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Vanilla Maduro

Cigar City Brewing
United States·Brown Ale
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Madagascar vanilla brings a marshmallow-like sweetness, a fuller body and a touch of burnt sugar to the chocolate and toffee malt character of Maduro. Vanilla Maduro is a 5.5% English-style Brown Ale and a remake of Cigar City's classic recipe, the first beer the Tampa brewery, founded in 2009, ever brewed.

ABV
5.5%
Bitterness
Lightly bitter
Roasted bitterness
SRM
deep amber20
PaceA Few
Where this beer sits
Body
lightfull-bodied
Sweetness
drysweet
Bitterness
mildbitter
Texture
crispcreamy
Balance
malt-forwardhop-forward
What makes this beer itself
vanillachocolatemalty
vanilla
chocolate
malty
caramel
roasted
toasty
Aroma
Madagascar vanilla leads the nose with a pronounced marshmallow sweetness, layered beneath chocolate and toffee malt notes.
also:nutty,bready
not found:hoppy,fruity,smoky

Tasting Notes

AI-generated sensory profile for Vanilla Maduro

◎ Appearance

Deep chestnut brown with a warm, translucent quality in backlight. A dense, tan head forms and lingers moderately, leaving fine lacing on the glass. Moderate carbonation creates a steady stream of small bubbles.

chestnut browntranslucentdense headmoderate lacing

◌ Aroma

Madagascar vanilla leads the nose with a pronounced marshmallow sweetness, layered beneath chocolate and toffee malt notes. Subtle roasted barley and a touch of burnt sugar add complexity without aggression. The overall impression is rounded and inviting, free from harsh edges.

vanilla-forwardmarshmallow sweetnesschocolate and toffeeroasted malt

◐ Taste

Creamy entry showcasing vanilla and caramel character, evolving into a fuller-bodied mid-palate dominated by toasted malt and chocolate undertones. Residual sweetness from burnt sugar balances restrained noble hop bitterness (24 IBU). The malt backbone remains smooth and bready throughout.

creamy entrysweet caramelfull bodyrestrained bitterness

◑ Finish

Medium-length finish with lingering vanilla and toffee notes. A subtle nutty dryness emerges on the aftertaste, preventing cloying buildup.

vanilla fadegentle dryingnutty undertone
78
hopIQ score
Aroma
80
Taste
78
Appearance
76
Finish
76
Serve at 10–13°C

Serve at 10–13°C for the best flavour balance and aroma expression.

Pint glass

The classic — versatile, comfortable to hold and keeps the beer cool. No frills, no distractions: just the beer.

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Food Pairing

What to eat with Vanilla Maduro

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About Brown Ale

Style guide · what to expect · how to find alternatives

What is a Brown Ale?

Brown Ale is a distinctive beer style with its own characteristic flavour, aroma and colour. Discover what makes it unique and find similar beers on hopIQ.

Finding a similar Brown Ale

hopIQ matches by flavor profile — not just style label. A beer with the same vanilla, sweet, chocolate character as Vanilla Maduro will score highly even if brewed in a different country or under a different sub-style name.

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