The Whole Cigar
Cigar City Brewing

 

Poured a black body with minimal head and lace. The aroma doesn't strike me as boozy as it does like a low-key red wine for some reason, and I also get some woodiness and I swear a touch of dark fruits covered in chocolate in the aroma. Beer is rather slightly sweet as get some chocolate and vanilla from the bourbon barrels, but more of a slightly spicy booze and cedar edge on the finish that overpowers this sweetness and also blends well with notes of dark fruits (really getting a touch of chocolate covered cherries). Finished dry and relaxing, like a cigar one might say, and hid the booze well so this is a dangerously easy sipper.

 

I received a bottle from @roguer in the NBS BIF #13. Served at 53 degrees in a tulip glass. It pours a deep walnut with some dark cola hues, and a large, foamy, medium-mocha cap that dissipated slowly leaving extensive and elegant lacing. There is bourbon on the nose, along with roasted malt, caramel, brown sugar, char, tobacco smoke, and some nice dark fruit, perhaps raisin. The flavor opens big and bold. I'm tasting roasty, dark chocolate and freshly-brewed coffee up front with notes of toffee, cigar smoke, and some delightful dark fruit (I'm getting black cherry and raisin). There is barrel influence but it's quite delicate. It compliments - rather than distracting from - the other tastes. This is fantastic! The feel is rich and creamy with a pleasing level of carbonation, and it drinks so smoothly that I barely notice the 13% ABV. . Overall, this is sublime drinking. The whole is greater than the sum of the parts. If you get the chance don't pass it up
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Absolutely incredible head production and retention, defying any and all expectations given the style and ABV. Body is pitch black; head is dark brown.

Wealth of bourbon on the nose, from the pour and from several feet away. Up close, notes of molasses and licorice, brown sugar and toffee, bourbon mash and oak, coconut and vanilla, light toast and espresso. Spanish cedar is present, but thankfully more as an accent vice a dominant tone - I can't say how much of the subdued nature of the cedar is due to age (~2 years at time of review), but I will say that the bourbon doesn't seem faded.

Quite rich on the palate, but not as deeply sweet as I expected; the bourbon influence is similarly less prominent on the nose. The cedar, while still restrained, adds a dull woody aspect, almost immediately taming the overall effect. The result is an imperial stout that leans even more on espresso and molasses notes, less on chocolate and brown sugar. Big hit of vanilla from the bourbon, before the cedar comes on stronger (but not as strong as in a lighter brew; the cedar is very prominent in the cedar-aged Jai Alai, by way of contrast). The cedar influence grows with successive sips, however, eventually really imparting an impression of freshly emptied cigar boxes - an inimitable aroma somehow translated to the palate.

Thick and creamy body; obviously a big beer, but never comes across as remotely harsh, or even aggressive, for the sky high ABV.

This is not quite the peak of what Cigar City can do with bourbon barrels and imperial stouts, but it's still a fantastically balanced and approachable stout, fairly remarkable given the ABV, bourbon barrel aging, and added cedar. A nice and fairly unique beer.

750ml bottle poured into an El Catador snifter. Bottling date of 05/22/19 etched on the neck of the bottle. Part of the 10th edition of CCB’s El Catador Club.

Pours a pitch black color with tan colored head. Bourbon, oak, and cedar notes dominate the nose. The taste starts out sweet up front with a peppery spiciness sneaking in. Then the finish ends with a lingering warm and boozy finish. Overall, The Whole Cigar is another solid beer from CCB and the El Cat Club that I enjoyed.

 

 

750mL bottled acquired through the El Catador Club. Bottled 5/22/19. Served in a Cigar City teku. Enjoyed 12/17/19.

Pours oil black with a noce khaki head that fades to some small islands and narrow halo but no lace.

Smells quite nice. A strong vanilla-leaning bourbon note rides above chocolate, wood and burnt caramel.

The cedar is considerably more prevalent in the flavor. Bourbon, fudge, burnt sugar, hearty roast, vanilla, caramel, pine, earthy cherry pits, wet charred wood, fruit skins and a strong alcohol presence. I’m not entirely sure if the cedar actually does dominant or if I’m unfavorably sensative but for my tastes it rather steps on the other players.

Chewy, full feel with pleasantly unassuming carbonation. Burnt cedar, dark chocolate and bourbon-filled caramels linger in the aftertaste.

Cigar City is a reliable source for quality stouts. The Whole Cigar is definitely a delicious stout and, as advertised, both bourbon barrel and cedar are fully on display. Unfortunately for me, despite having enjoyed its character in other CCB brews, the cedar is just too over powering here.

 

 

 

 

My El Cat boxes showed yesterday, finally! This is the first victim, 750ML bottle split with my wife. And how can there be no reviews of this yet? For shame. Lazy damn reviewers.

It’s a beer as dark as a RenFest night in ’87, but smells better, like a lumber mill some lunatic just doused in bourbon in preparation for arson. Oh, & he brought chocolate, & spices. It’s good.

The Whole Cigar – if cigars actually tasted like this, or something other than dogshit, I’d hit them on the regular. No dogshit was harmed in the making of this beer, however, a lot of Spanish cedar fell to the chainsaw. This didn’t so much rest in cedar as absorb several board feet, with huge cedar & bourbon less than a millimeter from one’s grill. Secondaries are meek beneath that onslaught: mild chocolate, light pepper, bitter roast, with a touch of pine on the finish. Smooth – no alcohol, this would be a dangerous bomber to start & (try to) finish by oneself.

A unique beer, which is half the battle when the land is soaked in the blood of new beer every day. Excellent? Really good? I’m going with the latter, but I’d stick this down my throat any day.