Florida Cracker White Ale - Cigar City Brewing

adam42381

Florida

4/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Review from notes at Cigar City's taproom on 9/9/11 for Firkin Friday.

Draft poured into a CCB pint glass.

Appearance: Poured a medium gold with a 1 finger white head. Nice lacing.

Smell: Wheat with coriander and a touch of citrus.

Taste: Sweet wheat up front followed by coriander and orange in the middle before a nice mix of spices and hops at the finish. Aftertaste is orange peel and spices.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied with a good amount of carbonation.

Drinkability: Decent drinkability. Not a style I'd drink a ton of, but it's good enough to drink a couple.

Overall: Good beer overall. Another solid offering from CCB. Would make a great summer beer. Worth a shot.

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2011 21:48:39 | More by adam42381

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

rlee1390

Indiana

3.89/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

A-Cloudy yellow, nicely carbonated, one finger head that doesn't last.

S-Orange, lemon, some grass, nice wheat and even vanilla.

T-Nice balance of orange and lemon. With corriander and grass. Mild wheat and no bitterness.

M-Medium to light in body, nicely carbonated and smooth.

O-A solid witbier, very sessionable and approachable.

Serving type: can

05-03-2013 19:03:10 | More by rlee1390

TheSixthRing

California

4.01/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Appearance - Pours a cloudy pale yellow with a white 2 finger head. Decent retention, leaving small islands of microbubbles on the surface, and a ring around the edge. Spotty lacing with little stick.

Smell - Strong yeasty sourness with bright citrus tones; lemony. Lesser hints of orange.

Taste - Moderate lemon sourness and yeast funk hit upfront. Very subtle wheat and banana character once the beer warms. Sweet and bright. Touches on orange peel and slight grassy bitterness near the finish.

Mouthfeel - Light in body with lively, somewhat bitey carbonation. Goes down smooth and easy. Semi-dry finish. Maybe the best bodied witbier I've come across thus far.

Overall - Great witbier all-around. It doesn't kill me that this beer isn't on shelves in California, but it'd be a welcome addition if it were.

Serving type: can

05-03-2013 06:07:48 | More by TheSixthRing

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

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

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

basscram

Florida

4.51/5  rDev +18.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

appearance almost clear and is golden colored with full first segment finger head. Has that clean unmalted wheat smell. smells of fresh orange peel too.

taste on the tip of the tongue is the corianderish taste, lots of carbonation happening too. orange coming through as well. Like a fresh thick skinned orange fresh from harvest. any hops that are in this brew I cannot recognize. Drinkability is over the top. quaffing can happen with this brew. mouthfeel is lots of carbonation but not too much to avert gulping. very light mouthfeel.

I would definitely enjoy this beer again and would push this on lighter beer drinkers who are searching for blue moon/shocktop type beers. It's a beer that pushes those two beers out of the water for sure. Does this style beer much justice.

Serving type: can

04-03-2013 05:57:45 | More by basscram

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

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

NoleDoc

Florida

4.49/5  rDev +18.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Had this from can to glass on 3/21/13, originally canned on january 17, 2013. So fresh! I was excited to try it as I've heard it was a damn good beer. Nice bright yellow color. Very refreshing mouthful. You totally taste the crackers in the beer. Another cool thing... Watch out for the messages on the bottom of the cans.

Serving type: can

03-22-2013 03:26:51 | More by NoleDoc

bsp77

Minnesota

3.95/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Serving glass: Poured from can into white wine glass.

Appearance: Pale cloudy yellow with rapidly rising and even more rapidly falling head. Looks too still for a Wit.

Smell: Orange peel, coriander, spices, wheat, and a touch of banana.

Taste: Nice wheat backbone with just the right amount of orange peel and coriander. The yeast is well integrated as well, with clove, banana and spicy notes. Cracked black and white pepper. The orange peel really lingers.

Feel: Very light with moderate carbonation. Finish is relatively dry. Nice feel, but overall the beer could be slightly more effervescent and crisp.

Overall: This is a very safe Witbier, as it simply falls the rulebook, but the execution is fantastic. Improve the appearance and finish, and this would be world class.

Serving type: can

03-18-2013 18:25:45 | More by bsp77

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

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

cosmicevan

New York

3.86/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

canned in early january, thanks to dimenhetfield for the can. enjoyed from my humidor series tulip.

a - brew poured a pale yellow with constant champagne like carbonation and a big fizzy head. the head fizzed away quickly and left a thin skin of fizzy bubbles that were gone quick, but almost immediately replaced by the next bubble racing from the bottom. the visual carbonation is intense...almost as if there is an alka seltzer tablet in there.

s - surprisingly has a fizzy smell. some orange, lots of wheat, some vanilla. corriander and even some white wine characteristics.

t - banana corriander, decidedly wheat beer.

m - fairly fizzy. overly so.

o - overall...cracker please. not my favorite beer and not my favorite wit, but definitely not a bad wit. actually a pretty good wit.

Serving type: can

03-13-2013 03:31:44 | More by cosmicevan

cfrances33

Illinois

4.01/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Can poured into a HF tulip.

Pour: Mostly clear straw yellow with two fingers of fluffy white head. Some lacing but not much. Head fizzles relatively quickly

Smell: Big wheat up from and some lemon. A touch of pepper and clove. Lots of dough yeast

Taste: Bready sweetness up front, and some clean lemon peel. A touch of banana, white pepper, and clove. Lots of doughy yeast through the finish.

Mouthfeel: insanely drinkable. Very refreshing. Spices are subdued on the taste which makes this even more drinkable. Only complaint is that it is a touch watery.

Overall: was disappointed to see old Jai Alai on the shelf, but this more than made up for it. A delicious warm weather beer

Serving type: can

03-11-2013 22:28:05 | More by cfrances33

macrosmatic

Florida

3.95/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Reviewed from notes. Poured from 12 oz. can into a pilsner glass.

A: Hazy gold, lots of visible carbonation, medium-sized white head that lasts pretty well.

S: Wheat, grainy, with some citrus (lemon or orange) rind and coriander, pilsner malts, and a bit of spices.

T: Follows the nose, with a dry finish with spices. The citrus compliments the wheat flavors nicely.

M: Light body, nice carbonation sensation, and low to absent alcohol presence.

O: Solid, sessionable, but nothing I'd go out of my way for.

Serving type: can

02-24-2013 22:03:00 | More by macrosmatic

gcamparone

Rhode Island

3.88/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a 12 oz can into a pint glass. Acquired in a trade from RayUF07, thanks bud!

A- Pours an ever so slightly hazy, pale yellow body with a huge fluffy, cloud-like, bubbly, thick white head that sticks around for a while and leaves some lacing.

S- Citrus, spice (clove and nutmeg mainly), biscuits, freshly cut grass, slightly bready.

T- Subtle spices, clove and cinnamon, orange zest, citrus peel, slightly bready, nothing much on the aftertaste.

M- Light with medium-high carbonation.

This is a light, tasty, easy drinking belgian style beer that I can imagine being extremely refreshing on a hot summer day. I'd definitely pick up a six pack of these for mowing the lawn or laying on the beach.

Serving type: can

02-23-2013 16:44:14 | More by gcamparone

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

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

jegross2

Illinois

3.9/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Reviewing the Florida Cracker White Ale from Cigar City Brewing out of Tampa, Florida.
Score: 88

Canned on 11/20/12. Served in a stemmed tulip wine glass and enjoyed on 01/17/13. Review is from iPhone notes.

Appearance: Pours an unfiltered.cloudy dull golden wheat color with a couple fingers of white head that settles to a fluffy layer atop the glass. Excellent lacing and retention 4/5

Smell: Bready malt, cereal grain, coriander, oldish hops and a light amount of tropical citrus . A touch of clove and a little distinct lemon as well. 3.5/5

Taste: Spritzy, very lightly tart, lemon-lime and bready malt flavors dominate the taste with some fruity/floral character mixed in. Coriander is also present, but substantially more subtle on the palate than it was in the aroma. There is a juicy, non-descript tropical citrus flavor backbone. Finishes with grain and slightly "fruity" lemon. There is a subdued hoppiness upfront that quickly washes away. Very light, juicy and refreshing. The tropical citrus is much more pronounced on the palate, all for the better. 4/5

Mouthfeel: Light bodied, medium carbonation. Super juicy mouthfeel with a slightly dry finish. 4/5

Overall: This is a really tasty witbier that I would drink again. This is one of the better beers in the style that I have had the pleasure to enjoy.

Recommendation: Seek a can of this out.

Pairings: A spinach and avocado omelet with mozzarella cheese.

Cost: $8.99 for a six pack of 12 oz cans.

Serving type: can

01-18-2013 01:42:48 | More by jegross2

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

AlexFields

Tennessee

3.9/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

From can into St. Bernardus Watou glass.

Appearance is light even for a wit, somewhat hazy but mostly transclucent. Looks as much like a light lager as a wit.

Smells very nice, somewhat tart with lots of citrus and spice.

Taste is very nice too, not quite as nice as the nose. Saison like tartness, very tart for a wit, lots of citrus too--orange peel, lemon, even some lime peel.

Mouthfeel is excellent, lots of carbonation but also very creamy. Just what you want from a witbier!

This is a really good witbier. Very refreshing, great mouthfeel. Definitely more tart and citrusy than the average wit. I would drink plenty of this if I lived in FL.

8.0/10

Serving type: can

01-17-2013 03:18:19 | More by AlexFields

ummswimmin

New Jersey

3.95/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I poured this can into my tulip glass. There was a ton of fluffy foam from the first pour into my glass; as you would expect from a witbier. The bier itself is a cloudy, golden coloring.

The nose on this one is as you would expect from a witbier. You get the evervescient presence of the belgian style yeast. I definitely smell the orange and coriander.

The flavor is a little more muted than the smell. The Cracker continues with the yeasty presnce as well as the coriander. I don't know what the curacao is supposed to do to this one.

Overall, this is a pretty admirable wit. Domestically, this falls behind the Allagash offering, but it does rise high up for the style produced domestically.

Serving type: can

01-15-2013 02:28:09 | More by ummswimmin

Arithmeticus

Maryland

4.01/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured chilled in tale ale glass

A: slightly pale dark yellow; huge burst of carbonation; thick head dissipates quickly
S: pear, yeast; good strong aroma; inviting
T: three waves of taste--begins with sweet pear and seltzer water; moves into a lemon-grass flavor; ends with estery taste; not very boozy; spicing is moderate

Pretty good overall

Serving type: can

01-12-2013 20:09:53 | More by Arithmeticus