Cigar City Either Black Ale
High gravity black ale brewed with Ty Ty honey, copious amounts of hops and aged on toasted Spanish Cedar.
Part 1 of a 4 beer collaboration between Cigar City, Hill Farmstead, and Grassroots.
A note from Joey Redner: "The beers are basically black IPA’s brewed with lots of Citra, Mt. Rainier and Simcoe along with Ty Ty honey from North Florida aged on medium toast Spanish Cedar. There are different hop additions in the Hill Farmstead/Grassroots version (Or) and the 2-row base malt in the CCB version (Either) is replaced with Pilsner malt in the Vermont/Denmark version (Or). There are also some process differences which is one of the purposes of a collaboration; allowing breweries to learn from each other.
The goal was to make two beers that were alike, but slightly different due to preferences in regional approach and access to ingredients. The four beers in this collaborative series will be named:
Either, Or, Neither and Nor. Either and Or will release first and the other two will follow. Both Either and Or were brewed at CCB, but Neither and Nor will be brewed as single batches in both Vermont and Denmark.
Part 1 of a 4 beer collaboration between Cigar City, Hill Farmstead, and Grassroots.
A note from Joey Redner: "The beers are basically black IPA’s brewed with lots of Citra, Mt. Rainier and Simcoe along with Ty Ty honey from North Florida aged on medium toast Spanish Cedar. There are different hop additions in the Hill Farmstead/Grassroots version (Or) and the 2-row base malt in the CCB version (Either) is replaced with Pilsner malt in the Vermont/Denmark version (Or). There are also some process differences which is one of the purposes of a collaboration; allowing breweries to learn from each other.
The goal was to make two beers that were alike, but slightly different due to preferences in regional approach and access to ingredients. The four beers in this collaborative series will be named:
Either, Or, Neither and Nor. Either and Or will release first and the other two will follow. Both Either and Or were brewed at CCB, but Neither and Nor will be brewed as single batches in both Vermont and Denmark.
3.9
303 reviews
Tampa, United States
Community reviews
pours jet black with a thin white head, aroma of dank resinous hops, citrus and pine as well as a roasty characteristic. Taste follows, bitter yet slightly sweet. not bad
Bottle shared at Delirium Hoppy Loft, side by side with Or. Pours black with a small thick tan head. Aroma of rich chocolate, roasted malt, molasses, light coffee and a touch of vanilla. Flavour is heavy sweet and moderate to heavy bitter. Mouthfeel is thick and oily. Full bodied with soft carbonation. A little fuller and more intense than the Or.
Bottle at CCB Day, Sätila 2012-07-07. Black beer with a small beige head. Raisin, plum and malty aroma. Similar flavour. A nice beer.
Bottle at Mikkeller Bar, july 19th 2012.
Black colored, small breamy brown head.
Aroma of chocolate, wood, citrus. Roasty taste with american hops, honey, dark fruits. Warm and vicious body, lasting dry bitterness. A really good beer.
12 oz. bottle via normyk. Pours very dark brown to black with a small tan head. The nose has quite a bit of porter character with roasted malts, chocolate, molasses and dark fruit, and adds the nice touch of cedar (mild) and some hops. The flavor is more roasted malt, chocolate, molasses, cedar, dark fruit and some hop bite at the back. Mouth feel is full and there is quite a bit of sweetness from the honey. Bumped a tenth after having Or.
Bottle at Man in the Moon, Stockholm.
Thick, sticky, oily fluid. Black as night. Small sweetness, sage and honey in taste. The bitterness comes late. Nice black IPA, the ABV is well hidden.
Great black IPA. really rich and toasty with a nice hop bite that has a lot of pine and some citrus. Quite tasty and drinkable for the crazy high ABV. Loved it.
Bottle shared @ Timo’s/tkrjukoff’s CCB Day tasting on July 7, 2012.
Very dark brown to black color, brown head. Sweet, roasted, grainy, some spice and cheese, also alcohol scent. Sweet, malty, honey, smooth taste, alcohol. Smooth lean mouthfeel, medium high bitterness.
355 ml bottle shared @ tkrjukoffs CCB Day tasting. Pours hazy black with a small brownish white head that quickly dissipates without leaving much trace. Smell is sweet and malty with liquorice fudge, sweet dark rye bread, alcohol, prunes, coffee, pine, grapefruit juice, hay and burnt caramel. Taste is sweet, bitter and slightly metallic with roasted malts, grapefruit juice, coffee, grass, pine, black pepper, resinous wood, bitter chocolate, alcohol and prunes. Mouthfeel is tiny sticky sweet, slightly oily bitter and medium bodied. Finish is sweet and bitter with roasted malts, grapefruit juice, coffee, grapes, rye bread and wood.
Thx to Palme for this one !
Head: smalle, firm, espresso
Colour: almost black
Smell: chocolat, Anise, herbs, licquorice, high alcohol, black cherries
Taste: start is herbal, slight amount of coffee, high bitterness, small hops, something wineous, a touch of sour, some alcohol that burns the mouth, some woody and spicey notes , end is dry with a good amount of hops in the flavour, also oily textured, rather nice one !
POurs jet black with deep caramel notes. Sticky on the mouth with a caramelized grain/malt flavor that drives to a very long dry finish.
35,5 cl bottle @ home. Rated on 12.03.2010
Aroma is rather roasted with some hops, resin and chocolate. Flavour is somewhat ashy with hops, roastiness, coffee and chocolate. Very well roasted and good, could be an imperial stout as well. Better than Or.
Bottle to celebrate Nick’s 38th. Happy birthday bro ! Great looking tan head atop a pitch black body. Nose is very spicy with heavy chocolate and molasses running through it. Only a touch sweet with some vanilla tones. I remember the Or being a little sweeter. Taste is taken over by heavy cocoa and spices. The cedar cask comes through brilliantly. A touch of molasses, liquorice and vanilla to top it off. Unbelievable beer and not many black IPA’s compare to this or the Or. Amazing
Bottle. Super dark pour. Roasty woody nose and taste. Slightly better than Or in my opinion.
Bottle, from trade with HenrikSoegaard. A dark, dark brown beer topped by a small, beige head. Roasted malts, soy sauce, some alcohol, a nice hoppyness, some beefstock and a touch of roasted black pepper in the aroma. The flavor is on the roasted malty side, but with a pleasant citrus peel-like hoppyness bringing some balance. Soy sauce, beef stock and a touch of alcohol too. Full-bodied and lightly warming. Bitter finish with some citrus peel and roasted malts. A quite wonderful one. 110916
50 cl bottle.
Rated on 20110312.
Pours black color with small head. Aroma of ripe fruits and malts. Flavor of malts, fruits and some chocolate.
5425
Cellared bottle for a year. Poured a dark black with beige head. Notes of stick toffee, floral and juicy hops, very oily on the palate. Aromas of honey and chocolate shavings. Finishes smooth and warming. Excellent black ipa.
Pours black with a short lived tan head.
The nose is rich with toffe and malt, there are also some bready notes.
The taste is surprisingly mild for the color and nose. There is a nice honey flavor, and a slight taste of bittering hops.
The mouthefeel is realy smooth, with a slight creaminess. The carbonation is light and the finish is warming with a tinge of bitterness.
From notes.
Black pour with a tan edge and a creamy mocha froth.
Creamy milk chocolate, roasted malt, dark chocolate, espresso, spicy pine hop aroma.
Creamy and sweet up front, with roasted malt, coffee, and chocolate soon after. Mostly pine hops help finish the flavor.
The body is definitely full, for any style. The high ABV is not noticeable anywhere in the flavor though.
This Black IPA will hit you hard, but it tastes pretty good.
Bottle. Black colour with a tan head. Aroma is peaches, roasted malt, coffee. Flavour is licorice, alcohol, roasted malt, hop, coffee. Complex nice beer.
Pours black with no head. Aroma is molasses, licorice, tobacco and prunes. Taste is heavy malt & leather up front with a hoppy bitterness in the finish. Full viscous mouthfeel. Reminds me of an old leather jacket. Interesting. Would go well with a cigar.
My bottle [12oz] shared with garthicus & HogTownHarry -- c/o Glouglouburp. Dec. 13, 2011. Pours a very dark brown with a small lasting bubbly tan head. Nice aroma of resiny leafy hops, light smoke, dark malt and some chocolate. Flavour has hops galore along with lightly roasted dark malt, chocolate, a hint of peat and a big bitter finish. Medium bodied, almost-creamy mouthfeel. Great stuff.
Bottle. Black and viscous pour with scant brown head and no lace. The intense, dense aroma has character of being oxidized or rusty even though it’s new, and that’s not a bad thing here. Dark cherry skins, tarred and charred. Bittersweet cocoa powder and ganache. Raisins, and black currants. Very soft mouthfeel. Smooth in spite of being intense. Lots of coffee and deep dark roasted espresso. Good balance of fruity acidity with the dark roasted, almost burnt flavors. South American coffee cherries and char. Compelling, more so because of the concept of either/or.
Danish beer enthusiasts Aarhus south, dark IPA tasting: Black colour with fine brown head. Roasted malty aroma. Very rich dark beer with an intense hop flavor. Burning aftertaste.
Wonderful deep chocolate notes out of the bottle, and spicy-piney hops as well. Smell luscious. Thin mocha head that disappears quickly. Mouthfeel is velvety and covering. Flavors as just amazing...spicy wood, dark mocha, chocolate, sweet honey and whole hop flavors. A bit of heat near the end, but this is a beer I really enjoy.
Bottle from Ølbutikken, Copenhagen, shared with BBGTC. Pours an oily black body with a small creamy off-white head. Nose is deep roasty malts, licorice, roasted nuts, wood, bushes (cedar? I’m too unfamiliar with this type of wood to actually recognize, but something special is going on here...), booze, dark syrup, honey and hints of dark fruits, grass and pine. Wow. This is really a delicious blend of aromas. Taste is licorice, dark malts, roasty nuts and wood, with hints of dark fruits and alcohol. Some tar-like roasty notes in the finish. Smooth carbonation, slick mouthfeel. Although the taste does not quite live up the the amazing aroma, this is one helluva brew - complex, yet extremely smooth at the same time and well integrated as far as the high ABV is concerned. Would like more of this.
Bottled@Craft Beer Co, London during July-August visit. Quite much a pitch black colour with a mediumsized beigeish brown head. Aroma is chocolate, roasted malts, mild ashes, coffee and some slight fruity and hoppy notes. Flavour is floral hops, some roasted malts, mild ashes and some chocolate. Also smoked wet wooden notes
Entering old rates. 12oz bottle. Couleur brune foncée, col beige. Arôme est houblonné avec un bouquet très prononcé de houblon citra et pin résineux laissant ce côté agrumes; pamplemousse et citron donner la mesure. Je note aussi un malt léger grillé et caramel qui se fond bien dans la masse de houblon herbacé. L’usage du cèdre étant un peu la signature de CCB reste modéré et rajoute une petite pointe d’épice le miel quant à lui est discret et donne juste ce qu’il faut de douceur et de profile naturel à la bière. Seul regret, que la bière soit si forte en alcool et aussi son prix qui est assez onéreux.
12oz bottle thanks to KevSal. Pours darkest brown with a small tan head. Roasty and ashy aroma typical of Cigar City, with some resinous hops and lots of dark chocolate. The flavor is great, maybe a bit aged, but it’s aged well. Chocolate, molasses, anise, and resinous hops. Medium-full bodied with soft carbonation and mild syrupiness. Solid, tasty beer overall.
12oz bottle shared by blankboy with me and garthicus. Deep ruby-black, smallish wispy beige head. Black IPA all right - resin, cedar, oily malt, herbal, a bit boozy, acidic and leafy - a little vanilla with oak tanin sharpness. Taste follows, way more cedar, a bit boozy; slick, average body, somewhat astringent - long "dark" woody finish. Nice!!