Cigar City White Oak Jai Alai

Brewed by Cigar City Brewing
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Tampa, Florida USA

Serve in Shaker, Tulip

send corrections   |   shelftag   |   edit barcodes   |   add pic

Filled Last night; Sampled January 2011
A big pour into my CCB snifter produces a two finger thick, light, almost pale, tan colored head that leaves some sticky lacing as it slowly subsides.. The beer is a red-amber-copper color that shows a barely hazed, pale amber / copper hue when held up to the light. For a half second the aroma smells only of herbal hops, but then a buttery oak character kicks in as well as a light woody spiciness and an almost fruity, fresh cut wood character (this last must be influenced by the hop fruitiness). The oak influences the hop character to lean more towards the herbal side than the regular version does, and it also brings out a surprising note of floral pear. It is weird, the huge hop fruit character somehow lurks furtively in the background, but at the same time is on the verge of seeming huge here in the nose; it definitely suggests at tropical fruit and when you really dig the finish is quite dominated by a uniquely singular grapefruit zest aroma (this last is not a suggestion of such an aroma as in every other IPA I have had, but instead smells exactly like grapefruit zest).

A nice biting bitterness closely followed by grapefruit and tangelo citrus notes greets my tongue up front. A bright tropical fruit character is found towards the middle in finish (much more apparent than in the nose) and the oak brings out some pear notes here as well. The finish is quite smooth, with an initial bitterness sort of morphing into a lightly spicy oak character and then just melting into a mix of buttery oak and pear / tropical fruit character with really no lingering bitterness at all; it is as if the oak neutralizes the bitterness in the finish somehow. There is quite a bit of green, sort of fruity (this last is clearly influenced by the hops), fresh woodiness towards the finish of this beer and this also accentuates herbal hop notes that lean towards mint, rosemary and perhaps a hint of sage. This has a fullness to it that is not heavy, and it suggests at the caramel malt character that is here; this last really melds into the buttery oak character such that it isn’t as noticeable as it was in the regular Jai Alai.

This beer is quite interesting, the oak definitely adds complexity and the notes it brings to the game are nice, but actually negatively impacts the overall balance and composition of the beer (especially since the straight Jai Alai is so fresh in my mind). Still, this is quite enjoyable, I would almost always choose the regular version over this, or even the Cedar version is better, but I truly am quite happy to be drinking this right now (I am perhaps a bit overly disappointed only because I am making a mental comparison to the regular version I had last night).

Bottle shared at Ale Alpharetta. Thanks Donnie. Pours a hazy, amber orange with an off white head. This bottle may of been a bit past its prime, but that turned it into a completely different beast I imagine. Super oaky, vanills and slight citrus nose. Taste is more oak, then some oak, with some sweet malt and a tad bitterness. Quite nice and I would love to taste a fresh one.

Bottle split with mcberko. Pours murky copper with a white ring of head. Aroma of caramel malts, some molasses, tropical fruits, wood and fresh leaves. Flavour the same, very little oak, resin and earth. Nicely done, good flavour profile, lasting bitterness, good.

Pours amber with a large beige head. Aroma is malt, tropical fruit, oak, black berries and light perfume. Flavour is malt, oak, tropical fruit, black berries and light alcohol.

Pours a clear and copper beer with a white head. The aroma is malt, caramel, dried fruit, oak and blackcurrant. The flavor follows the nose. The palate is bitterness and sweetness. Overall a good and complex beer.

Amber gold colour, white head. Aroma of apple sauce, caramel, mint, spices and wood, with a hoppy background. Flavour quite bitter hops, apple, malts, hops, quite fresh but still noticeable wood tones. Hoppy finish with some light wood tones. Nice.
(From 35cL bottle shared @ ZZT3, Oirschot. Bottle from trade with mikem409, thanks, my friend!)

33cl bottle @ ZZT III. Courtesy of Martinus. Clear orange color, small white to off-white head that becomes a white lacing quickly. Smell hops, pine, some sweetness. Taste pine, hops, some wine indeed. Soft mouthfeel, bitter finish, medium body.

Bottle thx to martinus@zzt3. Slightly hazy orange colour with a lacing white head. Smells caramel, wood, hoppy. Tastes sweet, hoppy, deep, barley wine. Sticky palate, thick, sweet. Little carbo. Nice one.

Bottle thanks to newcigarz! Dark hazy orange pour, light amount of lasting carbonation and a syrupy cask hop aroma. Flavor is slick and sweet hops melded with nice white oak flavor and woody dryness all the way through. Very good, cask like flavor out of a bottle!

From notes. First reviewed 1/31/2011. Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a pint glass. Out of the bottle this pours a cloudy tangerine color with a great off-white head. The head retains nicely and leaves a variable web of lacing down the sides of the glass. The aroma is just perfect. The white oak really comes through nicely. White oak, pineapple, white grapefruit, tangerine, orange blossoms, and some sweet pale and caramel malt in the background. Sweet honey and pale malt up front sets the table for the hops. Juicy pineapple, grapefruit, and tangerine flavors burst onto my palate. The white oak really helps to smooth all of the flavors out. White Oak Jai Alai shares the mouthfeel characteristics with its base beer. Smooth and creamy, even buttery, it is very juicy up front and gradually dries out toward the end. A light stickiness is present throughout and lingers after the finish. The hoppy bitterness pulls on the taste buds a little bit. I absolutely loved the effect the White Oak had on the original beer. It added new depth and a flavor profile I am not really familiar with. Maybe the novelty will wear off after trying it a few more times, but for right now, this is one of my favorite IPA’s.

Draft at cigar city, golden orange slightly hazed pour. Oaky aroma, pineapple notes. Tanning lotion, coconut, piña colada, oak notes. Very flavorful and balanced. Very good