Beer Sampling - Cigar City Tocobaga Red Ale

I've been hyper-actively engaged with various beer purchases from LetsPour.com of late. I need to stop, seriously. Because like any good shopper, there is only an end to the madness when you run out of resources. But I haven't seen Cigar City anywhere since I tried them at GABF last year...and they make some really good beer. Of note: if you're curious about online beer shopping, check out LetsPour...and if you're interested in Cigar City specifically and want to explore beyond LetsPour, check out LuekenLiquors.com. Keep in mind that some states do not allow beer sales/delivery to private individuals (read: residences) without a specific license to do so. Thankfully, Colorado is NOT one of those totally up-tight states. Given the passage of Prop 64 on Tuesday, Colorado is about as NOT up-tight as Amsterdam.

Anyway, I've executed three orders of various Cigar City beers through LetsPour in the past two weeks. I've also placed an order for a friend as a favor. My last order that included today's beer was a little jumbled: I was suppose to get a CG Jai Alai white oak, but the packagers replaced that desirable beer with a third Tocobaga. After consulting with customer service, I was refunded $5 and given a $5 coupon towards a future purchase. Not bad, but I'm left without knowing what Jai Alai white oak tastes like! Lueken's sells it though, so I may give them a shot with an order soon.

To the beer!

Cigar City Tocobaga Red Ale - 7.2%abv; the beer is deep amber, almost a reddish copper in color; there's a small head with consistent lacing present; it smells crisp with clear hints of hops up front; subtly grapefruit-y and citrus-y; very well-balanced 'red'; pleasant hop flavor w/o being too overwhelming; some additional notes of sweet fruit, like a pineapple or kiwi...muted, but present; very smooth and almost a silky mouthfeel; a little dry bite on the backend coming from the red ale side of this beer; overall, very quality and completely sessionable. Look for more Cigar City reviews to come!

Cigar City Tocobaga Red Ale

From the CG site:


ABV: 7.2% IBU: 75 OG: 18 SRM: 12
Available year round
(Florida only) 

The Tocobaga lived off the bounty of Tampa Bay hundreds of years before the arrival of the Spanish in the 1500’s. They were potters, tool makers and the only Florida natives to grow maize. The large platform mounds they built are still with us today, with one of the largest found near Old Tampa Bay in Safety Harbor, Florida.
Climb to the top, and with a little imagination, you can see Tampa Bay as they did.

Tasting Notes
Pours amber in color with notes of citrus and caramel. Citrus hop bitterness upfront with notes of caramel and an Amish bread sweetness. Citrus hop bitterness returns at the end for a long dry finish.