Cigar City Brewing

On a vacation near Tampa FL this past Winter, I had a chance to sample some of the local beer.  I was very impressed with the beers I had from Cigar City Brewing.  http://cigarcitybrewing.com/

I tried Jose Martin, Improv, Auld Alliance,  and Holy Mackerel (2012). All were excellent and  highly recommended.

The biggest surprise I had was a beer called Humidor Series: India Pale Ale. I had assumed that the name just went along with the theme of the brewery, but I was pleasantly wrong.  This IPA had been aged in Spanish cedar, the same wood used for cigar boxes.  When I tried the beer, it had an excellent subtle taste of cigar.  It brought me back to the last time I had a craft cigar floating on the Colorado River on a houseboat with a bunch of friends.

I know it sounds a bit weird, but this combination really works well.  When I get hold of another bottle I'm going to drink it while I puff on a Macanudo.

Cheers,

Zymus