Cigar City - 110K + OT (Batch 4)

Before really researching this beer I had very little idea of its history, let alone its style.  The label gives us nothing other than a cryptic name and information required by certain government agencies.  This made the discovery process throughout the review very fascinating!  Every review experience was full of truly honest impressions, surprise, and a chance to categorize.  Thankfully, you have no such need to be so honest.  The full history of 110K + OT (or rather its name) can be found here.  It's definitely one of the best things I've seen come from an internet forum, until this one involving William Shattner.  But I digress...  The website description goes even further with the inside joke and reads,

"110K+OT is not for college pukes, white collar sissy boys or mamby-pamby Nancy boys who haven’t done an honest days work in their lives. Nor is this beer for the common man. This beer is for the working man who has arrived. If your work boots are steel toed, come back when they are gold toed! "

As I said, when beginning this review I had no idea of its style.  I did know that it changed annually with every batch, but I had no idea which batch I possessed since I received this bottle in a trade (Thanks Ruy!).  Turned out to be Batch #4, an Imperial Amber Ale.  But unlike any Amber I've ever had.

Aroma 11/12

Whoa!  There is a lot going on here and it's all sweet.  Fruit esters are strong and come across in a variety of rich scents: fig, pineapple, apple, and grapefruit.  It's very dark, but with the sting of citrus.  More typical malt aromas sit further back, but are just as rich.  Caramel is powerful and blends surprisingly well with the fig/prune.  There is also a little bit of mustiness and a sneaky alcohol warmth that I feel will play a part further on in the review.

Appearance 3/3

The head is astounding.  Excellent in size and retention, it leaves a light khaki colored lace all over the inside of the glass.  The color appears brown when sitting on a table, but when held to light gives hints that the fig aromas will be visiting again soon.  The colors range from the sludge-like color of prune juice to handsome purples to bright, gem-like magentas.  The overall tone is a earthy maroon-magenta and was definitely a surprise to see in a beer this dark.

Flavor 17/20

This is most unusual.  It starts with sweet fruits like green apple, minus the tart, and does a short, sudden crescendo into an orange rind and dark fruit backbone.  To say that this is an odd combination is an understatement.  It's unique and not unpleasant.  There is a caramel note, but it is easily shouted out by the dark fruits, more of which fade in gradually along with a faint booziness, and more green apples.  The finish brings forward a lot more warmth, the orange rind, and eventually a bitter that has remained hidden until this time.  Unfortunately, the bitter seems to be a byproduct of the fruit and not so much a balancer thereof.

Mouthfeel 5/5

This is one full-bodied and silky smooth brew!  The carbonation is far from minimal, but its role is very subdued which is perfect in a big Imperial-style beer like this one.  The alcohol warmth in the finish also adds a tickle to the tongue to keep things interesting and far from syrupy.  However, with all this sweetness, sticky saliva is unavoidable.

Know that!

Overall Impression 7/10

No one can claim that this beer is not full of flavor.  After doing some research and finding out that this beer is an Imperial American red ale, I give this beer kudos for incorporating flavors I've never before seen in this style.  I like that kind of innovation.  My only gripe is my own fault; I find it too sweet.  No doubt this beer, being an "American" version of the style, initially involved a healthy dose of hops.  Thankfully, while those are still there in all their citrusy glory, they are not present to balance this beer with resin or pine.  Granted, red or amber ales can and should be malt centered, however a great crisp finish is often a hallmark of these styles and this beer lacked it.  I would've even accepted a moderately crisp finish.  However, the alcohol and bitter do not equal "crisp."  They can certainly contribute, they can even help make it dry, but this beer proves that they cannot stand alone.

Total 43/50

What can I say... another beer that I've possibly ruined by waiting too long to drink it.  In my defense, had it said anything on the label pertaining to style I might have made a more urgent effort to drink it.  As it stands, I can hardly believe that this is a red of any kind, let alone an imperial.  There are just so damn many flavors in this beer that I would never have expected in a red/amber.  Big props to Cigar City for that.  I can hardly imagine this beer with even more complexities added by fresh hops, but I can imagine it having more balance.  The mouthfeel and the appearance are also deserving of superlatives.  Now all I have to do is find a fresh bottle, no matter what style this year brings.

Cigar City - Good Gourd

I know... I know...  I said I was done with the pumpkin beers and honestly I thought I was.  I had completely exhausted my supply and so had the stores so that was the end of it, right?  Wrong.  My beer trading buddy Keith sent me a beer mail yesterday and it was a doozy!  Check out this quality selection!

L to R: Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA, DFH Punk'n Ale, Innis & Gunn Highland Cask,
Innis & Gunn Rum Cask, Cigar City Good Gourd, Sierra Nevada/DFH Life & Limb II

With that selection in mind, there will be two more pumpkin ale reviews before this year is finished. Tonight's happens to be for the larger of the two bottles, Cigar City's Good Gourd out of Tampa, FL. If you've been paying attention at all, you know I love pumpkin ales. So without any further ado, let's pour!

Aroma 10/12
"Pairings" seems to be the theme of the aroma.  Sweet pumpkin flesh abounds and is paired with heaps of brown sugar.  The blend of clove and cinnamon smells so good it makes me want to try it as an ice cream flavor.  A slightly earthier nutmeg appears behind the two primary spices as does a light warmth.  While, there's nothing innovative about what's going on here, this beer smells more like pumpkin pie that any I've tried.  The brown sugar aids that comparison immensely.

Appearance 3/3
This is the second beer in a row I've reviewed where the head alone deserves 3 points.  A moderately aggressive pour returns a huge, rising pillar of head that tries to escape my tulip the first chance it gets.  Subsequent pours from this 1 pint, 9.4 oz bottle even yielded and undesireably high amount of foam.  Once it has ascended it is no hurry to come back down.  This fluffy, tan crown resists falling and leaves a fair amount of lace.  The color is also fascinating.  I'm not sure what aspect in the beer would effect its opacity as such, but I've never seen a beer that has such a contrast in color from the center of the glass to the edges.  The center is so dark!  When held up and to the light, it's like a candle has been lit in the bottom with a glowing orange flicker, and the center is some darkened corner.  When simply placed in front of a light source it as handsome a shade of orange as any leaf in fall.

Another picture that does not do its beer any justice.

Flavor 16/20
There are no introductory flavors here!  The drinker is instantly immersed into a candied pumpkin flesh and soon has the brown sugar and caramel malts to join them.  As the beer is held in the mouth the sweetness dies down a bit and strikes more of an earthy spice note consisting of the nutmeg and cinnamon, in that order.  And even after that flavor fades away, a creamy note remains and is complimentary to the pumpkin's naturally smooth mouthfeel.  The finish is primarily brown sugar and spice with the pumpkin struggling to maintain its starring role.  There is a light bitter, but it seems to stem more from the earthy spice than any sort of contribution from a hop.  When these dark, earthy spices and the brown sugar/caramel mix in the aftertaste, it's a molasses-like combination and not an unpleasant end to the beer.

Mouthfeel 3/5
This is not your typical pumpkin beer.  Despite the higher alcohol content, the lighter malt presence yields a much smaller body than anticipated in a pumpkin seasonal.  This lighter malt content also results in an experience that doesn't possess the smoothness of most pumpkin seasonals.  In keeping with what must have been Cigar City's intentions, the carbonation is high.  Not just for the style, I mean the carbonation is really fizzy.  While it never becomes prickly nor distracting, it is an unusual to see this much carbonation in this style.  It also lends itself to extremely large-headed pours.  To its credit, the alcohol content is perfectly camouflaged other than the hint given in the aroma.

Overall Impression 8/10
While full of flavors and great aroma, this beer chose to be a lighter, more drinkable pumpkin ale than most found on the market.  The body feels light, the carbonation is bubbly and lively, and the taste is more like pie than some beers who choose to go a more "authentic" route.  Are any of those sentences a criticism?  No, it's simply what this beer is designed to do.  For what it's worth, it does them rather well.

Total 40/50
This is a craft beer designed to please the masses.  Wait, isn't that an oxymoron?  "Craft beer" and "the masses?"  Not in this case, it isn't.  It smells like pumpkin pie, tastes pretty darn good, hides its alcohol, and has a lighter, more drinkable body which is all the more aided by its high carbonation.  What's not to love?  This may be the perfect blend of being flavorful enough to satisfy the craft beer market (Namely, me.  I'd buy this again) and not being too big, scary, & bold to frighten off the experimental or occasional craft beer drinker.  Personally, I love a super-smooth, authentic pumpkin filled, malt-tastic, balanced, big ol' pumpkin beer.  This beer is not that, but it certainly has its place in the market and presents an welcome alternative.  Heck, it has even shown it has its place in two markets: hardcore craft beer & beyond.  If you like pumpkin beers, but wish they could be a little less "big" or "syrupy," then have I got a beer for you.

Cigar City Brewing - Jai Alai

It is only through a cruel trick of nature that I lived in Tampa, FL for two years and never found the time to visit Cigar City Brewing.  I somehow found the opportunity to visit Yuengling, but never Cigar City.  Don't ask.  Thankfully, my good drinkin' buddy Keith still resides down there and will send me the bottles that I cannot necessarily find around the rural midwest. This is one of those bottles.  I have had (and loved) the Cigar City stouts and other dark beers, but not really delved into their IPAs before.  That said, I have been looking forward to this for a while now.  Let's pour!

Pictue is my own.  Bottle image art used without permission for educational purposes only.

Aroma 11/12
This is a more citrusy version of an IPA, but still very attractive.  The first notes are honey and distinct grapefruit, but slowly show more lemon citrus as well.  Eventually the malt show up in the background as a light, sweet bready smell; almost that of enriched bread.  Even that is short lasting and the beer eventually settles into a crisp, clean citrus.  It smells like it will be a most quenching beer.


Appearance 3/3
A generous head appears like a cloudy, but remains smooth and avoids becoming lumpy.  The color is almost as attractive as the aroma.  A bright pumpkin orange, but with plenty of complimentary hues of copper, gold, ocher, and some that border on shades of red.

Picture is my own, but it appears darker than IRL in this photo.

Flavor 15/20
Crisp citrus is the first flavor to come aboard, but the malts are not far behind with their ladles full of caramel.  In an inverse from the aroma, there is barely any sweet bread flavor, but lots of caramel.  It also includes a slight citrus sweet.  The backbone is a larger picture of the same, plenty of malt sweetness that occasionally hints at raw sugar origins, combined with a lesser citrus, and... well, that's about it.  When held in the mouth it also yields a faint spice and even fainter bitter, but the malt in this IPA seems to dominate.  The finish is sweet, then clean, and only leaves a light-to-moderate bitter bite.  The aftertaste is faint at best is really only present as a slight bitter left on the sides of the tongue.

Mouthfeel 3/5
When I was more than halfway through the beer and finally read on the label that it had 7.5% ABV, I was pretty surprised.  Nowhere in this beer does that alcohol become apparent.  The body is medium to compliment some of the more refreshing characteristics of this beer, but it feels heavier with the extreme loss of carbonation at just past the halfway point.


Overall Impression 6/10
Excellent aroma and appearance.  Flavor is sweet for the style and many IPA drinkers, let alone hopheads, could be disappointed.  A nice entry into the style; like a Merlot that is not very dry, you have to start somewhere.  Perfectly camouflaged warmth earned points, but the syrupy characteristic given from the lackluster carbonation is not a selling point.  Looks like I will have to drink the next one more quickly.

Total 38/50
The scoring started high, but faltered a bit when the flavor turned out to be fairly basic and pretty malt-heavy for an IPA.  While far from a bad beer, I would feel more comfortable recommending this to someone that wants to get in to IPAs and not someone that currently loves them.  However, not every IPA has to be a complete ball busting, enamel melting, tongue stabber.  Some might care for this less aggressive offering.  I scored it lower not for its lack of zeal, but for a flavor that wasn't really complex and seemed to malt-laden for an IPA.

In this beer's defense, I am not exactly sure when it was bottled.  There are numbers on the bottle that read 04.0711.  While I've only held onto this bottle for less than a month, if it was bottled over 4 months ago, I can definitely say that the hop profile would be degraded and that the beer deserves a second chance.  That sounds like as good an excuse as any, right?