Cigar Box IPA
Tacoma Brewing Co.

my first ever beer from these guys and its an absolute banger, one of my favorite beers from my recent trip to washington, which is really saying something because i drank extremely well. just a single can of this, neat packaging with a cigar on it, understated for how flavorful and unique the beer is inside. its a cedar aged strong ipa, and its amazing, piney northwestern hops meet aromatic and pungent cedar wood, its a match made in heaven, and really does have a cigar complexion to it, more the humidor than the cigar i guess, but the flavor of this is just incredible. the wood drives it, even in front of the hops, really rich and earthy and spicy and distinctive, like no mistaking that this is cedar at all. the hops compliment it so well too though, like brilliantly selected, pine and spruce and a gin botanical thing, all real fresh despite the wood, makes me think the wood was introduced during the dry hopping right with the hops, no fade here at all, everything pops. its so robust, or should i say robusto?! (haha). moderately bitter, slightly oily in feel but also really highly carbonated so it moves, gorgeous aftertaste, this is so unique, i remember something vaguely similar from cigar city at one point, maybe a jai alai variant, but this stands on its own. i was sad that the brewery was closed when we tried to visit, if this is any sign of what they do, many treasures await inside and i will have to get back here, but i am thrilled to have been able to enjoy this one, truly memorable. great fusion of the cedar and the hops in a beer i just want to keep drinking. incredible!

edit: second time around this seemed to have just slightly less piercing cedar to it, still incredible, but not as bright and poppy as it was the first time i had it. i wonder if this element might also fade a little with freshness. either way, this worked just as well with the lesser cedar profile too, and is one of my favorite hoppy beers of 2020, really awesome stuff, thanks to my buddy for dropping a can off for me!