Cigar City First Account Stout

Brewed by Cigar City Brewing
Style: Imperial Stout
Tampa, Florida USA

Serve in Snifter

send corrections   |   shelftag   |   edit barcodes   |   add pic

First, a big thanks to Brent and Teege at Redlight Redlight for having the best beer bar in Florida. Second, thanks to Joey and Wayne for brewing something special for these guys. You are all ambassadors to the craft beer world. Pours a thick and oily black color with a dark chocolate milk colored head. The first thing I smell is strong gourmet black licorice. Really, the blend of all the aromas smells like the licorice. Upon further analysis, one can pick out each individual scent. Hops, coffee, cocoa and even the cedar are all there. The flavor is just as intense and complex and the aromas would suggest. The first thing that hits is a bitterness from a combination of the hops, bitter cocoa and cedar aging. This is almost the tri-force for bitterness in a stout. I can’t think of anything like it, and it is amazing. A little sweetness from the cocoa is also in there, reminiscent of dark chocolate, and then the bitter finish with just a touch of coffee. The finish lingers for days. Another amazing stout from Cigar City. They are quickly becoming the best in the business at stouts and browns. Great complexity, originality and overall flavor. This kicks ass.

Entering old rates. Draft @ RedLight, Orlando, RBWG 2010, thanks Brent. Noire huile moteur, col moka. Pas mal de malt grille, torréfié avec ajout super de Naviera, profile houblon modéré rajoutant une note d’amertume. Cèdre est bien présent et se marie bien avec un profile dominé par un malt quasi torréfié. Agréable de voir comment le tout vient en synergie entre le côté grains/malt, houblon et l’amer, le café et le boisé épicé du cèdre.

RBWG 2010. Pours an inky black body with a small wispy brown head. The nose is roasty, chocolaty, and on the sweeter side. Some light hops, coffee, and a touch of alcohol. The flavor is roasty, burnt, and smoky with a luscious dark chocolate finish and a touch of citrusy hops. Can’t say I got a whole lot of the wood character in this though. Medium to full bodied with light fizzy carbonation. NIce.

Aroma has bitter roasted malts, dry wood and some wood and leaves. Flavor is bitter, toast, burnt roasted malts and finishes dry. Not bad, a bit on the bitter coffee side.

draft at RBWG pours black with a medium tan head. Aroma is soapy with roasted coffee and chocolate and toffee. Silky smooth body with earthy coffee and wood notes, lots of roasted malt character. Nice stuff.

On draft at Red Light x 2, for RBWG weekend/Grand Tasting. Did not see this one coming! Was trying to rid the BBQ’ed pneguin taste of TNP from my mouth when all of a sudden someone plunks this baby down in front of me. Aroma is bitter chocolate, coffee, some faint vanilla, earthy notes . . . some smokiness too.The palate is very nice, strong coffee & dark chocolate right up front. Did not get the vanilla from the nose, but did note the smoke from the aroma as well. This is like a guiness on steroids and then sent to finishing school. Got a little bit of hoppiness and cinnamon in the back palate. Very well rounded, full bodied & delicious. Thanks again to RL/RL for this unexpected treat!

Draft. Pours a black roast y body with a tan head. Roast y malt, vanilla, light pepper tones and a mild vanilla sweetness. Hints of coffee and a wood y peat tones, mild chocolate malt. Nice.

Draft at RL, RL for RBWG. A total suprise. Nose is dark chocolate, light smoke, and coffee. Flavor is big huge coffee roast up front with some dark bitter chocolate nice smokey character that shows up in their Dry Stout as well. Some cinmnamon and light vanilla. Spicey light hoppy finish with tons of roast character. Big body and a heck of a fine beer.

(Draught) Pours an opaque black body with a medium tan head. Aroma of roasted malt, licorice, grapefruit, caramel, pineapple, cocoa, and cedar. Flavor of roasted malt, fennel, anise, dates, pineapple, coffee, chocolate, and cedar with a dry finish.

Date: March 13, 2010
Mode: Draft
Source: Tasting, RBWG 2010
Appearance: black, fine tan head, bits of lace
Aroma: big roasted aroma, lots of dark chocolate, touch of caramel sweetness
Body: velvet body
Flavor: rich dark chocolate flavor, lots of roasted with a coffee character, long dark chocolate finish
Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 9/10; Overall: 14/20
Rating: 3.7/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: *** /4

Had on tap at Redlight Redlight during RBWG 2010. Chocolate, bitter roast, lots of good stuff going on here. Really glad they made it for them!