Before I review the Cigar City Maduro Brown Ale, I need to get this rant out of the way…
During the first week of November, the family and I spent a week in Orlando, FL. Let me clarify that. We spent a week at Walt Disney World, which is located on the outskirts of Orlando, FL. I never actually stepped foot in downtown Orlando.
Since we had rented a condo at a timeshare resort just outside of Mouseville, I planned on picking up some of Cigar City Brewing‘s big bottle offerings (the condo had a full sized refrigerator) which I hoped to sample in the evenings after spending our days at the amusement parks.
It turns out that the area immediately surrounding Walt Disney World is a Craft Beer wasteland (I’m sure Orlando proper would offer more options). I went to at least four different liquor stores, and the only Cigar City beers in stock were either the Jai Alai IPA or the Maduro Brown Ale. Please don’t misunderstand me, the Jai Alai IPA and the Maduro Brown Ale are excellent beers, but since I could get them in Philly, I didn’t see the point in buying them. In a nutshell, my dreams of big bottle Cigar City tastings never came true.
Wait… who am I kidding? After 8 to 13 hour days at the amusement parks, I could barely walk, much less pour myself a beer. Perhaps I should view the elusive nature of these beers as a sign that it just wasn’t meant to be.
I feel better now. Let’s get back to business…
While perusing the Craft Beer offerings at The Foodery a couple weeks ago, I noticed that they had the Maduro Brown Ale in stock, so I decided to pick up a bottle for a full review (we have reviewed the Jai Alai IPA on two separate occasions). Here is what Cigar City Brewing has to say about their Maduro Brown Ale:
Maduro is a Northern English-style brown ale with some American affectations. Maduro is higher in alcohol than the common English brown ale and features flaked oats in the malt bill which imparts a silky body and works to mesh the roasted, toasted and chocolate components together in Maduro’s complex malt profile. The end result is a remarkably full-flavored yet approachable and sessionable brown ale that pairs well with mild to medium cigars.
And here is my take on this beer…
- Appearance: Deep brown when you look at it straight on. Ruby red highlights when held up to the light. Quarter inch high, tan head that dissipated rapidly. Lots of fast rising bubbles that pop and fizzle when they reach the surface.
- Aroma: Rich, roasted malt aromas with bittersweet chocolate and medium roast coffee notes. Very faint smell of tobacco in the background.
- Taste: Very well carbonated. Smooth and fizzy mouthfeel. Those bittersweet chocolate and coffee notes carry through to the palate. Rich roasted malt flavors from beginning to end. Some mild, pleasant bitterness in the finish.
- ABV: 5.5%
I have had the Cigar City Maduro Brown Ale on at least five occasions, and it has never disappointed me. This is a seriously session worthy brown ale. Smooth, easy drinking, and thanks to it’s fizzy carbonation, also quite refreshing. I highly recommend this beer. Well done Cigar City!
