Making Beer out of Lemons

While I'd rather not be in Florida, seeing as how a family emergency brought us here, the silver lining is...Cigar City Brewing!

Upon our arrival into Tampa, we went to The Independent which I found on BeerFly. It was hilarious to walk in and see Lagunitas on tap!

The bartender was awesome - very friendly and welcoming. When I asked for something local, she suggested Cigar City, and I tried Jai Alai, an IPA. So delicious! Pretty honey colour, smells sweet and hoppy. Slightly syrupy, nice mouthfeel. The hops are fruity and nicely balanced. I didn't check the ABV, but it seemed like the deceptively strong kind of beer!

Then we had Marshall Zhukov, an imperial stout. This beer is THICK, pours like motor oil. Very strong. Smells sweet and a little smoky. Tastes intense, like getting smacked in the face. Typical malty flavour, with a hint of prunes and raisins. This beer is definitely meant for sipping!

It's unclear how much longer we'll be here - but definitely long enough to try a few more locals.

WHAT IS THIS BEER?!

City Beer Store, Friday evening. Tried a black rye IPA from somewhere local, but didn't have my notebook so I didn't write anything down. I thought I would remember - I WAS WRONG. Dammit. This beer was DELICIOUS. The black IPA is quickly becoming my favourite style, and this one was exceptional. Dark, sweet, nice hoppy crispness. Delicious coffee and tobacco flavours around the edges. Every sip had a hint of something new - it was one of the most complex beers I've had in awhile. Unfortunately City Beer is closed today so I can't figure out what this masterpiece was. Insert frowny emoticon here.

UPDATE: thanks to my friend via Facebook, I now remember that this is Iron Springs Black Magic Rye Black IPA.  It's not listed on Beer Advocate, which is why I couldn't figure it out.  Iron Springs is an awesome local brewery (up in Fairfax).  You should go, and drink their beer.  You won't be disappointed.