Dos Costas Oeste - Cedar Aged - Cigar City Brewing

MasterSki

Illinois

2.78/5  rDev -22.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.75

Who brought this? Treebs? If so, you're slowly taking over my mantle of Bad Beer King. Served in a Russian River tulip.

A - Minimal white foam settles to nothing. Looks a bit like dehydrated and slightly hazy urine.

S - Smells like cedar, with a touch of sourness and orange peel in the periphery. It's mostly cedar to be honest, which I don't find offensive, but it's a bit mono-dimensional.

T - The taste is a bit more complex, with some of the citrus zest, sweet malts, and spices surfacing amid the massive amount of cedar. Gets harsh and unpleasantly woody in the finish.

M - Medium-full body, low carbonation, and super dry - like licking a piece of wood. Alcohol is well-hidden I suppose.

D - Well, on the plus side it didn't violently explode all over the floor like the Grapefruit Wood version. That being said, this tasted significantly worse - the cedar obliterated virtually everything I liked about the other versions and grew incredibly fatiguing.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2013 19:11:44 | More by MasterSki

Treebs

Illinois

2.66/5  rDev -26.1%
look: 2.75 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.75

750 ml bottle served in a CCB snifter.

A: Looks like urine. Thin white head, clear gold body.

S: That is some potent cedar. Smells like the inside of a cigar box with a spicy lemon grass and some underlying peppery yeasty. Like with all the cedar aged CCB beers the cedar aging creates a huge imbalance.

T: Luckily the cedar is a little more subdued than the nose, but it is still too much apart of the beer. There is a light hop presence with some stone fruit and some back end yeasty notes of pepper and light must. 9% is well hidden

M: Light bodied, medium carbonation. Cedar spice in the aftertaste detracts from some of the drinkability.

O: As with all the cedar aged CCB beers the cedar is just too much and basically decimates the base beer. A little less cedar aging and the cedar might complimentary as opposed to the leading flavor.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2013 02:37:04 | More by Treebs

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.91/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Lateral tasting with bottles from Lueken Liquors. Funky aroma, the funk stays in the taste and is moderated by some grapefruit and lemon and the wood. Very good very spicy flavour, but you have to tolerate the barnyard. Good drinkability.Full mouthfeel, carbonation significant

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2013 14:57:10 | More by northyorksammy

ngeunit1

California

4.33/5  rDev +20.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

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

S - Aroma is a mix of sweet grainy and lightly bready malts with coriander, orange peel, ginger, Belgian yeast, and cedar.

T - Starts off with sweet grainy and bready malts with some coriander, ginger, and lemon zest. Through the middle, the cedar comes through with some Belgian yeast, and a bit of floral hops. The finish is a mix of sweet bready malts with coriander, orange peel, Belgian yeast, cedar, and a touch of ginger.

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

D - Very drinkable. Nice strong Saison with some good spices thrown in and the cedar adding some nice complexity.

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2012 19:57:30 | More by ngeunit1

corby112

Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a slightly hazy, golden orange color with a one finger white head that slowly settles into a lasting ring. Minimal spots of lacing left behind.

Earthy, spicy aroma with some farmhouse funk, citrus fruit, bready yeast and dry, smokey wood. Hints of zesty pepper, coriander and clove followed by grassy hay, banana, bread and apple. I'm also picking up orange peel, alcohol and cedar. I was expecting the cedar presence to be stronger but it's subtly integrated into the nose.

Medium bodied with tight carbonation and a strong zesty spice presence that lingers over the farmhouse funk, light fruit and cedar into a dry finish. Hints of spicy clove, ginger and coriander followed by sweet apple, pear and orange peel. The farmhouse yeast is overpowered but there's a subtle earthy, funky character underneath. The cedar character is nicely integrated and isn't noticeable until the finish where it comes on pretty strong. Still, it doesn't interfere with the other notes, providing a dry smokey finish. Overall this beer is pretty complex and the ABV is well masked making it easy to drink. There's a lot going on but it remains interesting throughout.

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2012 08:56:25 | More by corby112

rudzud

Massachusetts

2.63/5  rDev -26.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

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 - Hey...this one didnt explode on me just by looking at it funny! It was a slow riser for sure, but did pour a nice golden hue with a light, thinnish white blanket of a head.

S - Lots of cedar with this along with some light funk and pepper spices/peppercorns. The most appealing nose of them all.

T - Ugh. This was like chewing on a peppercorn tree bark, if such thing could exist in nature. Just drinks like lemon water that had some old cedar planks thrown into it.

M - Mouthfeel is average carbonation for a saison. Nothing special.

O - Overall this was the best of the Dos Costas beers I tried. that being said, this one wasnt all that good anyways...

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2012 00:52:26 | More by rudzud

bigfnjoe

Pennsylvania

2.75/5  rDev -23.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Poured from a bottle into a Dogfish snifter. I hated the two "fruit wood" aged versions...what about the base cedar aged?

A- pours a light, semi-transparent orange with a one finger pure white head. Now that's a nice looking beer.

S- getting a lot of cedar in the nose...very fragrant. Not very appealing, actually

T- the cedar lends a very floral taste to this, and I do not like it at all. And the thing is, that's the overwhelming flavor. I got pretty much none of the base beer at all.

M- body is pretty thin...I'll take it at this point

O- the wood absolutely dominates like it does in the other two beers in the series, and unlike those two, I can't taste the damn base beer at all. I like what both of these breweries do...but this collab series was a total mess

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2012 01:09:39 | More by bigfnjoe

womencantsail

California

2.15/5  rDev -40.3%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 1.5

Thanks, Jake.

Pours a cloudy golden orange color with a huge white head. Smells like the inside of a cigar box. Just overwhelming cedar aroma that drowns out pretty much everything else. Maybe a little malt and yeast. The flavor is just as bad. Overdone cedar along with some pepper, ginger, and maybe a touch of malt sweetness and yeast. Not a fan of this one at all.

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2012 21:05:15 | More by womencantsail

cbutova

Massachusetts

2.88/5  rDev -20%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

A- Pint glass pour with a clear orange golden body. Creamy white head forms to one finger. Retention is decent and a nice cloud stays behind. Good lace patches.

S- Jesus Cedar bomb madness. Like a big tree fell into the fermenter. Smoky and extremely piney hurrah.

T- Holy palate attack. Like a cedar tree has been soaking on my lips for an eternity. Seriously the wood is a destroyer. I just taste woody piney forest of eternity. Some orange and citrus comes through but caramel helps. Has an extreme peppercorn quality.

MF- Slightly watery moderately carbonated body. Extreme cedar bitter pine doom destroyed the palate.

Jesus the cedar. Really too intense at times.

Serving type: bottle

07-29-2012 05:37:13 | More by cbutova

DovaliHops

California

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

Pours a very hazy orange color with a large white head that takes quite some time to go down. Scent is...oh my goodness...a ton of wood. Cedar wood apparently...I could not tell you what different woods smell like, but it definitely smells like fresh-cut wood and sawdust. Initially, it starts with a slightly tart, funky, barnyard aroma that immediately turns to fresh-cut wood. Citrus aromas follow shortly after, with fresh cut lemon and orange peel. There are some nice spices throughout. Taste is fresh wood at first, followed by orange and lemon. There is a good amount of spiciness to the flavor...ginger, coriander, and thyme. Very complex smelling, and tasting beer. Mouthfeel is medium bodied with a somewhat dry and tingly (minty?) finish. Drinkability is high. Overall, this is very different from any beer I have ever tasted. I really enjoyed this.

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2012 06:16:42 | More by DovaliHops

Mora2000

Texas

3.8/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to Dixonian for sharing this bottle.

The beer pours a light orange-yellow color with a white head. As expected from a cedar-aged Cigar City beer, this beer smells like a humidor. I get a ton of cedar in the aroma with hardly anything else coming through. The flavor is more complex. I obviously get some strong cedar in the flavor, but there is also a good bit of dark fruit and toffee, as well as some lemon. The alcohol is well hidden. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

07-06-2012 01:16:46 | More by Mora2000

onix1agr

Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A bottle split with oglmcdgl and sourpatchkid.

Dos Costas Oeste - Cedar Aged looks like the others in the series, A golden bright orange with some faint bronze hinting in between. And like the others a inch of firm whiteness. Some clings to the glass. Smell is not overwhelming cedar, less than Cedar Jai Lai for sure. Some bubblegum and sweet bread coming out. The hay and traditional saison is quite lost here. Taste is bold though with big bubblegum mixed in with cedar wood, although it's quite mingled in with orange, bread and alcohol. A lot to take in though. Feel is a sturdy medium with a syrupy feel after a bit. Carb was on point though, not dead. A whole bottle of this would have been a chore, 8oz's is plenty.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2012 05:28:39 | More by onix1agr

FosterJM

California

3.53/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

1358th Review on BA
Bottle to CCB Snifter
750 ml

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

App- A deeper orange in the glass. Similar to the color of the cigar in the logo. Had a bit of a gold/amber color around the edges. Smaller head and zero cling.

Smell- Completely different then the other two. This had none of the citrus and freshness. This was a cedar wood bomb and smelled like fresh cut wood in Home Depot.

Taste- Damp and malty with only a little bit of the citrus. Had a lot of the Cedar going strong. It was a bit of a one dimensonal beer and just didnt pop like the other two.

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

Drink- This is the runt of the litter. Too overpowering from the Cedar. I'd take the other two over this anytime.

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2012 01:04:53 | More by FosterJM

mntlover

Tennessee

4.1/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a lightly hazy golden color with smaller white head that falls to a ring with some lace left behind.

Aroma is nice sweet malts with sweet orange to start then gives way to tart lemon, pepper and light funk with a side of cedar thrown in for good measure. Very aromatic and nice.

Taste is more tart then aroma malt sweetness is hit right away by the lemon, peppery and ginger notes with cedar showing up in the finish with some light funk. Funny how I didn't notice the ginger in the nose until I tasted it. Nice brew interesting without being over the top.

Mouthfeel is lighter for a 9% brew, probably feels lighter because of the overly peppy carbonation. Which I usually do not like, but seems to fit this brew well.

Overall enjoying this one, almost makes one wish they lived in Tampa.

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2012 00:25:21 | More by mntlover

DenverLogan

Colorado

4.03/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Golden amber with small head of various bubble shapes and sizes...truly important. Nice citrus aroma with touches of a barnyard down the way! Ahh...sweet and rich, almost cloying, full bodied with the cedar touch. A touch of indescribable funkiness which is overall nice. Tasty.

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2012 00:53:35 | More by DenverLogan

cvm4

Mississippi

4.3/5  rDev +19.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Pours a cloudy orange, nice 1 finger white head that dissipates into a ring around the glass. Okay lacing.

S - Getting a lot of spanish cedar with lemon zest following it. I detect minimal funk to make it noteworthy.

T - Love these cedar beers they put out! The ginger and coriander you can taste. Citrus notes show up off & on for me. The cedar is more subdued compared to the nose, only to come out strongly in the finish.

M - High carbonation, medium bodied. Very effervescent.

O - What an killer beer here! Just so complex and the flavors meld together so well!

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2012 22:41:27 | More by cvm4

DCon

Missouri

3.18/5  rDev -11.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Shared a 750mL bottle of this w/ friends from the Royale in St. Louis, MO. Poured from the Pink/Blue Labeled bottle w/ both The Bruery & Cigar City's brands on it into a 12oz Snifter Glass. Does not have a freshness date but came straight from Hunahpu's Day.

Aroma- Quite an acidic beginning on the nose and then has the lightest barnyard note. No spice or anything else. Cedar? Not really...

Appearance- Pours no head whatsoever. Has a dark golden colored body that is semi-hazy. Leaves barely suds.

Flavor- Malty, effervescent, and acidic. Very one direction with this one. No spices, hops, or character that I'm looking for in a Saison. One sided for sure.

Mouthfeel- Light Bodied, Medium-High Carbonation, Effervescent, and has a very light oak character that is left on the palate.

Overall Impression- Finishing off the last of the 3 Dos Costas Oestes, this one was like the first and didn't have enough character for me... Not sure what happened here! Should we have aged these? Either way, a bit let down but will still be purchasing MANY brews from Cigar City and The Bruery in the near future. Try these three if you can a chance on-tap but wouldn't recommend going out of your way for a bottle.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2012 22:59:08 | More by DCon

jsanford

Georgia

3.6/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a hazy orange with a thin white head and slight ring. Crisp aromas of sweet malt, orange peel, coriander, and cedar. Lots of cedar carries through to the taste, along with orange peel, spices, and a good amount of alcohol heat. Mouthfeel is slick, with a medium body and good carbonation. Not bad, perhaps a touch too much cedar in this one, it overwhelms everything else.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2012 15:46:39 | More by jsanford

kylehay2004

Florida

4.23/5  rDev +17.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Half finger head on a deep golden haxy body. No lacing really. Aroma is of orange peel, yeast and corriander. The flavor is where the cedar is better represented with again belgian yeast, spices, lemon zest (very mild), sour cherry and tangy. Mild grass notes round this one out. light to medium body and moderate to high carbonation. I cant wait to try the others in this series.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2012 02:34:37 | More by kylehay2004

emerge077

Illinois

3.58/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks Don for sharing, and schlepping this all the way from Florida. Quick review transcribed from written notes.

Pours a nice sun-kissed orange color, light haze, and a lasting layer of foam on top that deposits some spotty lace here and there.

Subtle aromas of light yeast and phenolic spice, everyone was saying "so cedary" but I didn't pick up much woodiness at all really. To note: wasn't a fan of the cedar-aged Jai Alai either.

Flash of sweetness at first, some tangy note of cedar (apparently), ginger, long dry finish with lingering bready notes. A burly, chewy full bodied saison, it steamrolled the palate and was hard to recalibrate afterwards. Overall though, I can't really say I enjoyed it all that much, but it was fun to try. Thanks again Don!

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2012 02:15:31 | More by emerge077

dcloeren

Texas

4.43/5  rDev +23.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Had this on a business trip to Orlando.

Pours a beautiful gold with bright white fizzy head.

The aroma is top notch! Fresh lemon zest, coriander, some spicy notes (ginger?) with a little funk mixed in.

Taste follows the nose. Nice and distinct with every flavor meshing perfectly but still being distinct.

Light to medium in body with a cornicopius amount of carbonation. Pricks and stings the tongue with each sip.

A top notch saison and a amazing collaboration. I wish I had a fridge full for the summer! Seek this brew out for sure

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2012 22:51:33 | More by dcloeren

wisrarebeer

Wisconsin

4.08/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

$14.99 for a 25.4oz bottle from Tipple's Brews in Gainesville.

A: mostly clear, ever so slight amount of haze, poured with a full head that dissipated to a spotty veil
S: intense spices, ginger, coriander, very unique and good
T: very unusual, intense spices, somewhat sharp finish probably from ginger, a bit hot from EtOH, I was expecting more of a saison style of beer which it really isn't. Too dense and cloying for style.
M: refreshing from spices but a bit too much in ABV and ginger sharpness in finish

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2012 01:10:13 | More by wisrarebeer

jrenihan

Ontario (Canada)

3.65/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Beer is a cloudy yellow with a moderately-sized fizzy white head. Head begins to dissipate quickly. No lacing.

The smell is very unique. Coriander, ginger and especially the cedar are very, very strong. Really smells like wood with all the cedar scents. Fruit scents below that, orange in particular, some grapefruit as well, with the ginger cutting the fruit scents a bit. The whole scent is, for whatever reason, very reminiscent of seltzer to me. Quite unusual.

Like the nose, the taste is quite different. The cedar is very prominent, and the ginger plays a large role as well. Light fruits (orange and grapefruit) with a bit of a bitter, funky aftertaste. I don't like the role the ginger plays- I love ginger in food, but have yet to enjoy its use in beer. I enjoy this one more as I become accustomed to it, but generally am not overly impressed.

Medium bodied, high carbonation level. Does not taste like a 9% beer.

Overall, not like any other beer I have had, but not one that I would have again.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2012 03:51:08 | More by jrenihan

Shaw

Florida

4.43/5  rDev +23.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A bright golden in color with an off-white head that reduces quickly.

Big Spanish cedar aroma that reminds me of Cigar City's Humidor series.

Spicy with citrus and cedar flavors. It's tea-like and I can't detect the high alcohol. The ginger and coriander are apparent, but not overpowering. Very nice.

Crisp and bubbly body.

An excellent beer. I look forward to trying the other versions.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2012 02:39:50 | More by Shaw

thagr81us

South Carolina

4.23/5  rDev +17.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Big thanks goes out to beermeX2 for sharing this one during a recent tasting! Served from bottle into a Mikkeller taster flute. Poured a slightly hazy golden yellow with a one finger pure white head that subsided minimal amount quickly. Maintained decent lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, banana, fruit, wood, and citrus hop. The flavor was of sweet malt, banana, cedar, citrus, fruit, and citrus hop. It had a light feel on the palate with medium-high carbonation. Overall this was a pretty good brew. The flavor on this one was pretty nice and really well balanced. The aroma was pretty nice and very inviting. Really glad I got the chance to try this one as I missed it due to my accident.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2012 03:37:28 | More by thagr81us