Jai Alai IPA - White Oak | Cigar City Brewing
Brewed by:
Cigar City Brewing
Florida, United States
cigarcitybrewing.com
Style: American IPA
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 7.50%
Availability: Year-round
Notes / Commercial Description:
This is an American White Oak-aged version of Jai Alai India Pale Ale. The white oak adds smoothing notes of vanilla and slight hints of dill to the aroma and flavor profile. The finish is elegantly dry due to the light tannin notes from oak aging and though still loaded with hop flavor, hop bitterness is more restrained.
70 IBU
Added by tpd975 on 06-13-2010
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Ratings: 2,188 | Reviews: 481
3.79/5 rDev -8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Canned on 5/5. Deep orange, not opaque. Nice build up of head but it faded after a minute or so and left little lacing and no residual head on the surface. The oak flavor is very prevalent. Really enjoyed the aroma, it's very tropical with hints of vanilla and coconut. I was a little put off by the strong oak flavor, even though it is the white-oak aged variant, Looking forward to trying the original for comparison.
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look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Canned on 5/5. Deep orange, not opaque. Nice build up of head but it faded after a minute or so and left little lacing and no residual head on the surface. The oak flavor is very prevalent. Really enjoyed the aroma, it's very tropical with hints of vanilla and coconut. I was a little put off by the strong oak flavor, even though it is the white-oak aged variant, Looking forward to trying the original for comparison.
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3.6/5 rDev -13.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
5/5 rDev +20.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
A: Poured from a 12-oz can into a pint glass. Dark, almost burnt, orange. Hazy although not NEIPA-level cloudy. Two-finger head subsides into a smaller one and leaves significant lacing on the side of the glass.
S: Strong. Peppery, piney. Take a deep whiff and you'll catch the scent of fresh grapefruit.
T: Complex. Pine, tropical fruit, maybe even some cucumber? A very faint, subtle sweetness--some have said vanilla but I'm leaning more toward cane sugar. Whatever it is it's delicious.
F: Sinus-opening. Crunchy--I want to literally chew on this.
O: Jai Alai is a remarkable IPA, but it is just a standard interpretation of it. This is phenomenal AND unique. An unqualified triumph. God bless Cigar City for distributing here.
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look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
A: Poured from a 12-oz can into a pint glass. Dark, almost burnt, orange. Hazy although not NEIPA-level cloudy. Two-finger head subsides into a smaller one and leaves significant lacing on the side of the glass.
S: Strong. Peppery, piney. Take a deep whiff and you'll catch the scent of fresh grapefruit.
T: Complex. Pine, tropical fruit, maybe even some cucumber? A very faint, subtle sweetness--some have said vanilla but I'm leaning more toward cane sugar. Whatever it is it's delicious.
F: Sinus-opening. Crunchy--I want to literally chew on this.
O: Jai Alai is a remarkable IPA, but it is just a standard interpretation of it. This is phenomenal AND unique. An unqualified triumph. God bless Cigar City for distributing here.
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3.93/5 rDev -5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Canned 5/5, drank 6/26.
I taste the oak! Builds a vanilla, buttery chardonnay note. Still the sharp carbonated jai alai mouth feel, but the piney bitterness is gone.
I like it. My mt Rushmore for oaked ipa begins w big hoppy oaked monster and while this is good, it is not that. But still a fun take on a staple ipa.
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look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Canned 5/5, drank 6/26.
I taste the oak! Builds a vanilla, buttery chardonnay note. Still the sharp carbonated jai alai mouth feel, but the piney bitterness is gone.
I like it. My mt Rushmore for oaked ipa begins w big hoppy oaked monster and while this is good, it is not that. But still a fun take on a staple ipa.
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4.02/5 rDev -3.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A: Light orange to copper color, large off white head, great lacing
S: Floral, citrus hops, as well as a subtle earthy oak fragrance
T: Floral and citrus, the earthiness of the oak comes in then I get the caramely sweet hops that I love so much about the noraml Jai Alai
M: Medium
O: Not as good as the original but a nice beer. You dont have to do anything to the original because it is that good.
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look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A: Light orange to copper color, large off white head, great lacing
S: Floral, citrus hops, as well as a subtle earthy oak fragrance
T: Floral and citrus, the earthiness of the oak comes in then I get the caramely sweet hops that I love so much about the noraml Jai Alai
M: Medium
O: Not as good as the original but a nice beer. You dont have to do anything to the original because it is that good.
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4.05/5 rDev -2.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
a: clear golden amber color with some really nice dark orange notes. head pours 1 finger off-white, pretty solid
s: tons of mango and pineapple upfront. following that is a nice woody blast and some dry crackers. caramel malts and a bit of sugary sweetness behind that. more juicy pineapple and wood kind of round out the nose here
t: caramel, tons of oak up front. grapefruit, a strong herbal bitterness, ripe mango and strawberry. very big bready flavor in here as well with a hint of dry crackers. the finish is dry and oaky
m: solid medium mouthfeel here. carbonation is low-mid
o: not quite as juicy as the nose led me to believe, but that is because the wood really shines here. oak and earthy bitterness are the main players here. i think i prefer regular Jai Alai to this, but it is still a really nice use of oak, and i would recommend it for sure
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look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
a: clear golden amber color with some really nice dark orange notes. head pours 1 finger off-white, pretty solid
s: tons of mango and pineapple upfront. following that is a nice woody blast and some dry crackers. caramel malts and a bit of sugary sweetness behind that. more juicy pineapple and wood kind of round out the nose here
t: caramel, tons of oak up front. grapefruit, a strong herbal bitterness, ripe mango and strawberry. very big bready flavor in here as well with a hint of dry crackers. the finish is dry and oaky
m: solid medium mouthfeel here. carbonation is low-mid
o: not quite as juicy as the nose led me to believe, but that is because the wood really shines here. oak and earthy bitterness are the main players here. i think i prefer regular Jai Alai to this, but it is still a really nice use of oak, and i would recommend it for sure
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3.72/5 rDev -10.4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
On the malty side. Oaky. Orange, pine resin and and citrus pith. Lots of malt on this guy. Very dry, pine bitterness on the finish. Smooth, medium bodied. A bit floral. This is ok. Prefer regular Jai Alai by a mile.
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look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
On the malty side. Oaky. Orange, pine resin and and citrus pith. Lots of malt on this guy. Very dry, pine bitterness on the finish. Smooth, medium bodied. A bit floral. This is ok. Prefer regular Jai Alai by a mile.
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4.17/5 rDev +0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
A: Pours a slightly hazy medium to dark golden honey in color with moderate amounts of active visible carbonation rising from the bottom of the glass and moderate amber colored highlights. The beer has a three finger tall dense foamy beige head that reduces to a handful of small patches of medium thick film surrounded by a large patch of thin film covering the remainder of the surface of the beer and a medium thick ring at the edges of the glass. Significant amounts of lacing are observed.
S: Moderate aromas of sweet caramel malts and moderate to strong aromas of citrus/grapefruit, citrus/grapefruit zest, tropical/passionfruit, and tropical/mango hops. Hints of vanilla and a slight hint of woodiness.
T: Upfront there is a slightly stronger than moderate flavor of caramel malts with a moderate amount of caramel sweetness. That is followed by moderate to strong flavors of citrus/grapefruit, citrus/grapefruit zest, tropical/passionfruit, and tropical/mango hops. There is a light to moderate flavor of white oak with a light flavor of vanilla. Moderate amounts of hoppy bitterness which fades away relatively quickly leaving a lingering oakiness in the finish.
M: Medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Light amounts of dryness in the finish.
O: Enjoyable with well hidden alcohol and easy to drink. The white oak aging adds a different and enjoyable twist to the flavor profile of Jai Alai.
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look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
A: Pours a slightly hazy medium to dark golden honey in color with moderate amounts of active visible carbonation rising from the bottom of the glass and moderate amber colored highlights. The beer has a three finger tall dense foamy beige head that reduces to a handful of small patches of medium thick film surrounded by a large patch of thin film covering the remainder of the surface of the beer and a medium thick ring at the edges of the glass. Significant amounts of lacing are observed.
S: Moderate aromas of sweet caramel malts and moderate to strong aromas of citrus/grapefruit, citrus/grapefruit zest, tropical/passionfruit, and tropical/mango hops. Hints of vanilla and a slight hint of woodiness.
T: Upfront there is a slightly stronger than moderate flavor of caramel malts with a moderate amount of caramel sweetness. That is followed by moderate to strong flavors of citrus/grapefruit, citrus/grapefruit zest, tropical/passionfruit, and tropical/mango hops. There is a light to moderate flavor of white oak with a light flavor of vanilla. Moderate amounts of hoppy bitterness which fades away relatively quickly leaving a lingering oakiness in the finish.
M: Medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Light amounts of dryness in the finish.
O: Enjoyable with well hidden alcohol and easy to drink. The white oak aging adds a different and enjoyable twist to the flavor profile of Jai Alai.
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3.79/5 rDev -8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Thanks to BA Extraordinaire SammyJaxxx for this one.
I ALWAYS appreciate scoring a Jai Alai, and have been hoping to score this one for a while now. Having said that, I find this one to be quite good, interesting, and worthwhile. But, I truly prefer straight up Jai Alai.
The drying effect of the oak aging is unique, but IMHO it diminished the beauty that is Jai Alai.
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look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Thanks to BA Extraordinaire SammyJaxxx for this one.
I ALWAYS appreciate scoring a Jai Alai, and have been hoping to score this one for a while now. Having said that, I find this one to be quite good, interesting, and worthwhile. But, I truly prefer straight up Jai Alai.
The drying effect of the oak aging is unique, but IMHO it diminished the beauty that is Jai Alai.
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4.42/5 rDev +6.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
4.37/5 rDev +5.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Enjoyed at World of Beer in Arlington, VA. POUR: On draft into a 10oz snifter. APPEARANCE: Golden to orange in color. Hazy. No head and very scant glass lacing. AROMA: Not much on the nose. Some real faint juicy citrus. TASTE: Initial hit of oak. Vanilla. Very mellow in comparison to the regular Jai Alai. Still a very juicy citrus flavor profile but is somewhat subdued by the oak aging. AFTERTASTE: Finishes more clean and crisp than the regular Jai Alai. Oak aging also reveals a very distinct grassy and earthy back end. NOTES: Interesting mash up. The big juicy citrus is still there but it is hiding behind the earthy oak. REVIEW/RATING: Very good/ 4.37 out of 5.
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look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Enjoyed at World of Beer in Arlington, VA. POUR: On draft into a 10oz snifter. APPEARANCE: Golden to orange in color. Hazy. No head and very scant glass lacing. AROMA: Not much on the nose. Some real faint juicy citrus. TASTE: Initial hit of oak. Vanilla. Very mellow in comparison to the regular Jai Alai. Still a very juicy citrus flavor profile but is somewhat subdued by the oak aging. AFTERTASTE: Finishes more clean and crisp than the regular Jai Alai. Oak aging also reveals a very distinct grassy and earthy back end. NOTES: Interesting mash up. The big juicy citrus is still there but it is hiding behind the earthy oak. REVIEW/RATING: Very good/ 4.37 out of 5.
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3.73/5 rDev -10.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
4.25/5 rDev +2.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Jai Alai IPA - White Oak from Cigar City Brewing
4.15
out of 5
based on 2,188 ratings.
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Cloudy dark orange gold pour with a white head. Tropical aroma with some oak tones. Taste has a lot of oak upfront backed by tropical fruit, herbal, and caramel flavors.
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