Maduro Oatmeal Brown Ale - Mocha Cubano
Cigar City Brewing

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bottle courtesy of Doodler ( thanks Scott) poured a clear reddish brown with a lasting tan head. Aromas of carmel, coffee, earthiness and light cocoa. Mouthfeel was light to medium bodied and smooth. Flavors of coffee, cocoa and light carmel with a smooth lingering coffee finish.

 

Poured chilled in 5-oz tasting glass

A: little head, dark brown, good carbonation, ok lacing
S: roasted barley, like a chocolate bock; persists
T: chocolate-bock-like biter but sweetish; vanilla and roasted grains are very strong

It's an unusual brown ale but, IMO, to close to the other beer I've had, the Cubano, and not a good direction in which to take this style. To each their own.

 

 

On nitro-tap @ Al's of Hampdem (Enola, PA) on 6/15/10. Served in a pint glass.

Pours a deep clear amber, with a thin head of burnt tan foam. This retains with some rich bunching, with some thin wisps in the center, leaving behind a cascade of creamy foam that quickly slides down the sides of the glass. The aroma is rich with coffee and roast, possessing just the right amount of burnt acrid character to it. I'm getting some softer notes of sweet vanilla and cocoa haning on the edges, while a touch of green floral hops and light herbal accents weaves in and out as well.

Much more sweetness comes out in the taste, with some chocolate character and a touch of vanilla adding some sweet creaminess to the proceedings. That espresso and roast shore up the back of the profile though, mixing with some earthy hops to spread a dirty bitterness across the back of the palate. The taste seems a bit more balanced here but it lacking the aggressiveness of the coffee that present in the aroma. Dry roasty finish on this, with some lingering earth and green citrus hanging around. The mouthfeel is medium bodied, being sharper up front but then spreading out and getting creamier as you near the swallow. The oats keep this flowing nice and easy across the palate.

This was was pretty good but seemed to lack more of the coffee richness that I was looking for in the taste. Aroma, feel, and drinkibility were all quite good however. Decent effort here from Cigar City.

A - A brown body with nice ruby highlights around the edges...a kinda small, creamy, light brown head was present...nice lacing

S - This is a great smelling beer...loads of roasted coffee and espresso beans...milk chocolate is lingering as well

T - The taste is just a bit off from the aroma...the coffee flavor is definitely present from start to finish...a sweetness is added as well...like coffee with a touch of cream...there is a more roasted flavor present on the palate...the finish is bittersweet being highlighted by the roasted coffee beans and milk chocolate flavor

M - Medium bodied...creamy from the nitro...a great, long-lasting flavor

D - This is not for people who don't like coffee...a great coffee presence throughout the entire beer...the body never gets too heavy and only being 5.5% it's highly drinkable...I'm happy Cigar City is available in PA now

Appearance: Dispenses a dark brown body with a modestly-sized, dark beige head.

Smell: Roasty, toasty dark malts with notes of cocoa powder, fresh-from-the-oven nuts, dark caramel. Thin hints of espresso and blended pipe tobacco.

Taste: All of the dark brown maltiness you'd expect, particularly if you've had any of their other brown ales. Sweetish tastes of cocoa-coated, oven-roasted nuts and caramel paired with a subtler hint of espresso beans. Small touch of dark fruitiness. Slight tobacco accents. A bit more of the coffee character comes through on the finish, as the tastes and body slacken to allow it to come across a bit more clearly.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium carbonation.

Drinkability: Well-balanced and fairly tasty. Cigar City is really bucking the old adage "if you've had one brown ale you've had'm all!"

Thank you, Mike.

Clear brown with a thin tan head with decent retention, there's no real lacing. The nose is a full frontal assault of coffee, vanilla, hazelnut and a little caramel, there's no room for subtlety here. The palate is a carbon copy of the nose, opening with a moderate espresso character followed by hazelnut and vanilla. Did they use hazelnut coffee for this beer? There's a touch of caramel as well, this beer finishes dry with a little espresso bitterness. Solid stuff, enjoyable but not something I'd describe as well-crafted.

I presume this beer is a/k/a Cubano Espresso Maduro

Appearance: Arrives at the bar with a dark brown color but displays no head and leaves no lace

Smell: Sweet coffee with a hint of cream

Taste: Loads of coffee flavor up front with a developing chicory bitterness that arrives by mid-palate; the bitterness fades after the swallow and leads to a pure coffee finish

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate carbonation

Drinkability: One of the best coffee by proxy beers I have tasted; really fine

Take a great base beer and add espresso beans? Oh hell yes.

This growler's been sitting for way too long, but having had this (from a previous fill) a couple months ago, I can say it was not flat and had a decent head retention (tan head, medium reddish-brown body) and moderate carbonation level. So look and feel are based on what it was like fresh.

Smell and taste really haven't suffered for the amount of time this growler has been sitting. Plenty of roasty coffee and smooth malt, with a faint chocolatey scent. A bit more chocolate on the palate. Very well balanced.

Definitely not for people who don't like coffee, as that is a prominent characteristic of this brew, but if you do (and do I ever), seek this one out.