Batch #69 Double Cream Ale - Palm Ridge Reserve Barrel Aged
Cigar City Brewing

Beer Geek Stats
From:
Cigar City Brewing
 
Florida, United States
Style:
American Strong Ale
ABV:
9.5%
Score:
Needs more ratings
Avg:
3.71 | pDev: 9.16%
Reviews:
8
Ratings:
9
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Sep 28, 2013
Added:
Jan 13, 2011
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  0
Aged in a Palm Ridge Reserve whiskey barrel.
Recent ratings and reviews.
 
Rated: 3.5 by WynnO from Florida

Sep 28, 2013
Photo of mikesgroove
Reviewed by mikesgroove from South Carolina

4.42/5  rDev +19.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
rich color, with slight reddish tints, but mostly just a deep russet brown. A smallish maybe one finger high head

Lots of wood and oak like aroma mixed in as well. I had to let this one sit and warm up to see what else was going to be coming through from it. The next whiff was much more complex then the first. Lots of oak notes still underlying, however these were now being layered in with a good bit of dark fruity notesspiced alcohol was the first thing that I noticed, kinda hot, but as it warmed it mellowed out and by the end of the session had all but blended into the background and simply become an outstanding ale. Loads of dark fruit notes were permeating through the flavor.Figs all very discernable in the flavor and really adding balance to it as they melded together. Lots of spice here as well, very big. The notes of oak and wood in the flavor were clearly becoming evident as it warmed, giving it a very subtle, yet very powerful presence.
Sep 19, 2011
Photo of Gueuzedude
Reviewed by Gueuzedude from Arizona

3.65/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Sampled at Redlight Redlight; January 2011
The beer has a red gold color to it and is topped by a pale colored head of froth. The aroma has a huge vanilla component to it and is somehow floral, but also has a creamed-corn like note to it somehow. There is a graininess to the nose and this definitely smells sweet with a honey like malt character. There is quite a bit of fruitiness to the nose as well.

The Whiskey influence is much bigger in the flavor than it was in the nose, though it isn’t overdone here. This has a creamy texture to it, but there is a nice, off-setting, fizzy carbonation that helps to keep this somewhat light on the palate. The combination of barrel influence and alcohol makes the finish a bit hot, spicy and it also has a touch of astringency to it. I like that this has a nice, light sweetness to it; this accentuates an ample fruitiness; the fruit notes remind me of pears and green apples, though without the usual tartness that one would find in such fruit. There is a touch of toasted coconut flavors as well as a definite vanillin influence from the Whiskey barrel. Again I am noticing the spicy oak and heat in the finish. A sharp, astringently, fresh-cut planks of wood character that really lingers on the palate after each sip. This is actually not as Whiskey like as I expected, for some reason I am noticing the oak, more than the Whiskey notes (if that makes any sense) that are actually somewhat subtle, while the oak is definitely not subtle here. This beer has a nice complexity to it, it is definitely interesting, though I think it could be a bit better smooth
Jun 10, 2011
Photo of Sean9689
Reviewed by Sean9689 from Illinois

3.49/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Thanks to Miami JW for the growler. Shared with "the crew" before Night of the Living Ales @ Goose. Smart idea? Prolly not.

A - Pours a mirky brownish color, little to know head, some single bubbles here and there, no lacing or retention. Not much to look at, really.

S - Coconuts, oak, whiskey...that's basically it. The coconut and whiskey dominates the nose.

T - Huge whiskey, oak, sweet sugars, coconut. It's mostly coconut and whiskey, very sweet. That said, I like coconut and whiskey. There's really no evidence of the base beer, it's been destroyed.

M - Light to medium, little to no carbonation, creamy finish.

D - This is a one and done for me, although I didn't hate it, it wasn't much anything to shake a stick at compared to other limited CCB brews I've had. Glad I was able to try it, that's about it.
Mar 08, 2011
Photo of jrallen34
Reviewed by jrallen34 from Illinois

3.47/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Growler thanks to Sean, served in a perfect pint glass... Pours a medium clear copper, a hint of orange... The aroma is super sweet, orange creamyness, with tons of coconut and whiskey. Interesting but just way too sweet for me... The taste takes the sweetness to extremes, this is small serve sipper, tons of whiskey and coconut again, generic wood and cream. If you like coconut its worth trying.
Mar 07, 2011
Photo of MasterSki
Reviewed by MasterSki from Canada (ON)

3.35/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Thanks to Sean for sharing this rarity. Served in a Heady Topper stange glass.

A - This growler was a little long in tooth, but a hard pour roused a finger of big-bubbled foam that lingered. The body was a hazed orange-brown color.

S - Whiskey, coconut, fruity notes, and some obvious alcohol.

T - Butterscotch, buttery malt, a whiskey finish, and some tannic astringency as well.

M - Carbonation is very low, and the body is super creamy and smooth. There's some alcohol warmth as well.

D - Meh. My life is no better for having had this beer. For Cigar City fanatics only. I'm curious what the base beer tasted like, as it's been totally obliterated by the Palm Ridge whiskey barrels.
Mar 07, 2011
Photo of Jefe73
Reviewed by Jefe73 from Florida

4.12/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Picked up a couple growlers at the Cigar City tasting room last week and this one was of definite interest.

Growler... Aged in Palm Ridge Reserve whiskey barrells, pours a deep-golden ale with a mid-sized, creamy, white head. The nose is fruity, plum-like and oaken with mild notes of bourbon and vanilla. Full-bodied and incredibly smooth with light carbonation. The flavor is very tasty - bittersweet with the perfect measure of bourbon flavor and warmth. Lengthy bittersweet finish with a splash of bourbon as the finale.
Jan 14, 2011
Photo of nhindian
Reviewed by nhindian from Pennsylvania

3.51/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
32oz growler graciously shared by russwbeck. Thanks, Russ! Poured into a Great Lakes snifter.

This is Cigar City's newest rendition of Double Cream variations, this time aging the ale in Tampa's very own Palm Ridge Reserve bourbon barrels.

A - Pours a burnished copper with only the slightest sliver of creamy head. As to be expected, it didn't last long and it didn't leave much lacing behind. All signs pointing that this growler is just a bit over the hill and is a bit flat. Hazy body with no carbonation streams.

S - Smell is all focused on the barrel here. Heavy bourbon with some sweet tones of vanilla and malt. A bit of a biscuit quality. Reminds me of a less-sweet Weyerbacher 'Insanity' in the way the barrel comes through here.

T - Unfortunately, I think the barrel aging really overshadows the base beer here. I haven't had a chance to try the original Double Cream, but I find it hard to pick much out besides the obvious bourbon, vanilla, and oak. A touch of smoke. Certainly a sweet beer and it does have a hoppy finish to it as well. Finish is long and full of rich bourbon.

M - Medium bodied and unfortunately a few shades flat. Bourbon coats the palate long after the sip is finished but isn't incredibly hot.

D - Drinkability is moderate. While it's tough to discern the base beer from this, the bourbon is smooth and picks up the barrel notes well. I would like to see it toned down a little just to bring more characteristics out, but while this beer is a noted sipper, it is tasty.
Jan 14, 2011
Photo of russwbeck
Reviewed by russwbeck from Virginia

3.92/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Thanks to Jefe73 for overnighting one of these to me so I could have it fresh!

A: Hazy brown pour. The head forms late and disappears quickly. Considering it's a few days after the growler fill, it's not surprising.

S: The smell is sweet up front perhaps a hint of apple, but I might be mistaken, which is followed by Bourbon. The Bourbon isn't overpowering, which is a first for a Barrel Aged for me.

T: Very sweet up front, might be a bit of vanilla. The Bourbon comes as a nice aftertaste, and sticks on the tongue.

MF: Slight tinge of carbonation on the tongue. Pretty light bodied overall.

D: Way better than most Bourbon barrel aged beers I've had. I'm impressed with it overall.
Jan 13, 2011
Batch #69 Double Cream Ale - Palm Ridge Reserve Barrel Aged from Cigar City Brewing
Beer rating: 3.71 out of 5 with 9 ratings