Cubano-Style Espresso Brown Ale
Cigar City Brewing

Cubano-Style Espresso Brown AleCubano-Style Espresso Brown Ale
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From:
Cigar City Brewing
 
Florida, United States
Style:
English Brown Ale
Ranked #1
ABV:
5.5%
Score:
92
Ranked #5,352
Avg:
4.12 | pDev: 9.22%
Reviews:
383
Ratings:
1,536
Status:
Active
Rated:
Dec 05, 2023
Added:
May 26, 2009
Wants:
  345
Gots:
  219
This rich brown ale is redolent with Cuban-style roasted espresso beans, sweet caramel and toffee and hints of dry nuttiness. Cuban Espresso is a popular drink in the Cigar City of Tampa owing to its many Sicilian and Cuban immigrants. The beans for Cubano-Style Espresso Brown Ale are roasted locally by Mazzaro's Italian Market and Deli in St. Petersburg to our exact specifications.

25 IBU
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by npala86:
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Rated by npala86 from Florida

4/5  rDev -2.9%

Feb 19, 2014
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4 by Nyoder

Dec 05, 2023
 
Rated: 4 by not2quick from Missouri

May 24, 2022
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Reviewed by sulldaddy from Connecticut

4.38/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Sampling a cellar temp 12 oz can of this beer poured into my snifter. Canned on 11/09/2020...WHOA! didnt notice that when I bought the single.....oh well too late now. Part of the online Brown Ales tasting event.
The beer pours a rich cola brown color with a soft pillowy beige head of about 1.5 cm. This foam remains as a sturdy edge layer throughout the sampling. I do get dense, short lived lattice on a swirl of my glass.
The aroma on this brew is very coffee forward, but not astringent, much more of a light and sweet coffee note. Very roasty and some dark chocolate too. Nose is appealing and suits the goal of the beer to mimic Cuban coffee.
First sip reveals a medium to lighter body with silky smooth texture and soft rolling carbonation. Physical traits of this beer are very nice. Beer drinks real easy and my glass is almost empty before I finish this review.
Flavor follows the nose. I get roasted malt and dark chocolate but smooth coffee dominates but is not overly bitter anywhere. Definitely a sweeter coffee flavor profile.
I really do enjoy this beer, even though Im not really a coffee drinker. Glad to have picked this up and one year in the can. Worth a pick up if you see this around, even a little less than fresh IMO.
Nov 14, 2021
 
Rated: 4.09 by BMBCLT from South Carolina

Nov 09, 2021
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Reviewed by Jack_14 from Italy

3.55/5  rDev -13.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
33 cl. Can, October 2021.
Notes of coffee and chocolate on the nose. Delicate toasting.
Deep brown color, dense. Abundant, creamy and tasty foam.
In the mouth the body is extremely drinkable and slides off easily. Moderate carbonation.
In the mouth the hints of cappuccino dominate (for the delicacy of the toasted hints and creaminess that pervades the taste of the coffee) and of milk chocolate, but also of almond, walnut and a final sweet touch that almost recalls the whipped cream that is put in some variants of espresso (for example our local "Moroccan coffee").
Light malty caramel notes emerge in the background and remain in the background.
Easy to drink but absolutely satisfying: soft and that releases all the characterizing elements in a decidedly balanced way.
Perhaps with a slightly more structured body I would have appreciated it even more, but considering that it professes itself as a Brown Ale it is absolutely in line with the structure of the historical British model.
Oct 14, 2021
 
Rated: 4.53 by Frankgabriel2383 from Dominican Republic

Jun 16, 2021
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Reviewed by Bitterbill from Wyoming

3.92/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Canned October 14th 2020.

Pours black but I see some reddish highlights, nice finger of tannish foam.

The smell is split between coffee and cocoa nibs with vanilla just behind.

Wow, the coffee is still prominent even though it is close to being 8 months old. Cool. Cocoa nibs are almost as noticeable, vanilla is there. Foremost bitter because of the coffee, some malty sweet notes because of the cocoa. I did not expect things turning out this way given the age. It's only 5.5%abv.

Smooth mouthfeel, the carbonation is a tad light at this stage.

Very nice.
Jun 02, 2021
 
Rated: 4.4 by RichD from Rhode Island

May 04, 2021
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Reviewed by Sigmund from Norway

3.78/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
355 ml can, shared by my son Steinar. ABV is 5.5%. Dark brown colour, beige head. Aroma of coffee and brown malts, also notes of chocolate, hints of vanilla. Slightly sweet flavour with the same ingredients, smooth and pleasant to drink.
Apr 24, 2021
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Rated by Sludgeman from District of Columbia

3.74/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
From a can.
Apr 14, 2021
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Reviewed by Pivopijak from Washington

3.83/5  rDev -7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
can into glass
Great, undulating tan, meringue like head of medium thickness and longevity. Very murky dark brown color with golden brunette hue at the edges of glass. Charred barrel and coffee aroma, anyone ?! A rather thin flavored coffee tinged brown ale with the charred wood showing itself. Good
Apr 02, 2021
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Reviewed by Peach63 from New York

4.1/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours deep copper with a 1 inch tan head, which dissipates. Moderate lacing.

Aroma of coffee, chocolate, wood, roast malts.

Taste is coffee, tobacco, chocolate, toffee, ash. Astringent.

Full bodied, lively carbonation. Dry, astringent finish.

This is a very good coffee flavored beer.
Mar 24, 2021
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Reviewed by Dfeinman1 from Florida

4.07/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Like the sweet coffee aromatics that emanated from this beer. Perfect balance of of ABV espresso chocolate and sweetness with a solid carbonation and mouthfeel. Great beer.
Mar 03, 2021
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Reviewed by SABERG from Massachusetts

4.06/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured from a 12 oz can dated 11/30/2020 into the test glass.
A - Mahagony color, excellent tight knit mocha cap. Foam retention is quite good, displaying lovely lacing thoughout the experience.
S - Espresso, cocoa, roast malt with a subtle smokiness, a kiss of caramel.
T- Caramel up front, then the coffee begins to march in, with a milk sugar mixer from the lactose, "coffee lite on he cream please" comes to mind, There is also a lovely cocoa bite in there.
M - Semi sweet start, then a move toward the bitter, finish is neatral and quite nice
O - A very good coffee brown ale. the lactose use is delicate and adds to the heft and texture.
really well done
Feb 28, 2021
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Reviewed by woodchipper from Connecticut

3.9/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured from a 12oz can dated 11/09/20 to a Nonic.
Dark brown body with red highlights on the edges of the glass. Creamy head really invokes the "espresso" in the name.
Aroma is a mild, musty malt smell. Really faint sense of the coffee to come.
Taste is a big hit of coffee with a sweet back-bone. There is a sense that the caffeine content is high.
Medium body with proper carbonation to remind you that you're not drinking a chilled coffee, its a brown ale.
Overall a well executed beer given that the goal was to replicate a certain style of espresso. Unfortunately for me, its a little sweeter than I like but I'm not holding that against CCB.
Feb 13, 2021
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Reviewed by flyingpig from Scotland

4.16/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
355ml can from Curious Liquids, Glasgow (£4.00):
Deep mahogany with an opaque body that's not far off black & a tan, creamy head about 1cm tall that slowly fades to a very fine lacing over the surface. The nose is strong with espresso notes & chocolate upfront, it's relatively sweet with lactose & sugars coming through on top of an earthy, bread malt base that seems quite creamy too. Coffee & light roasted malts carry over the to taste with the chocolate sweetness showing as well; it's a smooth, very creamy beer with some earthy flavours & lactose towards the end. It was medium to full bodied, softly carbonated & silky smooth with a great balance too; a solid brown ale that wasn't far off a sweet stout.
Feb 13, 2021
 
Rated: 4.08 by Mortarforker from Texas

Feb 13, 2021
 
Rated: 3.75 by Hellpop65 from Kansas

Feb 06, 2021
 
Rated: 4.09 by StArnoldFan from Texas

Feb 05, 2021
Cubano-Style Espresso Brown Ale from Cigar City Brewing
Beer rating: 92 out of 100 with 1536 ratings