Local brewery Cigar City Brewing has received rave reviews for many of their beers. From the highly coveted Hunahpu’s Imperial Stout to the gold medal-winning Humidor Series IPA, the creativity and quality of their specialty beers has garnered a dedicated following quickly.
Barrel-aged and limited production brews only available at the tasting room and beer shrine are greatly desired and anticipated by locals and beer travelers alike. But the true measure of a brewery’s worth is in their standard production beers. Sierra Nevada’s Harvest line is amazing, but their Pale Ale has been a consistent, excellent beer for many years. Stone Brewing’s Vertical Epic series is engaging and innovative, but their Arrogant Bastard is a standard people turn to on a regular basis. And so it goes with all successful craft brewers. Creativity and experimentation are the source of greatness, but the workhorse brews are what people rely on.
Jai Alai IPA is that workhorse for Cigar City. Currently the only Cigar City offering available in six-packs (the Maduro Brown is coming later this year), it is also the most frequently offered in local bars on tap. It is also the base for several of the brewery’s special lines. The Humidor Series IPA, White Oak-Aged IPA, Creamsicle IPA, and Twigs and Berries all start as the Jai Alai. This is a testament to the solid quality of the IPA. It is a fantastic India Pale Ale, first and foremost. Pouring a beautiful hazy golden hue, you are immediately hit with the aroma of grapefruit and pine with a hint of caramel. The hops are king here, and the flavors range from a sweetness initially to the bitter hop finish, with a full run of citrus throughout. Orange, grapefruit, tangerine and then the sticky, resiny finish. But the balance with the malt is excellent, too. The alcohol ranks in at 7.5%, but it is well hidden by the flavors.
This article appears in Aug 19-25, 2010.