Jai Alai

Cigar City Brewing — Tampa, FL

30 May 2018 · Stephen

IPA Cigar City Brewing

7.5% ABV

70 IBU

Deep golden Color

Contributing Factors

Presentation ✓

Character ✓

Experience ✓

Return –

3 / 4 A solid effort

Tasting Notes

Appearance Deep golden to light amber, clear with a persistent white head. Looks bold and confident — there's a warmth and richness in the color that hints at the caramel malt character underneath all those hops. Classic American IPA presentation at its most polished.

Aroma Orange peel and clementine arrive first — vivid, bright, and juicy, the kind of citrus that smells like Florida in January. Behind the citrus, five other hop varieties fill in layers of tropical fruit, light floral notes, and a grounding resinous quality that keeps the whole nose from going purely one-dimensional. The light caramel malt underneath adds a soft sweetness that rounds the hop aromatics rather than competing with them. Complex and inviting — this is a beer that earns its international following on the nose alone.

Palate Medium-full body, smooth and balanced — that balance Cigar City specifically calls out is the defining characteristic. At 7.5% ABV and 70 IBU this should be aggressive, and the bitterness is real and firm, but it never tips into harsh or overpowering territory. The citrus and tropical fruit from the six-hop bill carry through the middle — orange peel, clementine, a tropical undercurrent — with the caramel malt providing a soft cushion underneath the hop bitterness.

Finish Medium-long, citrus-bitter, and clean. The orange peel quality from the hop bill lingers with a firm, sustained 70 IBU bitterness that resolves slowly and completely satisfyingly. The caramel malt sweetness fades first, leaving a dry, hop-forward close that's the hallmark of a properly built Florida IPA.

The Verdict

Jai Alai is what happens when a Tampa brewery names a beer after a disappearing sport and makes it so good the whole country starts paying attention. Six hops, Florida sunshine, 7.5% ABV — bold, citrusy, balanced. As advertised since 2007.

— Stephen · Contributing Factor Brewing · 30 May 2018