Jai Alai IPA - White Oak
Cigar City Brewing

Jai Alai IPA - White OakJai Alai IPA - White Oak
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From:
Cigar City Brewing
 
Florida, United States
Style:
American IPA
Ranked #116
ABV:
7.5%
Score:
93
Ranked #2,921
Avg:
4.2 | pDev: 10%
Reviews:
560
Ratings:
2,494
Status:
Active
Rated:
May 05, 2023
Added:
Jun 13, 2010
Wants:
  341
Gots:
  417
A truly unique India Pale Ale, this iteration of our Jai Alai IPA boasts the addition of white oak spirals to impart sleek notes of vanilla, coconut and a touch of dill to Jai Alai's bold citrus and caramel character. The oak also serves to temper the bitterness in the 70 IBU base beer while oak tannins elegantly dry the beer’s body to create a unique drinking experience that still remains true to Jai Alai’s unique qualities.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by mattsdenney:
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Reviewed by mattsdenney from Tennessee

4.66/5  rDev +11%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
Was able to snag some sixers of this one on vacation back in May. Finally getting around to drinking and rating my last one. Was hard to find.

Pours a medium amber, orange color with two things of full, thick head. Cloudy with noticeable specks of material and residue floating around. Not sure what this is, part of the oak possibly? Smells amazing; orange peel, lemon, fresh cut grass, sweet vanilla. Tastes even better. It's hoppy, smooth, malty, sweet, bitter, and all in perfect harmony. The finishing notes of vanilla and oak are perfect and mix well with the hoppy bitterness. The hops are more subdued than in normal Jai Alai as expected. The smoothest, most flavorful IPA I've ever had. Light carbonation, smooth, medium bodied. Perfect consistency. Overall an amazing beer and one that I hope to find every year. I can see why people in FL were buying it up and trying to sell it for 4x the normal price.
Aug 21, 2013
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.21 by BradtheGreat7 from Ohio

May 05, 2023
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Reviewed by 57md from Pennsylvania

4.03/5  rDev -4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
If I didn't know that this was a Jai Alai variant, I never would have guessed the base beer was an IPA of any kind, let alone a brightly citrus-forward one.

The name of the game for this offering is "dry." There is a trace of vanilla hidden way in the back of the flavor profile. But, the oaky dryness is king here.
Mar 13, 2023
 
Rated: 4 by FrancisM12 from New Jersey

Mar 04, 2023
 
Rated: 4.1 by Taenim from Maine

Feb 02, 2023
 
Rated: 4 by Zanico from Ohio

Jan 19, 2023
 
Rated: 4.17 by cbcrunch from Wyoming

Nov 23, 2022
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Rated by Captain69 from Illinois

3.69/5  rDev -12.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
light hoppy ipa nice thirst quencher on a hot day
Oct 26, 2022
 
Rated: 3.89 by dms1767 from Nebraska

Oct 20, 2022
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Reviewed by mfnmbvp from Illinois

4/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
12 oz. can, canned 04/15/22. My second beer review from Cigar City Brewing, somehow.

Poured to Camp Crystal Lake tumbler.
Dark cloudy orange, hues of brown. Finger of creamy khaki head, leaves some good scattered lacing.
Musty aromas of vanilla & oak meets West Coast hop bitterness.
Bitter, creamy, tons of oak & Vanilla permeate the base. Reminds me a lot of Great Divide Rumble and how much I loved that beer.
Smooth, crisp, creamy, medium-full bodied with a modest abv. Good piney resinous hop bitterness on the finish.

Overall, love this beer, shocked it took me so long to try it.

Cigar City White Oak Jai Alai -----4/5
Oct 13, 2022
 
Rated: 3.86 by markallmon from Tennessee

Oct 12, 2022
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Reviewed by JohnniEMc from Pennsylvania

3.81/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
The two twelve ounce cans emptied into a clear glass liter mug poured a little puffy. The foam on top seems excessive and now it's receding unevenly and unattractively. But, that's the only major complaint about the visual. The color is bright copper-amber and only mildly opaque. Just a hint of the color is imparted into the foam. A full aroma brings malt, some moderate hopping and a vanilla like sweetness. To taste, the vanilla gives way to oaky tannins, so there's very little sweetness. That also makes this more bitter than expected. Although the presence of the alcohol is mild to the taste, those tannins make it seem like some Bourbon was added to the beer. With White Oak clearly listed on the label, that shouldn't be a major distraction. But, it overpowers the self-described " notes of coconut and vanilla". There's nothing subtle about the additional woodiness added. Those that like that taste inclusion will really like this. But, not every beer drinker does and those will certainly find this less than enjoyable. Even with the extra bitter bite, the irregular glass lacing and all the initial foam, this has a better than decent mouthfeel for an IPA.
Oct 02, 2022
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Rated by eatsluggs from Florida

4.21/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Bitter and oaky. New wood flavors come through...love it!
Sep 08, 2022
Photo of MadMadMike
Reviewed by MadMadMike from France

4.27/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
On tap at Cigar City Brewing in Tampa. 12 ounce pour into a snifter. Ice cold. Beautiful presentation, great full finger of foam and lace stayed throughout the session.
Smell is piney juicy Jai Alai - on an oak plank.
Taste is Jai Alai - with an extra added woodsy oak note that turns the volume down while expressing the subtle notes of the IPA. It’s familiar, yet diffetent in a great way. White pepper, malty, dry. Xlnt.,.
Feel is smooth, velvety, mid-carb.
Overall, on draught, fresh, this is a damn fine idea that works well. A different take on a favorite.
Now. That being said, the canned version does not reach this lofty height. Canned, though fresh here in Florida, falls short of this rating, but is well worth a try if you can find it.
Sep 03, 2022
 
Rated: 4 by Gerred from Missouri

Aug 21, 2022
 
Rated: 4.41 by kraut6363 from Pennsylvania

Jul 30, 2022
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Reviewed by DrOfGolf from Delaware

3.99/5  rDev -5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Poured into a clear glass and it was a somewhat dark orange. The smell was one of hops and possibly citrus. The taste was good with another feeling of citrus. All in all, a pretty decent beer.
Jul 30, 2022
Photo of Weisenbeer
Rated by Weisenbeer from Ohio

4.04/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Beautiful head and lacing.... Definitely unique, the finish is almost boozy which I am not sure I like ... Still, very nice brew
Jul 17, 2022
 
Rated: 3.5 by tankg from Pennsylvania

Jul 16, 2022
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Reviewed by andrewjraab from Michigan

3.65/5  rDev -13.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.75
A - Pours a cloudy orange, pillow of sudsy off white head. Nice sticky ring after each drink. Spotty lace clings.

S - Banana, clove, earthy, Fresh oily hops, resinous, piney, tropical fruits, some malts in the back end.

T - Vanilla and oak, almost boozy, offset by Layers of hops - fresh and oily citrus, fruity, grapefruit, nicely balanced with malts. Smooth and creamy mouth feel. A bit of banana peel in back end.

O - Interesting variant of the classic. It is worth a try, but doesn't elevate the original.
Jul 08, 2022
Jai Alai IPA - White Oak from Cigar City Brewing
Beer rating: 93 out of 100 with 2494 ratings