Florida Cracker White Ale - Cigar City Brewing

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

Docrock

Illinois

3.98/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from 12 oz can into nonic pint glass:

A - light honey in color with a pure white head. head retention was average and the lacing was minimal.

S - aroma of pear and lemongrass, minimal hops. There is a faint hint of vanilla and coriander.

T - nice, light, and crisp with a citrus note of lemon or lime.

M - very drinkable and light. carbonation is light and bubbly.

O - a good witbier, could see enjoying this on a muggy summer evening.

Serving type: can

01-06-2013 04:58:23 | More by Docrock

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

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

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

Beerenauslese

California

4.25/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a chalice glass, produced a 1 inch white foamy head that quickly dissipated to a thin ring over a hazy straw-gold body and eventually looks flat as can be. Neither much lacing nor retention, especially for a witbier.

Smells of wheat malt, orange, coriander, and vanilla.

Taste is similar, bready malt with some toffee sweetness, orange peel, coriander, and vanilla.

Body is medium and carbonation is moderate, providing a fizzy orange-soda sort of mouthfeel. The dryness of coriander is noticeable on the tongue, but it is not cloying like many witbiers can be. The orange lends a fresh crisp acidity, sort of like Orangina.

I like this witbier. While it has poor head retention for the style, the flavor is far more intense and satisfying than many witbiers, and I want to follow one taste with another. I could drink several glasses of this low ABV beer, no problem. After reading the description of the beer on the can, I understood that the saison yeast is a big reason why I like this beer. I had this beer on draft at GABF this year and liked it quite a lot, and it is tasting nice out of the can as well.

Serving type: can

12-08-2012 04:27:03 | More by Beerenauslese

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.93/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Served in a Lagunitas mason jar.

Thanks to johnyb for this can!

Hm, the only beer description I've ever seen relate a story of how "cracker" came into historical parlance. Right on. Anyway, this stuff pours a clear straw topped by a finger of white foam. The nose comprises orange peel, cracked wheat, coriander, and light clove. The taste brings in more of the same, along with more zest from the orange and a twinge of lemon zest for good measure. The body is pretty light, with a light moderate carbonation and a wet feel. Overall, a nice little wit, something I could easily see drinking plenty of were I down in the Sunshine State's climate.

Serving type: can

12-04-2012 00:10:42 | More by TMoney2591

KTCamm

New Jersey

4.05/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a can into a fluted beer glass.

Pours a pale yellow color, with very little foam. Some lacing.

The nose is wheaty, and the hints of coriander come through as well. Its a classic wit flavor, with a chalky wheaty lemon taste. Lots of citrus, but balanced expertly. Smooth close. Light carbonation, easy mouthfeel.

Very good.

Serving type: can

12-02-2012 21:20:56 | More by KTCamm

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

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

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

merc7186

New York

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

I had this beer poured on tap at the brewery, poured into a pint glass.

A: Mildly Hazy Golden Straw Hue, Passes Lots of Light, White Head Ring, Decent Lacing

S: Lemons, Wheat, Mild Belgian Yeast

T: Lemons, Wheat, Belgian Yeast, Mild Belgian Sugar

M: Decent Carbonation, Light to Medium Bodied, Mildly Bitter, Mildly Drying

Overall, a nice light drinking witbier with a subtle dose of bitterness.

Serving type: on-tap

08-28-2012 15:43:42 | More by merc7186

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

Doppelbockulus

Florida

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

Light hazy yellow, extremely yellow. Very light, totally white head.

Smell is very clean and full of wheat and yeast.

This is the most low key Cigar City beer I have ever had, and I like it. Very much a classic white wheat ale. Hops are just a whisper. Tastes like some bitter orange peel with slight lemony tartness. Light bitterness in the finish.

Feels wet and dusty. Light tingle.

Serving type: on-tap

01-28-2012 00:37:55 | More by Doppelbockulus

hoptualBrew

Florida

4.45/5  rDev +17.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

20 oz on tap, straw yellow clear like a light lager but damn is the look misleading! Candy sweet funky yeast and pale malt steal the nose, wow! This is a great smelling brew! Taste follows the nose - orange peel, clove, light maltiness, candy sweet yeast funk, light citric hop bite at the end. Carbonation is beautiful & so is this brew!

Serving type: on-tap

01-24-2012 23:11:16 | More by hoptualBrew

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

jcartamdg

Florida

4.22/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a cloudy gold color with a two finger head into my bruery tulip with intense lacing. Aroma of hops, spices(especially coriander) and orange. Taste follows the nose, lightly sweet but not overdone, bitterness of hops balances. Mouthfeel is good, maybe a little too carbonated but not crazy. I love this beer, it's the best representation of the style to me.

Serving type: growler

11-05-2011 03:08:46 | More by jcartamdg

CampusCrew

Florida

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

I had this at the Kickbacks Cigar City/St Somewhere dinner. I'm reviewing this by memory on this I had this at the Kickbacks Cigar City/St Somewhere dinner. I have had most of CC's regular beers but I have not tried this yet. not a fan of this style but this was atleast well done. spice and citrus and decent hop presence made this a decent wit.

Serving type: on-tap

09-16-2011 16:37:22 | More by CampusCrew

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

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

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

kylehay2004

Florida

4.05/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: quarter finger head with a murky straw color.

S: sweet lemon citrus. fairly aromatic.

T: more lemon up front with a spicey/peppery finish

M: crisp, refreshing. Light to medium body but more than I expected. Semi dry finish.

Overall: Very nice beer for the Florida heat. The peppery notes add flavor without taking away from the refreshing nature of the beer.

Serving type: on-tap

08-29-2011 00:32:14 | More by kylehay2004

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

Chaney

District of Columbia

4.33/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I had this one on tap at Cigar City.

A: Mildly cloudy, light mustard yellow, with about a half finger or so head that stayed at least a bubble formation throughout the session.

S: Straight up orange peel and coriander. Pretty intense!

T: I got a smooth, honey-infused taste (along with the other ingredients I mentioned on the nose), with a very tropical flair from the fruit.

M: Mild lacing, and very organic fruit sweetness that wasn't cloying in any way. My wife said it best: "It was like biting into a Florida orange." Minimal lacing.

O: Awesome stuff, and if I lived in Tampa, I'd pick up growlers of this stuff all the time.

Serving type: on-tap

07-10-2011 21:48:07 | More by Chaney

mikesgroove

South Carolina

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

hazy golden yellow. Lots of carbonation rippling up to the surface of this one. A nice three inch head of white foam came up and capped the top of this one, but settled down very slowly, leaving behind copious amounts of side glass lace.

The aroma started out very light. Nice touches of light malts, grains, with a touch of light fruit mixed in. Very floral with a light earthy tone to it and a really nice touch of coriander or orange peel way in the back. The flavor was more of the same, very light, with a very well carbonated and airy feel to it. Started out with a good bit of light grain, and started to mix in some light fruit and touches of orange and lemon as you go. Nice light earthy flavor in the middle, like flower petals, or light heather almost. Clean taste, with a quick finish that really just gets started before it dries out enough that that you are going back in for another one

Serving type: growler

07-03-2011 21:02:13 | More by mikesgroove