Man O’ War Toro and the turk red wine: Review

The Cigar
Man O’ War Toro
Wrapper: Habano Ecuador
Filler: Nicaraguan
Size: 6.5 x 52
My Strength Rating: 7.5

The first two inches of this cigar showcases that wonderful oaky profile that I like so much from this Man O’ War series. There is a nice sweet style of pecan wood coming through here. The earthy notes are smooth, the spicy notes are at play, and the medium-full roast coffee notes are flavorful. All these flavors are being delivered with a rich and robust mouthfeel. During the first third of the smoke it is like a rollercoaster ride for my strength rating: Off the light the cigar delivered a calm 6 and then built up to an 8 and then settled down to a 7 strength rating. The strength rating is not the only thing that changes during this smoke; the pepper spice profile changes. There is a good black pepper note during the first couple of inches and then it mellow to a nice white peppercorn taste.

The final half of the cigar is a solid medium-full and pushing toward the full. The smoking experience pushes toward that 8 strength rating on the finish. The black pepper notes come back and the earthy notes are abundant. The oaky profile builds in strength as well. This is one eventful smoke.

The Wine

the turk 2005 Blend
50% Shiraz, 28% Grenache, 16% cabernet, 6% mourvedre
Turkey Flat Vineyards
Barossa Valley
Australia
14.5%abv
http://www.turkeyflat.com.au/
My Strength Rating: 6.5

the turk 2005 has a deep purple color. The bouquet is absolutely wonderful. Smelling this wine makes me think of walking into a winery. The smell of all the grapes in a winery is such a great experience. The aroma from this wine is of dark berries and fruit along with some spice hitting the nose and I am in red wine heaven.

As the wine hits the tongue I realize there is a smorgasbord of flavors to be had. The two dominant notes to me; dark berries and green peppercorn. There is a solid blackberry profile mixed in with some sweet raspberry and red currants. Plum and black currants mix in to make this one tasty experience. Then, the earthy and smoky style kicks in to coat the palate with red wine delight. To me there is a nice undertone of rich milk chocolate.

Let me try to explain the mouthfeel. You know how your mouth gets coated from a piece of … let’s say 70% dark chocolate, how it just covers every square inch of your mouth. That is what I experience from this wine. The aftertaste is long and tasty. The texture is thick but, not overpowering. Overall the mouthfeel is rich, thick, and medium-full in body but, still smooth in its delivery.

The smoky style, the variety of berries, the spices, the earthy quality, the pepper – wow, this wine has some complexity. This wine is made for a great cigar.

I am looking forward to the 2006, which is a different blend consisting of: 33% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Shiraz, 24% Mourvedre, and 18% Grenache.

The Pairing
As I stated above, “this wine is made for a great cigar.” The variety of berries, the smoky and earthy notes, and the interesting peppery style is just going to work with so many cigars.

The oaky profile of this cigar adds a great dimension this pairing. It makes the wine taste a little fuller, while the other tasting notes comingle so well for a solid medium-full tasting experience.

The wine really manages the strength rating of this cigar. I find this cigar to be a 7.5 on my strength scale when I smoke it all by itself but, during this pairing the wine keeps this in check. I think the cigar comes across like a 6.5 during this pairing.

This would be an excellent for an after dinner experience.

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