Warmer Winter Winter Warmer - Cedar Aged (Humidor Series)
Cigar City Brewing

This was a growler from 2009 that I shared at Hunahpu Day this year. I wasn't too hopeful it would have lasted the two years in one of the infamously leaky CCB growlers, but we were pelasantly surprised.

The smell was of toffee, candied fruit, and cedar. The taste was a complex layering of toffee and candy, cedar, and some roast. The cedar held up well while the candy and sweetness melded into a very tasty brew. The carbonation was still there, surprisingly.

 

 

 

 

from notes

chocolate brown with a nice head of light tan on the top of it. Smooth, easy settling left behind some nice side glass lacing. The aroma was soo sweet. Lots of caramel,edar, tobacco, hints of pepper like spice, smooth molasses and brown sugar like smells coming off of here. Really much different then I remember the base being, really quite good. Warming brings out a ton of dark fruit from every direction, plums, figs and almost cherries. The flavor was much more of the same. Rich and very sweet, defintly a dessert beer.

A - It pours a mysterious and murky mahogany; reminiscent of an Arnold Palmer, with persistent buckskin-tan foam and blankets of lace all over the goblet.

S - The aroma is very different than that of the base beer; the cedar/humidor treatment has imparted some surprising flavors. Cedar and black peppercorn suggestions are both pungent and unsurprising, but there is a savory, salty, celery-umami essence that is unexpected and fantastic.

T - The taste is exceptionally rich and jam-packed full of strong flavors; impressions of black peppercorns, cigar box tobacco, dried cherry, peat, fig, and some very unusual saucy
and savory notes that perhaps are in the realm of tomato and chili and torula yeast.

M - Thick and strong. There is no expectations of feel fvor a beer this unusual, except that it must not be watery.

D - This is one of the best Humidor treatments, if a bit brutal in its flavor dynamics.

On tap at Cigar City takes NYC event at Rattle 'N' Hum. Very boozy to me. Chocolate,some citrus that blends with the cedar, above average mouthfeel. Good aromas, woody. This beer is superior, though I have had better old ales from the U.K., and also better CC ales.

a: pours a nice murky molasses color with healthy tannish head that slowly fades, leaving sticky lacing throughout and along the sides of my glass

s: smell is malty sweet, tempered with honey and apricot...

t: malty sweetness up front, yeasty middle with a slight citrus climax, followed by a fairly muted spice finish...

m: smooth and rich, the body is neither over or underwhelming...carbonation is even and the aftertaste is minimal. overall, a very refreshing feel...

D: this is a nice brew, the first i've tried from this in-state company...definitely a nice offering and one i could see myself trying again...

salud!

Picked this one up while I could. Growler poured into my Stone RIS tulip.

A: Deep caramel brown, just like the regular brew. The pour droped a one and a half finger kahki head that receeded quickly and left some lace.

A: I get the sugary sweetness with a healthy dose of cedar. I really like the nose on the cedar aged version much better than the original. Cedar just gives this an extra layer of complexity that is not found with other wood aged brews.

T: Again, caramel and toffee with an abundance of cedar. Still very sweet but the cedar mellows the alcohol in the brew. Just like the other Humidor seires beers, this one finishes super dry from the wood.

M: Heavy body, low on the carbonation, make it a little oily and resinous on the palate.

D and overall impression: Drinkability is just ok. The wood, sweetness, and high ABV will limit the score here. Overall I like this one just as good, if not just a touch better than the regular winter warmer. The originality of the beer makes it worth pickin up. Skal.

32 oz growler poured in to a snifter. Probably about 2-3 weeks old.

Pours a dark ruby brown with a slowly thinning light tan head.

Smell is cedary, smooth, slightly sweet. Very mellow in a good way.

Taste is rich malt with some big cedar in the middle followed by a slightly bitter finish. Very complex taste that is very balanced.

Very creamy mouthfeel feels great.

This is a beautiful beer that is as good for the style as anything. This thing screams cold nights.

A: Pours a nice amberish brown hue with a nice creamy head. Okay retention with some lace.

S: Nice sweet malt aromas. Lots of toffee and caramel. Candied orange with notes of grapefruit. Light notes of wood show through.

T: Malty up front light sweetness. Nice citrus blast with subtle pine. The wood is pretty big. Adds a nice spicy note.

M: Medium in body, smooth, I like this one.

D: Good.