Something very strange is happening. In the old days, it used to be much cheaper to drink beer at home, even really good beer, mind you. Bottled beer that you take home to drink has traditionally been much less expensive than what you pay at an establishment for on-premises consumption of a fresh draft beer. As one who drinks draft beer at Taco Mac quite frequently, though, I’ve been seeing an interesting phenomena.

More than a few times, now, I’ve actually seen cases where it’s less expensive to drink a draft beer at Taco Mac than to buy it in the bottle. The latest example: Cigar City Brewing and New Belgium Ale Brewed with Anaheim and Marash Chilies, part of New Belgium’s Lips of Faith series.

Now, Colorado’s New Belgium and Florida’s Cigar City are almost as far apart geographically as you can get in still be in the lower 48 states. I suppose Cigar City and Anchor are further apart, or Cigar City and Pike, but you get the idea. With the opening of their new brewery in Asheville, North Carolina, New Belgium will be getting closer to the highly regarded Cigar City.

I’ve drunk a lot of New Belgium beer over the years, but this is my first brew associated with Cigar City. I’ve heard great things about them, but this beer did not really impress me. First, let’s get back to the price:

Cigar City Brewing and New Belgium Ale Brewed with Anaheim and Marash Chilies runs $8.99 for a 22 ounce bottle here in the Atlanta area, which works out to about 41 cents per ounce. I actually saw it in the store the same day I drank it at Taco Mac, but as I had planned to have it at Taco Mac, I didn’t buy it in the bottle.

At Taco Mac, the beer was priced at $7.25, but as this beer is of formidable strength-8.5% by volume-I fully expected an 11 ounce glass when I ordered it. Surprise! I got a full 20-ounce mug instead. That works out to about 36 cents an ounce, less than the bottled version will cost you.

Cigar City Brewing and New Belgium Ale Brewed with Anaheim and Marash Chilies has 50 IBUs and is made with the following hops and malts in addition to the peppers:

Hops: Target, Centennial, Cascade, Pacific Jade, Wakatu, Simcoe

Malts: Pale, Carastan

It is described as follows on the New Belgium website:

We’re about to light up Florida with this Cigar City Collaborative Brew. Our Belgian yeast tangoes with Anaheim and Marash Peppers along with loads of citrusy hops to create an ale full of spice. Aged on Spanish cedar to salute our mutual love for wood.

Here’s what I think:

Cigar City Brewing and New Belgium Ale Brewed with Anaheim and Marash Chilies pours to an orange amber color with a moderate head formation and a light peppery nose. Taking a sip, I get some chewy caramel malt and rock candy sweetness with subtle hints of Belgian yeastiness, if very subtle. There’s not much pepper here until the beer warms, and even then only a little in the palate. As for the wood, I didn’t get that at all. Herbal grassy hops emerge (rather than citrusy) at the last and the beer finishes with a long dry herbal bitterness.

I’m glad I got this beer at Taco Mac and not in the bottle. It was cheaper this way, and at least I got a credit for it on my Brewniversity studies. All in all, this is not a beer I would buy again. It was lacking in peppery heat, yeasty spice and woodiness and didn’t deliver on any of what it promised. Maybe worth a try, but definitely not a rebuy.

And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.

*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.

(B)=Bottled

(D)=Draft

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