Sea Bass - Red Wine Barrel Aged
Cigar City Brewing

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

reviewed from notes i was lucky enough to get this one right after the release, but it had leaked so i was sent a replacement, drank the first one and it turned out well, so the review is based off a large sample over a period of time.

nice dark pour with hints of red along the sides of a mostly dark brown ale. nice tight head on top seemed to stay around for what seemed like forever before finally settling down.

first notes of yeast and oak travel through the senses and mix with a light vinous tone. A really nice blend of light spices, roasted malts and almost a Smokey note start to permeate the air as it warms up and starts to come around full circle. Light notes of chocolate even find their way into the mix along with earthy malt notes and touches of figs. Sweet barrel notes here, but not dominant at all.This carries over very well into the flavor as the first sips just spill dark fruits and spiced rum notes all along the palate and a rich roasted malt note really starts to let itself be known. Really nicely done and a great blend of flavors. Especially as it starts to warm and fully opens up. Small hints of dark spices finish off the flavor as it rolls off the tongue and a nice and smooth, clean finish is the result.

Massive thanks goes out to cmrillo who shared this one with the group at the "Evening Wood" tasting graciously hosted by cmrillo as well! Served from growler into a Mikkeller flute. Poured a deep ruby red brown with a very minimal off-white head. There was no lacing evident throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, wood, sour, and tart. The flavor was of sweet malt, caramel, wood, slight sour, and slight spices. It had a medium feel on the palate with low carbonation. Overall this was a pretty good brew. Got lucky enough to try this one back-to-back with the Oak Aged version. I really liked this one better as the slight sour note I picked up on made it QUITE enjoyable and blended with the rest of the brew. As before the saison spices had mellowed out quite a bit but were still there. Really glad I got the opportunity to try this one and I suggest you try to do the same.

Thanks to Jason or Sean for bringing this back from Florida.

A - Brown colored beer that looks a little red or pinkish on the head, maybe it's just my imagination as they use "wine" in the title. Moderate lacing.

S - Some sour and funk notes, don't get tons of the base beer on this. A lot of red wine, barrel, vinegar, and acetic qualities.

T - No real hint of the 8.5%, it's very well hidden and makes this a bit dangerous. The red wine in this is no joke, as it is very strong in the taste. Good oak presence and a decent amount of funk. I guess I didn't remember that Sea Bass was a saison, because this doesn't taste like one.

M - A bit dry, with medium body and moderate carbonation.

O - Really interesting beer that is pretty good. Some people are going to really like this one.

Growler shared by Sean. Served in a HopCat tulip.

A - Pours with a finger of off-white foam that settles to a thin ring, leaving spotty lace. Reddish-brown body with some translucency to it.

S - Oaky vanilla, red wine vinegar, sharp acetobacter, and some light malt sweetness as well. Reminds me of a Flanders Red (much more than the Portsmouth Flanders Red did, anyway).

T - The taste is much sweeter than I expected, with plenty of vanilla and maraschino cherry sweetness. It finishes with heavy oak and red wine, and there is an unfortunate, strange, herbal bitterness that seems to linger (and made me keep sipping the beer to avoid it).

M - Lower carbonation, medium body, some dry oaky tannis, and a sticky mouth-coating finish. No obvious alcohol is present.

D - This was quite enjoyable, and a step up from the base beer (which I also enjoyed, unlike many others). I had a second pour of this one. Hopefully Cigar City makes all Sea Bass in red wine barrels from now on.