Hoyo Excalibur Legend Conqueror and Piraat Ale

The Safari – The Trophy Mount 

Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan, Dominican Ligero
Size: 6.25 x 54
Strength rating: 7.5/8
I really like this baby. To me, it is a Hoyo that is truly on the fuller side. The taste, just classic tobacco flavors that I enjoy. Bold spice and pepper greet the palate on the opening and continue throughout the experience. This Hoyo is complex. A solid woody (oak) character with a strong black walnut taste making this a fuller smoke than most Hoyos. The cigar gives off tons of smoke.

When this cigar came out a couple of years back, I asked my tobacconist to get me a box. I think it was in the spring of 09 when I was driving up north Michigan (to a casino) when I realized how full the cigar really was. I had to pull into a gas station to buy a soda to sooth the palate. I would recommend to have something to eat before enjoying this cigar.

This cigar looks rich. You could make a 6,000 dollar leather sofa out of its wrapper. When I get done with this, I am going to buy another box of these. I get the concept of leather on the appearance of the wrapper but, I still do not get the concept of leather for taste.

The Pairing
Now, I was not expecting much from this pairing but, wow this is going very good. I was thinking that maybe these two would collide because they are similar in some of their profiles. But, it is the slight honey malt sweetness that balances the bold spice and oak of the cigar. The nice carbonation gives the ale a crisp feel on the palate and that helps with the thick smoky mouthfeel that fills the sinuses and the palate from the cigar. The oak and black walnut taste of the cigar mingles well with the tropical fruits of the ale.

This is a pure big boy treat. If you want to feel like a pirate that is ready to plunder and pillage the village this is it! It is a bold treat. Look at the strength ratings: a 6.5 for the Piraat and an 8 on the cigar during this pairing.

The only drawback is the ash on the cigar. This cigar will ash you, so have an ashtray ready. It must have a thick binder, because it does need some correcting along the way. But, the bold flavor makes up for that.

Also, remember this ale has a 10.5% abv and that can sneak up on you if you have a few.
This cigar and ale would be great after a hearty meal. And, I had a lamb chops for dinner tonight so, this is perfect.

Kapittel Tasting Day #2 - Pater Ale with a Padilla Achilles Corojo Salomon Cigar

Padilla Achilles Corojo Salomon & Kapittel Pater Ale

The Cigar
Wrapper: Habano-seed Corojo
Filler: Nicaragua, Honduras, Dominican
Size: 7 x 58
Strength rating: 4.5/5
This cigar has a nice spice profile with a sweet cedar and slight almond taste but, nothing overpowering. To me it’s nothing spectacular either. If I gave out grades for cigars it would be a B- and sometimes I think of C+, making it one of my least favorites out of the Padilla line-up.

The Pater Brown Ale
This 6% abv ale sports a reddish-brown color with lots of yeast sediment. Save that last inch of ale to swirl it in the bottle to pickup that sediment and pour it into your glass. This ale was ‘made for the guests of the abbey and for everyday consumption’ according to globalbeer.com.

The nose has a sweet malty character and the taste is the same. It also, has some fruit (pear and raisin?) with a faint hoppy undertone. Nothing overwhelming in its character and the aftertaste is just a slight sweet feel on the mouth. To me it lacks any depth or complexity. My strength rating is a 4.5/5.

The Pairing
I paired these two up before and I was quite pleased with the pairing. The sweet cedar wood notes blend well with the sweet malts from the ale. I enjoyed the cola caramel taste of the ale while smoking the cigar. ‘Sweet’ is not a favorite of mine but, this pairing is enjoyable to me. I think the ale really helps this cigar and this cigar really helps this ale. The slight spice and mild nutty flavor of the cigar balances well with the fruit and fine carbonation of the Pater Ale. Even though these two lack complexity they still work well together. I wonder what would change with the ale if the cigar had a little more complexity.
While drinking the 11.2 oz bottle of ale and smoking this salomon shaped cigar, the two gave me a mouthfeel experience of a 4.5 for each. I did like this pairing and I am surprised.

Kapittel Tasting Day #2 - Prior Ale

Padilla Achilles Corojo Salomon & Kapittel Prior Ale

The Pairing
I still have half the cigar to go so I planned to enjoy the Kapittel Prior Ale on the second half of the cigar. The Prior is a 9% abv with a bitter sweet profile. This ale is a little more complex than the Pater Ale. The aroma is not very eventful and the taste is sweeter than it smells. It is dark brown with some reddish hues when held to the light. This bottle did not have any sediment at all.

The taste to me is vanilla and toffee giving it a candy sugar taste. It also has some dark fruit (fancy raisan) with a little bit of complexity to the taste. Probably from the mossy hop bitterness that helps to balance that sweetness. Good thing because, without the bitter bite I would be pouring this on the grass. The mouthfeel has low carbonation, a smooth creamy style. The port wine character is due to the 9% abv. I am going to give it a 5.5 strength rating because of the bitter notes that fight off the candy sweetness and the lack of a linger note on my palate. There is a short sweet and slight bitter bite on the palate.

I believe the cigar does help this ale for me. The other night I drank a bottle while playing cards and I have to say I was not looking forward to having it again. I said it was sweet and the wife said it was bitter but, she likes raspberry flavored beers.

The cigar does tame some of the sweetness for me and that is good. As for the cigar, I had burning issues along the way. If I left the cigar for a couple of minutes it called for a relight. I have to admit that the cigar and Pater Ale pairing was better. Maybe this Prior needs a more complex and robust cigar to be paired with it to maximize its potential.

The results of Kapittel Tasting DayIn the four pack that they package these four Belgian ales in you get: Prior Red, Pater Brown, Blond Golden and Abt Amber. The Prior and Pater are not my style for enjoyment. But, I did like the Pater with the Padilla cigar. The Abt Amber is terrific and the Blond is close behind it. I hope they start selling the Abt and Blond separate from the other two so I could buy more. If you like the sweet ales of Belgium then the other two are for you to enjoy.

Hoyo de Monterrey and Troubadour Mild Stout: Tasting

Mild Stout Series

I have to admit, I truly like this Mild Stout. Since I like it so much I have to pair it with a cigar that I usually keep in the humidor. I mistreated my Sultan friend in an earlier article labeled ‘Bad Beer.’ So, when you hurt the feelings of a friend you have to make it up to them.

I am pairing these two together because of the word profile and the point system. I tried going to the fuller side in an earlier article and the cigar did overpower this mild stout. I rate this Mild Stout a 5 on my strength rating and the Hoyo Sultan I rate this cigar a 6. So, this is within the two point range that I explained in the very first posting.

For the word profile of the stout – I am focusing on the creamy roasty flavors and that mild-medium coffee that I like so much. And, what does the Hoyo Sultan bring to the table – coffee and roasty notes. This should be like sitting in a coffee café today. In this pairing, I also like the idea that the stout has a slight complexity to the taste and the cigar does not have a complexity to the taste. This should minimize any battling of the undertone flavors from these two. The anxiety within me is building to bring these two friends together because, they are so similar, and they may not get along. Let’s see!

The Introduction
I start off lighting up the cigar. The cigar is feeling right to my palate with its usual flavors of coffee and roasty tobacco notes. To me this is a very good cigar for an everyday cigar.

As I am enjoying the Hoyo Sultan I start to struggle to open the 750 ml bottle of Troubadour. This has the plastic cork in it and compared to the real cork they are harder to get out. I always have to get a wrench out to de-cork these plastic corks. Maybe, these companies need to make a wrench for de-corking these bottles!

Once open, I pour the stout into an 18 oz balloon wine glass. A perfect two finger foam pour and I am ready for pure pleasure – I hope. The first few sips of the stout and I confirm that the Mild Stout is tasting yummy as well.

The first few exchanges between these two goes very well. The mild-medium coffee of the stout likes the medium-slightly-full coffee taste of the cigar. The stout maintains its creamy texture with the pairing and that is important to me. The roasty malty notes of the stout seem to get along with the roasty profile of the cigar. I think this works because the stout has a slight sweet roasty malt character and the cigar, even though it is a maduro, does not come across as sweet.

As I get to the halfway point of the cigar everything is going extremely well. The flavors blend well together. The Mild Stout even refreshes the palate while I enjoy one of my favorite cigars. This to me is maximizing my pleasure. The medium style of complexity that the stout has is maintained during the smoking of this cigar. The pleasant bitterness is still there. The undertones of dark chocolate and spice from the stout play well with the roasty tobacco flavors of the cigar. I wish I had a piece of dark chocolate with me to enjoy during this pairing.

The Hoyo Sultan Double Maduro always burns perfectly for me. I never have to correct the burn and it stays lit so you don’t have to relight the cigar. The ash is nice. Nice meaning that it holds a short ash, you will be lucky to get an inch or more. I usually have little half or three quarter inch ash in the ash tray.

You may be thinking, why did I pour the Troubadour in a balloon wine glass? It is nice to swirl this stout in the glass to bring out some of those nice aromas while you are enjoying such a fine beverage as the Troubadour. This glass is designed to bring those aromas right up to your nose. And, it does kick up those nice roasty notes to the nose after a quick swirl.

I am on the last glass of the Troubadour and the final third of the cigar.

The robust flavor of the cigar builds as it approaches the end. The slightly sweet spicy malt flavors are balanced with the pleasant hoppy bitterness - making this an enjoyable experience. The fine carbonation of the stout continues to refresh the palate. The mouthfeel from this pairing is excellent on my palate, making it an exceptional session.
I would recommend this as an after dinner pairing. Skip the coffee and the desert and pour yourself a glass of Troubadour Mild Stout and light up a Hoyo de Monterrey Sultan Double Maduro and enjoy.

See posting with 'Double Abbey'

Weekend Plans

It looks like a Hoyo de Monterrey weekend extravaganza.

Tomorrow I plan to enjoy the Troubadour Mild Stout with the Hoyo Sultan Double Maduro.
The Piraat Ale series "The Safari," I plan to pair up the Hoyo Legend.
And the 'Warm the Chill' series with the Petrus Winter Ale I'll be pairing up the Hoyo Excalibur #1.
Then, to wrap up the weekend, I'll finish off the last of the Salomons that I had lined up to smoke and pair that Padilla Corojo Cigar with the Kapittel Pater and Prior. Which finishes off the Kapittel Tasting Day Series as well.
Looks like a fun weekend ahead. Starting tomorrow at noon I have the next ten days off!! I am sure I can plan a few good sessions.

Padilla 68 Oscuro Salomon and Samuel Smith’s Oatmeal Stout: Tasting

The Cigar
Wrapper: Oscuro Maduro
Binder: ?
Filler: Nicaraguan
Size: 7.2 x 57
Rating: 6.5 on my strength scale. A pleasant medium-full bodied cigar. Holds a short salt & pepper colored ash. I really enjoy the dark chocolate profile that is present throughout the smoking experience. On the first inch or so, it seems to start off slow. Light spice, good coffee and cocoa taste. The cigar builds a little stronger spice and earthy character by the half-way point but, nothing overwhelming to raise the strength rating. Ash seems gnarly, the kind that always drops down the front of your shirt if you are not paying any attention.

The amount of smoke is not large as I puff away at this big baby. A few burning correction are needed due to this thick oscuro leaves. I have a possible correction right now that looks like it is going to start to correct itself – let’s see. Just a little lighter correction was needed.

The only construction issue I have is that the 30 sticks I bought all have a flat side to them and some have two sides that have a flat feel to them. None were perfectly round. Who cares if they taste good, right?

I got this cigar before from Cigars International and I really liked it. So, when they had the 10 for $30 – I had to buy a few. This is a great value cigar. Very good taste minus the price makes it a super value.

The Stout
I matched these two together due to the word profile and not so much thought about their strength ratings, even though the ratings do work together – they are within one point of each other. I give this stout a 7 strength rating.

The color is black and as I hold it up to the light I do not see any other hues around the edges. The head is a nice tan that dissipates fairly quickly but, the lacing lingers on the glass. Just as the lacing lingers on the glass so does the stouts wonderful flavors linger on the palate for a very pleasant mouthfeel. The smooth and creamy notes of semi-sweet chocolate, earth and a medium bodied roasted coffee flavor sure is a joy on this winter day. Looks like 6 or 7 inches of snow out there today. It is that lingering mouthfeel that keeps it at a 7 for me. There is a slight hoppy bitter note that is maintained on the finish. As the stout warms I get a cola like characteristic that coats the teeth.

The Pairing
These two are made for each other. I was really hoping for a great pairing to go with my snow day off from work! This is a must try for those of you who like roasty notes, coffee, dark chocolate (70% type). Just cook up some eggs, bacon and hash browns and you can skip the coffee just pour yourself a Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout and then light up this wonderful cigar. Any sweetness from the two seems to be offset by the good earthy qualities that they both have. This makes for a great medium-full mouthfeel experience.

On the final third of the cigar it does build to a 7 strength rating. The roasty notes are a little fuller and there seems to be a burnt woodsy flavor along with the earthy quality. The amount of smoke finally builds as well. But, the Oatmeal Stout manages those flavors nicely. I think it brings out a little of the roasted malts notes in the stout.

This was a wonderful 2 hour experience that truly maximized my pleasures. But, now that my pleasures were maximized – I have to get on to reality and snowblow those few inches of snow that fell today.

Warm the Chill with Petrus Winter Ale and a Sol Cubano Artisan Salomon Cigar

Winter Warmer with Sol Cubano Artisan Salomon

Petrus Winter Ale
I tried to hurry spring along and I found out that it didn’t work, it’s still winter. Yesterday, I spent some time with the Belgian Blonds and it was great that a Blond will still treat an old guy like me very well. Today, back to the realities of winter, my propane tanks needed to be filled (I’m at my up-north place). Now, I can sit back and enjoy this beautiful winter day with a Winter Warmer Moment – a 750 ml bottle and a large 7.1 x 58 Salomon Cigar. The timing should be perfect, for now I have peace and serenity because, in a few hours the wife will be here and the fun and serenity shall end.

The Beer
The aroma is light. The beer has a little tart green apple taste and spice working nicely with the malty sweetness. It has a dry finish that does not leave an aftertaste on the palate. The carbonation will play with the taste buds. I don’t get the full body feel that I would like to get from a winter ale. I would give this a 4 rating on my strength scale.

The last review on the Winter Warmer Series, I was not all that impressed with the Gurkha Blue Steel matchup. I give this ale a 4 rating and I am going to a 5.5 strength rating with this cigar. I think the complex flavor profile should work better with the Petrus Winter.

The Petrus Winter was a very good pairing with my turkey and smoked gouda cheese sandwich that I had for lunch today. The carbonation (this ale has it too) just danced across the palate and bubbled up along the gums. I actually liked this mouthfeel that I experienced while eating. This is a good ale to drink while eating.

The Pairing
The barber pole wrapping is flawless. The wrapping never came apart during the smoke as others (CAO American) have. The Salomon size delivers a nice array of dark fruit, nuts, and pleasing earthy quality with some nice woody undertones throughout the experience. Make sure you have the time to smoke one of these!

The Sol Cubano does help to bring up some of the mild spice and nice tart taste in the ale. Every once in awhile, I get a hint of red cherry from this cigar with this pairing, I have not noticed that before. The slight sweet tobacco taste plays well with that tartness and effervescence from the Petrus. The combination seems to have a dryness that makes me want to sip a little water along the way.

The cigar needed a little correcting as it burned pass the 58 ring gauge section. This is to be expected from this type of cigar. After that, it was smooth sailing. The ash was nice and firm with a dark gray ash. As I write this, the ash just fell to the floor! The cigar picks up some spiciness as I finish the final third of the cigar and the sweet tobacco seems to fade. But, nothing wrong with spice mixed with the nice earthy quality.

The cigar started off with a 5 strength rating and moved to a 5.5 in the main body of the smoke. Then, the cigar finishes with a 6 rating in the final few inches due to the spicy earthy tones.

Be careful pouring this ale, the carbonation loves to give you a big head if you are not paying attention, which obviously I was not paying attention. But, drinking that glass full of foam sure was nice.
The complexity of the cigar is a winner with this winter ale. So, as you look out over the winter snow grab yourself a bottle of Petrus Winter Ale and a Sol Cubano Artisan Cigar and enjoy your winter warming moment.

A Butera Cigar on Kapittel Tasting Day

Kapittel Tasting Day

Yesterday I did a tasting on the Kapittel Blond Ale and it reminded me of the Abt for some reason. So, change of cigars and beers that I lined up for today. I am going to pair these two up to kill my curiosity. I am at my place up north Michigan and I don’t have another Oliva G Cameroon with me. But, this Butera Dorado should do just fine. I didn’t want to get another Cameroon wrapped cigar for I want to see how another type of cigar will do with the blond ale.

The Cigar
Wrapper: Connecticut
Binder: Indonesia
Filler: Brazil and Dominican
Size: 6 x 52
My strength rating is a 2.5. This is not a complex cigar. Just as I describe the Hemingway’s as an elegant cigar, so too is the Butera line-up. Most of the Buteras have nice creamy style but, I really don’t get that from the Dorado. I have always thought of it as a smooth classic tobacco taste with a solid cedar flavor. Let’s see how the cedar flavor of this cigar affects the blond ale compared to the nutty Cameroon.

The Kapittel Blond
The Kapittel Blond Ale still has an attractive light burnt orange look. The sediment must give it that burnt look for the initial pour because as it settles the haze disappears a little. Paired up with the Butera Cigar things are a little different. The sweet honey dipped fruit is not as noticeable. Little more play with the mild spice but, it is still silky smooth. I do like the pairing but, if I am looking to maximize my pleasure I am going with the Oliva ‘G’ Cameroon and the Blond Ale. I think that nutty characteristic of the Cameroon makes the pairing so good with the fruity style of the ale.

The Kapittel Alt Ale
The Alt pours an attractive hazy amber-orange with plenty sediment that floats to the bottom of the glass. The ale has a wonderful spice and citrus zip. I think the sweet orange taste is in the front for now. A good medium body complexity that is pleasing to the palate. This is delicious; every sip I take it gets even better. The sweet orange taste is not your regular grocery store orange. I will have to go to the specialty grocery store to find the orange that I am thinking of but, it sure is damn good.

Now, the sweetness is only coming from the nice orange notes that I get. This ale is only slightly sweet in profile and I like that. The real complexity is the nice mild-medium spice, mingling with the citrus mixture and the mouthfeel that lingers is yours to enjoy. The creamy texture of the ale hides that 10% abv so, be careful. With that 10% abv – globalbeer.com says, “it’s a triple by strength.”

I really like this Butera Dorado with this ale. The ale really makes the Butera feel a little fuller in body. I think the strong cedar taste clings to the palate due to the lingering notes left from the ale.

Now, I am left wondering how this Alt pairs up with the Oliva ‘G’. I am sure I will give it a try as soon as I can because; I think this Kapittel Alt is a new favorite. I also see in my notes that I want to pair the Alt with the Hoyo Excalibur #1.
This is a winner, too. I want to buy a case of the Kapittel Alt Ale.

Read Day 2 Pairings
Kapittel Tasting Day 2 Prior Ale
Kapittel Tasting Day 2 Pater Ale

Padilla Miami Cigar and a Taddy Porter Night

Samuel Smith Taddy Porter

This porter has a beautiful black body and tan head when poured. The aroma was kind of uneventful for such a great looking beer. I would expect a little bolder roasty malt note than what it has. I like the mild-medium roasted coffee flavor with that little creamy feel. It is low in carbonation and that is good for this porter.

I look at the beer and drink it and I want more from the taste though. This is not a bold tasting porter as you might expect from such a beautiful black looking porter. I do like the mild-medium coffee flavor along with the mild toasty notes and I think I get a little tobacco undertone along the way. This should be good with a quality cigar.

I sat by the campfire last night to enjoy this experience.

I have planned to smoke the Padilla Miami Salomon Cigar with this porter. The cigar brings some nice toasty hints of cocoa and coffee. I like the white pepper undertones while smoking this cigar and drinking this porter.
Wrapper: Corojo
Fillers: Criollo and Corojo
Size: 7.2 x 57
With this combination I get a quality flavorful smoke that is complex to boot.

The pairing was good. The Taddy Porter mixed well with the cigar. The coffee profile from each delivered what I expected. While enjoying the experience I could note the watery mouthfeel of this porter, which is a letdown. This cigar needs a bolder porter to complement its flavor profile. As I said, it was good but, I am not going to write this one down as a repeat experience. The cigar was smooth all the way through while I enjoyed this experience sitting by the campfire tonight. The main body of the cigar delivered some nice earthy qualities along with its other smooth notes.
I have to say, I did not want the cigar to end. But, the porter did and I grab myself a bottle of Bells Porter to finish off the cigar and campfire experience. It is always sad looking at the last few burning logs and the nub of a cigar that was left but, the second bottle of porter was empty and it was time to go to bed – 1:30 am.

Oliva Serie 'G' Cameroon vs. Kapittel Blond and Troubadour Blond Ale

Oliva Serie ‘G’ vs The Belgian Blonds

The Cameroon wrapped Oliva is a wonderful nutty and woodsy smoke. The Nicaraguan Habano filler gives it a rich, slightly spicy, medium body profile. I give this cigar a straight up 5 on my strength scale.

The Kapittal Blond Ale is the first one up to tangle with the 7 x 50 woodsy Oliva Cameroon. (the Tiger Woods story is not influencing me to use the word – “woodsy” and blond in the same sentence) The ale has an attractive light burnt orange look. The beer has some sediment floating in this one and that probably helps to make it a little hazier looking as well. The Kapittal has a slight spice and fruitiness galore taste. I think I even taste a little orange at times . The nice sweet honey dipped fruits fills the mouth with the taste of summer time. A good mild-medium body complexity rounds off the edges. This is a nice tasting blond ale; every sip I take it gets even better.

I selected the Oliva to go with this ale because of the flavor profile. The nutty and sweet cedar smoke should pair up well with the sweet fruits and mild spices of the ale. The cigar lights up well and has a perfect draw. I have not had a bad one yet. The burn is even and holds a decent ash.
The sediment is resting on the bottom of the glass as I enjoy this silky smooth blond ale.
Just as I thought, the sweet fruit from the blond ale goes extremely well with the nutty and woodsy cigar. These two can tango. The variety of fruit that I taste from the ale, while I smoke the cigar, is wonderful. Now, I detect a little lemon twist on the tongue as the ale opens up. This cigar has a great nutty flavor and it is even better while I sip on this blond. The nice dry spice profile of the cigar mingles with the delicate spice of the blond for a perfect match.

This is a winner. I want to buy a 12 pack of the Kapittel Blond Ale and a handful of the Oliva Serie ‘G’ cigars and I have the chair ready for that summer day.
I am going to have to taste this Kapittel Blond with the Kapittel Alt tomorrow. From what I remember about the Alt - the tastes are very close but, I think the Alt maybe better. Maybe, it is just the 10% abv!!!
Troubadour Blond
The 6.5% abv Troubadour Blond Ale is next to tangle with the nutty flavor of the Oliva Cameroon Cigar. The nice thing about a Churchill size cigar is that you usually will have time for two beers so, that brings us to the next pairing.

The Troubadour Blond is a mild-medium bodied ale that is not overpowering in taste. It has a pleasing citrus bitterness with a light malt spice profile. As the ale warms, so does the complexity, it is like the hops are starting to wake up. With each sip I enjoy a nice hoppy smell.

The Oliva ‘G’ is a winner with these Belgian Blonds. The ‘G’ brings out some of the light hoppy notes in this ale and a nice creamy yeasty aroma with those slight hops on the nose. I am really enjoying the nutty and light spice flavor from the cigar, making this a great experience.

If you want to get your ‘G’ spot on with a Belgian Blond, I would recommend these pairings. The nuttiness of the cigar goes great with the citrus notes of these blonds. And, the best part is you won’t get hit in the head with a 9 iron.
Maximize your pleasures!

Hemingway Best Seller and Wiesen Edel- Weisse: Tasting

The Hefe
I usually wait till spring for the first glass of hefeweizen but, maybe I am play groundhog today.
It’s an early spring this year then!!!

It pours a nice burnt orange color with a light head that disappears quickly. I always think of George Schneider’s Wiesen as an elegant hefe. To me it is a mild-medium body hefe that has a nice complexity of fruit and spice with plenty of yeast to satisfy the hefe lover in me on a hot 90 degree day. This hefe has a little watery style that mellows the flavors and that is why I think of it as a 4 on my strength scale and at times I think of 3.5.

I am pairing this with a no brainer here, the Hemingway Best Seller. The Hemingway has that great cedary taste with a nice little spice that is not that complex. The hefe and the cigar work well together. Both are in the same strength scale around a 4 and the flavor profiles are close as well.

This is a perfect pairing for a before dinner experience. The hefe and the Best Seller would go great with a salad or other light appetizers. I am enjoying the two with a nice maple smoked cheddar cheese.
I recommend these two as a before dinner pairing. Time for dinner!

Big Ash: La Gloria Cubana Artesanos de Miami

Ash kick'n good time.
This was one great smoke. The overall experience was terrific. Taste, time to consume, burn, aroma, looks and of course the ASH. I had a good inch and a half ash on the cigar and when I tried to remove the ash it did not want to let go. That got me thinking that this would be a two ash cigar and the cigar is 6 inches long. Here is my picture story.

The beer in the first picture is Aventinus Wheat Doppelbock. What a great beer. May only be a couple of beers better than this in the world! Not often I would say, "Don't smoke a cigar with that beer," but this is one that you have to experience all by itself. So, complex - so, tasty. The only bad thing is they increased the price $2.00 per bottle around the month of September here in Michigan. It goes for $5.60 a bottle now. I think Obama must be behind this increase!!!

After taking that first picture I removed the ash. I sure think it could have been a one ash cigar. All 5 inches and the last inch to hold on.

Fuente Hemingway Work of Art and Troubadour Obscura Mild Stout: Review

This Mild Stout needs a classy buddy and this is it, the Cameroon wrapped Work of Art, a small 4.7 x 60 perfecto. I have always described the Hemingway line as an elegant smoke. A wonderful cedar and almond like nutty flavor. This cigar gives you a clean smoking experience, what I mean is that it does not coat the palate with all kinds of heavy spice, bitter chocolate or other notes that the bold fuller flavored cigars offer. Now, I love my medium-full to full cigars but, it sure is nice to have a break and pull out a true cigar classic like a Hemingway to delight the palate.

I experimented earlier today pairing this mild stout with a full bodied cigar. The stout did mellow the black pepper and spirited spices of the cigar but, the cigar did nothing to enhance the experience of the stout. The stout was missing its nice flavor profile because of the cigar.

Focusing on the flavor profile of the stout, I experience a nice creamy roasted malt character along with some mild coffee and dark fruitiness undertones when drinking this mild stout. Oh yes, there is a nice bitterness as well. I thought the fuller cigar would possibly bring those notes up and it did not. So, I am going for an RBI here (almost baseball season) by selecting the Work of Art.

The Pairing
This time I am focusing on the word description, of the mild stout, that I wrote on that earlier posting – smooth, smooth and smooth. The Hemingway is also, smooth. These two are working well together. It is one of those pairings were they let each other do their job. I am enjoying that great cedar flavor that the Hemingway’s deliver. And, my palate is clean and prepared for the wonderful mild flavors of the Troubadour Obscura. This is a winner. I am going to plan to have this with dinner some time soon. I think I might do it up with lamb chops?

Padilla 1932 Salomon Cigar and Troubadour Obscura Mild Stout: Review

The Mild Stout
The key words are MILD STOUT folks. It is kind of funny reading some reviews on this mild stout because people want to have the experience of a stout and the taste of a stout but describe it for what it is MILD and say it lacks character of a stout – read the label – Mild Stout.

The aroma is of toffee, coffee and cola on the mild side of course. Nice rich robust style that is mild. The creamy roasty flavors are not overpowering so; it does not leave a hearty mouthfeel. I get a little black licorice undertone. I just grab a piece of black licorice and this matches up with the taste. I like the mild-medium coffee flavor with a little dark fruit along the way. It has a good complexity with its medium body. I am giving it a 5 on my strength rating. A 5 for a stout? – NO – Mild Stout.

This baby is smooth, smooth and smooth. Put a Dean Martin song on – okay – I am showing my age but, he was smooth and effortless in his style. This Mild Stout, does not have to try, it is wonderful. On the bottle they describe it as, “Pleasantly bitter with a … roasted and spicy malt chocolate.” This is a 65% type cocoa not 85% bitter cocoa.

The Padilla 1932
Wrapper: Oscuro
Size: 7.2x59

My Strength Rating: 8
A very good fuller bodied cigar, I give it an 8 on my strength scale. This cigar is one point out of the usual two points that I would move over for a pairing but, sometimes you have to go with the word description or flavor profile which I am going to focus on here. This cigar has some fuller spice and roasty notes that will fill your palate. It had an unusual soapy floral undertone when I first lit it up.  It reappears on the finish for a moment.

The pairing

Not what I was hoping for. I thought the cigar would bring the mild stout up a bit in flavor. The mild stout did seem to mellow the black pepper and bold spice on the cigar. Made for a good pairing but, nothing memorable, I think the body of the cigar was to full for the mild stout. I’ll have to reach back into the humidor for another cigar that will help to maximize my pleasure pairing. The nice creamy and medium robust style of the mild stout was lost on this cigar.
The cigar had burning issues all the way through. It just wanted to canoe and I had to battle with the lighter to keep it going. The one yesterday only had minor issues with canoeing.

See the posting where I pair this stout with the Work of Art Cigar

Indian Tabac Cameroon Legend Maduro Toro

Piraat Ale & Indian Tabac Cameroon Legend Maduro

I have had some problems finding a maduro cigar to go with this ale. Some of the big bold smokes that I have in my stash were just kicking up the flavor profile in the ale where I wanted some water to extinguish the overload on the palate.

Remember, this is a sipping ale (10.5 abv). So, I want to take a sip and then enjoy smoking the cigar. This ale is working well with my Indian Tabac Cameroon Legend Maduro Toro (6 x 58).

As I get to the mid-point of the cigar I notice that the ale is giving me a nice complexity of sweet, little sour and bitter notes across the tongue. A nice faint bitter note on the back of the palate from the ale and the earthy quality from the cigar build a fuller mouthfeel experience.

The meaty nut flavor from the cigar reminds me of a mixture of walnut and black walnut. The dark fruit notes in the cigar go well with the tropical notes from the ale. Cocoa is always a good characteristic of a nice maduro, at least to me. This cigar does not give me any sweet notes. It is more of a dry cocoa note that I get. And, the ales sweetness takes care of that so you don’t get a sweetness overload.

The cigar seems to always burn well for me and holds a nice salt and pepper ash.

If you are looking for a fuller mouthfeel, while drinking this ale, this is a good pairing. A little water will help to refresh the palate along the way.

This would be an excellent pairing at the end of a day.

Hoyo de Monterrey Double Maduro Sultan and Michelob Dunkel Weisse

Michelob does a nice job with these specialty beers. Are they big in their styles? No. But, to get the regular beer drinker to try a new style this should work. And, this Dunkel does a nice job. A little watery, this is to be expected because they are trying to get the ‘bud’ drinker to try and palate a better beer. The Dunkel still has some nice banana and spice notes to represent the style. Is it for the craft beer drinker? No. Entry level as I explained. They know their niche.

This beer goes well with one of my favorite cigars. The Sultan has some nice coffee and roasty notes that mingle nicely with the beers banana and wheat bread style. They do not interfere with each other. Meaning I get all the flavors of the beer and the cigar. The little watery style of the beer keeps the palate clean while enjoying my stogie. Neither of these are complex. My favorite cigar deserves a little more complex beer. But, this beer may improve with a little more complex cigar, helping its flavor profile.

I’ll keep this pairing in mind for when I am up north sitting around the campfire and wanting to drink a few. But, if I forget nothing lost.

See posting with 'Double Abbey'

Profiling is Important When Pairing

Profiling – To Maximize Your Pleasure

During the holidays my wine guy sold me a few bottles of sparkling wine. I told him that I was preparing a big fruit table with a dark chocolate fountain in the middle and some shrimp and cheese as well. He said, “you have to get this sparkling wine to go with that.” He was right, of course. A nice wine with a little Granny Smith Apple taste to it and it paired up well with the appetizers. I then tried the same wine with a desert and wow, I got that pucker power hit to the palate. This was not good.

When pairing up your cigar with a beverage it is important to profile. In this article, I am going to look at ‘taste’ and not the body or mouthfeel, if you will. The tasting notes need to be considered, so you can help maximize your pleasure.

I was looking for a summertime pleaser pairing. I came across an ale that mirrored some of the qualities of one of my favorite cigars. I described them this way, “Flavor: Nothing overwhelming here and that is a good thing on a nice summer day. There is no overwhelming bitterness or sweetness. The undertones of each are complex in their mild-medium styles, which offers you a pleasant social experience.” And, it worked. Sometimes, matching up with the same profiles can backfire. I have found that to be true more so with complimentary fuller styles, they become too overwhelming paired up.

This is the fuller-side collision, sometimes on purpose (research!), when trying to get the fullest flavored experience possible I have paired up that strong spicy, peppery ale with a strong spicy, peppery cigar. Oh yeah, it worked – taste bud overload. Have lots of water handy in this situation. Too much alike can be a bad thing.

Here is another good tip - when you have not had the beer before or it has been aged and you don’t know what you may get, take a few sips before lighting up a cigar so, you can pair them better.

The Augstijn is described as spicy, malty and fruity. When I opened my 750 ml. (aged a few years) bottle I was picking up an aroma of tropical fruit. Then, the first few tastes, yes, it was citrusy up-front with an underlying sweet spice taste. The key word description here was ‘fruity.’ The day I had the Augstijn I was at my vacation place so, my cigars where limited. I usually carry 20 to 25 different cigars with me to spend the week-end or week. I selected the Man O War Torpedo for its ‘full spice and woody undertones.’ With the citrus ale taste, I was thinking that an oak smoked cheddar cheese would go well with this and that got me to the Man O War with its oaky woody notes.
I like to try to minimize the experience of taste bud overload or neglect. So, if you have said it before while smoking a cigar and a beer, “This cigar does not taste right. Or, this beer sucks.” Just remember, it was not the beer or the cigar, just taste bud neglect. They did not match up well together and you did not think about that beforehand. I have done it before where I am enjoying a particular beverage and then I go to the humidor and pick out a cigar without thinking about the pairing. I light up the cigar and think to myself, ‘this does not taste right for some reason.’ I then blame it on the cigar or I think there is something wrong with the humidor or maybe the stars where not aligned properly. I smoke the same cigar (fresh one) the next day and wow, now this one tastes right. Must have been a bad cigar, right? No, I did not pair the flavors and they collided.
Flavor profiling is important to do to help maximize your pleasure.

A Cigar and Beer Review: Kristoff Maduro Toro Cigar and Piraat Ale

Piraat Ale - The Hunted

I had about 3 or 4 different cigars picked out to pair up with some red wine and start doing the wine pairings. Then, I looked at the Kristoff Maduro cigar and said, “I have to do that with my, Piraat Safari of Tastings.” And, I’m sure glad I did, for this cigar has been stalking this ale and I did not even know it.

I did not have this maduro selected with my safari of different cigars to go with the Piraat Ale. You may be thinking, way so many tastings with the Piraat Ale? Well, Global Beer Network has me doing reviews with their Belgium Beers and pairing them with cigars. Is that cool or what!!! The review is not due till the month of August but, I am going to do a BIG review for them. I am going to combine it with going to my favorite festival, the Cheeseburger in Caseville Festival. The festival covers about ten days worth of events and it is located in the thumb of Michigan, where I have my up-north place. I am always there for a good portion of this fun filled craziness. But, something this big - like this festival needs a big beer and big cigar and big food and big friends and… ok you get it – IT’s going to be big.

So, I am going to be blogging about this ale a lot in the attempts to find the perfect pairings. Then, in the month of August, you will see the results of all this preparation. Anyways, let’s get back to the ale and cigar review.

The cigar
Kristoff Maduro Toro

Wrapper: Brazilian Maduro
Binder: ?
Fillers: Dominican, Nicaraguan
Size: 6.5 x 56
Made with ligero tobaccos
Description: medium-full, complex, dried cherries, coffee bean, cocoa bean, spice and sweet finish.

I still get flash-backs to my younger years when I see cherry and cigar together. I think about those flavored Colt cigars from Canada. It is like a nightmare now – the palate cannot handle those overly sweet flavored things anymore. They say (researchers), that the older you get you lose your taste factors. No way! When you are young – you don’t have the palate or the brain power to know the difference! Think of eating that crappy cereal when you were a kid. Try to eat it now.

I am trying to stay focused here but, I am enjoying this pairing. I think I finally scored a fuller bodied cigar pairing with this ale. The other cigars that I have enjoyed, with this ale, have been to the lighter side of this ale. (See earlier postings with Cameroon wrapped cigars)

This cigar holds a great ash – see the pictures.

Nice Ash and Rack!!
This cigar does have a nice complexity. I like the dark fruitiness with the coffee-cocoa flavor. The Brazilian maduro wrapper brings that nice sultry sweetness to play with the fullness of the ligero tobaccos used. And, this cigar has always burned perfectly for me in the past and today.

Combined with the Piraat Ale, I truly like this combination. I am writing this one down. The fullness of this ale and the cigar work “great” together. This is like having two super stars on the same team and getting them to work together. No, you don’t get them to work together – why, because they want to work together in this situation. With this combination you have success.

The tropical fruit from the ale plays good with the dried dark fruits from the cigar. The sweetness from each plays well in this match-up along with the spices coming off the bench. The flavor profile is working and the point system is working in this situation as well. I love this match-up.

I am looking for maximizing my pleasure and this really hit the mark tonight. I am doing this one again soon.

I can’t wait for August!

Kristoff Maduro Toro Cigar

Kristoff Maduro Toro Cigar
Boy, I like this cigar. Here it goes with cutting this cigar.

Ready for cut and the drink is ready for …. You know

The Kristoff has that little ‘nip’

Now, take your teeth and gently remove the ‘nip.’ Okay, pretend it is your lovers nipple and gently caress it and place your teeth against the body of the cigar with the nip touching your tongue and bite! But, gently bite - it's your lover remember. Then, rotate !!! The cigar while biting the nip and then gently remove. Oh my, Tiger would not last doing this cigar. Relapse!! Good thing I am not reviewing a Blond Belgium.

The nip removed

Carlos Torano 1916 Robusto and Summit Extra Pale Ale

 

Wrapper: Cameroon
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Honduras and Nicaragua
Size: 5.5 x 52

For a Cameroon cigar this is on the ‘fuller’ side. Still a medium bodied cigar when considering your strength scale of cigars. This cigar changes through-out the smoke. When you first light it up and smoke that first inch you are hit with the pepper and spicy notes and I always think this is a 6 strength rating. But, after that inch it starts to mellow out, the sweet spice takes over the pepper. The nice caramel, nutty and woody notes also come into play. Then, I start thinking 5 rating. This cigar always seems to have ampel smoke that lingers on the palate. The cigar also changes on the latter part of the smoke, back to peppery and spicy.

The Summit Extra Pale Ale delivers a nice aroma of sweet malts. As the nice malty and hop bitterness hit the palate you notice the balance of the ale. Some of their other beers have a water style but, I don’t notice it here with the Extra Pale Ale.

The cigar seems to kick the bitterness up a little and that is good for a pale ale. I also get more of the toasty notes then the sweet malty ones while smoking the cigar. The cigar, while drinking this ale, you get more of the nice spice and cedary notes and the pepper is more or less an undertone.
This pairing gives me a pucker effect from the bitter ale and cedar woody play from the cigar.

This cigar has ample smoke with each puff and that helps to build some nice character from the ale. Have a glass of water ready to help refresh the palate during this session. I mentioned how the cigar usually builds toward the end. With this ale it is not as noticeable probably due to the hops taming the cigar.

While both of these are a medium body in their own right, when paired up you get a much fuller experience. This would be a very good pairing at the end of a day.

Warm the Chill with Petrus Winter Ale and Gurkha Blue Steel Cigar

The Cigar
Wrapper: Costa Rican Maduro
Binder: ? – does anybody know?
Fillers: Nicaraguan, Honduran, Columbian
Size: 5 x 52

This is not a complex cigar. I like the cigar. If I had to grade it I would have to go with a B or B+. I would not pay much for this cigar – 4 bucks maybe 4.50. The toasty notes are good, the coffee is medium-mild and the woody character I could not call it ‘sweet cedar,’ maybe a mild pecan wood. The cigar holds a nice ash and burns well all the way through. I give this cigar a 5 rating for now for that is how it feels with this ale. (see the “point system” posting)

The Beer
The aroma is light. The beer has a little tart green apple taste and spice working nicely with the malty sweetness. It has a dry finish that does not leave an aftertaste on the palate. The carbonation will play with the taste buds. I don’t get the full body feel that I would like to get from a winter ale. I would give this a 4 rating on my strength scale.

The two work good together. I got to enjoy the flavors from both. Neither one helped out the other - so to say. The carbonation helped to clean the palate from the cigar. I think it was this effect that kept the cigar from building in body. With this ale being high in carbonation it would be a good ale to drink after a meal to help with digestion.

I am not going to write this down as a must pairing. I think going to the fuller side of the ale with a complex cigar may work or maybe to the milder side with a nice nutty or chocolaty flavor to go with the nice tart green apple notes from the ale. Stay tuned – I’ll experiment.

Read Warm the Chill Series
Click here

Sol Cubano Salomon
Padilla 68 Golden Bear

Hoyo de Monterrey Sultan and Bad Beer

Hoyo de Monterrey Sultan Double Maduro
Aldaris Porteris Lager

The Beer
I have to admit, I have never had this beer before. I bought it to just get the bottle cap. Reading the reviews on beeradvocat.com I was warned about the ‘sweetness.’ Oh yes, sweet it is! So, maybe a cigar will tame this sweetness and bring out some other notes. A few more sips before choosing the cigar to smoke and all I still get is sweetness. I want to water the grass with this beer but, I’ll do the cigar to kill my curiosity.

The Cigar
I choose one of my favorites, the Hoyo de Monterrey Double Maduro Sultan. I have never thought of the Sultan as sweet, even though it has a maduro wrapper. I have always enjoyed the coffee and nice roasty notes. Not a complex cigar and it is not as full flavored as it is marketed. To me it is a nice 5.5 or maybe a 6 on my strength scale. It is a very good quality cigar that has a nice range to go with a variety of food and drink. Always a nice ash and even burn throughout the smoking experience.

During the pairing I still get the sweetness of the beer and it transfers that sweetness to the cigar. I don’t seem to notice the coffee and toasty notes of the cigar during this pairing. But, I get a slight roasty malty note from the beer in the exchange. Not enough to keep this experiment going. Still nothing, but sweetness. Sadness comes over me.

It is time to put the beer on the grass and hope that it does not kill the grass by spring.
I hope the taste buds are not killed and I can open another beer to bring back joy to my life.

Glad to report the grass still looks ok but, it is still winter out.

The taste buds are recouping and the cigar is tasting normal again so, on to the next beer.

This beer is suspect from the get go. It is from a sampler pack, probably bought from a department store, which I received as a gift from my sister. Piedmont Porter? Sure – Whatever. Let’s give it a try.

Taste ok, but after that last beer - battery acid - would probably taste good. I sure hope I didn’t kill that little spot of grass - the dogs do a good enough job on their own.

A sub-pair shot at being a porter. Plenty of watery notes with a little toast. Not creamy. I like creamy. But, it does not hurt the cigar, thank goodness. If the walk to the beer fridge was shorter I would pour this on the grass as well. Life is too short to drink boring beer.


All is well; my cigar is fine with this bad experiment is over.

See posting with 'Mild Stout'
See posting with 'dunkel'
See posting with 'Double Abbey'

Cigar Stash

Top tray to the small CAO Black Humidor

Inside is a nice collection of salomons

You have seen those boxes that the Rocky Patel Edges come in - yep the 100 count boxes. I use these troughs to put my cigars in and then place these boxes inside my humidor cabinet. I drill holes in the sides of these Edge boxes for air flow. There are 9 Edge boxes and one Romeo Julieta trough and then a few other small boxes.

And they all fit inside this cabinet. I bought this cabinet at an auction back in the mid 90's. I use to buy and sell old trunks for fun. When I got this cabinet home I was looking at the inside construction and said to myself, "Self, someone converted this to a humidor a long time ago. They took the old cedar out and put in what they call - Spanish cedar." They added a nice edge and routed a groove in the top for the edge to fit in to create a seal. I have been using it since 1996. Just seems like yesterday - lol.

I was reading on Newbicigarblogger.blogspot.com about taking pictures of your humidor, well this is going to take a little time I thought. But, it is time to wipe the wood down inside the cabinet so, let's get busy.

A Cigar and Ale Review: 1916 Robusto Cigar and Piraat Ale

The Hunt Continues with a 1916 Robusto Cigar and a Piraat Ale 
 

Wrapper: Cameroon
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Honduras and Nicaragua
Size: 5.5 x 52

For a Cameroon cigar this is on the ‘fuller’ side. Still a medium bodied cigar when considering your strength scale of cigars. This cigar changes through-out the smoke. When you first light it up and smoke that first inch you are hit with the pepper and spicy notes and I always think this is a 6 strength rating. But, after that inch it starts to mellow out, the sweet spice takes over the pepper. The nice caramel, nutty and woody notes also come into play. Then, I start thinking 5 rating. This cigar always seems to have ampel smoke that lingers on the palate. The cigar also changes on the latter part of the smoke, back to peppery and spicy.

Pairing this cigar with the Piraat Ale is going to be different than the Hemingway. The Hemingway with its elegant style makes a very good pairing before dinner. The Carlos Torano 1916 with its rouged looking wrapper and pepper, spicy upfront strength on the first inch makes for a very good after-dinner smoke.

The cigar seems to awaken the carbonation within the ale. The ale and this cigar coat the palate with their spice. I can taste it as I move my tongue around the mouth. I still get the tropical notes from the ale but, not a sweet tropical. Think of it this way, if I placed some tropical fruit inside a smoker and smoke the fruit with some cedar wood chips that is what I seem to experience here.

The ale likewise brings out some good notes during the middle part of the cigar. While drinking the Piraat with this cigar I am not experiencing the thought of a 5 rating during the middle part. The ale seems to make me notice that nice peppery and sweet cedar spice. Just like a top notch ball player will elevate the talents of the players around them, these two seem to work off of each other very well.

My conclusion from the tasting here is that the Piraat Ale is a great beverage to drink while smoking a Cameroon wrapped cigar. My plan one day is to pair these Cameroon cigars again with this ale and plan a dinner to go along with this experience. The Hemingway Cigar before dinner; the Leon Jimenes 300 with dinner and the Torano 1916 after dinner. Now, what is for dinner!?! I’ll write that in the month of August.

Indian Tabac Cameroon Legend Super Toro Gorilla and Bornem Triple Abbey Ale

Melt the Cold Doldrums of February
with
Bornem Triple Abbey Ale

Ah yah, the holiday madness is behind us, the New Year is becoming a reality and everybody is ready to move forward. Not so fast buster! I want to look back over the holidays for a moment. Let’s see – Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Eve – for me one thing was in common, a little Holiday Cheer. Now, that we are roaring through February, I need a little cheer. So, why not break out a bottle of Bornem Triple Abbey Ale and a fine cigar.

This Abbey Ale, to me, is upfront with a ‘champagne-like’ effervescence. These vibrant little bubbles take me back to those Holiday Cheers and yes I did my share of the sparkling wine. As I open the 750 ml bottle my taste buds dance with anticipation. I fill the chalice and take a drink … and … my taste buds are now calling for a Granny Smith Apple. I run to the kitchen and slice up an ol’granny, grab a few black grapes and sliced up a little Smoked Jack cheese. The cold doldrums of February are ready to melt away.

Oh boy that is it for me! I have just taken a bite of the Granny Smith Apple and then a sip of the Bornem and wow - to me this matches up. The black grapes are a perfect match as well. The Smoky Jack cheese elevates the taste buds with its smokiness and the Bornem with its vibrant bubbles cleanses the taste buds. I say, set the fruit table up with some nice smoked cheese and serve the Bornem Triple in champagne glasses and you’ll have the perfect appetizer set-up for your guests.

For me the next pairing is the best – a fine cigar. Referring to my number scale that I presented to you last month I am placing a 5.5 on this ale. Remember, the 0 to 10 scale is how you would personally rate the taste of the beer in strength. Zero: Light in body and taste or Ten: full in body and taste. I want my cigar to match up to this 5.5. As explained last month, try to stay within 2 points in either direction. So, I can go milder to a 3.5 or fuller to a 7.5.

Planning is everything here for the perfect match – so ‘THINK.’ It’s not illegal yet, to think. We have fine malt and hop balance here with some nice effervescence. Don’t take away from the effervescence. Going stronger may take away from this, matching the same strength should play well and going milder may even enhance the experience.

The Indian Tabac Cameroon Legend Super Toro Gorilla rates about a 4.5 for me on my cigar strength scale. The Cameroon wrapper is going to give you a wonderful nutty taste while the Dominican Corojo and Brazilian Mata Fina fillers are going to give you a fancy raisin like character and a cedary taste on this cigar. The size of this cigar is 6 x 58, giving you a wonderful smoking experience.


After toasting up this fine cigar my expectations are met. The cigar does not over power the Bornem Triple. I get all the fine characteristics from my Belgian Ale and I get a great taste experience from my cigar.

I did change my chalice glassware over to a champagne flute. Why be normal? This proved positive. The champagne glass directed the aromas right to the nose. The aromas are then enhanced and the taste experience is rewarded.

Maximize your pleasures by using the point system and word game to match your Belgium Beer and fine cigar. The key word here was effervescence. Don’t kill the bubbles by going stronger. I tried it and it didn’t work. The stronger 6 point cigar brought out the tartness in the ale and lost all the underlying notes to be enjoyed as well as the bubbles. The great flavors from the cigar were lost as well.

Now go and dice up a Granny Smith Apple add some raisins a few green, red and black grapes along with some pecans and slice up some Smoky Jack cheese then, open yourself a 750 ml bottle of Bornem Triple Abby Ale. Then, match up your cigar.

Enjoy the experience,
Bruce