Dos Costas Oeste - Lemon Wood Aged - Cigar City Brewing

BlurryVisi0n

New York

4.06/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in godblet. (Chimay signature glass) Vintage bottle dated November 2011.

Appearance: A cloudy orange, heavy heavy bubbles on the body with

Smell: Has a sweet orange smell, honestly one sniff isn't enough. It doesn't make love your nostrils like some other saison but on quality if the hit its more than enough.

Taste: complexity at it's finest, just a little bit sweet with a orange skin feel and no doubt a little bit of lemon. Has lift bitterness and a dose of sour that literally quenches your thirst.

Mouth: medium and smooth, goes down too easy. Zesty finish at the end feels like pure lemon skin coming off a hint dry.

Overall: This is the almost perfect warm weather beer. No joke, paired with a nice cigar in your back yard you really don't need nothing else. Salud!

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2013 20:49:59 | More by BlurryVisi0n

macrosmatic

Florida

3.96/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Reviewed from notes. Poured from 750 mL bottle into a TBBC pint glass.

A: Pours a hazy deep golden color, with a two-finger white head and a medium amount of visible carbonation.

S: Yeasty bread, some vague citrus aromas with a woody sweetness.

T: Fruity esters on top of bready and a bit of caramel malt flavors, with lemon rind or coriander and a touch of wood sweetness as well. Maybe some vanilla notes on below the peppery spiciness, but both are relatively restrained.

M: Medium body for style, good carbonation sensation, and alcohol well-hidden given the ABV.

O: Not a bad saison, but inferior to the cedar-aged varietal. Don't know that I'd seek this one out again.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2013 16:36:13 | More by macrosmatic

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.86/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Light orange with a foamy head. Lacey.Less funky than the cedar, yet still a farmhouse taste. Some funk aroma. Smooth and mellow despite the lemon taste, this is not like lemon mashed in. Yeast significant. Undercarbonated.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2013 15:00:31 | More by northyorksammy

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

2.95/5  rDev -22.2%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Golden yellow pour, slightly hazy, with a fizzy white head that dissipated almost completely; minimal lacing. Muted aroma, pale malts, distant detergent-like citrus notes, toasted grains. Light and bland on the palate, reflecting the aroma for the most part, grainy, light bready malts, hints of lemongrass, light spice, musty grass. Light body, moderate carbonation, fairly drying, thin flavor, thin mouthfeel, drank almost like water, which is good and bad, alcohol almost undetectable. Unfortunately, I got more Bruery and less CC, so...meh.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2012 04:18:33 | More by Rifugium

Kmccabe33

Georgia

3.88/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A- Very nice looking beer, very light but heavy head, very similar to champagne from my memory.

S- Smell you instantly get the lemon and the oak flavors. Hints of citrus are pretty overpowering.

T- I can instantly taste the wood and dryness, citrus and savory flavors.

M- Very thin and champagne esque, Drying effect at the end.

O- Ehhhh I enjoy it but wouldn't get if I had the opportunity. I usually lean more towards funky saisons versus savory and this is more savory.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2012 01:30:43 | More by Kmccabe33

kylehay2004

Florida

3.95/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: single finger head on a murky orange body.

S: orange and pineapple citrus, oak, candied fruits, Belgian yeast.

T: more sweet and slightly tart citrus follows in the flavor with mostly orange peel and lemon variety up front which moves to the herbal and yeasty belgian qualities you want from the style.

M: medium body and highly carbonated, actually too carbonated for me. This bottle was a gusher when it was opened. not too dry.

Overall: The high carbonation is distracting from the flavors for my tastes. The tartness and herbal notes clash a little but overall work.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2012 05:21:23 | More by kylehay2004

nickfl

Florida

4.48/5  rDev +18.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - The bottle opens and instantly becomes a moderate gusher, though only about half a glass is lost so it isn't as bad a some. What is left is a vary hazy, golden color and topped by a large head of white foam. Decent head retention but little in the way of lace.

S - Thick, bready malt with some funky complexity and lemony tartness,

T - Tart wheat up front with notes of lemon and pepper. Some notes of ginger and vanilla in the middle and a finish of pear, pepper, lemon, vanilla, and a slightly woody note that may be enhanced by the suggestion on the label.

M - Medium thick body, very high carbonation, and a balanced finish.

D - The base beer is quite nice and the spices are expertly integrated such that one can't be entirely sure what is from yeast and what from actual spices. The wood is the questionable part, I really don't know what to expect from lemon wood, but I think I taste it... I'm planning to try one of the others form the series next so I will have a better idea what the wood imparted then.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2012 05:21:03 | More by nickfl

cvm4

Mississippi

4.08/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours a really orangeish amber. Bubbly eggshell head.

S - Sweet malts, yeast, juicy citrus and dry spices.

T - The ginger really comes out to me above all other flavors. Spices just dominate the palette and afterwards the beer settles into sweet citrus and malts. Hops aren't really a factor. I'm guessing here but I believe I detect the lemonwood on the finish.

M - A heavier body than most saisons I've had. High carbonation and finishes wet.

O - An interesting mix of flavors here. Not sure I'd change much about the beer. Everything just compliments one another.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2012 19:42:27 | More by cvm4

Tschnab

New York

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

The pour a is a yellow straw body with a bone white big fluffy head.

The aroma is a big wave of lemon peel and citrus juice, as well as belgian yeast, and light white wine aroma. The taste brings all of the aromas to life, very bright citrus with a big wave of coriander and a light woodiness. There is a tiny bit of tartness and chardonay, as well as pears and lemongrass.

Really really tasty stuff for sure here, wish the price tag was way lower. Nice spice and citrus, nice wood flavor, just not really a huge wow factor. Once again though I am happy with what I got from cigar city.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2012 19:04:00 | More by Tschnab

jmarsh123

Indiana

3.15/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Pours hazy orange with a big white head. Good retention and excellent lacing.

A little lemon and citrus in the aroma, but is drowned out a bit by an abundance of coriander and white pepper.

Big lemon peel flavor up front with a little bit of pepper underneath. As the lemon fades though massive amounts of coriander take over and it finishes musty with too much spice. Grassy and herbal throughout the finish.

Good medium body with carbonation levels a bit below average creating a silky mouthfeel. Alcohol burn is present, but subdued.

I'd really like to like this series, if they wouldn't overspice everything. There is some good stuff going on here and the first few sips are good, but soon spice consumes everything and makes it hard to finish a pour.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2012 16:07:58 | More by jmarsh123

cbutova

Massachusetts

3.58/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Another interesting Cigar City creation. Reviewed from notes.

A- Fairly hazy orange body with a big frothy white head. Good cap retention and a big cloud and ring remain leaving a ton of lace.

S- Lots of coriander up front and a peppercorn feel as well, might just be too much coriander or the yeast. Beyond that is a big lemon and orange citrus feel.

T- Large amount of the coriander/peppercorn/spice feel follows in the flavor. Orange, ginger and lemon zesty citrus fruit backs this nicely. Slight alcohol with some grassy and herbal hints.

MF- Creamy, moderately thick body. Somewhat silky with lower-end carbonation. Fairly bitter finish.

The added ingredients are a bit much but don't turn me off that badly, it makes things interesting but doesn't make the beer amazing.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2012 02:40:57 | More by cbutova

Chico1985

Massachusetts

3.58/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

cbutova, always good for bustin out the Cigar City. Intense ingredient list on this one...brewed with coriander, ginger, sweet orange peel, and aged on...lemon wood spirals.

Pours hazy bright orange, big white head retains pretty well as a thick cap, leaving some lace behind.

Smell is what's mostly expected - lots of sweet orange and coriander, light mustiness, yeast, some spice.

Taste follows suit, big coriander, lemon and orange juice. Yeast, straw, spice, lots of wood and sweetness, some vanilla. Reminds me of a bigger, oaky Blue Moon.

Full-feeling mouthfeel, medium carbonation, drinks pretty easy for 9%.

The fruity sweetness is a bit over the top but it's enjoyable overall. Drinks more like an imperial witbier to me than a saison.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2012 18:43:20 | More by Chico1985

corby112

Pennsylvania

3.73/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a slightly cloudy, dark golden orange color with tangerine edges and s two finger off-white head that slowly fades into a thick, lasting ring. Sporadic streaks of lacing left behind.

Spicy aroma with a strong citrus presence and subtle wood character. Slightly earthy with zesty pepper, coriander and ginger followed by orange peel, clementine, grapefruit and lemon juice. As it warms, the lemon wood spirals come forward with a slightly ashy, toothpick presence. Still, it's kept in check by the other notes and isn't as prominent as in the other treatments.

Medium bodied with tight carbonation and a very strong, zesty spice flavor that lingers over the citrus sweetness and earthy wood into a dry finish. Lots of peppery coriander and ginger followed by juicy orange, grapefruit, lemon and tangerine sweetness. The high ABV is well masked with only subtle boozy heat toward the end of the palate. There's a subtle dry, earthy wood/toothpick presence in the finish but again, it's not as strong as it was in the other versions. The strong spice and citrus fruit flavors keep it in check, making it a bit easier to drink than the other two.

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2012 05:34:29 | More by corby112

ngeunit1

California

4.43/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Pours a hazy golden-orange with a finger of frothy white head. The head fades down at a normal pace leaving behind some nice lacing.

S - Aroma is a mix of sweet grainy and bready malts with lemon, orange peel, ginger, coriander, Belgian yeast, honey, and some other spices.

T - Starts off with a mix of grainy and bready malts with some tart lemon, orange peel, and coriander. Through the middle, some more Belgian yeast flavors and some ginger and other spices come through with some honey and light floral hops. The finish is a mix of sweet bread malts with tart lemon, orange peel, Belgian yeast, coriander, ginger and some other spices.

M - Medium-plus bodied with moderate carbonation. Feels smooth with a sweet, dry, and eatery finish.

D - Very drinkable. Feels smooth with great overall balance and nice flavors from the lemonwood.

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2012 02:36:26 | More by ngeunit1

nlmartin

Ohio

2.03/5  rDev -46.4%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 1 | overall: 1

This beer was chilled very cold in order to minimize the gusher potential. The beer was served in a snifter and allowed to warm up to a proper drinking temperature.

A- The body of the beer is a hazy golden coloration. The head was a short lived white coloration. The head quickly died and no lacing is noted on my glass. The carbonation is very minimal.

S- The aroma of the beer gives a brief ginger aroma giving way to lemon and lemon wood sweet maltyness finishes the aroma.

T- The flavor of the beer is initially sweet almost caramel, ginger, lemongrass and a bit of lemon flavor.

M- The body of the beer is medium and the carbonation is very limp almost to the point of still.

O- Low marks for this beer. The aromas and the flavor leave me wanting alot more. The body of the beer is near still. Perhaps the quality control measures for this beer are off. Take this one back to the drawing board.

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2012 12:25:34 | More by nlmartin

rudzud

Massachusetts

1.65/5  rDev -56.5%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 1 | feel: 3 | overall: 1.5

Shared this with JLindros and BPK59...pains me to review this and the other 2 Dos Costas as they clearly had an issue with them either in storage before being traded to me, or in the bottling line. Poured into a standard tulip.

A - Well, atleast this one didnt errupt like a fountain. Slow gusher poured a hazy golden hue with a light thin white blanket of a head.

S - WTF...TONs of funk and well, burnt peanut butter. Yes, peanut butter. What on earth...

T - Yep, I think this is my first 1. Stuff tastes like burnt peanut butter. No other way to say it but some how, for some reason the liquid that comes from this bottle is liquid peanutbutter...

M - Mouthfeel is average for a saison, nothing special.

O - Did someone along the line accidentally label a bottle of Snack Attack as Dos Costas Oeste - Lemon? This is a completely undrinkable beer. Just disgusting.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2012 01:00:47 | More by rudzud

womencantsail

California

3.68/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks for sharing, Jake.

Hazy golden orange color with a huge white head. The lemon certainly comes through, as does yeast and a strong pepper aroma. A mild spiciness, some lemongrass, and a touch of straw. The flavor has a good balance of sweetness from the bready malt and dryer, more earthy characteristics. Plenty of lemon, wood, lemongrass, straw, and pepper to make things interesting. Good yeastiness on the flavor as well.

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2012 21:06:04 | More by womencantsail

bigfnjoe

Pennsylvania

3.05/5  rDev -19.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from a 750 into a Duvel tulip

A- pours a very hazy orange with a two finger pure white head. It looks pretty nice...maybe a little too much haze

S- light lemon aroma. Not a ton going on here, though

T- ginger, a little coriander, a little lemon....doesn't know what the hell it is. Confusing

M- for a saison, it's on the thick side. No bueno

O- on one hand, the wood doesn't add nearly as overwhelming a flavor as the grapefruit wood did. On the other hand...it lets the mess of a base beer come through more

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2012 01:59:04 | More by bigfnjoe

DovaliHops

California

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

Pours a very hazy, golden orange color with a large, white head that disappears very quickly. Scent is not even close to being as "woody" as the cedar wood version. This one has slight hints of sweet wood with some sweet orange peel as well. The orange peel definitely shines in this version. Tart lemon aromas with spicy Belgian yeast. Hints of funk...I believe the cedar wood one was a bit funkier with a bit more barnyard. Taste is where the funk kicks in. There is a pleasant, spicy barnyard taste up front, followed by sweet oranges and tart lemons. Lovely Belgian yeast flavors, with mellow spiciness. This saison seems to be a little more traditional than the cedar one. Mouthfeel is highly carbonated and refreshing. Drinkability is high. Overall, I can't really tell which one I liked more. There were some aspects I liked more about this one...and there were some aspects I liked more about the cedar. I should have a final analysis once I try the grapefruit one in the next couple of days. Solid beer though. ABV well-hidden.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2012 05:12:26 | More by DovaliHops

Mora2000

Texas

3.9/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to Dixonian for sharing this bottle.

The beer pours a light orange-yellow color with a white head. The aroma has a hint of lemon in it, as well as some biscuit malt and maybe a little bit of cedar or other wood. The flavor is similar, with some subtle lemon notes coming through at the front. I also get some biscuit and toffee malt, as well as some Belgian yeast. The alcohol is well hidden. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation. I tried the Grapefruit, Cedar and Lemon versions of this beer on the same night and this one was the most subtle in terms of both aroma and flavor. Now, to find some way to try the Orange version.

Serving type: bottle

07-06-2012 01:24:59 | More by Mora2000

phishgator

Florida

4.48/5  rDev +18.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a wide mouth chalice. The carbonation coming out of the glass was gushing, but sudued after a minute. Unfiltered, golden with a large head. Great corriander, lemon, and citrus nose. The favor is that of a saison with a bit more fruitiness. The slight tart is there, but not funky as you would might expect. The alcohol is well hidden. The body has a good malt feel and the spices/additives make this work really well. Great brew for a hot summer's day.

Serving type: bottle

07-02-2012 12:46:16 | More by phishgator

kawilliams81

Illinois

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

Poured from a 750 ml bottle into a 10 oz chalice.

A- pours a hazy light orange with a 1 finger white head. Minimal lacing that resides immediately.

S- lots of citrus, mainly lemon, and nice amount of spices.

T- citrus and lots of spices, with lemon being in the fore front. Almost some mint or licorice flavor in there.

M- medium body, higher carbonation. This beer has a higher carbonation but overly carbonated.

O- nice saison with nice citrus and spice flavors.

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2012 01:57:30 | More by kawilliams81

mdfb79

New York

3.9/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

From 06/08/12 notes. Had at Churchkey in DC. Sampled next to the grapefruit version.

a - Pours a hazy yellow color with a few white bubbles and low carbonationi evident.

s - Smells of lemon, wood, spices, wheat, bread, light citrus and fruit.

t - Tastes of lemon, citrus hops, cedar, wood, fruity malts, spices, coriander.

m - Medium body and low carbonation. Doesn't feel like 9% ABV.

o - Overall a pretty nice saison. I preferred this one to the grapefruit version, and a ton of lemon really does come through. Worth checking out.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2012 18:58:33 | More by mdfb79

onix1agr

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A bottle split with oglmcdgl and sourbatchkid, poured into a tulip of some sort.

Dod Costas Oeste looks really nice like in the glass with a bright orange color with a shade of glazed amber as well. A nice firm inch of firm white foam has some sticks on the glass. Smell is bright with some orange, lemon, minimal oak and a yeasty saison backing. Get some fresh grass with some bubblegum with warming, a nice smelling beer here. The taste fairs a bit better and to my liking compared to the Grapefruit. The lemon oak spirals used bring a strong taste of lemon and oak without going out of bounds big. The saison is far from lost with earth, light bread, slight spice and floral backing. The mouth on this one is a medium build, bigger than your normal saison. It's not meant for quick easy summertime drinking although the body allows for that if you want. I went through my 3rd of the bottle in no time. Perhaps Cigar City should continue the version that is the best recieved by the beer drinking public.

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2012 17:12:08 | More by onix1agr

FosterJM

California

4.25/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

1356th Review on BA
Bottle to CCB Snifter
750ml

I bought this in Tampa in March and have been waiting to try them. StarRaptor was that reason.

****BE WARNED THIS BOTTLE GUSHED LIKE A BANSHEE****

App- Picture the beer the same color as the logo on the bottle. A bright and vibrant orange with a yellow hue and a bit of a cuvee color. A small quick receding head was there and then gone.

Smell- A lot of lemon on the nose (Duh!) I expected this. Very fruit forward and a good amount of earthy hay as well. Very pleasant.

Taste- Lemon forward again, but thats what I was going for. A bit oaky for a saison and a little bit of damp earthy grass to balance it all out.

Mouth- A lighter medium body with a medium lush carbonation. Residual lemon and citrus flavors with a little bit of earthy to it.

Drink- Probably the best of the three. It was more alive and bright then the other two.

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2012 00:42:08 | More by FosterJM