Camacho Corojo Limited 60/6 & Speakeasy Ale: Tasting

The Cigar
Wrapper, Binder, Filler: Honduran Corojo
Size: 6 x 60
Strength rating: 7.5
I have only had a few of these Corojos and I have enjoyed them. It has a good earthy core at the body of the smoke along with a robust woodsy taste. The bold spice and white pepper dance on the tongue during the first inch or so of the cigar. I start to think it is a 6.5 on my strength scale during that first inch. After the first inch the cigar starts to build in strength. As I approach the midpoint of the cigar the ample smoke and the bold spice fills the palate. The strength also builds – 7.5 or 8? Now it seems more like a Camacho Cigar. The white pepper starts to fade and a course black pepper note takes over.

The Ale
Prohibition by: Speakeasy Ales & Lagers pours a cloudy caramel color – I want to eat it – it looks like the caramel inside of a piece of dark chocolate. Holding the glass to the light I can see the reddish hues around the edges. It has an off white head color that dissipates slowly. The ale has some good lacing on the glass.

The smell is very nice for this amber ale. Good hoppy and malty nose and the smell raises my expectations for this ale. I have not had the Prohibition before so, I don’t know what to expect. Wow, the taste is even better. The hops hit my palate and then the big malty sweetness takes over. The caramel malty taste tries to take over but the citrusy and pine hop bitterness starts to fight back. There is a solid complexity here. You could play “what is that flavor game’ with this ale.

The mouthfeel is pretty clean for an amber ale which, is surprising with all that flavor mingling around on the palate. I get a little pine bitter note and a sweetness that sticks around on the palate. Then the good carbonation and smooth watery edges help to clean the mouthfeel for a smooth and refreshing experience for this ale.

The Pairing

I really liked this pairing. The earthy qualities from the cigar mingle well with the hops and malty characteristics of the ale. The pepper notes dance on the tongue and the sweetness from the ale sooths the mouthfeel. The spicy profiles from each play well together. For me this pairing is a winner. My only disappointment is that I only bought one 12oz. bottle of this ale and I still have half a cigar to go.