrupy too.

O - Overall, not a bad white ale in a pinch. That said there are much better wits out there that are readily available. Still, another unique beer.

Serving type: can

03-15-2013 23:02:11 | More by rudzud

PorterLambic

Florida

3.85/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a very lightly hazy golden yellow with a white head of foam on top. Head dissipates very quickly and leaves no lace.
Smell is malty with notes of citrus and floral and wheat.
Taste is malt, hops, citrus, vanilla and spices. Alcohol present but just warming after the swallow.
Medium body and effervescence with a slightly drying aspect. Nice lingering aftertaste though. I like this brew. Probably the lightest one of CCB's I've had to date but just as good as the reputation would lead you to believe.

Serving type: growler

06-26-2011 02:21:37 | More by PorterLambic