Cigar City Big Sound Scotch Ale

Brewed by Cigar City Brewing
Style: Scotch Ale
Tampa, Florida USA

750mL bottle courtesy of Gillard, poured into a snifter. Pours a very dark mahogany brown in the glass that shows a dark, clear copper when held up to light. There’s a solid creamy tan head that recedes fairly slowly and leaves almost no lacing. The aroma is pretty subtle and straight-forward for the style with a big slightly-smoked caramel malt backbone with some dark fruit mixed in. Hints of molasses and chocolate are in there is well. The taste is a more vibrant version of the nose with the sweetness still dominating but with a more pronounced smoked peat flavor, especially in the finish which is slightly dry and has more coffee bitterness than I was expecting. The dark fruits, chocolate and vanilla all contribute to the sweetness. The mouthfeel is very smooth and medium to full bodied with good carbonation. This is a solid effort from Cigar City and a very good Scotch ale. I wouldn’t put it near the top of the list of their beers, but it’s a drinkable and sweeter version of the style.

Woo-hoo, my first CC beer, and looking forward to it, with mucho thanks to dchmela! 750ml bottle pours a nice reddish brown with a good sized lasting tan head. Aroma is milder but still plenty going on, with toffee, peat, coffee, bread, brown sugar and a touch of smoke. As expected, flavor is more malts, with continued toffee, bread, peat, brown sugar and touches of coffee and smoke. Nicely done, and while it doesn’t beat out Alesmith Wee Heavy in this style for me, it sure is enjoyable. Thanks again Dave!

( 22oz bomber thanks to a very generous Indiana RB) Pours a cloudy reddish-brown with great lacing. Nose of brown sugar, sweet corn, taste of smoky roasted malts, slightly bitter, light coffee, and a heavy body. Very nice overall, a little unbalanced towards the sweet side and maybe even a little too smoky.

Tried from bottle at 2009 Stone Sour Fest. Smokey, mild and easy to drink. I’m not sure who brought this. thanks!

(Bottle, thanks gnoff!) Pours hazy brown with a small sand coloured/light brown head. The aroma is of caramel, dark toffee, sal ammoniac, gunpowder and light coffee roast alongside a touch of cherries. Hints of strawberries and earth. The flavour is light to medium sweet and light to medium bitter with a light alcohol sting. Notes of toffee, caramel, brown sugar, liquorice powder, coffee roast, earth and some fruits. The mouthfeel is soft and round with a light carbonation. Some hop bitterness, gunpowder and coffee roast lingers. Nice fat maltiness. Medium to full bodied.

Bouteille de 750 ml partagée lors d’une dégustation Ratebeer Montréal chez MartinT. Arôme: Odeur de caramel avec une pointe de petits fruits et de fumée. Apparence: La couleur est brune avec une faible densité de bulle. Présence d’un mince col beige mousseux et d’une fine dentelle sur le verre. Saveur: Goût de caramel fruité avec une pointe de fumée et de céréales. Durée moyenne de l’arrière goût. Palette: Le corps est moyen avec une texture légèrement onctueuse. Moyenne effervescence en bouche. Arrière goût légèrement fumé. (Rating #2586)

750 ml bottle thanks to Dave! Pours a dark brown color with a huge thick beige head. The aroma is quintessentially a scotch ale; loads of rich fruity malts, some nutty, smoky and toasted notes as well. The flavor was similar; a rich malty flavor with undertones of fruit and smoke. An excellent mouthfeel. A dangerous beer because though it is almost 9% it is very smooth. Nice.

Brown amber color with a small, off white head that left nice lacing on the glass. Aroma of caramel malts, peat, nuts, roast, and some cocoa. Taste of caramel malts, nuts, wood, peat smoke, roast, and light alcohol and sweet finish.