#130: Cigar City Brewing » Jai Alai (IPA)

Look what found its way up from Florida...

The Brewery: Cigar City Brewing (Tampa, FL)
The Brew: Jai Alai (IPA)
Availability: Cans, Draft, Bottle (year-round)
ABV: 7.5% | IBUs: 70
Rating: 9.5/10
Location: Home

The Story? It's good to have friends in southern places. Since starting this blog over the summer, I've been more apt to express my enthusiasm of beer in public and it's paid off. Back in the fall, a lovely box of Surly cans showed up on my doorstep and just last week, a sixer of Cigar City Brewing's Jai Alai made it's way up from Florida thanks to my friend Ryan. Many thanks!

This is my first taste of Cigar City Brewing, since distribution is extremely limited outside of their home state.

What's behind the name? Jai Alai, a game native to the Basque region of Spain, is played on a court called a fronton. Jai Alai players attempt to catch a ball using a curved mitt whilst the ball travels at speeds up to 188mph. Proving they have a sense of humor the Spanish dubbed this game “the merry game.” Tampa was once home to a bustling Jai Alai fronton, but sadly all that remains of Jai Alai in the Tampa Bay area is this India Pale Ale that Cigar City brew in tribute to the merry game.

The Beer? Jai Alai pours out translucent, almost opaque amber with lots of lacy head and a juicy nose that's full of bright citrus, especially grapefruit, with a slight sweet hint of mango.

Down the hatch, it's nice and wet up front with a full body and plenty of hop-tastic bitterness. Flavors of pine, resin, tropical fruits, and caramel swirl around, leading to a hot hop finish.

I absolutely love how wet this one, being so bitter, and the hot & spicy finish is superb. There's a bit of citrus rind and tropical fruits up front as well that darken slowly into earthier flavors.

A truly wonderful hop experience and highly recommended where you can get your hands on it.