Phumbu
Cigar City Brewing
- From:
- Cigar City Brewing
- Florida, United States
- Style:
- American Brown Ale
- ABV:
- 6.3%
- Score:
- 87
- Avg:
- 3.87 | pDev: 6.2%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 4
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Jul 19, 2016
- Added:
- Jun 20, 2015
- Wants:
- 0
- Gots:
- 2
SCORE
87
Very Good
87
Very Good
A phumbu is a ceremonial mask worn by the chief of an African tribe around the Democratic Republic of Congo. This beer was brewed for the St. Petersburg Museum of Fine Arts “Beer Project” and CCB was asked to brew a beer inspired by a phumbu. This Rustic Brown Ale is brewed with dark candi sugar, and African paddock wood.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by macrosmatic from Florida
4.09/5 rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
4.09/5 rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Described as a Rustic Brown Ale, "Aged on African Hard Wood".
Reviewed from notes. Poured from 32 oz. crowler into a Russian River snifter.
A: Dark brown, very translucent, and a big tan head with good retention. Relatively low visible carbonation.
S: Toasted malts, sweet coffee, toffee, woody dryness and some sweet notes. There’s a bit of mustiness on the exhale.
T: Toffee and coffee-roasted malts, a woody sweetness reminiscent of cypress with some drying tannins. There is a musty quality here too, although I’m not sure what to attribute it to. It’s not quite like a farmhouse ale, but it is pretty appealing in this beer. Smooth coffee, dark sugar and some hop fruity bitterness in finish. More chocolatey flavors show up as the beer warms somewhat.
M: Smooth, rich body for a brown ale. ABV well-hidden, but the carbonation level seems a bit on the low side despite a fresh crowler fill.
O: I thought this was really, really good for a style that isn't always my favorite. I would definitely drink another if it entered CCB’s regular rotation.
Jul 19, 2016Reviewed from notes. Poured from 32 oz. crowler into a Russian River snifter.
A: Dark brown, very translucent, and a big tan head with good retention. Relatively low visible carbonation.
S: Toasted malts, sweet coffee, toffee, woody dryness and some sweet notes. There’s a bit of mustiness on the exhale.
T: Toffee and coffee-roasted malts, a woody sweetness reminiscent of cypress with some drying tannins. There is a musty quality here too, although I’m not sure what to attribute it to. It’s not quite like a farmhouse ale, but it is pretty appealing in this beer. Smooth coffee, dark sugar and some hop fruity bitterness in finish. More chocolatey flavors show up as the beer warms somewhat.
M: Smooth, rich body for a brown ale. ABV well-hidden, but the carbonation level seems a bit on the low side despite a fresh crowler fill.
O: I thought this was really, really good for a style that isn't always my favorite. I would definitely drink another if it entered CCB’s regular rotation.
Reviewed by Elimav from Florida
3.92/5 rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
3.92/5 rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
I'll preface this by saying I had this out off crowler that was 6 weeks old. It has a dark brown color with a tan head. Not much on the nose. It has a bit more coffee flavor than Maduro. Finishes well with a nice bitterness.
Sep 07, 2015
Reviewed by cjgator3 from Florida
4.11/5 rDev +6.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
4.11/5 rDev +6.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
I purchased a gallon growler of this at the Cigar City Brewery in Tampa. I love Maduro and most of the varients, but in my opinion Phumbu is even better. It is one of the better lower ABV brown ales that I have tried and was a delicious treat to have in the growler.
Aug 12, 2015
Rated by Thedrizzle from Florida
3.5/5 rDev -9.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.5/5 rDev -9.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Nothing too special going on here. The roasted notes on this one is great though. A great brown for sure.
Jul 03, 2015
Reviewed by PorterLambic from Florida
3.46/5 rDev -10.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.46/5 rDev -10.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Pours extremely dark brown with no light penetration. Decent head develops before receding to nothing and leaving no lace.
Smell is unsweetened chocolate, toasted malt, vanilla, a hint of molasses. Good balance.
Taste is similar with notes of toasted, neatly burnt, malts, some ashy-ness, baking chocolate, a hint of vanilla. Balance is fine.
Medium bodied is slightly overstating it, same with the carbonation. No warming and only a faint drying.
Jul 03, 2015Smell is unsweetened chocolate, toasted malt, vanilla, a hint of molasses. Good balance.
Taste is similar with notes of toasted, neatly burnt, malts, some ashy-ness, baking chocolate, a hint of vanilla. Balance is fine.
Medium bodied is slightly overstating it, same with the carbonation. No warming and only a faint drying.
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