Cigar City Raspberry Halo
BEER DESCRIPTION
Halos often signify enlightenment, harmony, and majesty, sentiments that all come to mind when contemplating this rich and complex beer. Crested atop this imperial stout is a radiant crown of juicy raspberries offering pronounced fruitiness and acidity to balance the beer’s formidable body. Heavy, indeed, is the head that wears the halo.
TASTING NOTES
Aromas of cherry cordial and roasted coffee entice the nose, while a base of roasted coffee and dark fruit flavors allow raspberry flavor and acidity cut through the beer’s dark chocolate and black licorice flavors. Alcohol warmth and roastiness add texture to this viscous, satisfying stout.
Halos often signify enlightenment, harmony, and majesty, sentiments that all come to mind when contemplating this rich and complex beer. Crested atop this imperial stout is a radiant crown of juicy raspberries offering pronounced fruitiness and acidity to balance the beer’s formidable body. Heavy, indeed, is the head that wears the halo.
TASTING NOTES
Aromas of cherry cordial and roasted coffee entice the nose, while a base of roasted coffee and dark fruit flavors allow raspberry flavor and acidity cut through the beer’s dark chocolate and black licorice flavors. Alcohol warmth and roastiness add texture to this viscous, satisfying stout.
3.8
178 reviews
Tampa, United States
Community reviews
Brown bottle, 1 pint 6 ounces, via Peter Killam - CANBIF April 2018 (thank you!), savoured on July 1 2018; eye: black, opaque, ring of brown head, no lacing; nose: raspberry, light acidity, molasses, chocolate, alcohol; mouth: raspberry, molasses, light acidity, light anise, chocolate, alcohol, finale in molasses with light presence of acidity, full body, lightly below-average carbonation, quite sweet, syrupy texture; overall: fine
FRANÇAIS
Bouteille brune, 1 pinte 6 onces, via Peter Killam - CANBIF avril 2018 (thank you!), savourée le 1 juillet 2018; œil : noire, opaque, anneau de mousse brune, pas de dentelle; nez : framboise, légère acidité, mélasse, chocolat, alcool; bouche : framboise, mélasse, légère acidité, léger anis, chocolat, alcool, finale en mélasse avec légère présence d'acidité, corsée, carbonatation légèrement sous la moyenne, pas mal sucrée, texture sirupeuse; en résumé : bien
WFP8. Nie mam szczęścia do stoutów z malinami, póki co tylko jeden zrobił na mnie świetne wrażenie. Niestety nie było to Raspberry Halo. Niby poprawne, ale ciało wątłe, maliny nie wyszły zbyt naturalnie, piwo bazowe też nie powala. Jest czekolada, trochę paloności i te maliny, ale nie jest to moim zdaniem zgrane połączenie w tym przypadku i na finiszu pusto niestety.
WFP'18, kran. Aromat porterowy, pieczona skórka od chleba, kakao. W smaku słodkie, lekko wędzone.
Kran WFP. Czarne, nieprzejrzyste, z nieduża pianą. Jest malina i jest czekolada w zapachu. Półslodkie, mocno palone, czekoladowe, malinowe, lekko słone i intensywne w smaku. Spora goryczka, półpełne w odbiorze.
Bottle, that standard fake sweet thick stout flavor that makes you say, yup thats cigar city. Hey, no cough syrup this time. Thats good. The bourbon barrel is balanced with the fruit, it just gives me the same feeling of "eating all the ingredients without cooking the meal"
Bomber shared by TJ on 12/10/17, thanks!
Clear, auburn-maroon-tinted mahogany. Small, light tan head shows low retention.
Light, bright, poignant, acidic raspberry is quite seedy and well-attenuated. Fudge and vanilla fill in the rest of the aroma quickly and you definitely get the sense of a chocolate covered raspberry. Doesn't feel punchy or cloying, either. Light liqueur and dark chocolate with prune and dry caramel on the finish. No messy esters or hot alcohol.
In the mouth it's super dry, kind of surprisingly so, with tobacco notes and raspberry acidity. Heavy baker's chocolate/cocoa character and light vanilla-caramel on the end. Very sticky ending balances the acidity and dry, dark chocolate character. Low carbonation is a bit fizzy/peppery, but the beer shows ample malt body and an overall softness of texture. Very nicely concealed alcohol.
so now something to flush away the terribel "Piraat Rum version", Bomber, pours black with a full light brown head that lasts quite a while. Aroma of roasted malts, chocolate, sweet, some forest fruits, nice. Tast is soft, roasted malts, nice bitterness, alcohol, forest fruits in stead of raspberry, some fruit sourness, deep roasted character with some nice chocolate, above average body, soft carbonation. personal not a huge fan of sour fruits in heavy stouts, however the fruit sourness is modest therefore quite nice.
(Draught at Man In the Moon, Stockholm, 30 Nov 2017) Black colour with creamy, beige head. Malty, roasted nose with notes of dark chocolate, raspberries, mocha and a touch of sour cherries. Malty, roasted taste with dark chocolate, liquorice, tart raspberries, mocha, black coffee and a generous cacao bitterness in the finish. Full body, with a certain sweetness. Perfect raspberry and chocolate dessert (coffee included). Very nice.
650ml bottle @ Matt's. Pours an opaque black with a small tan head. Nose is roast malt and molasses. Flavour is similar, licorice, toasted malt, very subtle cherries.
650ml bottle at Matt's. Pours a very dark brown with a dark beige head. Aroma is berry-ish with roasted malt and burnt malt on the back. Similar taste. Not bad.
Bottle from Sunset Corners. Dark brown, without a whole lot of head. On the nose, it's got a fair bit of raspberry, bit of chocolate, and it seems a bit boozy. Raspberry, chocolatey, and a bit of booze. A bit harsh and husky. and I think the berries come across a bit artificial. I'd say disappointing.
22 oz. bottle, pours black with a small tan head. Aroma brings out cherries upfront, with moderate roast, and a hint of licorice. Flavour is along the same lines, with lightly tart cherries, light roasted malt, some licorice and a touch of earth. Lightly sweet, very fruity with a touch of sweetness on the palate. Nice stuff.
I like to drink what is written on the label. No raspberries at all! Only a little bit sourness, that reminds me of raspberries... Choco, coffee, roasty, hoppy... extremely smooth!!! I didnt see alco descr. on the bottle.
Raspberry and roast like a fire in the bush. Black pour with good head and lacing. Bittersweet and tangy. Great balance. Some creamy caramel. Bottle.
On tap at Cukarikafe. Poured a black body tinged with brown. Interesting aroma, sticky yet fresh raspberry tea notes on full maltiness, nooot quite harmonious, but not far. Quite clean taste, more raspberry tea, solid complex malty body, ends with a light tart touch in the very much finish. Well hidden alcohol. Very good beer but kinda expected more.
Poured from bottle in trade with Dave Chmela, black brown with nice red highlights and a nice chocolate head. Aroma is raspberry, roasted chocolate, coffee. Taste is decadent, rich creamy mouthfeel chocolate and coffee up front with a nice natural raspberry finish. Well done.
Chalumeaux with this 22 oz. bottle share. Very deep brown with some ruby highlights. Aroma is deep roasted malt, mild natural raspberry, coffee grinds. The flavor is rich and deep. Coffee upfront of my palate with a roasted malt center. The Berry is found and is nicely natural. Nice full body / smooth texture.
Piana drobna, powoli opada. Kolor czarny. Aromat czerwone owoce w tym maliny, wiśnie, truskawki, delikatnie ciemne słody, gorzka czekolada. Smak podobnie owoce czerwone wyraźne maliny lekko kwaskowe, w kontrze potężna gorzka czekolada, lukrecja, palonośc. Piwo pełne ze średnią słodyczą smaki grają ze sobą nic nie dominuje, świetnie sie pije. Brawo WOW
10-11-17 // draft at The Craft Beer Co. Covent Garden, London. Black beer, beige head. Aromas of coffee, red fruits, some cherries and rasperries, roasted malts, some bitter chocolate. Solid.
Draught at Man in the Moon. Opaque black liquid with medium tan head. Aroma of raspberries, licorice, grain, raw sugar, chocolate, coffee and light toast. Taste is light to medium sweet and light bitter with notes of raspberries and chocolate. Full bodied with low to medium carbonation. Nice.
Keg at Man in The Moon, Stockholm. Pitch black with small beige head. Aroma of frozen raspberries, licorice and tar up front. Mid sweet with full body and rounded, packed mouthfeel. Molasses and asphalt meet frozen raspberries. Mildly warming finish with some syrup. Concentrated but somewhat one dimensional flavours.
A raspberry bomb. Pours black. You can smell the raspberries before you pour. Raspberry jam, juice, and raspberry chocolate truffles. Tastes like it smells. It's all raspberries and chocolate. Dark bitter chocolate, roasty malts. Sweet, tart and rich. Finish is a bit off.. But otherwise a great beer
Z: skórka chleba, malina, lekki likier. S: skórka chleba miesza się z malinami, lekki kwasek. Taki wytrawny ze słodkimi malinami. Z czasem mniej tych skórek.
Aromat melano zmieszane z malinami. Barwa i piana jak trzeba. W smaku podobnie jak aromat plus palonosc. Malo czekolady, troche alko. Przecietne.
W aromacie chleb, pumpernikiel, maliny. W smaku trochę palonych słodów, wytrawne maliby, potem słodki malinowy posmak. Dziwne.
Draft cask pub & kitchen@: pours oily black, opaque with dissipating brown foamy head. Roasted grain, malts (coffee, chocolate etc.) Chocolate contrasts are slightly acidic raspberries. Full bodied smooth texture.
Stouts with berries aren't always my thing, but Cigar City always makes a good Stout. Black appearance. Fruity and malty chocolate aromatics. Chocolate, cream, toasted sugar, hazelnut, and tart raspberry flavors. Some subtle dark fruit and dark fruity licorice notes. This brew is definitely more sweet than bitter. While it is full-bodied, it won't totally weigh you down. It's a very nice take on the fruit-infused Imperial Stout.
This looked interesting but had a pretty hefty price tag so passed. Then it went on clearance so figured I should take advantage. Definitely a sipping stout. The raspberry is sort of mild, but it affects the flavor and seems to add some tartness vs sweetness. Not really sure it works that well for me. Shortly after I bought the first bottle, and before sampled, the clearance price dropped even further...so grabbed a 2nd bottle to age a year or two...hopefully makes a difference, as this has potential.
Bottle.
A- Cherry, chocolate, subtle raspberry.
A- Black color, black liquid, tan head.
T- Chocolate, cherry, raspberry, mild bitterness.
P- Full body, average texture, average carbonation, balanced finish.
O- The raspberry is there but seems to come off as more of a cherry. Lots of chocolate. Fairly nice, but this is one of those beers that while thought the fruit makes it unique I am not sure it makes it better.
On tap. Black color, medium creamy brown head. Aroma roasted malt, dark fruit, coffee. Taste dark chocolate, dark fruit, raspberry, roasted coffee. Excellent stout!