Trousseau
Cigar City Brewing

TrousseauTrousseau
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From:
Cigar City Brewing
 
Florida, United States
Style:
American Barleywine
ABV:
12.3%
Score:
93
Avg:
4.18 | pDev: 7.42%
Reviews:
15
Ratings:
95
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Nov 18, 2020
Added:
Jul 04, 2016
Wants:
  2
Gots:
  18
A truly unique trans-atlantic pairing, Trousseau is a barley wine-style ale aged in wooden barrels sourced from the Madeira islands off the coast of Portugal. The beer's nose of plums and toffee is perfectly complimented by vanilla and caramel-covered apple aromas from these barrels not frequently used for aging beer. Oxygen ingress during the barrel-aging process helps to accentuate flavors of tawny port, raisin pudding and toffee in this viscous, contemplative sipper.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by imperialking:
Photo of imperialking
Rated by imperialking from Illinois

4/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Jul 19, 2017
More User Ratings:
Photo of rodbeermunch
Reviewed by rodbeermunch from Nevada

3.66/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Drank this last summer during Uncle Cork's VA service after party.

Pours brown. Had a ruddy, muddy kind of appearance. It gets better from here though. The aroma has quite a bit going for it, yes, there is booziness, but there is also the requisite toffee, caramel, red wine, oak, other woodiness, raisin, plum, prune and other light amounts of dark fruit impressions, nothing sweet.

Taste is just as if not more complex, you get this variation, which I assume is the Madeira barrel from what you tend to think of when you have a red wine influence on a beer. Its earthy. The booziness in the nose isn't as high in the taste and mouth feel, so long as you take your time. I really didn't understand much of the reviews who spoke of the sweetness of this beer. Didn't come off that way at all to me. Carbonation was low, but in all likelihood, right where they designed it to be and it makes sense for this kind of beer. Maybe someone read "port" and just ran with it. An interesting well made beer slightly out of my wheelhouse.
Nov 18, 2020
 
Rated: 3.75 by jgunther71 from Illinois

Feb 22, 2019
 
Rated: 4.25 by FLBeerGuy from Florida

May 26, 2018
 
Rated: 4.35 by sendbeer from Georgia

Mar 18, 2018
 
Rated: 4.09 by bb-magic from Florida

Mar 04, 2018
 
Rated: 4.24 by tdm168 from Pennsylvania

Feb 16, 2018
 
Rated: 4.07 by SFC21 from Florida

Jan 01, 2018
 
Rated: 3.5 by Lucoli from New York

Nov 09, 2017
 
Rated: 4.31 by Rimbimhoot from Illinois

Oct 11, 2017
Photo of BillRoth
Rated by BillRoth from Maryland

4.3/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Had on tap at CC. Decently complex and flavorful. Attractive pour. Wonderfully full and complex scents. Taste very good but not as amazing as nose.
Oct 06, 2017
Photo of Boccu
Reviewed by Boccu from New York

4.35/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Pours brown with a small head. Aroma of Carmel, wine and toffee. Taste follows the nose with some grape juice. Very tasty barley wine. Look forward to more from them.
Oct 05, 2017
Photo of CHickman
Reviewed by CHickman from New York

4.45/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Bottled 06/27/16, it pours brown color with a small tan head that faded slowly and didn't leave any lacing.

Smells of caramel, toffee, brown sugar, red wine, candied sugar, rum or some other dark booze. Resembles a port wine or a mix of barleywine with red wine or oaky wine barrels.

Taste is delicious. It's a sweet and boozy mix of grapes, merlot, red wine, caramel, toffee, brown sugar, gummy bears, candied sugar, rum or some other dark booze, currants, raisin and a bunch of dark fruit. Some earthy notes and grains trail before more sweetness kicks in that is tart and slightly funky. The Trousseau grapes play well with the hops to mask the ABV and bring out a ton of complexities. Creamy and warming as it slides down, it gets sweeter as it warms up.

A huge thanks to Pat for sharing this rare brew, it was really damn good.
Oct 05, 2017
 
Rated: 4.47 by Eziel from Ohio

Jul 24, 2017
 
Rated: 4.06 by kjkinsey from Texas

Jul 10, 2017
Photo of IckyT2012
Reviewed by IckyT2012 from Florida

3.83/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours a murky and unappetizing brown. Smell follows appearance. Tastes like a damn coca cola, compliments of the madeira sweetness. I suppose that's an accomplishment of sorts if that was your intent, but this is no better than a mediocre barleywine for me.
Jul 05, 2017
 
Rated: 4.31 by kidzord from Illinois

Jun 27, 2017
 
Rated: 4.5 by mrn1ceguy from Illinois

Jun 22, 2017
 
Rated: 4.49 by KVNBGRY from Florida

May 29, 2017
 
Rated: 4.1 by oriolesfan4 from Maryland

May 21, 2017
Trousseau from Cigar City Brewing
Beer rating: 93 out of 100 with 95 ratings