CAO America Landmark & Two IPA’s

The Cigar
Wrapper: Connecticut Maduro & Conn. Shade Leaf
Filler: 100% ligero tobaccos from Dominica, Nicaragua, Italy, and America
Size: 6 x 60

This stick sports a pin stripe look made from two different wrappers. While this does look nice I have always had these pin striped looking cigars come unraveled during the smoking experience. The flavor seems to have a solid woody and earthy quality but, to me it comes across uninteresting. It has a dryness to the mouthfeel that continues that uninteresting quality. I read it should be paired with a ‘bold microbrew’ so, let’s do it here. No real loss if the IPA’s kill the flavor of this cigar.

The Beers – Arcadia’s India Pale Ale and HopMouth Double IPA

India Pale Ale
Let me set the record straight, I am not a big fan of IPA’s. With that said, I have to admit that I do like this one. It has the right amount of citrus bite to the taste profile with a nice earthy backbone. This ale has a 5.9% abv. The carbonation is good. For an IPA fan it may not be big enough but, for an IPA wimp like me it is just fine.




HopMouth Double IPA

This ale has an 8.1% abv. A nice looking amber color to the body and the aroma is not too far from the taste. This Double IPA, of course, has that piney grapefruit tartness right up front. I do not notice any sweetness. This is not as overpowering as I thought it would be. I actually have to admit that I like this ale. One reason why that is, the grapefruit bitter quality does not overwhelm my palate. Some of those big IPAs ruin my taste buds for the day.

The Pairing
I have had a hard time finding a cigar to go with an IPA. The bitterness of the ale always gets in the way of the cigar and makes a bad experience.

This is it! I found a cigar that works with an IPA. Now, I have a purpose for this cigar. It is perfect with these two ales. That earthy, woody and slight dryness that I experience with the cigar matches up extremely well with that grapefruit citrusy taste of these IPA’s. I lit the cigar while I was drinking the Arcadia IPA and when I finished that ale I poured myself the HopMouth ale. The 6 x 60 sized cigar is a good hour and a half smoke and was perfect for enjoying these two ales. I think I’ll plan to have this pairing again.

Visit BeerPostings2 for a review of four different beers from Arcadia (dated 6-6-10)

Indian Tabac Limited Reserve Bear & Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Weizen

The Beer
Appearance: Dark brown body while it was sitting on the bar - when held to the light you get a nice mahogany color. The head is an off-white color that does not hang around too long. Didn't see much lacing if any.

Smell: Real hickory smoked ham hocks. And then more smoke. I could not go with average. It's not average - it's smoked beer. So, the smell did not make me think weizen beer.

Taste: SMOKE! I'll have to drink this while I cook up some ribs. Smoked spice, smoky head on the nose while drinking, smoked malts, there has to be hops for that bitter sour note so, smoked hops, and smoke on the water. It is smoky.

Mouthfeel: I liked the fine carbonation and the slight creamy texture but, they are soon taken away by the smoky profile and roasty undertones. Then the watery style hits the back of the palate to help clean up a little bit except you are left with SMOKE damage on the after taste.

Personally I do not think it is that drinkable. One and done. You should try it. I have had it before when I was out for dinner. And, I bought it again - only one bottle but, I still bought it. I'll wait till summer and when I put those ribs on the grill - I'll make sure I try it one more time. Maybe with BBQ food I'll like it a little more. I have to say, the taste is unique.

What really bothers me about this beer is the smell – ok I don’t like my beer to smell like BBQ smoke, the taste was unique but, I can’t decide if I like it a little or dislike it a little. The mouthfeel I’ll go with the dislike a little. So, for my strength rating I am up in the air as well. The smoky taste and aftertaste makes me think of a 6. Lack of real complexity does not help and that watery mouthfeel makes me want to go to a 4 or 4.5. See what I mean. So, I’ll call it a 5 – who cares!

The Cigar
Indian Tabac Limited Reserve Bear
Wrapper: Conn. Seed Ecuadorian
Filler: Honduran
Size: 5 x 50
Strength rating: 2.5

This is a smooth mild smoke with a slight cedar profile. That is about it – this cigar is not complex at all. This is a good morning cigar or good to have with lunch. This cigar will not impede on the flavors you are consuming. The other time for the cigar is when you have had your max but, you want one more. I have used this cigar for just that many a times. This was a good cigar to pair up with this overly BBQ Smoked up beer. The flavor profile of this cigar, or lack of, did not interfere with this beer. I wonder what would happen if you paired up a stronger cigar with this beer? I let you tell me that.

Cigars with Two Ring Bands

I have been wanting to write this for a long time. I hate two ring band cigars. No not the cigar, the ring bands. I will eventually get mad at the cigar and you will see why.

What is the purpose of the second band except packaging? Don’t give me history here – it does not matter. In a day of going ‘green’ and simple is better and trimming costs – it is time to ditch the second band.

The only purpose that I see with the second band is to increase the chance that the label glue, to hold the bands together, will glue the tobacco leaf and the band together and then bust this wrapper wide open. Okay, I understand the myth of smoke the cigar down to the band and then the warmth of the cigar will loosen the glue from the tobacco wrapper. If this was true cigar bands would just fall right off. The reason the band came undone without breaking the wrapper – the glue was not on the tobacco leaf in the first place.
Here is a picture where both rings were glued to the cigar wrapper. Needless to say, the wrapper just unraveled and did not look pretty. Oh, by the way, I smoked it right down to the first ring. So, place that myth with global warming and second hand smoke.

Rocky Patel Sun Grown and Michigan Brewing Superior Stout: Review

The Cigar
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sun Grown
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Brazil, Dominican Republic, Nicaragua
Size: 6 x 60
My Strength Rating: 6.5
This cigar needs a solid beverage paired with it because it can be a little dry and to some smokers ‘harsh.’ This cigar is pretty straight forward with its earthy, spicy, and peppery notes. I do like this cigar when it is paired up with a good Cabernet wine or fuller beer.

The Stout
This stout is from Michigan Brewing Company in Webberville Michigan. Their beers are always pretty consistent in their taste. This stout has some nice roasted malts and coffee flavors. The hops add a nice bitterness and the malts are adding a little caramel and chocolate flavor. This gives me that bitter-sweet taste. Overall it is a pretty clean tasting stout due to the watery edges to the mouthfeel.

The Pairing
I know what I wanted to smoke with this stout but, I wanted to try something that would test the limits of the tasting profile of this type of beer. I want to through a little spice into this mix.

This is a pretty good pairing. They are similar in their strength ratings but, the spicy and peppery profile of the cigar does not make for a perfect pairing with this stout, just a pretty good one. So, find that cigar with the coffee or chocolate note or both to help maximize your experience.

Don't forget to visit WinePostings.

Hoyo Excalibur Legend Conqueror & Celis Grand Cru:Review

The Cigar
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan, Dominican Ligero
Size: 6.25 x 54
Strength rating: 7.5/8
I really like this cigar. The Hoyo Legend is on the fuller side compared to their other cigars. My Hoyo Sultan with its coffee and roasty notes I love for its medium body taste. The Excalibur #1 is a very pleasing mild-medium treat. This Legend is a true bold beauty.

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.

I love the look of this cigar.

The Grand Cru
The looks of this ale can be deceiving because, it has a light crystal golden color that makes you think it might be light in body.

According to michiganbrewing.com they say it is made with, ‘pilsen malts, Saaz Willamette hops, Curacau orange peel and select spices.’ And, the spices are plentiful from the coriander and clove along with some rose petals. I want to smell some rose petals while I drink this beer for some reason. If you are thinking rose petals in beer - yes, get this beer and smell that aroma.  This ale also has some citrus zip to it. Orange and lemon smack the palate with each sip. The Celis Grand Cru would be nice to drink while dinning on seafood. This is a very nice ale.

For having an 8% abv it has a short aftertaste, maybe because of the watery feel during this pairing. This also gives it a refreshing mouthfeel while smoking this bold flavored cigar. I do not think this is the best pairing for this Belgian Style Ale. It is a bit too bold for the ale. I still get all the nice flavors from the ale but, the cigar with its black walnut and oaky taste is a bit too much. The cigar needs a heartier beer to complement its profile.

Rocky Patel Vintage 1999 Connecticut & 2007 Gewurztraminer Kabinett

The Cigar
Wrapper: Connecticut Shade
Filler: Dominican and Nicaraguan Ligeros
My Strength Rating: 3.5
For a mild-medium cigar it sure has some character. Mixed in with its creamy like texture are some soft white pepper qualities and other delicate spice. The cedar notes add a nice twang on the tongue. This is an enjoyable mild-medium smoke.

The White Wine
The Gewurztraminer is produced by the Weingut Geil Winery in Germany. The color is a very watery yellow crystal clear color. The aroma is very delicate, fresh, and sweet with a hint of floral and fresh apple slices. The taste has an interesting crispness to it, it is not quit prickly, nor is it quit tingly so, I guess I’ll say it has a zippy little crispness that plays on the tongue just before a passion fruit like sweetness takes over. There is a light twang on the back of the palate during the finish. The mouthfeel has a clean oily silky texture. When you lick your teeth and gums there is a nice sweet apple aftertaste. I would have to call this a semi-sweet white wine for there is a little dryness to the body.

The more I taste this Gewurztraminer it is that light twang on the back of the palate that I keep focusing on. After a few tastes I think it reminds me of a white grapefruit twang. The more I stick my nose in the glass I sense that light floral note: honeysuckle and rose petal but, it is very light.

The Pairing
It is suggested to pair this wine with spicy Asian foods or other foods with curry. The closest cigar to a light curry like quality that I could think of that I had in my humidor was this Rocky Patel Vintage 1999. The soft white pepper and light cedar notes when mixed together could give me a light curry or ginger like quality I thought. So, I lit up the cigar and sampled the two spices while smoking the cigar – I think this could work.

During this pairing the cigar helps to bring out a nice light spicy quality in the wine. Where I called it ‘a zippy little crispness’ is where the spice comes to play during this pairing. So, the spices of each play well together. Then the cedar notes of the cigar mingle with the sweet fruits of the wine. The cigar did not bring out the slight dryness of the wine but, I think it was the sweetness that came more to the front. This is a very solid pairing.

Here is my skinny on this wine. Yes, it did pair up well with spicy food. I had a portabella mushroom, red onion, and green olive with alfredo sauce pizza. The pizza had a nice spicy taste and this wine was very refreshing with this pizza. The sweetness of the wine seemed to just take control of the flavors of the pizza. But, here is how I would enjoy this Gewurztraminer as a desert. I would open the bottle after a nice spicy type meal and light up this wonderful cigar and enjoy these two tasty treats.

Indian Tabac Maduro Tomahawk: Pairing

Bell’s Batch 9000 Ale – Continued – (see last posting)

The Cigar
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
Filler: Nicaragua, Honduras, Costa Rica
Size: 6 x 52
My Strength Rating: 6.5/7
I know I like this baby! I am selecting this cigar to go with this ale because of this profile – I like the rich tobacco notes of: spice, wood (oak), meaty nut quality (almost like a black walnut bite), and a good earthy quality. I also, like the 80% cocoa and French Roast coffee bitterness. This cigar has some good complexity going on.

The Pairing
This is what I was looking for in a pairing with this ale. This cigar has the complexity to match that of the ale. The bitter qualities of the cigar help to battle the sweet style of the ale. The ale picks up in a syrupy-creamy way and I like the depth that is presented. I notice a caramel-coffee blend going on during this pairing from the 9000 ale. The solid spice, oaky, meaty nuts of the cigar battle that sweetness of the ale so it is not overwhelming to me. This cigar makes me want to take another sip of this ale to see what flavors are next. I know I will be pairing this up again and I thought I might not try this 9000 ale again.

The mouthfeel is kicked up. The palate is coated with some wonderful full flavors that make this an enjoyable experience. This would be a great pairing after a hearty meal. I would recommend some water along the way to refresh the palate. I just wish I did this cigar from the get go when I opened the Bell’s Batch 9000 Ale. If you want to maximize your pleasure this is it!

San Cristobal Cigar and Bell's Batch 9000: Review

Bell’s Batch 9000 Ale and San Cristobal Review

The Cigar
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Corojo
Filler: Nicaraguan
Size: 5 x 50
My strength rating: 5.5
It has been awhile since I have had a San Cristobal. I remember when it came out that some of the guys at the cigar store really liked this stick. Then, I finally tried it and all I remember is that it seemed too earthy and not much else. So, to today – Right off the light it had a medium bodied opening. Nothing to inspiring, at that moment. After a few puffs, the earthy qualities started to build, moss, grassy, dry soil. Approaching the half-way point it is still pretty much the same earthy qualities and for a moment or two a little spice, sweet?spice. I have seen descriptions of toasted wood, roasted nuts, coffee, cherry and I just don’t get it. Maybe, a dry cheap coffee from a grocery store quality coffee or a dive restaurant other than that, I am back to my first impression when it first came out. I am glad I have not bothered with this cigar since then. But, I had hopes that this would be different this time. I really wanted this to pair up with this Ale.

The Ale
Bell’s Batch 9000 Ale is a 12.5% abv sipper. It has a very dark opaque body. Holding it to the light I cannot see through it. Around the top edge of the beverage I can see a mahogany hue – other than that it is a dark black body. Looking down at the glass I get a cola like appearance, interesting. Be ready for that syrupy molasses like sweetness that hits the palate right up front and center. After a few sips and making it past the sweetness, I started to note the dark fruits and the chocolate-coffee profile. There are some nice complexities here to enjoy but, for me getting past that molasses like sweetness can be a chore. There is also the alcohol bite to contend with during this experience.

The Pairing

I am hoping that the earthy qualities of the cigar will help battle some of that sweetness of the ale and bring some of the other notes up.

Well, the cigar does not change anything in the profile of this ale. Which, if you like this ale, that could be a good thing. The earthy qualities of the cigar remain the same during this pairing. The sweetness of the ale I think helps the cigar a little bit. I will be passing on this pairing. And, for that, I’ll be passing on this cigar again for a long time. Since, I have 6 more ounces of this sipping ale left in the glass I’ll find myself another cigar that hopefully makes a better pairing.

Padilla Habano Burberry Perfecto and Wittekerke Belgian Wheat Ale: Review

The Cigar

Wrapper: Three different wrappers to make an argyle pattern

Binder: Nicaraguan

Filler: Nicaraguan

Size: 5.7 x 54

My Strength Rating: 5

The first half has a nice spice profile mingled with some good earthy qualities. By the halfway point the pepper notes appear. There is a good hardwood nature to the tobacco. This is a pleasant smoke.

The Ale

I would score this ale as a 4, on the mild side of medium. This is a very pleasant tasting wheat ale that would be wonderful on a very hot day indeed. Also, I do not get any strong spicy flavors from this beer, just pure wheat beer pleasure. Besides the wheat there are light crisp notes of lemon and soft coriander. This is a nice summertime time drink on a 90 degree day indeed. So, I do not want too strong of a cigar where it overwhelms the beverage or a too mild of a cigar where I lose the smoking pleasure.

The Pairing

This is a good pairing. The spices mingle well and the hardwood notes of the cigar play well with the citrus structure of the ale. The soft pepper from the cigar does not detract from the ale. I think there may be some other cigars to make this a quality matching but, this is good.

Read another posting about this ale

The Smooth Side of Brugse Zot and Hoyo de Monterrey Excalibur #1

Brugse Zot mixes it up with Excalibur #1

The Cigar
Wrapper: Connecticut Shade
Filler: Dom Rep., Hon., Nic.
Size: 7-1/4 x 54
Strength rating: 4
This cigar has been one of my staples for a long time. I always, I mean always, have a supply of these in my humidor. This is a quality mild-medium smoke. The cigar is velvety smooth and just a plain classic. It has a rich tobacco taste of oak and roasted walnuts. It is not – spicy – earthy – coffee – peppery. It is the perfect cigar for summer time enjoyment. It is the perfect cigar to pair with a meal. It could be the perfect cigar with that quality Belgian – let us see.

The Brugs
A hazy golden color with nice sediment floating around which adds to the hazy look. Don’t be afraid of the sediment. This is the yeast that they add before capping the bottle. This yeast is what makes this beer a living beer. Some living beers have aging potential, like wine. While it does not help this beer with appearance points, it does make for good conversation and an educational moment for those national brand beer drinkers.

This ale has a pleasant sweet-sour taste, lemon rind sour, with some firm spice. The hops help to balance this ale. I enjoy the citrus profile of the hops while the sweetness of the malts let you know you are drinking a fine Belgian Beer.

The Pairing
My first thought is, ‘this is creamy smooth’ as I take my first few sips of the ale. That velvety smooth profile of the cigar is transferring this trait to the ale and I like this. My anxieties were high for this pairing. What if it does not match up? What if my two friends just don’t get along? But, they do and we are now making dinner plans!

Think of all the profile notes of each and throw them out the window now! This is bliss – This is love! It works and who cares why. We are running through a field of hops and grains, hand in hand, and this is sheer madness. Your eyes just sparkle at the sight of each other.

Visit: http://beerpostings2.blogspot.com/ or http://winepostings2.blogspot.com/

The Spicy Side of Brugse and Indian Tabac Cameroon Legend Cigar

Brugse Zot mingles with Indian Tabac Cameroon Legend

Brugse is a 6% abv blond ale that pours a hazy golden color with a beige colored head. There is always nice sediment floating around that adds to the hazy look of this ale. The aroma has a sweet bready nose. The taste can be on the complex side, with its sweet-sour taste with some nice spice, white pepper undertones and citrus flavors.

I am pairing the ale up with an Indian Tabac Cameroon Legend Robusto Grande Cigar today. A solid medium-full bodied Cameroon smoke that has a nice little complexity of woody notes, nutty flavor, fancy raisin and solid spice. I’ll give it a 5.5 on the strength scale for this 5 x 52 sized cigar. The smaller ring gauge, compared to the 58 size, smokes a little warmer and builds the flavor profile up a little.

During this pairing the focus seemed to be on the spice profile of each. The spices seem to be more pronounced with each sip of the ale and every puff of the cigar. I think the citrusy flavors from the ale are battling for attention while the cedary flavors of the cigar are knocking them down a little. This is not a bad pairing. They seem to take a little away from one another but, it is bringing up the spice profile in each.

If, you want to be on the spicy side of Brugse, then light up an Indian Tabac Cameroon Legend Robusto and see what you think.

The Bold Side of Brugse

Brugse Zot Tangles with Partagas Spanish Rosado Gigante

The Cigar
Wrapper: Spanish Rosado
Binder: Connecticut Broadleaf
Filler: Honduran, Dominican and Mexican
Size: 6 x 60
Strength rating: 8
This big baby is a robust spicy, white peppery beauty. Solid woody notes with a nice undertone of roasted walnuts. The mouthfeel is thick and earthy as the smoke fills the palate.

The Brugs
A hazy golden color with nice sediment floating around which adds to the hazy look. It has a pleasant sweet-sour taste with some firm spice. The hops help to balance this ale. I enjoy the citrus profile.

The 6% abv makes it a good beer to enjoy a few.

The Pairing
A solid pairing, giving me a fuller mouthfeel. The cigar has a thick smoky feel on the tongue. The citrus and carbonation of the ale helps to battle the bold flavors of this big cigar.

The Pleasant Side of Brugse Zot and CAO L'Anniversaire Cameroon

Brugse Zot meets CAO L'Anniversaire Cameroon

The Cigar
CAO L’Anniversaire Cameroon Robusto
Wrapper: Cameroon
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Size: 5 inches x 50 ring gauge
Strength rating: 4.5
This cigar, when it came out way back when, was very popular. I remember it was one of my favorites at the time. But, time goes by and you forget about an old friend. Not too long ago I decided it was time to revisit this old friend and I am glad I did. In general, I really like Cameroon wrapped cigars but, that would be hard to tell looking at my selection in the humidor, which is dominated by Maduro wrapped cigars.

The CAO Cameroon is a very attractive box pressed shaped cigar. The flavor profile is complex. There are a variety of notes and one could play the game of ‘what do you taste with this cigar.’ For me, I always like the nutty flavor of a Cameroon. This stick has some nice cedar spice, woody and earthy tones along with toast (sometimes a rye toast taste) and mild coffee notes.

The Brugs
Brugse is a 6% abv ale that pours a hazy golden color with a soft beige colored head. It leaves some nice lacing on the glass and the fine foam seems to be always present floating atop the ale. There is always nice sediment floating around that adds to the hazy look of this ale. That sediment is the living yeast that was added just before bottling – don’t worry, it is good for you. The aroma has a sweet bready nose. The taste can be on the complex side, with its sweet-sour taste with some nice spice, white pepper undertones and citrus flavors. The hops give me a nice grassy, spicy and lemon-like bitterness that is not overwhelming. The citrus profile tells me this would be a good blond to enjoy on a summer day. The sweetness mingles well, letting me know that the malts are doing their job too.

The Pairing
I already had the cigar lit to establish the taste of cigar. The first few puffs were soft and mellow and then wham! The cedar and spice hits the palate. Then, after the first inch, the cigar starts to calm down and that was the time to pour the ale. On the first sip, Ahhhh – refreshing! And, I did say that out loud.

The cedar and other woody notes of the cigar seem to mellow the ‘slight’ bitter or sour notes of the ale. The earthy, nutty and toasty notes play well with the malty sweetness. Overall this is a very pleasant pairing. The fine carbonation and the soft watery edge to the mouthfeel of the Brugse Zot refreshes the palate and prepares me for another puff of this premium cigar. So, the interplay between the cigar and the taste profile of this Belgian ale works.

Gurkha Empire Series V and Point Belgian White

The Cigar

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut

Filler: Honduras, Nicaragua, Mexico

Size: 5.5 x 52

My Strength Rating: 3.5

The Empire V has a beautiful Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper that coats this cigar. The mildness of the cigar is detected right away and the flavors are very nice. In the first inch of the cigar I am thinking a 4 rating and I could go to a 3 strength rating, let’s see as this cigar develops. The taste is a smooth cedar and white pepper profile. The texture is smooth and has a creamy style. This is a nice mild-medium smoke. The cigar holds a nice grey ash and is a pretty consistent smoke all the way through.

The Beer

Point Belgian White is a 4.76% abv that is very drinkable. It is made my Stevens Point Brewery in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. The aroma has a nice wheat, biscuit, coriander and lemon citrus notes. The taste is very light overall. Light coriander, light orange, and a delicate wheat taste. If you have tried other Belgian Witbers that are spiced up a little too much for your liking then, try this one for it is very lightly spiced. I would place my strength rating on this beer around a 3.5.

The Pairing
A very nice mild-medium pairing, making it a solid matching for a very hot summer day. There are no overpowering flavors and the two work well together so, you can enjoy the taste profile of each. The light white pepper type spice of the cigar plays well with the light spice and coriander of the beer. The light citrus of the beer also mixes well with the nice cedar woody notes of the cigar. My palate felt refreshed all the way through this matching.

A Cigar and Ale Review: Montecristo White and Poperings Hommel Ale

The Cigar

Wrapper: Connecticut-seed Ecuadorian Shade Grown

Filler: Dominican, Nicaraguan

Size: 6x54

My Strength Rating: 5

I use to smoke a lot of these back when they came in that high quality box and not that cardboard cigar box they come in now. Well, it is not because of the box that I do not smoke as many of these cigars; it is because there are so many other quality cigars to go around. I have to admit I still like this cigar. It is kinda plain. It is not a complex smoke. It is one dimensional and that is not always a bad thing. You don’t always have to have bold spice, coffee and earth to be a good cigar. This smoke is solid cedar. If you want to know what cedar tastes like pick this cigar up and you will know what cedar is like. The smoke is consistent all the through. No bitter notes. It does not really change strength ratings during the experience. And, paired with the right beverage this can be the perfect smoke. With that said, I plan to pick up a few more to be ready for some good summertime pairings. Here is one of them.

The Ale

Poperings Hommel Ale is brewed by Brouwerij Van Eecke. The ale has a 7.5% abv and is a Belgian IPA. For those of you who are afraid of the big bold IPA’s that have that super bitter grapefruit taste that will destroy your taste buds for the remainder of the day – don’t worry, this is a very pleasing IPA.

The aroma should turn you on - for the ale of course. The sweet grainy aroma hits my nose every time I pop that cork on that 750 ml bottle. Once in the glass I still get the sweet grain, as well as, some nice herbal notes and pure freshness. The taste is very crisp and has a wonderful hoppy, lemon citrus flavor. Don’t worry, nothing overpowering. The floral-rosy edges start to build and as the ale warms up some nice and very light sweet malty undertones come into play. To me this is a perfectly balanced IPA. Poperings Hommel is now always in my cellar.

The Pairing

This is a perfect pairing. The cigar brings that cedar woody flavor to mingle with the citrus, floral, and bready profile of the ale. The mouthfeel is pure delight. The high carbonation and dry citrus texture of the ale is very pleasing with this cigar. I have not had that experience with other American style IPA’s. It is almost impossible to pair a cigar up with those bold bitter grapefruit bombs. But, then I have not paired them up with this cigar – hum – I’ll have to give it try.

Read another posting about Poperings - with dinner plans

Cigar and Beer Pairing - The Point System

I have read the articles on Matching Cigars and Beverage stuff just like you have. I have seen it where someone says, “Match up the color of your cigar with the color of your drink.” Really! Or, light colored cigars are mild so drink mild drinks and dark cigars are strong so drink strong drinks. Wow, this is way too generalized and misinformed. I have had Natural colored shade wrapped cigars that have been medium-full in body. And, I have had dark cigars that tasted like air. This is no help at all.

Some articles give you a few ideas but, not enough. I even read one where some guy from a ‘cigar’ magazine said, you can’t mathematically match up your pairings so, don’t do it. Okay, so don’t think about it, light up that Cain Maduro cigar and grab yourself a hopped up IPA and you will find out what a taste collision is all about.

I am going to present a point system that will ‘help’ you to start matching your cigar to a quality beer. Is it fool proof? No. But, we get to examine our flavor profiles, in beer and cigar, in a more objective way. We will find out what works and what does not work, according to our own personal taste buds, and this should help to minimize that collision in taste. And at another time, we will look into those contrasting matching’s (Mild paired up to a Full) that work and at some that don’t.

I will use a Zero to Ten scale to rate my strength of each product. Zero being ‘very mild’ and ten being very strong.

Zero-0.5: Very Mild, Ultra Mild
1 - 2: Mild
2.5 – 4: Mild to Medium
4.5 - 5.5: Medium
6 – 7.5: Medium to Full
8 – 9: Full 9.5 - Ten: Very Full – Have food and drink ready.

This is the scale I use to describe the overall experience of each of these products (taste & mouthfeel).

Adjust the scale to your perception. Start charting your taste on different cigars. Rate them from zero to ten. For example, for me a Don Lino natural would score a zero for very mild. A Camacho, in general, I would score around a 9. I would do the same for the beer as well, a zero for a domestic beer especially ‘light’ beers and then a 9 or 10 for IPA's and sour beers.

Once charted, I would know my taste number and I would go two numbers in either direction for matching. Now, I am ready to pair my beer with a cigar to match.

If my beer is a 4 on this scale I want my cigar to be within two points from this tasting. This gives me a range from a two (mild) to a 6 (medium). The beer flavor will not be lost in this range. Whereas, if I chose a cigar with an 8 score (fuller), it would over-power the beer and the flavor would not be maximized. So, if I was smoking a cigar that was an 8, I would select a beer that would be a 6, 7, 8, 9 or 10.

Let’s take a look. The Wittekerke Belgian Wheat Ale: I would score as a 4, on the mild side of medium, very pleasant tasting wheat ale that would be wonderful on a very hot day indeed. Also, I do not get any strong spicy flavors from this beer, just pure wheat beer pleasure. So, I do not want too strong of a cigar where it overwhelms the beverage or a too mild of a cigar where I lose the smoking pleasure. A nice balanced Cameroon cigar or a Connecticut wrapped cigar would do. The other day I enjoyed my Wittekerke with a Leon Jimenes Cameroon 300 (5 rating) and it was magical.

The Bieken Honey Ale I rated a 4 on my strength scale. The Bieken is an 8.5% abv Belgian beer with a nice mild to medium body flavor. The Excalibur #1 cigar offers you a sweet, woody and wheat bread toasty flavor. I also rate this cigar a 4. The Connecticut shade leaves used on the wrapper and binder gives you a nice mild-medium smoke. The long fillers of Nicaraguan, Dominican and Honduran tobaccos give the Excalibur that classic tobacco taste that I always enjoy. This cigar has been one of my favorites for the last 15 years. Because, of the nice soft undertones, this cigar has the range to go with many foods and beverages. This was a super pairing! I am reserving a spot in my summer time to sit back and enjoy these two again. The point system worked here. So, before you crack open a bottle of quality beer and strike up a $10 stogie – think first – what is the mouthfeel of each (medium or medium-full or full) and how do they compare.

The objective is to maximize your pleasure.

A Cigar and Wine Tasting: CAO Box-Press and Merk Vigne Vecchie 2005

The Cigar
Wrapper: Brazil
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Size: 5.5 x 50
The first few puffs displayed some of those floral notes, earth, and a little nut undertone. After the first half inch the floral disappears and an herbal spice starts to build with the earthy quality still present. As I approach the half way point the peppery spice appears.

The Wine
The 2005 Merk Refosco Vigane Vecchie Friuli is described as, “Blackcurrant, raspberry and hint of tobacco leaf.” Ok, I can be sold on the blackcurrant. I personally get dark berries with a blackberry bite. Then I find a touch of smooth spice and earth. The wine does have a nice silky smoothness to the mouthfeel. I really like the elegant style of this wine. I have not had this wine before but, from what I have sampled so far I can see I will be buying more of this wine. If you live in the Livonia Michigan area you can pick this bottle up from the Fine Wine Source on Middlebelt and Six Mile Road.

The Pairing
The Cigar helped to give this wine a fuller mouthfeel. The wine started to cling to the teeth for a meaty and chew profile that is not present while drinking the wine alone. The spicy notes were at play here from both the wine and cigar. Overall a nice pairing if you want a fuller bodied experience. The smoothness of the wine is not as noticeable during this pairing. I think a cigar that is lower in my strength ratings would help to maximize that silky smooth quality of the wine.

As the black pepper notes started to build in the cigar the wine seemed to sooth the palate. The dark berry and earthy nature of the wine seemed to calm the earthy and pepper style of the Box Pressed cigar. I would recommend this pairing as a hearty after dinner treat but, have some black grapes ready to eat so you can refresh the palate.

Don Lino Africa Kiboko Cigar and The Hattrick 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon: Review

Igor Larionov Select Wines – The Hattrick 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Napa Valley

So much for having that bottle signed by Igor, between being shelved in the cellar and then holding the bottle, I have pretty much taken off his signature. Oh well, I don’t save bottles anyways.

Here is the description on the bottle: “Brilliantly pure aromas of black cherry, earth and herb give way to flavors of deep red fruit, cedar and spice that linger impressively on the finish.”

This rich and full bodied wine is pure pleasure. I am upset that I only bought one bottle – back to the store for more. Call Jim at The Fine Wine Source for more (mental note for myself). The aroma will delight your senses and the bold flavors will satisfy the savvy wine drinker. While the wine texture comes across bold and full of flavor it still has a smooth and elegant style – kind of how we saw Igor Larionov play here in Detroit. The Professor of hockey proves he is also the Dean of Cabernet Sauvignon with this bottle of vino. Now, this power packed beauty needs a quality cigar to match its style.

The Cigar
Don Lino Africa Kiboko
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: African, Dominican, Honduran, Nicaraguan (I have also seen Mexico listed instead of Honduran)
Size: 6.5 x 58
My Strength Rating: wow, I am up in the air with this one and I have smoked a bunch of these babies. How about a 6 or 6.5 on the first two-thirds and then a 9 on the final couple inches - for an average of 7. But, that all depends what you are drinking or eating along the way. And it is damn good!

This is one solid complex cigar. The start is on the milder side of medium then; it builds to medium, medium-full and then finishes with a brash bang of strength. The taste profile is wonderful on the first two thirds of the smoke. Cedar, coffee, and spice are right there to delight the smoker. By the halfway point I notice a spicy-peppery note as the strength passes the medium strength rating. This is toasty, roasty, and robust at this point in the game. The woody cedar profile is strong to please the palate. Be ready for the final third for that is where the strength builds in a bold way. The right beverage can tame this but, the drink needs to match the strength of this cigar or the final few inches will seem overwhelming. The finish at times to me has reached that 9 strength rating – it’s full. So, this cigar starts off with a 4.5 strength rating off the light and can end with a bang of 9. Be ready to enjoy all the other flavors along the way.

The Pairing

These two are perfect. They can skate together. I think this Cabernet is the best beverage I have paired with this cigar. The wine even controlled that very bold finish of the cigar. I smoked that beast down to the final half inch and that is hard to do with this cigar. I highly recommend this pairing.

Hoyo de Monterrey Maduro Presidente and Espresso Love

Espresso Love Stout by Arbor Brewing Company

The best thing about a cigar that is this long – I had time to review another beer!

The Cigar
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra
Binder: Connecticut Broadleaf
Filler: Honduran, Nicaraguan and Dominican
Size: 8.5 x 52
My Strength Rating: 4.5
This cigar has to be close to eight years old. I have had it in the humidor for awhile. I only have a couple left so tonight is the right time to enjoy this one. There is nothing fancy here it is a straight forward medium roast earthy coffee type of smoke.

The Beer
Espresso Love is a breakfast stout with a 6.5% abv and a .10 cent deposit on the bottle here in Michigan. To me Arbor Brewing can be a hit or miss deal. One batch can be just fine and then the next can make you wonder if they were sleeping in the brewing room. But, it seems to me that Espresso Love is as close to consistent as they can get.

I like the nice coffee flavor that is matched with some good dark chocolate notes. This Breakfast Stout is smooth and has a slight creaminess to its texture. There always seems to be a good balance between the hops and the malts. The carbonation is light but, for a stout it is at that max point that I would like on a stout. This is not a mouth coating stout. It has a very clean mouthfeel

The Pairing
This is a really nice pairing. There are not any strong notes from either of these two and that leaves me with a clean mouthfeel. The stout keeps it’s coffee and chocolate profile during this pairing and there seems to be a nice watery edge with the fine carbonation that keeps the palate clean. I am smoking the final third of this cigar with this stout and there are no bitter notes that are building in the cigar. Actually, this is a pretty mild to medium pairing. If you want to keep it clean – then this is it! There is nothing overwhelming on the taste buds. I don’t know about doing it for breakfast but, this would be a solid pairing for an afternoon treat or just before dinner.

Hoyo de Monterrey Maduro Presidente and Dorothy Goodbody’s: Review

Dorothy’s Our Glass and Stout on the Docket Tonight

Wrapper: Ecudoran Sumatra
Binder: Connecticut Broadleaf
Filler: Honduran, Nicaraguan and Dominican
Size: 8.5 x 52
My Strength Rating: 4.5
This cigar has to be close to eight years old. I have had it in the humidor for awhile. I only have a couple left so tonight is the right time to enjoy this one. There is nothing fancy here with this cigar it is a straight forward medium roast earthy coffee type of smoke. I think this cigar should match up well with these two beers that I have selected.

The Beers
Dorothy Goodbody’s Our Glass
Our Glass is a 6% abv Extra Special Bitter. And, I am in the mood for a good English Ale. The body of this ale has a nice looking chestnut color – ok – we could call it copper as well. The caramel sweetness is modest and the nutty raisin like quality in nice. This accompanies that classic English Ale bitterness on the taste. This ale has moderate carbonation and leaves a light bitter note on the back of the palate. This is a pleasing English Ale to drink I will be trying this one again.

The Pairing
The cigar seems to settle the ales bitter bite that is upfront when drinking the ale alone. With the hops little bitter bite out of the way the sweetness is now on display. That nutty raisin quality now shows a little sweetness along with some sweet fruits and soft spice (almost cinnamon sugar and nutmeg). This cigar really seems to have an impact of the flavors that I am experiencing from this ale.

Dorothy Goodbody’s Stout
A 4.6% abv that has a nice black body but, when held to the light it has a cola like look to the edges. It has a light smoky and malty aroma. The taste has a bitter hoppy twang with a salt block bite. Then a smoky roasted malt note appears. There is a nice earthiness to the body as well. I don’t know if I like the idea of chewing on a salt block. Drop the salty notes and give me some chocolate, coffee, and/or just plain good roasted malts. The only reason I would be this again is to see if my taster was off tonight.

The Pairing
Now, I selected this cigar because of this stout. I thought that this straight forward cigar would not interfere with the flavors of this stout. But, I did not know that the stout was going to taste like salt either. The cigar once again manages the hoppy twang in this stout – just as it did in the Our Glass Ale. The salt profile of the stout transfers that saltiness to the cigar. I swear as I puff the cigar I taste salt! The roasted and earthy notes seem to be more of an undertone during this pairing. I am going to have to experiment with some other cigars to see if that salty profile can be tamed a bit. Not a bad pairing. I liked the Our Glass and Hoyo better. Actually, I do not know if I want to buy this stout again.