Don Lino Africa Victoria Falls
Wrapper: Nicaragua Habana-seed
Binder: Nicaragua
Fillers: Cameroon Africa, Dominican, Mexico, Nicaragua (I have seen Honduras in place of Mexican tobacco)
Size: 7 x 58 Salomon
My Strength Rating: 8
I really like this line of Don Lino Africa Cigars. When they first came out they called them Out of Africa and I am sure Hollywood came a calling and said, ‘we have a movie called that and drop that name.’ Don Lino cigars are usually mild to very mild cigars and when this came out they made a true medium-full to full bodied cigar.
The Don Lino Africa cigars need a full bodied beverage to maximize the experience. It’s hearty and robust style can overpower a milder beverage. And, one thing that I have learned is not to pair it with an IPA beer. The bitter level is just out of control and makes a bad pairing. I usually smoke this cigar with a full bodied red wine like a Cabernet Sauvignon or Meritage.
Off the Light: Nice cedar notes with a touch of sweet cedar, forest floor earthiness, and a good dose of dark roasted coffee that is espresso like. The ash is rugged looked and salt and pepper in color.
The first few puffs has a good medium-full bodied mouthfeel and then mellows to a nice medium as the burn continues during the first third.
Mid-point: good spicy-peppery flavors, a firm cedar, and a tasty dark roast coffee note all make for a solid 7.5 or 8 strength rating.
Down the Stretch: Now, if you smoke this cigar too fast the bitterness level can get out of control. I have had a good burn going so far and I can tell that the bitterness level is starting to show but, it is not out of control. More burnt notes are noticeable at this point in the game. Charred wood, a bit of charcoal, burnt forest floor. The finish of this cigar is for the smoker who likes a full flavored smoking experience. The finish always seems to reach my strength ratings of 9 or 10. In this case today a good 9.
I got to smoke this stick all the way down to the nub. The dark roasted coffee flavors were rich the earthy notes finished strong and overall I enjoyed this big baby.
Justin Cabernet Sauvignon 2007
13.5% abv
Justin Vineyards & Winery
Paso Robles, California, USA
JUSTINwine.com
I think I got this bottle for around $20.00.
My Strength Rating: 7
This 2007 cab has been a favorite of mine and I am now down to my last two bottles so I better do a review while I can. I attempted to do a review a couple of times but I was enjoying the wine so much that I did not want to sit back and ‘think’ about it. Doing these reviews take a lot of energy and concentration and that can take away from the experience itself.
Appearance: dark ruby body with some lighter edges
Aroma: nice spice box nose with cinnamon leading the way. Good dark berries and I am picking up a Bing cherry and black currant like aroma.
Flavors: Oh this is sooo good. There is a berry explosion on the palate with red and black berries intermingling. The acidity seems low and the tannins are soft. Oh, I wish I had more left in the cellar. A nice earthy style of forest floor and a leathery texture just adds to the experience. At times I think I notice a sweet cedar note and a thread of caramel on the palate.
The Pairing
This is bliss. The spicy-peppery style of the cigar is a good contrast to the smooth berry notes of the wine. The wine has enough body to work with this hearty cigar. The earthy notes are similar to one another with their forest floor and cedar likeness. The wine has a sweet cedar style and the cigar has a firm cedar note. That thread of caramel that runs through the wine mingles with the dark roasted coffee style of the cigar.
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