Jai Alai IPA
Cigar City Brewing

12oz. bottle served into a tulip

Pours a translucent SAC Amber color. Brilliant clarity, no trace of hop haze; soft wisps of carbonation meander up to the foam. I only get about one finger's worth of soft, buttermilk colored head. Tremendous, jagged lacing. Good stuff.

I really enjoy how Jai Alai manages to have aggressive aromas presented with a soft touch. This is not a huge, bold nose. But the individual aroma notes -- grapefruit peel, pine needles, lawn clippings, flower petals, Dole Orange-Mango juice, cat pee, tobacco -- are potentially-dominant smells. This beer delivers a balanced mixture of those notes; a soft, small amount of each. Underneath the bountious hops is a sweet malt backbone: mostly crystal malt, caramel malt for sure (but not overdone). This is complex and intriguing, but not aggressive; like the quiet, confident kid in the back row of class. Some of the fruitier aromas begin to take over as the beer approaches room temperature, so the beer is best appreciated when chilled.

The taste of Jai Alai follows the nose to a T. The hop attack is grapefruit peel & grassy, floral flavors. Like a distilled garden; very much some garden action going on. It reminds me of the month-and-a-half old Pliny the Elder I had once, actually (much too old for a Pliny, but not half-bad regardless). Sweet, biscuity malts make their play on the mid-palate before yielding to a splash of mango and orange zest on the finish. Some ashy, sort of tobacco leaf flavor comes on at the finish too, and it lingers for about a minute. Nothing here blows me away, but I find the balance to be pretty remarkable. This is a greener example of the IPA: not particularly piny or dank or citrusy. It's got grassy, floral flavors for days, though.

If you read my reviews then you know that I like my IPAs about as thin as you can get them. "Hop juice" is the mouthfeel aesthetic that I'm going for. Jai Alai comes somewhat close. It's a touch thicker than perfect, on the light side of medium-bodied. The carbonation is soft, and the size suits the malt backbone pretty well. Jai Alai is 7.5% ABV and damn drinkable for its alcohol content. The balance that this beer achieves makes it an ideal six-pack candidate. You have to like the green, garden flavors (which I do) to be able to appreciate multiple bottles in one session, though.

I was expecting something more aggressive or assertive. I'm glad, though, that what I got out of Jai Alai IPA was a balanced, well-conceived IPA that highlights the underused, underappreciated grassy & floral hop flavors. I'll buy this again.

On tap at Monk McGinn's downtown Manhattan

Poured from a 12oz can, produced on February 20th 2026

On the pour, nearly 3 fingers of white head forms on top of a halfway hazy deep, dark, golden body.

The aroma is citrus, sweet, and a bit piney. I'm not distinctly picking up any malts but it does smell good.

Flavor follows the aroma but is much deeper and is giving me a bit of a malt backbone. The hops are also nice and distinct and unique with a fruity, zesty, bitterness.

The feel is full with a creeping astringency that is nice and subtle behind the long malty finish.

Overall for what it is it's incredibly drinkable while also being full in all aspects. Even being a classic IPA this one is sure to be a crowd pleaser.

 

 

 

Gorgeous. Gold, orange, amber, it looks like a beautiful sunset. Large 3 finger sticky head with great retention. Citrus aromas. Where this beer shines is in the flavor and balance. Delicious citrus flavors with excellent sweetness to balance it out. This is a great IPA.

I drank this on tap out of a standard pint glass in a NYC restaurant.
Look: Clear golden color. There is about 0.5 to 1 finger of white head with great retention and lacing.
Smell: Citrus aroma.
Taste: The bitterness is perfectly balanced. The ABV of 7.5% is not noticed at all. This beer goes down so smoothly. There are hints of citrus, typical for an American IPA.
Feel: Medium-bodied with moderate carbonatation.
Overall: I was fortunately enough have a pint of Jai Alai IPA and a pint of Sloop Juice Bomb on tap while having a relaxing lunch in NYC. Both are excellent beers. Jai Alai IPA certainly lives up to its reputation on BA as a "world class" beer.

This has become one of my favorite west coast IPAs. It is heavy on the hops, some pine and quite citrusy. The bitter finish is nicely mellowed by the citrus, some pine and it is more “drinkable” than many comparable 7.5 ABV IPAs.

 

Very slightly hazy orange/amber color with a very respectable and long lasting white head, lots of nice sticky lacing.
The aroma is citrus, pine, light caramel malt with some grassy herbal notes.
The taste is grapefruit, tangerine, a touch of lemon, pine resin and a nice light caramel base, lightly sweet, moderate bitterness, very nice balance. The finish is dry with lingering citrus zest and pine resin.
The body is medium, good moderate carbonation, smooth, well hidden ABV, dangerously drinkable.
Altogether, this is a very tasty and refreshing brew, works well with spicy Mexican or Asian food, would be great on a beach but welcome anytime, excellent.

Tremendous brew at this abv. Easy drinking, looks great, thick lace sticks to my pint glass. Has the deep amber orange color appearance. Bold, fruity and citrus forward hop flavor profile. The traditional ipa has lots of complexity to the flavor profile. Slight drying malty finish. A classic ipa. Really one of the best overall ipas I’ve had. Another beer I’ve had hundreds of times and never took the time to review. Great beer if you want to go a bit higher in your abv to session. Awesome stuff.

 

Beer: Jai Alai IPA
Brewery: Cigar City Brewing
Style: American IPA
ABV: 7.5%

Appearance: 4.25
Pours a clear golden-to-light amber with a sturdy, off-white head that shows good retention and leaves significant lacing down the glass. Bright with a little hazy likely from the malt structure. Inviting without being flashy.

Aroma: 4.0
Citrus-forward right away: grapefruit, orange peel, and maybe a hint of lime all backed by pine resin and light herbal notes. There’s a subtle malt sweetness underneath that keeps things grounded. Not explosively aromatic by modern standards, but balanced and layered.

Taste: 4.25
Bold citrus bitterness up front with grapefruit and orange zest leading the charge, followed by pine, resin, and a touch of tropical character. The malt backbone provides just enough caramel and breadiness to balance the hops without getting sweet. Bitterness is assertive but controlled, finishing clean and dry with lingering citrus and pine.

Mouthfeel: 4.25
Medium body with moderate carbonation. Smooth and well-rounded for a 7.5% IPA ... never thin, never heavy. The bitterness is firm but not abrasive, making it surprisingly drinkable for the strength.

Overall: 4.25
A textbook American IPA that still holds up in a world full of hazies. Jai Alai delivers layered hop complexity, a clean yeast profile, and a supportive malt bill that lets everything shine without excess. Classic, balanced, and consistently satisfying... an IPA that earns its reputation rather than coasting on it.

 

 

 

Stovepipe, 10 weeks since canning.
To be brief, nothing offensive, to push the experienced IPA consumer away. Mild citrus, mild aroma, mild look, everything pretty much MID. Although the sum is greater than the parts. I would get this again, when it’s on sale!

I can't believe how many times I've had this beer and never rated it. What else can be said that isn't already said on this site. This is a world class beer.

Pours beautifully, cloudy bronze color, forms a long lasting thick head. A wonderful combination of hoppey and fruity! In my mind one of the best IPA's you can pick up and enjoy. Thick, floral and memorable. I got nothing more to say. Im done typing this out because I want to go back to drinking this beer.