Cigar City’s Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Is Straight Out of the Cookie Jar
August 05, 2019I don’t know how the minds behind Cigar City Brewing decided to brew an oatmeal raisin cookie beer. I imagine a few beers had been consumed and someone with a sweet tooth tossed out the idea of brewing beer inspired by Grandma’s favorite cookie. And now, here we are with a lactose, raisins, and cinnamon-coated version of the Florida brewery’s popular Maduro Brown Ale.
Appearance and Aroma
You might mistake Oatmeal Raisin Cookie for a stout at first glance, though it isn’t quite as opaque, and the creamy head dissipates at the rate it would for a light ale. When it comes to the smell, there’s no mistaking the big, sticky, and boozy raisins fragrance. It’ll send you back to those rex boxes of Sun-Maid your mom used to stick in your lunch bag. The nostalgia only deepens as the cinnamon and roasted malt comes off like a freshly poured bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch.
Grandma’s greatest hit distilled into an eminently drinkable 12-ounce package”
Flavor
They did it: Pure cookie. Grandma’s greatest hit distilled into an eminently drinkable 12-ounce package. The lactose adds a much needed dose of body, but the finish is clean. Strange that there are no actual oats in the malt bill, as some earthiness would go a long way to ground this beer. But can you blame them for going a little wild with the sweet tooth?
Overall
It’s easy to dismiss a beer that pangs at the heartstrings of nostalgia as pure gimmick, but Oatmeal Raisin Cookie mangages to masterfully transform a straight-up pub beer into the highlight of the cookie jar. It’s pure fantasy. None of that boring health benefits, just a cavity-causing indulgence.
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