Citrus Wizard
Cigar City Brewing

Pours a very hazy dark copper/chestnut brown color with deep mahogany edges. Two finger frothy beige head that very slowly settles into a thick,lasting ring/cap. Great retention, taking a while to settle and completely coating the glass with soapy lacing on the way down.

Very inviting aroma with subtle char/toothpick along with juicy tropical/ citrus notes and caramel malt sweetness. The faint oak compliments the sweeter fruit and malt character. Hints of grapefruit, pineapple, melon, mango and papaya along with some caramel and toffee. Really interesting with odd interplay of subtle char, tobaco and juicy tropical hop sweetness.

Medium body with a really nice oak/cedar presence along with juicy citrus sweetness and delicate malt undertones. Slightly dry with subtle toothpicks along with nice cedar character giving off subtle hints of tobacco smokiness and leather. This is excellently countered by juicy orange peel, tangerine, grapefruit, melon and pineapple flavors. Surprised how juicy and tropical the flavor profile is. However, there's nice balance with the malt presence complimenting the oak/cedar and the juicy sweetness very well.

This might be the best red ale I've ever had - huge hop/fruit flavors and super drinkable. I brought a growler to a share and wanted to take it back immediately and drink it all myself! Take a bow Cigar City, this is what all ambers should aspire to be.

 

 

 

 

Served from 32oz Crowler, fill date of May 26, 2015, tasted June 5, 2015, thanks floridadrift

A — Pours a deep red hued amber, almost looks like the color on the accent on the crowler, there is a fluffy light amber colored head here as well, thanks for crowler freshness! Lacing is large, sticky, and consistently left behind.

S — Smells of bright tangerine, citrus, lemon peel, orange rind, grapefruit pith, quite bitter and sweet all at once.

T — Tastes like a gigantic citrus explosion. Orange juice, grapefruit juice, lemon peel, lime rind, Ugli fruit, blood orange, cedar wood, spanish cedar like the inside of a cigar box, exceedingly bitter and amazing, what wizardry is this? Unbelievably complex and unique, never experienced a citrus profile like this before. Lots of bright excellent citrus notes without any unnecessary sweetness.

M — Medium bodied and dry, the finish is long and drawn out quite nicely, really does dry out the palate though, wonder what the IBUs are here.

O — Absolutely unlike any beer I have ever had before, huge citrus and light woodiness to dry it all out, this is like a big glass of Orange, Grapefruit, Cedar juice, OGC juice, is that a thing? Great work CCB, keep up the Wizardry!

 

 

Poured into shaker pint on tap

A: Very muddy brown orangish hue really not much of a head on this beer

S: smelled of pure grapefruit candy very sweet smelling and maybe a little wood

T: Super citrusy, syrupy sweet, and a minor touch of wood

M: cloying very thick and syrupy on the tongue unpleasant at best

O: Except for being overly sweet and very cloying the taste is pretty good it's just hard to drink more than one of these and after the first one I'm not really sure you'd want to anyway.

 

 

 

all orange peel. Like biting straight into an orange.

 

 

This beer absolutely caught me by surprise. The first several sips, I wasn't sure what to make of it. The nose was very perfumed, I caught some (what I interpreted as) cedar and huge grapefruit. By about 1/3 of the glass, I was entranced. It's fruity and magnificent, and worth your time and a full pour. A sample will simply not do this justice.