Cigar City Maduro Vanilla Aged Oatmeal Brown Ale

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 7

Poured up on tab at the 05/28/09 Brass Tap CCB tasting with a slightly hazy brown – amber body and nice looking lasting tan head with spotty lacing. The aroma is sweet with malts, vanilla and a dash of caramel. Overall the aroma is moderate in strength and is able to bend the will of the drinker to go ahead and take a sip even if you’re not ready. The taste is much roastier then the nose and is tempered by the smooth near creamy oatmeal-ness. It begins with mild vanilla and caramel notes before layers upon layer of roast to dark roastiness take over. The vanilla persists in the background and build some into the finish. It ends a bit roasty dry but with lingering vanilla sweetness.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 7

Growler. Pours opaque cola brown with a thick and frothy pale buff head; a peep of daylight gets through at the bottom. Aroma has notes of roast malt, caramel and - yes - vanilla. Toasty malt dominates the flavor but lets vanilla, caramel, and a snip of hops share the gustatory stage. Body is average, fizz is lacking; but finish is flavorful with toasty malt and vanilla notes. Try this vanilla and see if it’s a thrilla.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

Growler from the brewery. I’m actually sampling this before the regular Maduro. Pours a deep brownish-amber color with a thin tan creamy head. Aroma shows toasty malt, caramel, vanilla and brown sugar. Flavors are subtle traces of chocolate, toasty caramel and almond, and of course lots of vanilla but it’s not overly done and works well with the base. There’s a nice dose of balancing bitter hops that finishes this off nicely. Perhaps not quite as exciting as with some other Cigar City beers but this is a Brown Ale, and a very good one at that.