Cigar City Jai Alai IPA
I first tried this beer while staying in Fort Myers Beach, Florida for our annual summer Florida vacation back in 2011. I hadn’t heard of it at the time, but was pleasantly surprised after trying it. I make it a point now to pick up a six pack or two to enjoy while I’m there every year, and also a six pack to bring back to Wisconsin for later enjoyment.
Scent
The aroma that comes from this beer after cracking it is purely hops layered with tropical fruit — orange, mango, pineapple, grapefruit, you name it. There is a bit of a honey or caramel sweetness that can be detected as well, but is certainly not the predominant scent.
Taste
Jai Alai is one beautifully balanced beer. This is one of the smoothest IPAs you will ever taste, I guarantee it. The hoppiness is not overpowering whatsoever, while still being a staple characteristic of the beer. The caramel/honey base to Jai Alai really pulls everything together. The tropical fruit flavor is equally important in balancing the flavor, and combined with the hops and caramelly sweetness, pulls you in three different directions all at once, anchoring you in perfection. As you drink, the pleasant tropical fruit aroma really sets the stage.
Overall
One of my all time favorite IPAs is only made better by the memories of the beach and summer vacations in Florida every time I enjoy one. It’s just a really well flavored IPA that is tropically sweet with a caramel/honey undertone. I could enjoy these one after another all night long. So nice. If you ever have a chance to try one of these, definitely do so. Jai Alai is not only one of my favorite IPAs, but one of my absolute favorite beers in general, across the board.