Cigar City Recommendations Needed

Jai Alai is thier IPA, and, along with Maduro (their Brown Ale), is the most common CCB to find on shelves (6 Packs). Tocabaga is a hoppy red ale that might be available in 6 packs, too. I'm not sure how distro to the area of Florida is. If it gets good distro, you might find Jai Alai White Oak or Jose Marti in 4 packs, but I'm not sure how long it's been since any of those went out.

Also, CCB doesn't do bombers. Only 12oz bottles and champagne style 750ml bottles. Not sure how far from the brewery the 750s get, but there was a ton of Big Sound in Tampa on Hunahpu's weekend.

 

Hunahpu's does not see distribution. It's a brewery only release, and this year it sold out in one day with a bottle limit of two per person. Long story short - there's no Huna on shelves.

 

At few shops in the tampa bay area still has last years big sound and at least in Lakeland you can still find guava groove and Improv.

Be sure to pick up a 750ml bottle of the humidor IPA. One of the best that CCB offers.

 

Through most of Central Florida you can find the 750ml of Guava Grove, Humidor IPA and sometimes Improv or Bolita Brown. I see any or all in ABC's and other locations through Orlando and around the area.

 

Tocoboga is a must IMHO. I think CCB had it in 750 and they have it at total wine, Naples regularly. Don't know where your boy is planning on stopping but getting to CCB will be a considerable detour if he is with the family. Don't know how much time/effort he will have to look for your beers. He will roll right by me on the way to Marco Island so if you want to arrange something I could pick up a selection of what is available around me and meet your guy. I would estimate I can find 3-5 CCB beers in 4/6 packs and a few bombers at any given time. I can probably get you a list of availability by me tomorrow as I plan to hit the store again. I could split some 4/6 packs to fit your beer limit. last White Oak Jai Alai was 2 months ago I believe.

 

Look up Total Wine shops in FLA.
Check bottle dating for the hoppy stuff, but they usually carry fresh.
If at all possible, stop by the brewery, or maybe check the BA directory for places that have a decent tap list and grab a growler. Make some phone calls. You will be surprised at the availability.

 

I spent about $50 on Cigar City stuff when I was down there during Christmas.

I got:

Expresso Maduro Brown Ale (the coffee one) - first one tasted amazing, then the last 3 were mediocre. Can't explain it maybe the coffee faded.

Jose Marti India Porter - very good

Tocobaga Red Ale - very good

Winter Warmer - pretty good but pricey and a little too sweet

All of em were good though.

 

Their 2012 calendar has it coming out this month (in 6-packs no less), but I haven't seen any around yet. Cubano Espresso hit a lot of places recently, so if you like coffee beers then make an effort to find it. And like several people mentioned, Tocobaga is the southeast's version of Nugget Nectar -- get a bunch of it.

 

Jai alai is great.
Anything from the humidor series is always great.
Guava Grove is a delicious saison.
Tropical Heatwave is a new one thats pretty good. Its a Wheat ale.

But basically anything from them is great except the hotter than helles (which is terrible). But jai alai and anything humidor is a guaranteed great choice.

 

Add Cubano Expresso to your list too. Tocobago is amazingly good. Wish I'd gotten more while I was down there.

 

Where can we find the 2012 calendar?

 

Just know that you might not find all this stuff at 1 Total Wine. I had to go to Total Wine, the brewery, and another store in Brandon to find all that stuff. Wish they had everything but different stores had different varieties.

 

yesterday Total Wine Naples had lemon dos costas lemon, dos costas grapefruit, sugar plum, winter warmer, jai alai, Maduro, Cubano espresso, maybe some other stuff. they had a ton of hopslam for $20/6er as well.