Jai Alai IPA - Spanish Cedar (Humidor Series)
Cigar City Brewing

Jai Alai IPA - Spanish Cedar (Humidor Series)Jai Alai IPA - Spanish Cedar (Humidor Series)
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From:
Cigar City Brewing
 
Florida, United States
Style:
American IPA
Ranked #1,274
ABV:
7.5%
Score:
89
Ranked #12,480
Avg:
3.96 | pDev: 14.14%
Reviews:
523
Ratings:
1,346
Status:
Active
Rated:
Oct 29, 2023
Added:
May 26, 2009
Wants:
  195
Gots:
  114
This unique IPA shares all the tropical and citrus flavors of our Jai Alai IPA but with an added dimension imparted by Spanish cedar, the same wood used to make cigar humidors. Wood from the Cedrela odorata tree is added post-fermentation to impart notes of sandalwood and cracked black pepper, adding depth of flavor and accentuating the IPA’s moderate bitterness.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by largadeer:
Photo of largadeer
Reviewed by largadeer from California

2/5  rDev -49.5%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2
Appearance: Murky amber with a sticky white head. Good lacing, good retention, clarity could be much improved.

Smell: Intensely woody with a bit of citrusy hops beneath. Some oxidation as well. A cedar overload.

Taste/mouthfeel: Woody, tannic, borderline astringent cedar overpowers the hops and malts both. I get a bit of citrusy hops mid-palate, and no malt to speak of. Bitter tannic finish, it seems like the astringency comes from the wood more than the hops, and there's a noticeable lingering wet paper flavor. Decent, not great.
Sep 14, 2009
More User Ratings:
Photo of Rynocat
Rated by Rynocat from Florida

5/5  rDev +26.3%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Jai alai is always a go to ipa but that smoky wood Spanish cedar flavor adds a whole extra layer of amazingness, really like the taste on this one.
Oct 29, 2023
Photo of cyclonece09
Reviewed by cyclonece09 from Wisconsin

3.94/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured from a can into a pint glass. Pours orange red with a fluffy white head. Smells of cedar wood with citrus notes. Tastes of citrus hops with cedar afternotes. Beer is light bodied and easy drinking, good carbonation. Overall, a very good beer.
Sep 18, 2023
 
Rated: 3.75 by wvsabbath from West Virginia

May 19, 2023
 
Rated: 3.86 by JamieDuncan from Maryland

May 08, 2023
 
Rated: 4.08 by soarinsteven from Illinois

Mar 28, 2023
 
Rated: 3.77 by Gerred from Missouri

Mar 20, 2023
Photo of JohnniEMc
Reviewed by JohnniEMc from Pennsylvania

4.34/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Two twelve ounce cans now have their erstwhile contents resting inside a clear glass liter mug. Ample carbonation maintains a lovely off-white head. The brew's color is light and bright copper-amber. Perhaps Spanish cedar is not as aromatic as its mid-eastern cousin, because there's little here to smell. Even the hops and malt seemed subdued. But the taste is full-flavored. It's a wonderful AIPA that mostly matches the original Jai Alai. There's just a little woodsy extra that, rather than many bourbon barrel aged ones, adds a subtle taste layer, rather than becoming dominant over all. With the original already one of the great ones, this takes its place beside it as a nice alternative. There's even some nice glass lacing.
Mar 06, 2023
 
Rated: 4.23 by TangoJuliet from New York

Mar 05, 2023
 
Rated: 4.1 by Hefsbeercaps from Ohio

Mar 05, 2023
 
Rated: 3.06 by moonmopus from Illinois

Feb 24, 2023
 
Rated: 4 by Barleycorn from Pennsylvania

Feb 11, 2023
Photo of Griffin2
Reviewed by Griffin2 from Virginia

3.87/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Poured from a 12 oz can dated 10/24/2022 into a Willi Becher pint glass.
L - Pours a medium amber color with 2 fingers of white head.
S - Smells of citrus.
T - Tastes of citrus and caramel malt, with some cedar on the finish.
F - Medium body and carbonation.
O - Tasty erosion of Jai Alai.
Feb 04, 2023
 
Rated: 3.97 by DarrellK from Florida

Jan 08, 2023
 
Photo of whitro17
Reviewed by whitro17 from Florida

4/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Look - golden amber with a small head
Smell - cracked pepper, woody, citrus
Taste - cracked pepper, spice, citrus pith, sweet malt and hop finish
Feel - medium mouthfeel and carbonation
Overall - Sandalwood and cracked pepper seem to dominate. Good brew that I enjoyed while listening to Spanish Caravan by The Doors.
Dec 23, 2022
Photo of MadMadMike
Reviewed by MadMadMike from France

4.21/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Cold 12 ounce tap hit at Cigar City Brewing, in a snifter.
Presented to the beer mat golden orange, with a full inch of rich foam, lively bubbles working their way up to join in.
The aroma is Jai Alai and very obvious cedar wood.
Taste is juicy Jai Alai, sipped with a straw off a cedar deck. It’s very well balanced - the wood could have taken over if not so appropriately measured. Lingering finish of black pepper and a pleasant bitterness.
Feel is classic Jai Alai, but slightly thicker, it seems. Medium carb.
Overall, a very creative, different, and quite delicious IPA.
Oct 14, 2022
Photo of Nass
Reviewed by Nass from Florida

3.89/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
The pour is dark orange colored with some sediment floating around. The taste is tropical fruits & cracked pepper. I actually prefer this over the regular Jai Alai IPA, Cheers! B
Mar 01, 2022
 
Rated: 4.12 by Abe_Froman from Massachusetts

Nov 26, 2021
Photo of BB1313
Reviewed by BB1313 from Ohio

4.28/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Canned on 8/4/21. 12oz can poured into a tulip. Pours a glowing burnt golden with some haze; fluffy off-white head that fades leaving solid retention and sticky lacing. The aromas have some peach and apricot. Hints of caramel. Malts are there. The flavors are very unique. The Spanish cedar really shines. The cedar really gives this one a strong woodsy vibe. More peach and apricot. Some lemon and grapefruit. Some pine. Some black pepper in the mix. Some crackers as well. Nice bitterness. Low to no sweetness. Malts do their thing while actually taking a backseat. Finishes dry. Alcohol goes unnoticed. Mouthfeel is very nice. It's medium-bodied with active carbonation. It's sharp, crisp, slick, smooth and easy to drink.

This is an extremely unique IPA, and I mean that in a great way. It has a royal and regal vibe to it. The Spanish cedar is absolutely the star. The cedar gives this one lots of complexity and depth. The hop bill is alright, but their use of cedar is eye opening. The craftsmanship and execution is very impressive. The uniqueness is why I'm rating it so high.
Sep 25, 2021
Jai Alai IPA - Spanish Cedar (Humidor Series) from Cigar City Brewing
Beer rating: 89 out of 100 with 1346 ratings