Cigar City Hunahpu’s Imperial Stout

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

Serve in Snifter

send corrections   |   shelftag   |   edit barcodes   |   update pic

UPDATED: MAR 19, 2011 Re-rate 2011... This year’s release has more chocolate, more cinnamon and more chili warmth... all without going completely overboard... it’s the cinnamon that’s grabbing me by the short ’n’ curlies and making me fall in love with this beer all over again. Knocks the bourbon barrel version out of my personal top ten... unless this year’s bourbon barrel version ends up winning its top ten ranking back.***Original rating = 4.5*** Draft… This beer rocks!… Pitch black ale with a mid-sized, creamy, brown head. Nice retention. The aroma is of chocolate and tobacco with a smidgen of chili spiciness. Full-bodied with a thick, oily mouthfeel and restrained carbonation. Big, singed, chocolate and tobacco flavor. Generous hop and black malt bitterness. Suggestions of ginger and cinnamon. Acrid, bitter finish. Another world class big beer from Joey and Wayne!

Wowzers! Bottle shared by jbye4334. Pours opaque with a large, dark brown head, lasting with good lacing. Aroma is dark chocolate, caramel, toffee malt, cinnamon, peppers, vanilla, light alcohol, figs, and prunes. I could smell this all night and not get tired of this wonderful aroma. Flavor is chocolate, dark malt, cinnamon, peppers, vanilla, alcohol, fig, raisins, prunes; smooth and velvety. Full body, creamy texture, moderate carbonation. This one lives up to the hype.

2 glasses at BBA Bolita Party- I am so lucky to live nearby the brewery. I can’t stop thinking about this one. It really is that good. I have had all the other top rated Imperial stouts, and this one DESTROYS them. If you can get this one, do it. Plan your next vacation around it. The texture is mind boggling, the flavor so uncannily balanced, the subtle tingle of the pepper heat . . . This beer is legendary. And Cigar City will will be as well. All their scores are totally legit and you need to drink the beers.

Had on cask at red-light red-light. Smells of cigars, hops, and grass. Very murky and deep brown. It’s an amazing, if not perfect, imperial stout.

UPDATED: FEB 20, 2010 rerate: Black as hell. Stained the glass yellow as you swirl it. Nose is Candy, loads of chocolate, sweet malts, dark fruit, smokey cocoa, burnt hot chocolate ... i could smell this all day. Flavor is spicy pepper, subtle. Loads of cocoa, some roast malts, vanilla, sweet malt, toffee, caramel, slight coffee. Mouthfeel is FULL, oily, creamy ... amazing. Smooth as hell. The last taste i had was about 1 oz. tonight i had a few snifters. This is THE best Imperial Stout I have ever tried. Hands down.

UPDATED: NOV 4, 2010 holy hell! tasted multiple times on draft at Brewvival in Charleston, SC a few months back and rated from a 750ml bottle as a crazy bonus courtesy of ibrew2or3. thanks so much, dave! so this is the brew i chose for my 100th imperial stout rating and my 700th overall rating. what a great fucking choice! pours a ridiculously thick, crude oil black with a creamy, two-finger, south carolina red-clay head and drippy, oily lacing. aroma is absolutely amazing and unique beyond comparison with huge notes of roasted malts, dark chocolate brownie edges, spiced cedar, and light coffee backed by spicy, smoked chili peppers, jalepeno seeds, vanilla beans, and fresh cinnamon sticks with hints of cigar ash, dark fruits, and bbq charcoal as it warms. flavor is as close to a perfect nectar of the gods as you can get with massive, dark chocolate fudge, burnt coffee beans, and charred malts up front backed by smooth, tart, dark fruits, cedar, cinnamon bread, and earthy, smokey chilis with just a touch of heat followed by rich vanilla, cohiba smoke, and burnt toffee on the finish. palate is sublimely rich, velvety, and smooth on the tongue with perfect carbonation and an insanely complex finish. overall, this is absolutely the most unique imperial stout i’ve ever tasted and is close to the single best brew that’s ever crossed my lips. unbelievable.

Rating #400 The best beer I’ve ever had. Draft at the BBA Bolita Release party. Nose is intense chocolate and layers of chocolate malt backed by crazy pepper spice. Pitch black with a gorgeous chocolate colored head with huge staying power. Leaves oily sheeting on the glass. Magnificent. Flavor is Tons of Cocoa and Vanilla up front. Tons of rich cinnamon and coffee abound. Massive pepper notes that are in perfect balance with the roastiness of the beer. This is just a marvel.

UPDATED: APR 10, 2010 Growler from Big Z Beverage. Pours black with a small but long-lasting dark tan/reddish head. Super pretty head. Aroma of bitter chocolate, lots of cocoa, tons of graham cracker (including some cinnamon), roasted malt, toffee, vanilla, oak. Flavor is quite chocolatey up front with a definite peppery spice note and a chalky, chocolatey finish. Graham cracker still present but less so. As I continue to drink, the pepper/chile spiciness really starts to heat up my mouth. This is one of the most chocolatey beers I’ve ever had. One of the most unique and well crafted imperial stouts out there. I’m proud to award this beer my first ever 5.0. 10/5/10/5/20 [5/5]

UPDATED: JUN 28, 2009 This is the best beer I have ever had. And its not even close. On tap at the BB Bolita release. Black pour with a nice small brown head. Aroma. Hell where do I start? With the wood aromas? The best smelling chocolate ever? The hints of asphalt, coffee and smoke? Or how about hints of rich chili peppers? Or maybe the vanilla, and spice notes. And the flavor? My god. It is intense, smooth, rich, robust, overstated on some levels, and understated on levels. Tons of chocolate, vanilla, some boozy notes, peppers, chili peppers, molasses, cinnamon, and damn it just keeps going and going. One thing I forgot to mention was the slightest hint of heat that creeps up after a few sips. I think thie heat helps cover the alcohol. Because I tasted no alcohol at all. WOW. I may drop all my previous 5 ratings because this is the best beer on earth. End of story.

Rating #900. LIVE RATE! Huge thanks to dakine for sharing the goodness. Pours a viscous black color with an intimidating reddish-brown head. One of the best looking beers I’ve ever seen. Smells richly of green chiles, milk cocoa, and coffee grounds. Tastes overwhelmingly of each with added notes of toasted malt, pepper jack, cough syrup, and soy sauce. I really didn’t think this could meet my expectations, but IT DOES. FML.