Opal
Cigar City Brewing

OpalOpal
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From:
Cigar City Brewing
 
Florida, United States
Style:
Old Ale
ABV:
10.5%
Score:
93
Avg:
4.23 | pDev: 7.8%
Reviews:
9
Ratings:
52
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jun 15, 2020
Added:
Jun 26, 2015
Wants:
  2
Gots:
  13
Opal Bourbon Barrel-aged Old Ale

Opal E. Coker (1926-2010) was a craftswoman, matriarch, and social worker. She was the wife of Leon Jay Coker. In her honor, we brewed this old ale and aged it in bourbon barrels before dry-hopping with Opal hops.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Knapp85:
Photo of Knapp85
Rated by Knapp85 from Pennsylvania

4.03/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Jul 13, 2016
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.75 by TallGuyCM from California

Jun 15, 2020
 
Rated: 4.33 by TheEpeeist from Maryland

Sep 20, 2018
Photo of moose1980
Reviewed by moose1980 from Germany

4.51/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
Not sure where the grape tannins come from, but this is very unique. What a complex bw. The bourbon is there, but everything is so well integrated. I wouldn't imagine it to come from the opal dry-hopping, but it has red wine ba characteristics. Superb.
May 22, 2018
Photo of rodbeermunch
Reviewed by rodbeermunch from Nevada

3.8/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Thanks to Matt in Florida for hooking these Catador Club beers up. This is one of my more favorite ones that few have mentioned. Pours a surprisingly dark brown. For some reason I was expecting this to look more purple and less dark. Suggestive bottle color scheme. Beige colored head, 1/5". Aroma was boozy, bourbon most noticeable, then alcohol. The opal hops they dry hop with are inconsequential in the nose.

Mild taste feels of caramel, toffee, brown sugar, vanilla, red grapes. The mouthfeel is relatively soft, given the high abv, but the lower carbonation and character of the bourbon and vanilla notes carry it along quite well. Raisins, cracker jacks, red grapes soaked in bourbon. Sherry and prunes are mild and milder. Plenty maris and crystal feels.

Opal is an interesting girl and beer. I wonder what a Rosario beer would be like.
Jan 21, 2018
Photo of Jeffo
Reviewed by Jeffo from Netherlands

3.77/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Got this one from 7clutch recently. Cheers man!

From a 750 into a snifter
Ale dry-hopped with Opal hops and aged in bourbon barrels

APPEARANCE: Slow foamer here. Pours a three finger, medium looking, relatively creamy off-white head with very good retention. Opaque deep burgundy brown with lower levels of carbonation evident. Head slowly fades to a slight wisp and ring and leaves some lacing on the glass as it empties.

SMELL: Plenty of bourbon, woody oak, red fruits, burnt sugar, caramel and toffee aromas on the nose. Bold and plenty of alcohol.

TASTE: Bourbon, oak, toffee, caramel and burnt brown sugar up front. Some decent booze at the swallow as well, with a bold and boozy finish of bourbon, brown sugar, toffee and caramel sweetness, red fruits, oak and vanilla sweetness as well. A touch of coffee-like bitterness and plenty of alcohol.

PALATE: Somewhat thinner body and medium levels of carbonation. A little prickly on the palate, goes down fine with a good burn and finishes rather sticky. Some definite heat lingers.

OVERALL: This is a boozy strong ale for sure. Lots of barrel character, which is nice, and the base beer is certainly plenty sweet. The dry hopping seems a bit lost but whatever. Boozy and a little prickly for sure, though that doesn’t necessarily take away from the top notch flavor on this one. More like a strong dark barleywine and fans of the style, which I am, will enjoy it. Thanks again, 7clutch!
Jan 21, 2018
Photo of yesterdayfaraway
Reviewed by yesterdayfaraway from Missouri

4.55/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
L: pours murky river water brown with a small off white head that fades fast
S: bourbon soaked caramel covered raisins. Yum!
T: Just like the nose but bigger bourbon and sweet raisins jumping out. Wow, this is delicious!
F: very smooth, medium feel, bit of syrup stickiness and coating. Slightly heat from the big barrel.
Nov 12, 2017
Photo of ThickNStout
Reviewed by ThickNStout from Georgia

4.19/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
750mL bottles acquired through the El Catador Club. Bottled 2/26/16. Served in a Cigar City teku.

Pours a murky, mahogany with two fingers of thick beige head. The froth recedes to a couple small islands and a thin rail but no lace.

Aromas of toffee, bourbon, wet oak, vanilla and candy apple.

Tastes smooth and delicious with bourbon-candied dark fruit, toffee, boozey raisin bread pudding, wet oak, leather, earhty pine root, caramel and a little vanilla.

Creamy full body with soft carbonation. Smooth, easy finish with notes of toffee, dark fruit and bourbon.

I believe Cigar City is presenting Opal as an old ale. It comes across very much like an English barleywine, as old ales often do. Its delicious regardless.
Oct 21, 2017
 
Rated: 4.06 by cjgator3 from Florida

Aug 21, 2017
 
Rated: 4.41 by grover37 from District of Columbia

Aug 12, 2017
 
Rated: 3.99 by unclekeith from Alaska

May 08, 2017
 
Rated: 4.41 by DVMin98 from North Carolina

Mar 12, 2017
 
Rated: 3.5 by oline73 from Maryland

Mar 11, 2017
 
Rated: 3.79 by billab914 from Virginia

Feb 05, 2017
 
Rated: 3.98 by oriolesfan4 from Maryland

Jan 30, 2017
 
Rated: 3.89 by JoeMans from New York

Jan 15, 2017
 
Rated: 4.15 by DanGeo from Michigan

Jan 08, 2017
 
Rated: 4.46 by kbuzz from North Carolina

Dec 22, 2016
 
Rated: 4.02 by Brian29 from Ohio

Dec 21, 2016
 
Rated: 4.3 by elvisdoc from Florida

Dec 17, 2016
Opal from Cigar City Brewing
Beer rating: 93 out of 100 with 52 ratings