The Dark Woods (2015)
Cigar City Brewing

The Dark Woods (2015)The Dark Woods (2015)
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From:
Cigar City Brewing
 
Florida, United States
Style:
Old Ale
ABV:
10.8%
Score:
87
Avg:
3.9 | pDev: 9.23%
Reviews:
22
Ratings:
106
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Sep 18, 2018
Added:
Sep 01, 2015
Wants:
  2
Gots:
  25
Old Ale brewed with molasses and aged on wood.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Keith_R:
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Rated by Keith_R from Georgia

4/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Jan 02, 2016
More User Ratings:
Photo of TheGent
Reviewed by TheGent from New Jersey

3.81/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
The aroma is subtle and semi-sweet. Notes of dark dried fruit like dates and raisins, some caramel, hazelnuts/chocolate spread (yes, I mean Nutella) and offset dry oak aroma. A touch ashy.

This beer has some upfront malt sweetness, but overall is relatively dry and slightly bitter. It’s quite nutty as well.

Very low carbonation and creamy smooth mouthfeel.

I’ve never had this beer fresh so I don’t know how it’s changed over time, but I can tell you that I am enjoying it with three years
Sep 18, 2018
 
Rated: 3.59 by Hop_God from California

Sep 02, 2018
 
Rated: 3.81 by cd34 from Illinois

Jul 19, 2018
Photo of eppie82
Rated by eppie82 from Illinois

3.85/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Bottle into snifter. Deep brown, amber color. Caramel, molasses, sweeter tasting with some mild oakiness. Very barleywine like.
Aug 22, 2017
Photo of JebBeerFish
Reviewed by JebBeerFish from New Hampshire

4.2/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
I have been hanging onto some bottles for too long, and this was part of my effort to reduce the older bottles. Given the rating on this beer, my expectations were lowered going in.

A: Light Toffee color, almost no head on gentle pour.

N: Candied fruits, figs, vanilla.

T: Figs, Vanilla, Caramel, Scotch. As this beer warmed, it tasted more like an English Barleywine than an Old Ale; but
English Barley wines and Old Ales might be kinfolk.

O: I was pleasantly surprised by this beer. Although I have not had a lot of Cigar City beers, this might be one of the best I have had.
May 16, 2017
 
Rated: 3.98 by PBRmeasap1980 from Indiana

May 09, 2017
 
Rated: 4.05 by CurtisD from Canada (NB)

Apr 05, 2017
 
Rated: 3.85 by nickfl from Florida

Mar 10, 2017
 
Rated: 4 by kylehay2004 from Illinois

Mar 10, 2017
Photo of Stevedore
Reviewed by Stevedore from Oregon

3.66/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
650ml bottle. Served in a snifter glass. Pours a murky medium brown body with a slight toffee hue, one finger offwhite head, fair retention, not a ton of lacing. Smell is of butterscotch, toffee, caramel, brown sugar, light oak. Malty, but not in a terrible way. Flavour is more butterscotch but with a bit of an astringent bitter oak to balance things out, brown sugar, toffee, grainy malt sweetness. Mouthfeel is medium bodied, good carbonation, bitter oak on the finish. Malty as intended, solid but nothing to write home about.
Feb 10, 2017
 
Rated: 3.77 by Ristaccia from Nebraska

Jan 18, 2017
 
Rated: 4.23 by bcsbeer from Florida

Dec 10, 2016
Photo of sulldaddy
Reviewed by sulldaddy from Connecticut

4.79/5  rDev +22.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75
This bottle was a gift from MHorridge during a visit to Tampa this past spring. Was a great visit and Im thinking this beer is a continuation of the good times.
Pouring the cellar temp 22 oz bottle into a Westmalle chalice. The beer pours a rich, clear mahogany color that reveals bright ruby highlights when held to a light. Several lazy streams of carbonation rise to the surface, but only a minimal fizzy head of .5 cm foams up and fades soon after the pour. The aroma is all malt with brown sugar, some toffee and a bit of fruit, which I think is figs. I like the nose, there is also a bit of a boozy note as a warning that this beer packs a little punch.
First sip reveals a silky smooth texture with average to thick body and quite a sticky finish, coating my palate after each swallow. Carbonation is very small but a little tingly on my tongue. Very drinkable beer for the size.
Flavor is as the nose advertised with a lot of malt complexity, brown sugar and figs here again. But now I also get a little molasses and some mild smoke notes. I also get black peppery alcohol bite, but not really any warming notes on the swallow. Well hidden booziness in this bottle!
I really like this style and love this example. Lots of malt and some sweetness, well hidden booze, and soothing physical characteristics.
VERY glad to have tried this one and very appreciative of the gift from MHorridge. I would love to have more of these just to enjoy the beer again.
Sep 05, 2016
 
Rated: 3.75 by JamLand from District of Columbia

Aug 13, 2016
 
Rated: 3.86 by BeerOps from Illinois

Aug 04, 2016
Photo of Marius
Rated by Marius from Netherlands

4.33/5  rDev +11%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
On tap at CBC 2016, day 2. Dried fruit, caramel and dried fruit (figs, cherries, prunes). Bourbon too, smooth and enjoyable.
Aug 02, 2016
 
Rated: 4.21 by cuvtcuv from Florida

Jul 22, 2016
Photo of Myotus
Reviewed by Myotus from Texas

3.61/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Poured at 50°F from a 22oz bottle (bottled on 29Oct15) into a pint glass. Consumed on 17Jun16.
LOOK: A fingers worth of dark khaki foam is formed after pouring. The foam head dissipates into a khaki line within thirty seconds. Mahogany in color with an extreme amount of cloudiness. Riding bubbles are not visible, but rather a large amount of small yeast particles floating throughout the glass. Lacing is thin and subtle.
SMELL: Mild aromas of molasses, leather, tree nuts, plums, and figs combine with subtle bitter hop, sweet chocolate, earthy yeast, and oak aromas along with hints of smokiness to orchestrate a mildly sweet aroma that is well balanced.
TASTE: Mild molasses, fig, plum, and bitter hop flavors instantly bring a balanced flavor profile. Balance is lost as mild tree nut and leather flavors flow in next, but bitter hop flavors grow much stronger. Mild flavors of chocolate and oak along with subtle smokey flavors attempt to sedate the bitterness, but fail to do so. A subtle earthy yeast flavor and whispers of booziness finish off the brew as all previous flavors now maintain, including the bitter hops.
FEEL: Full-bodied with subtle quantities of carbonation. This goes down smooth and creamy while also clinging to the back of the throat like syrup. The beer finishes with a strong and unpleasant dryness Due to the high bitterness. A mild and welcoming alcoholic warmth can be felt as it travels down the throat.
NOTE: Some people love the bitterness. That's personally not for me. I felt like every other characteristic of the flavor profile was well executed.
Jun 17, 2016
 
Rated: 4.16 by sendbeer from Georgia

Jun 12, 2016
The Dark Woods (2015) from Cigar City Brewing
Beer rating: 87 out of 100 with 106 ratings