Name – Vanilla Aged Maduro Oatmeal Brown Ale
Country – United States
Type – American Brown Ale

Appearance – Pours a deep brown color with some lighter brown and red highlights along the edge of the glass.  Very thin off white head that disappears rather quickly.

Smell – Vanilla beans and cocoa dominate the nose but you get some malts in there as well.

Taste – Caramel and vanilla with some chocolate notes as well.  There is a slight alcohol burn and that mixes with the vanilla and gives it an vanilla extract type taste.

Picked up for me by Phil and Kelly from Dos Beerigos when they went to the Hunahpu’s release this was the one growler that stood out to me.  I enjoy regular Maduro so this just begged for me to buy it.  It is a lot like the original except with the vanilla in it.  It is quite strong in my opinion and does come across so strongly it is almost like an extract even though it is not.  Good sipping beer that I got to enjoy more of with my friends last night.

Overall Grade – B+

Name – Humidor Series Jai Alai IPA
Country – United States
Type – American IPA

Appearance – Poured a murky orangish color with a big fluffy white head that stuck around for quite a bit and left a lot of lacing on the glass.

Smell – Straight up cedar.  Go find a box of your grandpa or dad’s finest cigars.  Open in.  Stick your face in it.  And now inhale.  Got that smell?  Good because that is really what you get here.  I didn’t really pick up much else from nose as this was so pungent.

Taste – You get a grapefruit citrus hop taste up front but it is then immediately followed by the cedar taste.  There is some spices and a peppery taste to it as well.

Normally I have no problem with a bomber or 750 ml in a night but I really had to take my time with this one.  It is very good and very different from anything else you will ever have.  I sampled the Marshal Zhukov Humidor Series before but really didn’t realize how over my head I would be with this one.  Next time I will definitely need some friends to share this one with.  Also remember that this one won a gold medal at the Great American Beer Festival this past fall for best wood aged beer.  Cigar City make unique beers with Florida in mind and this one fits Tampa perfectly.

Overall Grade – A