I'll probably do that eventually. I need to do some more experimenting and come up with more recipes before I'm ready for that. Just started a bottle of bitters for myself. Rum based, Dutch East Indies bitters - using some of the spices and flavors traded around the caribbean, especially by the Dutch East India Trading Co.
In the mean time, I stopped by my local liquor store tonight to pick up a bottle of Cognac to start a new experiment - I want to infuse this cognac with fresh apples. A friend of mine in work has been looking all over for a good apple brandy. It was between this and a bottle of Calvados. I opted for the experiment. I'll let you all know how it turns out when it's done. Well, in the end, that bottle of cognac turned into two bottles of rum and three bottles of vodka, totaling $160. Way to not spend money ****. At least you guys will get a few good reviews out of it.
Ron Centenario Fundacion XX Anos Reserva Especial - This 20 year old rum showed warm, brown sugar, tropical fruit and rich spices with a touch of honey and vanilla on the nose. On the pallet, notes of caramel and banana were followed by honey and a touch of oak. The body was slick and slightly syrupy with minimal alcohol burn. This one actually was along the lines of some of my other favorite sipping rums - Plantation, Zacapa and Zaya, so it was a no-brainer that I loved this one.
El Dorado 15 year old Demerara Rum - The nose brought notes of straw/hay, burnt caramel and a slight musty earth. On the pallet, the straw/hay note persisted with notes of oak, caramel and a touch of vanilla lingering on the finish. This was an incredibly smooth and soft rum with a slightly dry mouthfeel.
I'll probably do that eventually. I need to do some more experimenting and come up with more recipes before I'm ready for that. Just started a bottle of bitters for myself. Rum based, Dutch East Indies bitters - using some of the spices and flavors traded around the caribbean, especially by the Dutch East India Trading Co.
In the mean time, I stopped by my local liquor store tonight to pick up a bottle of Cognac to start a new experiment - I want to infuse this cognac with fresh apples. A friend of mine in work has been looking all over for a good apple brandy. It was between this and a bottle of Calvados. I opted for the experiment. I'll let you all know how it turns out when it's done. Well, in the end, that bottle of cognac turned into two bottles of rum and three bottles of vodka, totaling $160. Way to not spend money ****. At least you guys will get a few good reviews out of it.
Ron Centenario Fundacion XX Anos Reserva Especial - This 20 year old rum showed warm, brown sugar, tropical fruit and rich spices with a touch of honey and vanilla on the nose. On the pallet, notes of caramel and banana were followed by honey and a touch of oak. The body was slick and slightly syrupy with minimal alcohol burn. This one actually was along the lines of some of my other favorite sipping rums - Plantation, Zacapa and Zaya, so it was a no-brainer that I loved this one.
El Dorado 15 year old Demerara Rum - The nose brought notes of straw/hay, burnt caramel and a slight musty earth. On the pallet, the straw/hay note persisted with notes of oak, caramel and a touch of vanilla lingering on the finish. This was an incredibly smooth and soft rum with a slightly dry mouthfeel.
Rob, thanks for the review as I have been looking to pick up a bottle of this myself Ron Centenario Fundacion XX Anos Reserva Especial, maybe if I stop buying cigars it can be a Christmas present to myself.
Well, you're gonna need something to drink with all those cigars. It's all about the marketing and sales pitch. That's how I justify my ridiculous spending. Not sure how prices are out west, but it was just under $40 for the bottle here.
Well, you're gonna need something to drink with all those cigars. It's all about the marketing and sales pitch. That's how I justify my ridiculous spending. Not sure how prices are out west, but it was just under $40 for the bottle here.
If it is along the lines of the Zacapa, it is well worth it. My buddy is in St. Maarten right now so I will be getting a new bottle of rum when he returns on the 15th, can't wait. I like free rum as much as I like free cigars, LOL. I do know he will be bringing back a bottle of Rum Jumbi which is a really good pre-mixed rum cocktail.
That's it... I gotta buy a bottle of this Ron zacapa!! Hays, make a trip down south bro!
Vinny, YOU REALLY REALLY NEED TO. Zacapa is a great rum, especially at the price point that it is. I have about 15 different bottles of rum in my cabinet but my hand ALWAYS finds the Zacapa........
I'll probably do that eventually. I need to do some more experimenting and come up with more recipes before I'm ready for that. Just started a bottle of bitters for myself. Rum based, Dutch East Indies bitters - using some of the spices and flavors traded around the caribbean, especially by the Dutch East India Trading Co.
In the mean time, I stopped by my local liquor store tonight to pick up a bottle of Cognac to start a new experiment - I want to infuse this cognac with fresh apples. A friend of mine in work has been looking all over for a good apple brandy. It was between this and a bottle of Calvados. I opted for the experiment. I'll let you all know how it turns out when it's done. Well, in the end, that bottle of cognac turned into two bottles of rum and three bottles of vodka, totaling $160. Way to not spend money ****. At least you guys will get a few good reviews out of it.
Ron Centenario Fundacion XX Anos Reserva Especial - This 20 year old rum showed warm, brown sugar, tropical fruit and rich spices with a touch of honey and vanilla on the nose. On the pallet, notes of caramel and banana were followed by honey and a touch of oak. The body was slick and slightly syrupy with minimal alcohol burn. This one actually was along the lines of some of my other favorite sipping rums - Plantation, Zacapa and Zaya, so it was a no-brainer that I loved this one.
El Dorado 15 year old Demerara Rum - The nose brought notes of straw/hay, burnt caramel and a slight musty earth. On the pallet, the straw/hay note persisted with notes of oak, caramel and a touch of vanilla lingering on the finish. This was an incredibly smooth and soft rum with a slightly dry mouthfeel.
wow man, let us know how this goes. I need to try some other apple brandy but the one bottle I have isn't half bad.
Not exactly my review, but I recently did an event with 262 cigars at Gloucester Street Cigar Company in Boston and got some customer reviews. Check it out HERE.
If you've tried the Paradigm or the Ideology, feel free to share your thoughts here. I'll send the link back to the guys at 262. They always like seeing customer's thoughts and feelings on the products.
Side note - the apple cognac project is ongoing. I'm trying to get as much apple flavor in there as possible and the first batch of apples has given me all it has to offer. Time to get some more apples. I'll keep you guys in the loop but so far, I'm really digging this stuff as is. I think it'll get better with time and I'll explain everything I did when it's all said and done.
It's been a while and I've only got two cigar reviews to post. It's just been so cold and snowy, I haven't even had a chance to get out much lately. I did have a few smokes in Mexico but didn't take the time out to sit and review. I just wanted to enjoy what I had while I was there.
San Miguel Box Press Robusto - Slight pepper with soft cedar and a mild tobacco note on the prelight. A slight sweetness and a hint of a vegetal note balance this cigar well. The finish is long and the smoke feels medium in body.
601 Oscuro Salomon - Dark Tobacco prelight with notes of rich wood, black pepper and dark cocoa in this medium-full bodied cigar.
We also opened two bottles of wine last night. The first was a Bordeaux that I have no clue where it came from but had been resting for quite some time.
Chateau Grand-Puy-Lacoste Pauillac 1998 Bordeaux - Alcohol burn, followed by oak, must, earth and hints of dark fruit and anise on the nose. Must, oak, and earth on the pallet rouned out by soft tannins. It was a bit acidic with distant notes of red fruit - possibly cherry and apple.
This second bottle was one I bought recently. I thought it was going to be a typical petite sirah, zinfandel blend but read somewhere in a review online that it was a fortified wine. It didn't state so on the bottle, but did taste so.
Ridge 2001 California Petite Sirah Essence - Soft and oaky on the nose with almost no fruit notes. A sweet, dessert-like wine, reminiscent of a 20 year old tawny with notes of sweet black cherry and oak and a short, dry finish. This one was very interesting and although a bit pricey ($35 for a 375ml bottle), I felt it was worth it and would buy it again if I ever find it (unfortunately, I got the last bottle at my local shop).
nice wines you have there. I can't say I've enjoyed much of the 601 stuff. I like the blues and that's about it. Actually many may spit at me but I haven't been overly impressed with a lot of peppin's blends.
Walked into a local shop recently and was intrigued by some Viajes. I'm on a tight budget this month, so I opted for just one:
Viaje Summerfest Torpedo (Shag foot) - Prelight of tea and tobacco - very clean and semi-sweet. Lit with earth, tobacco and barnyard - overall, very earthy/barnyardish notes dominated throughout the surprisingly slow burning shag foot. Once it finally got to the wrapper, some pepper and mineral notes picked up with a bit of bitterness in the middle of the cigar that eventually faded to a background note.
Later that night, we headed to my girlfriend's parents house, where I cooked rabbit for the first time. I hate their oven (electric - never gets to temp), so I braised it on the stove top in red wine, juniper berries, salt and pepper. I wanted to keep the natural flavor of the rabbit and it did so, but the juniper was completely overpowered by the red wine - next time, I'd go with some olive or grape seed oil, juniper, sage, maybe some grains of paradise for bright, citrusy notes and some salt and pepper.
With the rabbit, we opened a bottle of French Rhone wine:
Clos des Brusquieres 2007 - Chateauneuf du Pape - Touch of alcohol and black currant on the nose with notes of black currant, raspberry and slight oak. A bit acidic with a medium, seimi-dry finish. This one seems like it has lots of potential and may be a fantastic wine in 5-10 years.
2008 Old Ghost - Old Vine Zinfandel - Nose of plum, boysenberry, oak and earth. Soft, dark fruit notes, followed by oak and pepper with soft tannins and a long, full-bodied finish. An excellent drinking wine now but will be even better in 5-7 years, allowing the acid to mellow a bit.
Viaje Satori Zen - Good looking cigar with notes of pepper, wood, leather and a vegetal note. This was overall, a very earthy, meaty cigar with a long, dry finish.
El Triunfador Lancero - This cigar had a mild pre-light of sweet tobacco and lit with notes of wood, leather and a tinge of sweet spice
I also had another bordeaux wine the other night. I'll type up that review later on as I don't have it with me at the moment.
Chateau de Lescours, St Emilion Grand Cru - 2000 Bordeaux - The nose brought a strong must-like character with cork, earth and a very light perfume-like sweetness. Slightly thin on the pallet with notes of strong must, earth, leather and faint blackberry with a long, dry finish. This is not a fruity wine by a long stretch and needs considerable time to open up to the air before showing its potential (at least an hour or two).
2001 Chalone Vineyard Estate Grown Syrah - On the nose, this wine showcased a beautiful, sweet bouquet of plum, raspberry and cherry. On the pallet, notes of cherry and ripe, red fruit were met with bright acidity and youthfulness, yet strong tannin structure. A nice wine now but shows room for improvement over time. The acidity and tannins could still use a few years to mellow and round out.
This past weekend was a busy weekend. Friday night we went to a wine tasting at the Boston Harbor Hotel (beautiful hotel if anyone is ever in the area). Couldn't have asked for a better night. It was 60 degrees out when we got to Boston, so we walked to the North End and picked up some goodies at Mike's Pastry and some meats and cheeses at a local deli. During the wine tasting, we got a really nice lightning display - something about watching the rain and lightning from huge pannel windows overlooking Boston Harbor while drinking wine.
We stayed the night there and went straight to a friend's house Saturday afternoon for a surprise party and all drove down to Foxwoods for dinner at Shrine and some table games. I finally got to try out a punisher while at the casino and while I didn't take the time out for an official review, I'll give a quick write up. First things first.
2007 Feraud Brunel - Chateneuf du Pape - Rhone - The nose showed strong oak and black currant and brought oak and dark fruit to the pallet with a long, dry finish and sharp acidity - this wine should age very well.
2008 Clos Saint Jean - Chateauneuf du Pape, Vielles Vignes - A nose of raspberry and cherry led to bright acidity with red fruit and a slightly dry finish. A very fruit driven wine - if the acidity mellows with time, this could be a very nice bottle.
2004 Museum Real Tempranillo Riserva, Cigales - On the nose, this wine brought oak, plum and blackberry with a pallet of black currant, vanilla and oak, with a medium-dry finish and very round acidity - one of my favorites in tasting all night - very drinkable now with potential to sit well for a few years.
2007 Perrin & Fils "Vinsobres Les Cordus" - Cotes du Rhone - A nose of red fruit and oak, while dry on the pallet with notes of oak, red berries and a slight mineral note - not a favorite.
2008 Querciabella Mongrana, Maremma, Toscana - The nose brought oak and dark fruit with a hint of smoke, while the pallet was light with fruit and oak. This was a well balanced wine, but seemed a bit thin.
Cu-Avana Intenso - Punisher - Very intense, peppery burn on the lips, this smoke showed lots of pepper, spice, cedar and a hint of sweetness. This is not a cigar for everyone but those who do enjoy it will have fun letting them rest and seeing how they mellow over the years.
Side note - my girlfriend saw the look on my face after just touching the cigar to my lips and got curious - her lips were still burning 10 minutes later, off of one puff. I personally enjoyed this cigar, but I love spicy food and I like a challenge. Ash's cousin happened to be at the wine tasting on Friday and we got into a discussion on why I like red wine over white and he was convinced it's the nature of each wine. Whites tend to be very subtle, while reds are very bold and in your face. This cigar is a perfect example of his argument that I like that full frontal assault on your pallet. Though I do enjoy subtle flavors at times.
Finally, I got over to Federal Cigar yesterday and tried their new 90th anniversary cigar, exclusively blended for them by Pete Johnson of Tatuaje - the M109. Pete will also be releasing the M80 this year - an exclusive cigar for 2 Guys Smoke Shop of NH. Contact me for info on the M109, but hurry, as they had about 150 out of 300 original boxes of the Rosado yesterday (the 100 boxes of the Reservas are already sold out) and two people called in to purchase boxes while I was in the store.
Tatuaje - Federal Cigar 90th Anniversary Cigar (M109) - Rosado - Notes of sweet cedar, pepper, and leather throughout the cigar. A medium-full strength cigar with a bold but smooth body and very full flavors.
On to the Rum. This is a 20 year old rum developed by Gabriel and Associates - owners of the Pierre Ferrand house of cognac. The rum, from what I've read and been told, spends at least 12 years in American Bourbon barrels before being moved to Cognac barrels for the remainder of its life. This aging brings out complexities and subtleties in the rum that you don't find in some other rums in its price range ($40 on average).
Rob, I finally found a bottle of this, in fact, there were 4 on the shelf, hopefully they'll be available on payday. Picked up a bottle at $36.00 and a bottle of the Centrino XX Anos for $34.00 today. Can't wait to try the Plantation based on you reviews. Thanks again for the info.
Nice! Hope you enjoy it. Please let me know what you think of it. I'd love to see a review/full opinion on both of those. At that price, I personally would say it's a steal.
2007 Ridge - Lytton Springs - A complex wine with a nose of vanilla, oak and boysenberry. Notes of blackberry, tart plum, vanilla and oak persisted on the pallet with a long finish, round tanins and good acidity. This wine is very drinkable now but I'd love to see how it evolves over the years.
2009 La Domeliere Rasteau - Cotes du Rhone - A slight imbalance of sharp alcohol and young red fruit on the nose with a sweet pallet of red fruit, decent tannins, good acidity but a persistent mineral fade on the finish. An ok wine for the price but may not improve much.
I was lucky enough to be invited to a wine event today - Eric Solomon Selections - Annual Portfolio Tasting. This was a national event for Eric Solomon Importers and there were some pretty prestigious wines, as well as some that have not yet been released (barrel tasting). I took notes on a few that stood out. First, I'm not a fan of white wines in general, but this first one was really interesting.
2008 Tirecul la Graviere Andrea - Very complex nose of oak and bright, tropical fruit with bright acidity, grilled pineapple and sweet butter on a long finish.
2008 Clos St. Jean Vieles Vignes - Chateauneuf du Pape - Bread and butter on the nose with notes of oak, and dark fruit with a very buttery finish. Not exactly typical of a Chateauneuf du Pape but a very interesting wine.
2008 Giraud Les Grenaches de Pierre - Chateauneuf du Pape - made from 100% Grenache from 100+ year old vines, this wine displayed butter, oak and grilled/smoked meat with a velvety finish and a very soft nose.
I tried so many wines that it was absolutely impossible to keep notes on everything. The names that stood out were:
French: Clos St Jean - he has a few already out as well as a few that are still in barrels that show lots of promise. Domaine Giraud - a bit more on the pricey side but absolutely fantastic wines. Roger Sabon - much more affordable and a bit more typical Rhone style wines that were very drinkable. Domaine Vindemio - some very interesting 09s coming out (if they're not released already), especially the Amadeus.
Spanish: Izadi & Orben - very affordable Riojas that were very promising. Vetus & Villacreces - also very affordable, easy drinking wines. Aalto - a bit on the pricey side, but a great example of Tempranillo. Black Slate - some great introductions to Priorat.
Dessert: La Bota de Pedro Ximenez - Pedro Ximinez is a type of type of grape grown mainly in Spain and commonly used to make a Sherry style sweet wine - this particular one showed bold fig and raisin notes. Practically stole the entire show - luckily, we tasted this last.
OK, I jut got back from a week-long cruise on a boat with a cigar bar. Since it was my birthday week, I decided to treat myself, both with cigars and booze. Unfortunately, I didn't bring a notebook, but do remember the more memorable cigars, so here goes:
First night on the ship I went with the Graycliff 1666. This was a great little cigar. What impressed me the most was the distinct notes of vanilla and caramel. These two set this cigar apart from a lot of other cigars I've had lately.
Next night was my birthday, so I went with my Gurkha Royal Salute, which I'd been saving for a special occasion. Since it's infused with Remy Martin King Louis XIII, I thought that would be a nice drink to pair it with. I decided to treat myself to a glass of KLXIII for a mere $77 a glass (believe it or not, that's about half of the price you'd expect to pay on land). Both the cigar and the cognac were wonderful. The cigar had an initial sweetness to every draw, both on the pre-light and while burning. It wasn't overbearing and didn't make the cigar taste flavored. Just a nice grape-like sweetness on the draw which was immediately replaced by notes of wood, coffee and cocoa. Truly a great cigar. The cognac, while wonderful, was not that far above Remy XO to justify the 10x price difference. Still, it was worth it to say I've tried it.
Next was my God of Fire 2005 Carlito Churchill. While this was a great cigar, I don't know if it really lives up to the hefty price tag. I remember notes of wood and coffee along with a nice lingering spice on the tongue long after the draw. I was lucky enough to meet some other cigar lovers who also happened to be directors on the ship. We got to talking shop and one guy offered to bring in a bottle of Don Julio Anejo Real (tequila), which was absolutely amazing. Didn't taste anything like any tequila I'd ever had before. More like a scotch. Great bunch of guys running that boat, so I promised to send them some of the local hand rolled cigars from around here that some of you guys have tried and loved so much.
I also picked up a Cohiba ISOM while I was in Grand Cayman (Georgetown) at Casa del Habana (apparently one of the only trustworthy stores, as it's owned by the Cuban government). Another nice cigar, but I can find legal cigars much easier and much cheaper that are much better. In case any of you happen to travel down there, Casa del Habana isn't the easiest to find. Aside from that, nobody knows about it or where it is. There's also a Churchill's cigar shop in a small strip mall where Margaritaville is. If you walk out of Margaritaville and take a left, look for a small red sign that says "cigars". Casa del Habana is near that, set back in a little alley-way, so the storefront is hardly visible from the street.
Sweet man. Sounds like a great time. Happy B day too. How would you stack the remy xo? I'm wondering as I've had a few cognac's and I loved the ones you sent me.
Thanks, Glen. I personally like Remy XO. Used to be my fav, but lately, I've been favoring just about anything to come out of Pierre Ferrand. I just got a new cognac that was an exclusive blend done by a local liquor store. Fantastic stuff, but very limited. They blended it there from barrel samples as old as 1930. Also tried Davidoff Cognac and wish I didn't drop the $80 on it. Much like anything Davidoff, I wasn't impressed and felt the quality didn't warrant the pricetag. It was more like a $30 - $40 VS or VSOP.
I recently went to another industry exclusive wine tasting in Boston (Cambridge, actually) on Monday and had some interesting wines. Some very affordable, some very expensive, some not yet released. Forgive the briefness of some of the notes, but it gets tough to take detailed notes while trying to taste and keep up with the company I was with.
First, the whites: I'm generally not a fan of white wine, but had never tried Riesling before. I think I finally found a white wine that I can see myself drinking in the summer.
2009 Dr. Loosen Red Slate Riesling Dry - notes of apricot and pineapple with a dry finish - a typical white in my book. 2009 Dr. Loosen Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling - apricot and honey with crisp acid and a dry finish. 2009 Dr. Loosen Estate Riesling 'Blue Slate' Kabinett - a sweet wine with soft acid and notes of peach, apricot and a hint of petrol. 2009 Dr. Loosen Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Spatlese - a soft nose gave way to bright, sweet fruit and honey with soft acid in this semi-sweet wine.
Price point on all of these was fair, falling between $15 and $30 on average.
On to Reds:
2009 Nuits St Georges 'Les Cailles' 1er Cru Domaine - soft, buttery, elegant and balanced with notes of fruit and oak in harmony. Price point on this was high ($80-100 a bottle) and although the wine was very good, I don't know if the price point was quite justified. We also tasted some other wines between $200 and 250 a bottle at this table and my favorite was a $30-$40 wine that I didn't take notes on (sorry) - Monthelie Les Duresses 1er Cru Domaine.
Rhones (these seemed to be hit or miss this year - 09)
2009 Domaine Albin Jacumin Chateauneuf du Pape - warm spice on the nose, fruit mid-pallet with a dry finish - a typical Chateauneuf du Pape in the classic style. 2009 Bosquet des Papes Chateauneuf du Pape 'Gloire Grand Pere' - Plum and dark berries on the nose, flat on the pallet with a lot of alcohol. 2009 Bosquet des Papes Chateauneuf du Pape 'Chante Merle' Vieilles Vignes - Cherry, plum and red fruit with a strong alcohol burn on the finish. Not a bad wine, but needs more time in the barrel to mellow. 2009 Clos des Brusquieres Chateauneuf du Pape - raspberry and black tea on the nose and pallet. One of my favorites in show. I've had the 07 and it was nice. The 09 seems like it will be fantastic when it's ready to be bottled. 2009 Chateau Fortia Chateauneuf du Pape Tradition - Balanced fruit, earth and leather. 2009 Chateau Fortia Chateauneuf du Pape 'Cuvee Baron' - Cherry on the nose - more sirah in the blend - more pepper - balanced finish. 2007 Domaine Tour Saint Michel Chateauneuf du Pape 'Feminessance' - A more modern spin on a Chateauneuf du Pape with strong new oak notes in the forefront, followed by cherry and raspberry notes and a nice finish. This was another memorable wine in show.
Bordeaux - Unfortunately, we didn't taste any expensive Bordeaux wines - everything on the tables was blended to be a "consumer's wine" and showed no aging potential. 09 seemed to be a great year for Bordeaux, so I'm hoping to find some better examples and some that deserve some cellar time, though those probably won't be released for some time.
2009 Chateau du Breuil, Fronsac - Soft, candied fruit with a dry finish. 2009 Cheatau Belian-Giraud Bordeaux - Pepper on the nose, soft pallet with good tannins and notes of cherry and apple. 2009 Chateau Haut Maginet, Bordeaux - Notes of candied fruit with a very dry finish. 2009 Chateau Jouanin, Cotes de Castillon - Red fruit and oak with a dry but balanced finish.
There were more Bordeaux wines, as well as some Italian wines (Barolo and Barbera) that were all very good (Barolo and Barbera showed lots of aging potential) but it was towards the end of the show and I ran out of steam on taking notes as it felt like we were rushing a bit at that point.
nice as always. hey btw there's a local vineyard that I go too every summer called pheasant (something like that) valley... they have a great Riesling, very fruity and crisp. If you can't find it around your, I'll mail you a bottle. It's one of my favorite light and fruity wines. btw, is your wine/liquor collection bigger than your cigar collection? You always have all these good things to talk about. I try but damn I can't keep up on all the goodies out there. I use to have a large wine selection but damn-nit, cigars took that over. And worse even, my wife likes wine and now it goes by twice as fast.. lol.
That pheasant valley sounds familiar. I'll look for it. I think one of the shops I frequent might carry it. I know they have a Riesling from Oregon that they've said is very good and I'm pretty sure that's it. If they still have it, I'll pick one up this summer.
My liquor/wine selection is pretty big, but I think I still have WAY more cigars than bottles. If you were to break it down to drinks/glasses vs bottles, then it'd probably be a pretty close race. I am up to 5 humis now though. Need some good weather so I can clean up my overstocks.
Might be it. There's a lot here near the gorge. Cathedral ridge makes one but I wasn't too fond of it. We picked up a case of that Riesling last summer, finished it off really quick.
Comments
In the mean time, I stopped by my local liquor store tonight to pick up a bottle of Cognac to start a new experiment - I want to infuse this cognac with fresh apples. A friend of mine in work has been looking all over for a good apple brandy. It was between this and a bottle of Calvados. I opted for the experiment. I'll let you all know how it turns out when it's done. Well, in the end, that bottle of cognac turned into two bottles of rum and three bottles of vodka, totaling $160. Way to not spend money ****. At least you guys will get a few good reviews out of it.
Ron Centenario Fundacion XX Anos Reserva Especial - This 20 year old rum showed warm, brown sugar, tropical fruit and rich spices with a touch of honey and vanilla on the nose. On the pallet, notes of caramel and banana were followed by honey and a touch of oak. The body was slick and slightly syrupy with minimal alcohol burn. This one actually was along the lines of some of my other favorite sipping rums - Plantation, Zacapa and Zaya, so it was a no-brainer that I loved this one.
El Dorado 15 year old Demerara Rum - The nose brought notes of straw/hay, burnt caramel and a slight musty earth. On the pallet, the straw/hay note persisted with notes of oak, caramel and a touch of vanilla lingering on the finish. This was an incredibly smooth and soft rum with a slightly dry mouthfeel.
Rob, thanks for the review as I have been looking to pick up a bottle of this myself Ron Centenario Fundacion XX Anos Reserva Especial, maybe if I stop buying cigars it can be a Christmas present to myself.
Prolly make a trip to Julio's soon.
If you've tried the Paradigm or the Ideology, feel free to share your thoughts here. I'll send the link back to the guys at 262. They always like seeing customer's thoughts and feelings on the products.
Side note - the apple cognac project is ongoing. I'm trying to get as much apple flavor in there as possible and the first batch of apples has given me all it has to offer. Time to get some more apples. I'll keep you guys in the loop but so far, I'm really digging this stuff as is. I think it'll get better with time and I'll explain everything I did when it's all said and done.
San Miguel Box Press Robusto - Slight pepper with soft cedar and a mild tobacco note on the prelight. A slight sweetness and a hint of a vegetal note balance this cigar well. The finish is long and the smoke feels medium in body.
601 Oscuro Salomon - Dark Tobacco prelight with notes of rich wood, black pepper and dark cocoa in this medium-full bodied cigar.
We also opened two bottles of wine last night. The first was a Bordeaux that I have no clue where it came from but had been resting for quite some time.
Chateau Grand-Puy-Lacoste Pauillac 1998 Bordeaux - Alcohol burn, followed by oak, must, earth and hints of dark fruit and anise on the nose. Must, oak, and earth on the pallet rouned out by soft tannins. It was a bit acidic with distant notes of red fruit - possibly cherry and apple.
This second bottle was one I bought recently. I thought it was going to be a typical petite sirah, zinfandel blend but read somewhere in a review online that it was a fortified wine. It didn't state so on the bottle, but did taste so.
Ridge 2001 California Petite Sirah Essence - Soft and oaky on the nose with almost no fruit notes. A sweet, dessert-like wine, reminiscent of a 20 year old tawny with notes of sweet black cherry and oak and a short, dry finish. This one was very interesting and although a bit pricey ($35 for a 375ml bottle), I felt it was worth it and would buy it again if I ever find it (unfortunately, I got the last bottle at my local shop).
Viaje Summerfest Torpedo (Shag foot) - Prelight of tea and tobacco - very clean and semi-sweet. Lit with earth, tobacco and barnyard - overall, very earthy/barnyardish notes dominated throughout the surprisingly slow burning shag foot. Once it finally got to the wrapper, some pepper and mineral notes picked up with a bit of bitterness in the middle of the cigar that eventually faded to a background note.
Later that night, we headed to my girlfriend's parents house, where I cooked rabbit for the first time. I hate their oven (electric - never gets to temp), so I braised it on the stove top in red wine, juniper berries, salt and pepper. I wanted to keep the natural flavor of the rabbit and it did so, but the juniper was completely overpowered by the red wine - next time, I'd go with some olive or grape seed oil, juniper, sage, maybe some grains of paradise for bright, citrusy notes and some salt and pepper.
With the rabbit, we opened a bottle of French Rhone wine:
Clos des Brusquieres 2007 - Chateauneuf du Pape - Touch of alcohol and black currant on the nose with notes of black currant, raspberry and slight oak. A bit acidic with a medium, seimi-dry finish. This one seems like it has lots of potential and may be a fantastic wine in 5-10 years.
El Triunfador Lancero - This cigar had a mild pre-light of sweet tobacco and lit with notes of wood, leather and a tinge of sweet spice
I also had another bordeaux wine the other night. I'll type up that review later on as I don't have it with me at the moment.
We stayed the night there and went straight to a friend's house Saturday afternoon for a surprise party and all drove down to Foxwoods for dinner at Shrine and some table games. I finally got to try out a punisher while at the casino and while I didn't take the time out for an official review, I'll give a quick write up. First things first.
2007 Feraud Brunel - Chateneuf du Pape - Rhone - The nose showed strong oak and black currant and brought oak and dark fruit to the pallet with a long, dry finish and sharp acidity - this wine should age very well.
2008 Clos Saint Jean - Chateauneuf du Pape, Vielles Vignes - A nose of raspberry and cherry led to bright acidity with red fruit and a slightly dry finish. A very fruit driven wine - if the acidity mellows with time, this could be a very nice bottle.
2004 Museum Real Tempranillo Riserva, Cigales - On the nose, this wine brought oak, plum and blackberry with a pallet of black currant, vanilla and oak, with a medium-dry finish and very round acidity - one of my favorites in tasting all night - very drinkable now with potential to sit well for a few years.
2007 Perrin & Fils "Vinsobres Les Cordus" - Cotes du Rhone - A nose of red fruit and oak, while dry on the pallet with notes of oak, red berries and a slight mineral note - not a favorite.
2008 Querciabella Mongrana, Maremma, Toscana - The nose brought oak and dark fruit with a hint of smoke, while the pallet was light with fruit and oak. This was a well balanced wine, but seemed a bit thin.
Cu-Avana Intenso - Punisher - Very intense, peppery burn on the lips, this smoke showed lots of pepper, spice, cedar and a hint of sweetness. This is not a cigar for everyone but those who do enjoy it will have fun letting them rest and seeing how they mellow over the years.
Side note - my girlfriend saw the look on my face after just touching the cigar to my lips and got curious - her lips were still burning 10 minutes later, off of one puff. I personally enjoyed this cigar, but I love spicy food and I like a challenge. Ash's cousin happened to be at the wine tasting on Friday and we got into a discussion on why I like red wine over white and he was convinced it's the nature of each wine. Whites tend to be very subtle, while reds are very bold and in your face. This cigar is a perfect example of his argument that I like that full frontal assault on your pallet. Though I do enjoy subtle flavors at times.
Finally, I got over to Federal Cigar yesterday and tried their new 90th anniversary cigar, exclusively blended for them by Pete Johnson of Tatuaje - the M109. Pete will also be releasing the M80 this year - an exclusive cigar for 2 Guys Smoke Shop of NH. Contact me for info on the M109, but hurry, as they had about 150 out of 300 original boxes of the Rosado yesterday (the 100 boxes of the Reservas are already sold out) and two people called in to purchase boxes while I was in the store.
Tatuaje - Federal Cigar 90th Anniversary Cigar (M109) - Rosado - Notes of sweet cedar, pepper, and leather throughout the cigar. A medium-full strength cigar with a bold but smooth body and very full flavors.
Cheers.
2009 La Domeliere Rasteau - Cotes du Rhone - A slight imbalance of sharp alcohol and young red fruit on the nose with a sweet pallet of red fruit, decent tannins, good acidity but a persistent mineral fade on the finish. An ok wine for the price but may not improve much.
2008 Tirecul la Graviere Andrea - Very complex nose of oak and bright, tropical fruit with bright acidity, grilled pineapple and sweet butter on a long finish.
2008 Clos St. Jean Vieles Vignes - Chateauneuf du Pape - Bread and butter on the nose with notes of oak, and dark fruit with a very buttery finish. Not exactly typical of a Chateauneuf du Pape but a very interesting wine.
2008 Giraud Les Grenaches de Pierre - Chateauneuf du Pape - made from 100% Grenache from 100+ year old vines, this wine displayed butter, oak and grilled/smoked meat with a velvety finish and a very soft nose.
I tried so many wines that it was absolutely impossible to keep notes on everything. The names that stood out were:
French:
Clos St Jean - he has a few already out as well as a few that are still in barrels that show lots of promise.
Domaine Giraud - a bit more on the pricey side but absolutely fantastic wines.
Roger Sabon - much more affordable and a bit more typical Rhone style wines that were very drinkable.
Domaine Vindemio - some very interesting 09s coming out (if they're not released already), especially the Amadeus.
Spanish:
Izadi & Orben - very affordable Riojas that were very promising.
Vetus & Villacreces - also very affordable, easy drinking wines.
Aalto - a bit on the pricey side, but a great example of Tempranillo.
Black Slate - some great introductions to Priorat.
Dessert:
La Bota de Pedro Ximenez - Pedro Ximinez is a type of type of grape grown mainly in Spain and commonly used to make a Sherry style sweet wine - this particular one showed bold fig and raisin notes. Practically stole the entire show - luckily, we tasted this last.
Cheers!
I recently went to another industry exclusive wine tasting in Boston (Cambridge, actually) on Monday and had some interesting wines. Some very affordable, some very expensive, some not yet released. Forgive the briefness of some of the notes, but it gets tough to take detailed notes while trying to taste and keep up with the company I was with.
First, the whites: I'm generally not a fan of white wine, but had never tried Riesling before. I think I finally found a white wine that I can see myself drinking in the summer.
2009 Dr. Loosen Red Slate Riesling Dry - notes of apricot and pineapple with a dry finish - a typical white in my book.
2009 Dr. Loosen Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling - apricot and honey with crisp acid and a dry finish.
2009 Dr. Loosen Estate Riesling 'Blue Slate' Kabinett - a sweet wine with soft acid and notes of peach, apricot and a hint of petrol.
2009 Dr. Loosen Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Spatlese - a soft nose gave way to bright, sweet fruit and honey with soft acid in this semi-sweet wine.
Price point on all of these was fair, falling between $15 and $30 on average.
On to Reds:
2009 Nuits St Georges 'Les Cailles' 1er Cru Domaine - soft, buttery, elegant and balanced with notes of fruit and oak in harmony. Price point on this was high ($80-100 a bottle) and although the wine was very good, I don't know if the price point was quite justified. We also tasted some other wines between $200 and 250 a bottle at this table and my favorite was a $30-$40 wine that I didn't take notes on (sorry) - Monthelie Les Duresses 1er Cru Domaine.
Rhones (these seemed to be hit or miss this year - 09)
2009 Domaine Albin Jacumin Chateauneuf du Pape - warm spice on the nose, fruit mid-pallet with a dry finish - a typical Chateauneuf du Pape in the classic style.
2009 Bosquet des Papes Chateauneuf du Pape 'Gloire Grand Pere' - Plum and dark berries on the nose, flat on the pallet with a lot of alcohol.
2009 Bosquet des Papes Chateauneuf du Pape 'Chante Merle' Vieilles Vignes - Cherry, plum and red fruit with a strong alcohol burn on the finish. Not a bad wine, but needs more time in the barrel to mellow.
2009 Clos des Brusquieres Chateauneuf du Pape - raspberry and black tea on the nose and pallet. One of my favorites in show. I've had the 07 and it was nice. The 09 seems like it will be fantastic when it's ready to be bottled.
2009 Chateau Fortia Chateauneuf du Pape Tradition - Balanced fruit, earth and leather.
2009 Chateau Fortia Chateauneuf du Pape 'Cuvee Baron' - Cherry on the nose - more sirah in the blend - more pepper - balanced finish.
2007 Domaine Tour Saint Michel Chateauneuf du Pape 'Feminessance' - A more modern spin on a Chateauneuf du Pape with strong new oak notes in the forefront, followed by cherry and raspberry notes and a nice finish. This was another memorable wine in show.
Bordeaux - Unfortunately, we didn't taste any expensive Bordeaux wines - everything on the tables was blended to be a "consumer's wine" and showed no aging potential. 09 seemed to be a great year for Bordeaux, so I'm hoping to find some better examples and some that deserve some cellar time, though those probably won't be released for some time.
2009 Chateau du Breuil, Fronsac - Soft, candied fruit with a dry finish.
2009 Cheatau Belian-Giraud Bordeaux - Pepper on the nose, soft pallet with good tannins and notes of cherry and apple.
2009 Chateau Haut Maginet, Bordeaux - Notes of candied fruit with a very dry finish.
2009 Chateau Jouanin, Cotes de Castillon - Red fruit and oak with a dry but balanced finish.
There were more Bordeaux wines, as well as some Italian wines (Barolo and Barbera) that were all very good (Barolo and Barbera showed lots of aging potential) but it was towards the end of the show and I ran out of steam on taking notes as it felt like we were rushing a bit at that point.
Cheers!
My liquor/wine selection is pretty big, but I think I still have WAY more cigars than bottles. If you were to break it down to drinks/glasses vs bottles, then it'd probably be a pretty close race. I am up to 5 humis now though. Need some good weather so I can clean up my overstocks.