Cigar City Improvisación (Oatmeal Rye India Brown Ale)

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

Bottle that Shawn shared with me: Deep brown with reddish highlights topped by a big frothy head. The aroma has notes of grassy and herbal hops, grapefruit and mango esters, rye bread, caramel, tobacco and oatmeal towards the end. WOW, shocking bitterness and acidic notes supported slightly by nutty, chocolate and rye malts. Medicinal and astringent finish with a house yeast character. The mouth feel is lively and smooth, a very dry ashy finish. While different, the flavor profile got a bit tiresome after awhile, the hops were too forward for me to really enjoy the rye, oat and nutty components. It did get better as it warms.

Pours cloudy dark brown color with khaki head. Rye spiciness in the aroma with some pine hops. Roasted malts, coffee and some bitter hop flavors. The oatmeal give it a smooth, creamy mouthfeel. Medium body with average carbonation. An interresting brew.

Bottle from The Bruery Show and Tell. Aroma was hops, oats and brown sugar. Taste was hoppy tangy and interesting. Poured a dark brown color with medium pallet. Overall I liked it.

Bottle with thanks to that one guy who I can’t recall right now and may just look up later. I’ve held this for a while hoping to share with a pal, but I’ve been flying by the seat of my pants for the last couple of weeks and I think the inspiration from this beer might help me "wing it" a little more effectively. Anyhow, body is a nice leathery brown with light pouring through a little around the edges. The head is a massive six inches or so of fizzy foam that slowly dies back leaving lots of scaly lacing on the sides of the glass. Aromas are a pleasant mix of toffee, oranges, nuts or earth and wood. They are a little underpowered, but nice enough. Flavor is pretty similar and has something vaguely Cigar City about it... not sure if it is a malt profile I’ve had before or what... give me a couple dozen more bottles of their stuff and I’ll figure it out. Anyhow, malt presence is nice and sweet... brown sugar and toffee. Hops leave a little bit (very faint) resin presence in the finish and there is quite a fruit medley on the way there. Oranges and plums are what I come up with... maybe some cherries or something, too. This is interesting stuff, but not quite as nice as some CC products I’ve sampled. Carbonation and mouthfeel almost make me think this is nitro carbonated... it has that creamy texture and flavor.

(bottle from Tampabrew). Cloudy brown color. Medium tan head which is mostly diminishing. Malty scotch tape/band aid aroma. Moderate rye and malt flavors. Avg duration. Smooth finish with light bitterness. Slick texture. Moderate carbonation. Good lacing.

Nice one. Starts with a bright floral hop nose and flavor, backed by smooth chocolately malts, leading to a fairly strong bitter (hop) finish. If anything maybe the IBUs were too high for my liking but on the whole it was a good beer. Medium brown color with a good foamy head.

750ml bottle, with a big thanks to Ibrew2or3 for a couple rounds of this one! Pours a hazy brown with some burgundy highlights and a good sized pillowy tan head that sticks around for a long time. Aroma is toasted rye and oats, light caramel, chocolate, citrus and a little earthy spice. Flavor is more toasty rye and oats, chocolate, caramel and a hint of spicy pine on the finish. Very drinkable and tasty, thanks again Dave, much appreciated!

750, capped. dark brown with bright ruby in the corners. dense, creamy tan head. mild earthy nose, showing grain husk. creamy medium body, showing good carb. rye bread, pine, earth, and roast on the mid palate. long earthy finish.