Last night I had some friends over for a cigar dinner. I tried to pair each course with a drink that might work well with the food and finally some cigars to go with coffee. Problem was that I promised everyone Monte Cristo Media Noches and only had 5 cigars for 6 guys.....sooooo, I felt compelled to smoke one of my Opuses, while I handed Montes out to everyone else.
For a starter, I made up a cheese plate with some aged canadian cheddar, various olives and stacked some fresh basil from my garden, proscuitto wrapped mozzarella, a fresh tomato slice from the garden on top of a cracker and topped it off with some truffle balsamic glaze. Paired that with some Apple Ice Wine that is made by a local winery - very nice. Heavy on apple and sweet, but not cloyingly sweet - this is a perfect after dinner drink or something to sip with cheese and fruit.
For a main course, I made a coffee crusted pork tenderloin, topped with a blackberry-balsamic reduction, grilled asparagus and mashed acorn squash. That was served with a Bogle 2007 Petite Sirah - very heavy on cherry and dark berries without too much oak and almost no tannins. This wine was a perfect pair for a pork dish and stood up to the plate very nicely.
I ended the meal with pears poached in spiced red wine, served with vanilla bean ice cream and some of the wine reduction. This is such a simple but delicious dessert and presents well too. I served this with the Spiced Old Port drink that I made and reviewed in a recent post. All went over well.
With the cigars, I brewed up some fresh Kona coffee and made some fresh sweetened whipped cream with some maple syrup and pumpkin pie spice right in the cream. While the coffee is outstanding on its own, I wasn't in the mood for a straight black coffee and wanted people to have the option of cream. Paired with my Opus, the coffee with sweetened cream went surprisingly well. The cinnamon, fig and baked sweet bread notes in the Opus complemented the coffee, while the occasional bits of spice helped to separate the two. This power ranger was much better than the first one I had. I'm glad I have a few more on hand.
Rob - It sounds like you put together an absolutely exquisite selection. I wish I had friends like you in my area...even were I to host something similar, it is a rare individual that can truly appreciate such things.
¨The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears, or the sea¨ - Isak Dinesen
¨Only two people walk around in this world beardless - boys and women - and I am neither one.¨
Rob - It sounds like you put together an absolutely exquisite selection. I wish I had friends like you in my area...even were I to host something similar, it is a rare individual that can truly appreciate such things.
Oh I appreciate such things! So when is dinner Hays?
Sounds like you just made a new friend there, Hays. It's true that it is rare to find people who truly appreciate something like this. That's why it was a smaller invite than our usual cigar get-togethers. We have about 10 or more guys here at work that will get together from time to time and someone will host a cigar night or we all head to a cigar bar around here. This was just the most formal cigar night we've had so far.
Man, what a well planned out dinner and cigar night. Seriously Rob, you need to start a review site. Pics of something like this, and recipes for your dinners and drinks would go over spectacularly with people like me that love to cook, love to drink, and love cigars.
Rob - It sounds like you put together an absolutely exquisite selection. I wish I had friends like you in my area...even were I to host something similar, it is a rare individual that can truly appreciate such things.
Oh I appreciate such things! So when is dinner Hays?
LOL if you check your mail, you'll learn that you're missing out! But you're right - I had discounted your interest in such things... We'll have to plan something!
¨The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears, or the sea¨ - Isak Dinesen
¨Only two people walk around in this world beardless - boys and women - and I am neither one.¨
Man, what a well planned out dinner and cigar night. Seriously Rob, you need to start a review site. Pics of something like this, and recipes for your dinners and drinks would go over spectacularly with people like me that love to cook, love to drink, and love cigars.
I second this idea wholeheartedly Rob, and JDorais was already a friend ;-). In fact, I owe him a night out myself, considering how grandly he treated me the last time we got together.
¨The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears, or the sea¨ - Isak Dinesen
¨Only two people walk around in this world beardless - boys and women - and I am neither one.¨
Once again, thank you guys for the kind words. I've been thinking about starting a site dedicated to reviews. I just need to get the motivation to actually do it.
Before I get into my new drink, I'll do a quick restaurant review. My girlfriend and I went to a fairly new restaurant here in Salem, MA. Greenland Cafe is a restaurant with a focus on organic and sustainable as well as local produce (I don't care so much about the organic thing) and their chef has a knack for pairing flavors. I was also impressed when some classic cocktails, such as the sazerac that I ordered, were on the drink menu and even more impressed when my drink showed up made properly. It seems their bar tenders actually know what they're doing and aren't just pouring a rum and coke.
The waitress told us that they had just started a cheese pairing menu where they offer one cheese from either the US or, on the current menu, Spain and pair it with another food that, together they really pop. We picked the Spanish Mahon, which was paired with Spanish Chorizo and chopped bacon. The cheese alone was nice, slightly sharp, nutty, sweet and creamy, but when eaten with the chorizo and bacon it really opened up. The bacon added a smoky element, while the chorizo added some spice and flavor. I was impressed. After that plate, I'd go back just for drinks and cheese plates.
For dinner, they offer full entree sizes or a tapas menu. We opted for 3 tapas: First a Roasted Artichoke and Fontina Cheese Fondue with Warm Bread which was excellent, but not very out of the ordinary. Just what you would expect. Next it was Crispy Duck Confit with Blood Orange and Soy reduction. The duck was seasoned and cooked perfectly and the reduction added a nice sweetness to the overall dish. Next, we had a Braised Pork Belly in Calvados with a Granny Smith Apple salsa. The pork just fell apart to the side of the fork and the calvados had a great apple flavor that went perfectly with the pork. Finally, we ended the meal with a Flourless Chocolate Torte with Strawberry Coulis that was absolutely fantastic.
Last night I finally picked up a bottle of St Germain and got another bottle of Plantation Rum, since I knew I was almost out of my current bottle. I fixed myself a drink and was really happy with it. 1.5 oz Plantation Rum, 1 oz Grand Marnier, 1 oz St Germain and 1/2 oz Fee's Blood Orange Bitters (these have no alcohol and are slightly sweeter than most bitters so you can use them more freely without ruining the drink). It was a tad on the sweet side but I really enjoyed it. I would make it again in a heart beat and even consider substituting the blood orange bitters for angostura bitters and possibly Peychaud's Bitters. A lemon twist might also help add some tartness to an otherwise very sweet drink. Cheers.
I'm going to have to try that drink for myself Rob - sounds quite up my alley, though we'll have to see. I will probably add in the twist, as it sounds like that would be a good addition. Also, PM to ya.
¨The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears, or the sea¨ - Isak Dinesen
¨Only two people walk around in this world beardless - boys and women - and I am neither one.¨
Rob and this thread have really expanded my cocktail horizons. Some of you know that I'm quite the vodka and tequila **** (both straight up), but the weekend before last I made my first Old Fashioned and I was blown away. Right then and there I commited to trying/making a new artisan cocktail every weekend. Last weekend I found a cocktail called the Harrington and loved it. So now I have to figure out what to make this weekend. Any suggestions Rob?
Tried posting last night but had some computer problems, compounded on a bad day, injury playing soccer, **** day at work....let's just say this is one good reason I don't own any guns.
First, thanks Jdorais and it's nice to see someone expanding their horizons because of my reviews and knowing I had an influence on someone being adventurous and trying new things. Better yet, you actually found some new drinks you enjoy. Also, props for actually owning something obscure like Chartreuse and mixing with that. It's good stuff but most people don't have a clue that it exists. That's why I searched for a drink to make for you. If Tequila is your stuff and you have Chartreuse, that gave me a base. I paired the drink with an Oliva Series V Salomon that I picked up at a local B&M recently, knowing I'd need a good, hearty cigar with assertive flavors to stand up to Tequila and Chartreuse.
Oliva V Salomon: Pre-light brought notes of black pepper, tobacco and hay. The cigar lit easily with notes of wood, pepper, toast and a slight fruity sweetness. This cigar was heavy in hand and aside from a few corrections, burned fairly well. Flavors were well pronounced, complex and strong while remaining balanced and incredibly smooth and refined. At its widest, it picked up some cocoa and cinnamon spice. Around the end of the first third, the pepper faded and oak and cocoa became the front runners. Unfortunately, around the end of the first half was where the complexities ended. It seemed the second half of the cigar focused more on strength and left mostly cocoa and some oak notes. Still an enjoyable cigar.
El Jimador Anejo Tequila (apparently, this is the #1 selling Tequila in Mexico - take it for what it's worth) - had a nose of oak, vanilla and agave with a faded hint of cherry or plum. On the tongue, the oak and agave were up front with the vanilla trailing behind and the fruit was somewhat lost. Either way, a great Anejo for under $30.
I'm going to call this drink the Mexican Monk (because I'm not creative enough to think of anything else and I think that works). 2.5 oz El Jimador Anejo Tequila (if you really enjoy that Agave flavor, try a Reposado but I'm not sure how well a blanco would play with the other ingredients), 1/2 oz grade B maple syrup (I originally intended to use agave nectar but I realized I was completely out.....so.....I improvized), 1/2 oz water - pour all over ice and stir - at the same time chill a glass. After stirring, pour a small amount of Green Chartreuse into the chilled glass, swirl to coat the glass and dump the excess and strain your drink into the glass. On the nose I picked up a mix of herbaceous notes, wood, sweet, dark, ripe fruit and some peppery notes. The taste was herbs, with grassy, peppery notes, followed by oak with vanilla and maple trailing. The agave presence here was very muted but could be picked up in the mix. Overall, a complex drink but it worked. Pick a good complex cigar to go with this one.
I also tried another new drink with some new bitters that I picked up recently and hadn't tried yet. I'll call this one a Spiced Orange. 2 oz Plantation 20 year Rum, 1/2 oz orange juice, 1/2 oz Fee's Blood Orange Bitters (not necessary, but will add more complexity and sweetness), 1 tsp honey and a few dashes of Underberg Bitters (German bitters - very heavy on clove). I didn't drink this one but I did get to try it. I could see it being a great winter drink served warm or cold, depending on your mood. Even mixing some warm cider in there on a cold winter night to warm you up. Spicy, clove and orange mixed perfectly with the vanilla, citrus and spice notes found in the Plantation Rum. If using warm cider, I'd omit the orange all together and just go with 2oz of Plantation and a few dashes of bitters in to a mug of hot cider.
Another great review. I enjoy the V and have had it in the beli, robusto, and diadema. Not sure if I can handle a Salomon though, it sounds like too much of a cigar for me.
Rob, Had a chance to mix up a few Mexican Monks this weekend. Great drink! I didn't have B grade syrup but I did have Agave so used that which worked great. I am curious how different it would have been if I did have grade B syrup. Anyway, really enjoyed the new concoction and well, here is a video of how much I enjoyed it:
Rob, Had a chance to mix up a few Mexican Monks this weekend. Great drink! I didn't have B grade syrup but I did have Agave so used that which worked great. I am curious how different it would have been if I did have grade B syrup. Anyway, really enjoyed the new concoction and well, here is a video of how much I enjoyed it:
Thanks, Jdorais. Kuz, I've only had the lancero and the salomon and I agree that, although both were good, the salomon is the one I'd go back to. I have a few torps from a recent trade that I'll get around to trying soon enough.
So, this weekend, my girlfriend and I decided to take a mini vacation. She booked a hotel out in western mass for a night and this past Friday, the Cain F tour was hitting Portsmouth, NH and we took the day off to check it out (she's awesome - spent almost 4 hours hanging around a cigar shop with me and a bunch of other dudes smoking cigars). This was my first official cigar event and Sam was the first person in the business that I've ever met. Now, I've heard a lot of things about how cool most of the guys in the business are, but Sam is a top notch dude. We spent hours on Friday just watching Sam roll cigars and hand them out to people, then work his magic and art on some of the cigars he brought with him.
While I was standing around, Sam handed me a hand rolled cigar. He told me it was the Cain F filler and binder in the 6x60 with a connecticut shade binder (I believe it was Nicaraguan grown). I lit it up and was immediately blown away by how much the wrapper and a slightly different blend of filler had completely changed the entire experience of that cigar (I had only tried the Cain F in the 5x50 previously and wasn't all that impressed - I told Sam the Cain F that I tried wasn't all that great and rather than get offended, he pushed the new blend at me and said "try this"). The cigar was creamy and smooth with wood, pepper, spice and sweetness all at once. It was a total wolf in sheep's clothing. Strong as hell - he had a bunch of guys stepping outside with the sweats after smoking various sizes of the Cain F. I kept telling Sam, "I want to see this thing get released!" This seriously was one of the best cigars I've had in a long time.
After smoking that and a nub habano, Sam asked if anyone wanted to try rolling a cigar and of course, I jumped on that and after a few minutes and some guidance, I had rolled my first cigar (well, just applied the wrapper, but that's harder than you think). He started explaining to us that he got into blending cigars by taking his cigars apart and switching wrappers to see how it would change the flavor profile of each cigar. Then he took someone's cigar as they were smoking it and applied a connie wrapper right over the existing wrapper, while the cigar was still lit and handed it back to him saying, "try that. See how it changes the profile." We left to grab pizza and Ash (my girlfriend) smiled and said "I got a kiss!" So, it wasn't all bad for her. She was the eye candy for the guys there and she got to oggle Sam. Actually, one of the guys told John, the sales rep to give me the extra Cain F Nub "for bringing the only eye candy all day."
After that event, I decided it'd be worth checking out a second event the following day at another shop in NH as well. My girlfriend was teaching a horseback riding lesson during the day, so I figured I'd head up there. She ended up meeing up with me and bringing some beer for Sam and the Oliva Sales Rep that was with him. After the event, we all hung for a bit and chatted. Sam ended up giving me quite a few free cigars (as well as another one of those amazing hand rolled Fs with the connie wrapper), signing the box he gave me, so we asked if we could take him for dinner. He had to close out with the sales rep, but we got in touch afterward and ended up meeting him for drinks at his hotel at the airport (this was the last date of his tour and he was flying out of Boston the following morning to head home). After chatting for hours about sports, cats, infomercials, cigars, booze, past jobs, horses, travel and just life in general, he ended up paying the bill and buying us drinks on top of all of his hospitality. You just can't top that.
Oh, and Alex, if you read this: Sam said to call you "Swanson."
Last night I had the newest release by La Aroma de Cuba. The Mi Amor is fairly new to the market from what I know, so this was a pretty fresh stick. I've been a fan of Aroma de Cuba since I tried their original blend a few years ago.
Pre-light showed notes of cocoa, hay and some black pepper. This one lit up with lots of black pepper spice, some sweet cedar and bitter cocoa on the finish. Fairly consistent throughout, this stick also put of tons of thick, heavy but velvety smooth smoke (similar to my last opus).
Leopold Gourmel Premiers Saveurs Cognac - I believe this is a 6 year cognac and their youngest - comparable to a VSOP - Banana, caramel and flowers on the nose. Some youthful burn going down and on the finish. Not a very oaky cognac, so it shows its youth there as well. Slightly dry finish.
Carillo Short Run - I don't know much about this cigar, but my local B&M owner told me to try one, so I did. After letting it sit for a few weeks in my humi, I reached in and decided to give this one a shot tonight. I wasn't expecting it to be as strong as it was (maybe it's just me, but different cigars seem to hit me differently - independent of what I ate that day). The pre-light was mostly barnyard and it lit with hay, wood and black pepper. It was fairly consistent with occasional bitter notes. Also noteworthy was the distractingly uneven burn. One side was clearly winning the race.
Knappogue 1995 Irish Whiskey - I picked this up on sale for just over $20 and have seen it going for up to $50 recently, making me wish I bought two or three, just to have some on hand as gifts. I probably wouldn't pay $50 for it, but would consider paying the 20 something that I did just to have it around. On the nose, it gave off sweet spice and must. On the pallet, there was some burn with an initial sweetness almost reminiscent of tropical fruit but finished musty and earthy with residual warmth.
Thanks. So far, I'm still a huge fan of Remy XO, but I'm really liking some of the Gabriel & Andrieu regional cognacs. All depends on the mood.
Oh, and I picked up two of those Aroma de Cubas. One for me, and the other's heading your way as soon as I can get to the post office. Hopefully Saturday.
Sorry, I've been taking notes but not updating this thread lately, so here goes the last few pairs:
Carillo Short Run - Prelight of barnyard and not much more. Lit with hay, wood and black pepper. Not a bad cigar but not too interesting beyond that. It stayed fairly consistent and didn't waver much. Again, not bad.
Knappogue Castle Irish Whiskey (1995) - nose of must and sweet spice. On the pallet, there is some burn with an initial sweetness, reminiscent of tropical fruits but finishes musty with residual warmth. Not a bad every day irish whiskey and definitely worth the price point I paid (under $25 on sale).
Avo Domaine - prelight of hay and tobacco. Excellent construction and simple but elegant presentation. It lit with hay, light cedar and a touch of burnt caramel. Creamy but slightly oily mouthfeel with a slightly ashy, mineral fade on the finish.
Black Pearl (I believe this was either the Cobre or Morado - it was gifted by a friend) Torpedo - sweet tobacco pre-light and not much else. Lit with some black pepper, cedar and sweet coffee with cream. Definitely a nice cigar, especially for the price.
Last night I pulled an Alec Bradley Tempus Genesis out of one of my aging humis. I remember liking these the first time I tried them right in the store and split a box with a friend shortly after. Since then, I've smoked a few from the box and have been less impressed each time. I thought, after almost two years, this should be really nice. I was really wrong. The first few puffs were really nice, mellow, smooth tobacco with cedar. Then just bitter and ashy with an uncomfortably tight draw, even off of a cut. Nothing beyond that, so I scrapped it half way through.
With that, I had some scotch that my girlfriend bought me a few weeks ago on vacation. This is a 17 year old cask strength scotch from the Rosebank Distillery that was distilled in 1991 and presented by Gordon and McPhail. It's a triple distilled lowland scotch and gives a nose of fruit with a touch of smoke. On the pallet, the fruit remains but becomes the background note to the smoke. There is a bit of burn, but with the addition of some cold spring water, this is a very smooth scotch.
Sad to hear about that tempus. I sort of gave up on thinking of getting boxes of them as the price and the cigar itself. Have you had the AVO maddy? I enjoyed it more than the domaine, but the domaine would have to be my 2nd fav of AVO.
Sad to hear about that tempus. I sort of gave up on thinking of getting boxes of them as the price and the cigar itself. Have you had the AVO maddy? I enjoyed it more than the domaine, but the domaine would have to be my 2nd fav of AVO.
...17 years is a bit old...
I agree 17 is a bit old. When it comes to scotch, I tend to like it how I like my women: 12 years old and mixed with coke.
Comments
For a starter, I made up a cheese plate with some aged canadian cheddar, various olives and stacked some fresh basil from my garden, proscuitto wrapped mozzarella, a fresh tomato slice from the garden on top of a cracker and topped it off with some truffle balsamic glaze. Paired that with some Apple Ice Wine that is made by a local winery - very nice. Heavy on apple and sweet, but not cloyingly sweet - this is a perfect after dinner drink or something to sip with cheese and fruit.
For a main course, I made a coffee crusted pork tenderloin, topped with a blackberry-balsamic reduction, grilled asparagus and mashed acorn squash. That was served with a Bogle 2007 Petite Sirah - very heavy on cherry and dark berries without too much oak and almost no tannins. This wine was a perfect pair for a pork dish and stood up to the plate very nicely.
I ended the meal with pears poached in spiced red wine, served with vanilla bean ice cream and some of the wine reduction. This is such a simple but delicious dessert and presents well too. I served this with the Spiced Old Port drink that I made and reviewed in a recent post. All went over well.
With the cigars, I brewed up some fresh Kona coffee and made some fresh sweetened whipped cream with some maple syrup and pumpkin pie spice right in the cream. While the coffee is outstanding on its own, I wasn't in the mood for a straight black coffee and wanted people to have the option of cream. Paired with my Opus, the coffee with sweetened cream went surprisingly well. The cinnamon, fig and baked sweet bread notes in the Opus complemented the coffee, while the occasional bits of spice helped to separate the two. This power ranger was much better than the first one I had. I'm glad I have a few more on hand.
¨Only two people walk around in this world beardless - boys and women - and I am neither one.¨
¨Only two people walk around in this world beardless - boys and women - and I am neither one.¨
¨Only two people walk around in this world beardless - boys and women - and I am neither one.¨
Before I get into my new drink, I'll do a quick restaurant review. My girlfriend and I went to a fairly new restaurant here in Salem, MA. Greenland Cafe is a restaurant with a focus on organic and sustainable as well as local produce (I don't care so much about the organic thing) and their chef has a knack for pairing flavors. I was also impressed when some classic cocktails, such as the sazerac that I ordered, were on the drink menu and even more impressed when my drink showed up made properly. It seems their bar tenders actually know what they're doing and aren't just pouring a rum and coke.
The waitress told us that they had just started a cheese pairing menu where they offer one cheese from either the US or, on the current menu, Spain and pair it with another food that, together they really pop. We picked the Spanish Mahon, which was paired with Spanish Chorizo and chopped bacon. The cheese alone was nice, slightly sharp, nutty, sweet and creamy, but when eaten with the chorizo and bacon it really opened up. The bacon added a smoky element, while the chorizo added some spice and flavor. I was impressed. After that plate, I'd go back just for drinks and cheese plates.
For dinner, they offer full entree sizes or a tapas menu. We opted for 3 tapas: First a Roasted Artichoke and Fontina Cheese Fondue with Warm Bread which was excellent, but not very out of the ordinary. Just what you would expect. Next it was Crispy Duck Confit with Blood Orange and Soy reduction. The duck was seasoned and cooked perfectly and the reduction added a nice sweetness to the overall dish. Next, we had a Braised Pork Belly in Calvados with a Granny Smith Apple salsa. The pork just fell apart to the side of the fork and the calvados had a great apple flavor that went perfectly with the pork. Finally, we ended the meal with a Flourless Chocolate Torte with Strawberry Coulis that was absolutely fantastic.
Last night I finally picked up a bottle of St Germain and got another bottle of Plantation Rum, since I knew I was almost out of my current bottle. I fixed myself a drink and was really happy with it. 1.5 oz Plantation Rum, 1 oz Grand Marnier, 1 oz St Germain and 1/2 oz Fee's Blood Orange Bitters (these have no alcohol and are slightly sweeter than most bitters so you can use them more freely without ruining the drink). It was a tad on the sweet side but I really enjoyed it. I would make it again in a heart beat and even consider substituting the blood orange bitters for angostura bitters and possibly Peychaud's Bitters. A lemon twist might also help add some tartness to an otherwise very sweet drink. Cheers.
¨Only two people walk around in this world beardless - boys and women - and I am neither one.¨
First, thanks Jdorais and it's nice to see someone expanding their horizons because of my reviews and knowing I had an influence on someone being adventurous and trying new things. Better yet, you actually found some new drinks you enjoy. Also, props for actually owning something obscure like Chartreuse and mixing with that. It's good stuff but most people don't have a clue that it exists. That's why I searched for a drink to make for you. If Tequila is your stuff and you have Chartreuse, that gave me a base. I paired the drink with an Oliva Series V Salomon that I picked up at a local B&M recently, knowing I'd need a good, hearty cigar with assertive flavors to stand up to Tequila and Chartreuse.
Oliva V Salomon: Pre-light brought notes of black pepper, tobacco and hay. The cigar lit easily with notes of wood, pepper, toast and a slight fruity sweetness. This cigar was heavy in hand and aside from a few corrections, burned fairly well. Flavors were well pronounced, complex and strong while remaining balanced and incredibly smooth and refined. At its widest, it picked up some cocoa and cinnamon spice. Around the end of the first third, the pepper faded and oak and cocoa became the front runners. Unfortunately, around the end of the first half was where the complexities ended. It seemed the second half of the cigar focused more on strength and left mostly cocoa and some oak notes. Still an enjoyable cigar.
El Jimador Anejo Tequila (apparently, this is the #1 selling Tequila in Mexico - take it for what it's worth) - had a nose of oak, vanilla and agave with a faded hint of cherry or plum. On the tongue, the oak and agave were up front with the vanilla trailing behind and the fruit was somewhat lost. Either way, a great Anejo for under $30.
I'm going to call this drink the Mexican Monk (because I'm not creative enough to think of anything else and I think that works). 2.5 oz El Jimador Anejo Tequila (if you really enjoy that Agave flavor, try a Reposado but I'm not sure how well a blanco would play with the other ingredients), 1/2 oz grade B maple syrup (I originally intended to use agave nectar but I realized I was completely out.....so.....I improvized), 1/2 oz water - pour all over ice and stir - at the same time chill a glass. After stirring, pour a small amount of Green Chartreuse into the chilled glass, swirl to coat the glass and dump the excess and strain your drink into the glass. On the nose I picked up a mix of herbaceous notes, wood, sweet, dark, ripe fruit and some peppery notes. The taste was herbs, with grassy, peppery notes, followed by oak with vanilla and maple trailing. The agave presence here was very muted but could be picked up in the mix. Overall, a complex drink but it worked. Pick a good complex cigar to go with this one.
I also tried another new drink with some new bitters that I picked up recently and hadn't tried yet. I'll call this one a Spiced Orange. 2 oz Plantation 20 year Rum, 1/2 oz orange juice, 1/2 oz Fee's Blood Orange Bitters (not necessary, but will add more complexity and sweetness), 1 tsp honey and a few dashes of Underberg Bitters (German bitters - very heavy on clove). I didn't drink this one but I did get to try it. I could see it being a great winter drink served warm or cold, depending on your mood. Even mixing some warm cider in there on a cold winter night to warm you up. Spicy, clove and orange mixed perfectly with the vanilla, citrus and spice notes found in the Plantation Rum. If using warm cider, I'd omit the orange all together and just go with 2oz of Plantation and a few dashes of bitters in to a mug of hot cider.
Had a chance to mix up a few Mexican Monks this weekend. Great drink! I didn't have B grade syrup but I did have Agave so used that which worked great. I am curious how different it would have been if I did have grade B syrup. Anyway, really enjoyed the new concoction and well, here is a video of how much I enjoyed it:
Jeff
¨Only two people walk around in this world beardless - boys and women - and I am neither one.¨
So, this weekend, my girlfriend and I decided to take a mini vacation. She booked a hotel out in western mass for a night and this past Friday, the Cain F tour was hitting Portsmouth, NH and we took the day off to check it out (she's awesome - spent almost 4 hours hanging around a cigar shop with me and a bunch of other dudes smoking cigars). This was my first official cigar event and Sam was the first person in the business that I've ever met. Now, I've heard a lot of things about how cool most of the guys in the business are, but Sam is a top notch dude. We spent hours on Friday just watching Sam roll cigars and hand them out to people, then work his magic and art on some of the cigars he brought with him.
While I was standing around, Sam handed me a hand rolled cigar. He told me it was the Cain F filler and binder in the 6x60 with a connecticut shade binder (I believe it was Nicaraguan grown). I lit it up and was immediately blown away by how much the wrapper and a slightly different blend of filler had completely changed the entire experience of that cigar (I had only tried the Cain F in the 5x50 previously and wasn't all that impressed - I told Sam the Cain F that I tried wasn't all that great and rather than get offended, he pushed the new blend at me and said "try this"). The cigar was creamy and smooth with wood, pepper, spice and sweetness all at once. It was a total wolf in sheep's clothing. Strong as hell - he had a bunch of guys stepping outside with the sweats after smoking various sizes of the Cain F. I kept telling Sam, "I want to see this thing get released!" This seriously was one of the best cigars I've had in a long time.
After smoking that and a nub habano, Sam asked if anyone wanted to try rolling a cigar and of course, I jumped on that and after a few minutes and some guidance, I had rolled my first cigar (well, just applied the wrapper, but that's harder than you think). He started explaining to us that he got into blending cigars by taking his cigars apart and switching wrappers to see how it would change the flavor profile of each cigar. Then he took someone's cigar as they were smoking it and applied a connie wrapper right over the existing wrapper, while the cigar was still lit and handed it back to him saying, "try that. See how it changes the profile." We left to grab pizza and Ash (my girlfriend) smiled and said "I got a kiss!" So, it wasn't all bad for her. She was the eye candy for the guys there and she got to oggle Sam. Actually, one of the guys told John, the sales rep to give me the extra Cain F Nub "for bringing the only eye candy all day."
After that event, I decided it'd be worth checking out a second event the following day at another shop in NH as well. My girlfriend was teaching a horseback riding lesson during the day, so I figured I'd head up there. She ended up meeing up with me and bringing some beer for Sam and the Oliva Sales Rep that was with him. After the event, we all hung for a bit and chatted. Sam ended up giving me quite a few free cigars (as well as another one of those amazing hand rolled Fs with the connie wrapper), signing the box he gave me, so we asked if we could take him for dinner. He had to close out with the sales rep, but we got in touch afterward and ended up meeting him for drinks at his hotel at the airport (this was the last date of his tour and he was flying out of Boston the following morning to head home). After chatting for hours about sports, cats, infomercials, cigars, booze, past jobs, horses, travel and just life in general, he ended up paying the bill and buying us drinks on top of all of his hospitality. You just can't top that.
Oh, and Alex, if you read this: Sam said to call you "Swanson."
"Long ashes my friends."
Pre-light showed notes of cocoa, hay and some black pepper. This one lit up with lots of black pepper spice, some sweet cedar and bitter cocoa on the finish. Fairly consistent throughout, this stick also put of tons of thick, heavy but velvety smooth smoke (similar to my last opus).
Leopold Gourmel Premiers Saveurs Cognac - I believe this is a 6 year cognac and their youngest - comparable to a VSOP - Banana, caramel and flowers on the nose. Some youthful burn going down and on the finish. Not a very oaky cognac, so it shows its youth there as well. Slightly dry finish.
Carillo Short Run - I don't know much about this cigar, but my local B&M owner told me to try one, so I did. After letting it sit for a few weeks in my humi, I reached in and decided to give this one a shot tonight. I wasn't expecting it to be as strong as it was (maybe it's just me, but different cigars seem to hit me differently - independent of what I ate that day). The pre-light was mostly barnyard and it lit with hay, wood and black pepper. It was fairly consistent with occasional bitter notes. Also noteworthy was the distractingly uneven burn. One side was clearly winning the race.
Knappogue 1995 Irish Whiskey - I picked this up on sale for just over $20 and have seen it going for up to $50 recently, making me wish I bought two or three, just to have some on hand as gifts. I probably wouldn't pay $50 for it, but would consider paying the 20 something that I did just to have it around. On the nose, it gave off sweet spice and must. On the pallet, there was some burn with an initial sweetness almost reminiscent of tropical fruit but finished musty and earthy with residual warmth.
Oh, and I picked up two of those Aroma de Cubas. One for me, and the other's heading your way as soon as I can get to the post office. Hopefully Saturday.
Carillo Short Run - Prelight of barnyard and not much more. Lit with hay, wood and black pepper. Not a bad cigar but not too interesting beyond that. It stayed fairly consistent and didn't waver much. Again, not bad.
Knappogue Castle Irish Whiskey (1995) - nose of must and sweet spice. On the pallet, there is some burn with an initial sweetness, reminiscent of tropical fruits but finishes musty with residual warmth. Not a bad every day irish whiskey and definitely worth the price point I paid (under $25 on sale).
Avo Domaine - prelight of hay and tobacco. Excellent construction and simple but elegant presentation. It lit with hay, light cedar and a touch of burnt caramel. Creamy but slightly oily mouthfeel with a slightly ashy, mineral fade on the finish.
Black Pearl (I believe this was either the Cobre or Morado - it was gifted by a friend) Torpedo - sweet tobacco pre-light and not much else. Lit with some black pepper, cedar and sweet coffee with cream. Definitely a nice cigar, especially for the price.
Last night I pulled an Alec Bradley Tempus Genesis out of one of my aging humis. I remember liking these the first time I tried them right in the store and split a box with a friend shortly after. Since then, I've smoked a few from the box and have been less impressed each time. I thought, after almost two years, this should be really nice. I was really wrong. The first few puffs were really nice, mellow, smooth tobacco with cedar. Then just bitter and ashy with an uncomfortably tight draw, even off of a cut. Nothing beyond that, so I scrapped it half way through.
With that, I had some scotch that my girlfriend bought me a few weeks ago on vacation. This is a 17 year old cask strength scotch from the Rosebank Distillery that was distilled in 1991 and presented by Gordon and McPhail. It's a triple distilled lowland scotch and gives a nose of fruit with a touch of smoke. On the pallet, the fruit remains but becomes the background note to the smoke. There is a bit of burn, but with the addition of some cold spring water, this is a very smooth scotch.
...17 years is a bit old...