Cigar City / Max Lagers Black Ash | Cigar City Brewing
Brewed by:
Cigar City Brewing
Florida, United States
cigarcitybrewing.com
Style: Schwarzbier
Alcohol by volume (ABV): not listed
Availability: Limited (brewed once)
Notes / Commercial Description:
Collaboration with Max Lagers of Atlanta GA.
Added by FATC1TY on 12-21-2013
This beer is retired; no longer brewed.
View: Beers | Place Reviews | Events
Ratings: 111 | Reviews: 20
Reviews by FLBeerGuy:
3.75/5 rDev +11.3%
FLBeerGuy, Feb 08, 2014
More User Reviews:
2.91/5 rDev -13.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.75
Bottle share at Proof courtesy of kantrauch. Opaque black in appearance. Some tan head that comes back with each swirl. Aroma is really woody, really smokey. I am now very certain what black ash smells and tastes like. This is sooo unenjoyable. Entirely too much wood and smoke. Taste like burnt malt. Good body and mouthfeel, but I can't get into this beer.
358 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.75
Bottle share at Proof courtesy of kantrauch. Opaque black in appearance. Some tan head that comes back with each swirl. Aroma is really woody, really smokey. I am now very certain what black ash smells and tastes like. This is sooo unenjoyable. Entirely too much wood and smoke. Taste like burnt malt. Good body and mouthfeel, but I can't get into this beer.
358 characters
3.54/5 rDev +5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
Bottle purchase 12/13 22 oz poured into a Snifter
A: A shade of darkness that absorbs all light bottle was very cold tried getting aggressive with the pour only ended up with a small head that was a mocha color it disappeared quickly just some tiny film around the edges with bubbles
S: Smells like liquid smoke and a little big of wood chips that have been soaked in water with maybe a little maple sweetness
T: Wow smoke, burnt wood like a campfire that someone has poured water on and surprisingly very little sweetness with a sour finish
M: You almost think it's thin but it becomes so dry that it kinda makes you feel like it's coating your tongue
O: Not a big fan very smoky though and a year old!?! Yikes what was this fresh, no real underlying beer taste just campfire I think it's interesting the lack of sweetness, the more of it you drink it's really not bad it was very cold when I started it's better warm
924 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
Bottle purchase 12/13 22 oz poured into a Snifter
A: A shade of darkness that absorbs all light bottle was very cold tried getting aggressive with the pour only ended up with a small head that was a mocha color it disappeared quickly just some tiny film around the edges with bubbles
S: Smells like liquid smoke and a little big of wood chips that have been soaked in water with maybe a little maple sweetness
T: Wow smoke, burnt wood like a campfire that someone has poured water on and surprisingly very little sweetness with a sour finish
M: You almost think it's thin but it becomes so dry that it kinda makes you feel like it's coating your tongue
O: Not a big fan very smoky though and a year old!?! Yikes what was this fresh, no real underlying beer taste just campfire I think it's interesting the lack of sweetness, the more of it you drink it's really not bad it was very cold when I started it's better warm
924 characters
2.2/5 rDev -34.7%
650 mL bottle poured into a snifter.
Appearance - Black body. Big khaki head. Retains well. Thick collar.
Smell - Whoa. Weird. Gorgonzola cheese. Chocolate and licorice. Woody.
Taste - It tastes like gorgonzola cheese up front, too. Chocolate. Very woody. Bitter chocolate finish.
Mouthfeel - Medium body. Kinda bitter. Well carbonated.
Overall - Well, the cheese is remarkably odd. Odd and gross.
404 characters
650 mL bottle poured into a snifter.
Appearance - Black body. Big khaki head. Retains well. Thick collar.
Smell - Whoa. Weird. Gorgonzola cheese. Chocolate and licorice. Woody.
Taste - It tastes like gorgonzola cheese up front, too. Chocolate. Very woody. Bitter chocolate finish.
Mouthfeel - Medium body. Kinda bitter. Well carbonated.
Overall - Well, the cheese is remarkably odd. Odd and gross.
404 characters
3.55/5 rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
A - black with a minimal tan froth with medium bubbles that persists nicely, good lacing
S - mostly wood, some chocolate, subtle smoke
T - wood first, followed closely by smokey char, some chocolate and pine are quickly overwhelmed, bitterness from the aging and the char dominate but this beer is not overwhelmed with smoke, it is a major component, but the wood serves as the balance
M - quite rich
O - this was a marginal purchase, not a fan of the style, that I was able to finish AND enjoy this is testament once again to the skill and bravado of the brewery, the aging did a lot to counterbalance the smokiness, this beer has more nuance than the few other examples of this style I've tried
700 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
A - black with a minimal tan froth with medium bubbles that persists nicely, good lacing
S - mostly wood, some chocolate, subtle smoke
T - wood first, followed closely by smokey char, some chocolate and pine are quickly overwhelmed, bitterness from the aging and the char dominate but this beer is not overwhelmed with smoke, it is a major component, but the wood serves as the balance
M - quite rich
O - this was a marginal purchase, not a fan of the style, that I was able to finish AND enjoy this is testament once again to the skill and bravado of the brewery, the aging did a lot to counterbalance the smokiness, this beer has more nuance than the few other examples of this style I've tried
700 characters
4.21/5 rDev +24.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Appearance: this is very dark and opaque. Highly carbonated. Aside from the thick foamy head, the sides are all bubbled up like a coke pour.
Smell: "buttery" smoke. Unique and enticing. Nothing else stands out. I likes this.
Taste: much like the nose with a slight bitterness in the finish. Very nice Nd interesting.
Overall: kind of a one trick pony but it has that trick perfected. Kudos.
391 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Appearance: this is very dark and opaque. Highly carbonated. Aside from the thick foamy head, the sides are all bubbled up like a coke pour.
Smell: "buttery" smoke. Unique and enticing. Nothing else stands out. I likes this.
Taste: much like the nose with a slight bitterness in the finish. Very nice Nd interesting.
Overall: kind of a one trick pony but it has that trick perfected. Kudos.
391 characters
3.43/5 rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
22oz bottle from Sprayberry Bottle Shop (Marietta, GA). 9.99. Bottled 12/12/13. Served in my favorite Christmas present- a custom etched Phish snifter (my wife is awesome!).
Pours black with a finger and a half of pale tan head. Wispy, thin retention but plenty of lace.
Interesting aromas of earthy wood, piney hops, some sort of pepper and a something slightly akin to band aid. A little weird but not offputting.
A unique flavor profile for sure. Burnt wood and that strange band aid taste (peat?) are strong up front. Also something similar to cedar. Sharply bitter piney hops, charred malt, dark chocolate, szechuan peppercorns, mild smoke, faint blackberry and vaguely caramel. So many things going on here but I'm not sure that it's all entirely complementary. Still pleasant enough in it's own right.
Body is slick and medium thin with ample carbonation. Peat, char and earthy, piney hop finish.
Unlike anything else I've tasted. Many things are similar to a standard American black ale but the woodsy and earthy notes are totally new to me. This is a unique experience. My advice would be to throw away any expectations and just enjoy the fact that this gives a completely new experience.
1,207 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
22oz bottle from Sprayberry Bottle Shop (Marietta, GA). 9.99. Bottled 12/12/13. Served in my favorite Christmas present- a custom etched Phish snifter (my wife is awesome!).
Pours black with a finger and a half of pale tan head. Wispy, thin retention but plenty of lace.
Interesting aromas of earthy wood, piney hops, some sort of pepper and a something slightly akin to band aid. A little weird but not offputting.
A unique flavor profile for sure. Burnt wood and that strange band aid taste (peat?) are strong up front. Also something similar to cedar. Sharply bitter piney hops, charred malt, dark chocolate, szechuan peppercorns, mild smoke, faint blackberry and vaguely caramel. So many things going on here but I'm not sure that it's all entirely complementary. Still pleasant enough in it's own right.
Body is slick and medium thin with ample carbonation. Peat, char and earthy, piney hop finish.
Unlike anything else I've tasted. Many things are similar to a standard American black ale but the woodsy and earthy notes are totally new to me. This is a unique experience. My advice would be to throw away any expectations and just enjoy the fact that this gives a completely new experience.
1,207 characters
3.46/5 rDev +2.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
Cigar City / Max Lagers Black Ash from Cigar City Brewing
3.37
out of 5
based on 111 ratings.