Cigar City José Martí American Porter - French Oak

Brewed by Cigar City Brewing
Style: Imperial/Strong Porter
Tampa, Florida USA

Serve in Snifter

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Appearance: charcoal and pitch under an espresso crema head. Swirls creamy, dark, and decadent with whispers of lace along the edges.
Nose: vanilla, caramel, and chocolate truffle. Sweet French oak in the back. Truffle powder and vanilla caramel nougats. Allusions of creamy decadence – vanilla cream. Cinnamon and nutmeg compliments the wood. Graham crackers in the middle.
Palate: frothy and creamy with more emphases on the creamy side. Creamy vanilla, caramel, and chocolate nougat. Oak, pine, and tree bark in the back. Slow supple dryness which hints at oak. Tartness weaves in and out – plum and grape skins. More oak, weaving in and out of the melted river of caramel, vanilla, and chocolate. Grows a tad spicier as it warms up.
Final Thoughts: I love me some wood…wood aged beers that is. Get your mind out of the gutter. Sheesh! The original Jose Marti American Porter is a hoppy chocolate roast delight while the limited release French Oak Spiral takes that, smoothes out some of the rough edges, and melts in decadent vanilla, caramel, and chocolate nougat. Fantabulous and definitely dessert worthy.

(Bottle 12/05-2012) Low brown head, dark black color, roasted wood aroma, sweet roasted taste.

CBC. Black with a brown head. Aroma is sweet, roasted malt, wood and ashy. Flavor is quite sweet and rather bitter. Dry and roasted rather bitter finish. 120512

Tap @ Copenhagen Beer Celebration. Pours dark brown with a tan head. Aroma is roasted malts, coffee, dark chocolate. Taste is malty, dark chocolate, coffee, oak, light spices. Medium body, lively carbonation. 120512

Bottled. A black beer with a dark brown head. The aroma has notes of caramel and roasted malt. The flavor is sweet with notes of roasted malt, caramel, and wood, leading to a dry alcoholic finish.

Bottle at CBC 2012. Pitch black coloured with a small beige head. Roasted aroma of dark chocolate and rubber with notes of licorice and oak. Sweet and roasted flavour of licorice and oak with notes of rubber. Roasted finish.

Bottle at CBC 2012. Black - offwhite head. Fruity, oakey, spicy, roasted, high malty, licorice, toasted, light bread notes, smokey notes, dark fruits, sweetness.

Bottle 75 cl. Pours black and opaque with a creamy light brown head. Thick, sweet roast aroma with a distinct edge of the slightly smoky French Oak - not really a favourite barrel of mine. Medium-bodied, dry roast, a little dried dark fruit and again these rather rustic notes. 120512

Bottle courtesy of CCB crew, thanks! Almost black, scant brown head. Aroma of vanilla and dark chocolate syrup. Taste is vanilla, chocolate, spice. I prefer the non-oaked version.

Bottle at CBC. Creamy lightbrown excellent fully lasting head. Black colour. Moderate malty and hoppy aroma. Chocolate notes. Moderate bitter flaor. Soapy/artificial notes. Long moderate bitter finish. Creamy palate. N ot my kind of porter.

75 cl bottle. Pours pitch black with a small tan head. Aroma is smooth roasted malty and light caramelish. Toasted malty and breadish, light liqourice note. Bitter and dry roasted into the finish. Dark chocolate touch.