Cigar City Humidor Series IPA
I didn’t hesitate to buy this beer when i saw it–I’ve been hearing about Cigar City’s Humidor Series for a while now, and dying to try anything. This beer evidently won a gold medal at the 2009 GABF, so it certainly has some hype to live up to. Does it? For the most part, yes. The beer pours with a bone white head,and a hazy deep-amber color. The aroma is mildly hoppy, with piney notes blended with pineapple hints–a familiar characteristic of wood-aged ales. The aroma is complex and lively, as compared to the more straightfoward Dogfish Head Burton Baton (which is one of my favorites, actually). The flavor is sharp and bitter right away, with bright carbonation–there is a strong citrus flavor, that only slightly fades into the wood-flavor. The aftertase stays dry and hoppy, with the same slight wood taste and mild alcohol.
Honestly I expected a stronger wood taste from this ale. Other examples (see my other reviews) in this style have a much more unique character. Certainly this is a fine Double/Imperial IPA, but if I hadn’t known this was wood-aged by the label, I would not have guessed it by the taste. I’d recommend paring this with pizza, lamb, a sharp cheddar, or chips and mild guacamole.
