Criterium Ale (2012)
Cigar City Brewing

750 mL bottle dated 1/30/2012. Poured into a couple of pint glasses.

Appearance - Hazy golden yellow body with an ample white head. Excellent lacing and great retention. Nice looking beer.

Smell - Grainy wheat and malts. Hoppy, but it's not the main attraction of the beer. Citrusy, although it's tough to distinguish what's from the hops and what's from the curacao addition.

Taste - Similar to the smell, although the hops are more present. Brighter citrus flavor that definitely highlights the orange-ish additions. Bitter in the finish, with a sustained bready feel throughout.

Mouthfeel - A little on the heavy side for what it is. 5%, but it has some body that makes it a touch too big. Well carbonated and session-like.

Overall - As the previous reviewer stated, this would be a great year-round six-pack addition to the CCB lineup. My wife and I both think it's great. Nice to come across a "small" beer that tastes this good.

From tasting notes. Appearance: Pours hazy peach tinted gold under a 3” off white foam cap that persists and produces thick lace. Smell: fruit and bitter with light malt aromas.Taste: Starts fruity and malty – peach and orange – and finishes with a complex bitterness featuring citrus rind. Mouthfeel: Very creamy ut light with a medium light body and above average carbonation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

750ml capped bottle poured into a Franziskaner weizen glass.
Tasted on: February 18, 2013

Notes: Wheat Ale Brewed With Bitter Curacao Peel. Bottled on January 30, 2012. So please note and take into account that I am drinking and reviewing this beer which is now past its prime

A: This beer poured a clear golden color with a large 3 finger billowing head and left an nice thick lacing on the glass.

N: The nose was very light with hints of bready yeast and orange zest.

T: The taste started off with a light sweet wheat bready taste then quickly bites you with some bitterness from the hops and orange zest. This beer had a medium long finish which was moderately strong leaning towards the dry bitter side.

M: The body was crisp with a light to medium body with a moderate level of lively carbonation.

O: Overall the drinkability was good, but I wish I drank this brew 9 months ago.

From notes. Poured from a 750 mL bottle into a tulip.

My pour is a golden orange color, slightly hazy, with a gentle white froth that leaves a bit of lace down the glass.

The wheat and grains in the aroma are cut by the bitter curacao and mellowed with a bit of fruity orange zest.

There is definitely a bitterness here that I do not usually get out of wheat beers. It starts out with a basic wheat flavor, with the usual associated sweetness enhanced by a nice orangey zest. The bitterness that comes in has a grassy character to it, and there is a pithy citrus rind flavor at the end.

The curacao peel definitely adds a bit of flavor in an interesting way, and it also adds some oiliness to the mouthfeel. The carbonation is mellow and smooth.

Overall this is a nice beer, one that I could consume in quantity if handed to me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

From the taps at Cigar City in Tampa. From notes.

A - Sem-hazy golden pour with a little sediment. One finger soapy white head. Good lace drapes and a film of retention.

S - Light aroma. Citrus and light sweet fruits.

T - Citrus, wheaty. Quite light again. Lemon. Sweet light fruits.

M - Good carbonation, light to medium body, clean spicy/citrussy finish.

O/D - Decent hoppy wheat here. Nothing new, but well executed and quite solid.