Tatuaje Tainos Cigar and Gerard Bertrand Corbieres 2006: Pairing

The Wine

Gerard Bertrand Corbieres 2006

Syrah & Mourvedre

13.5% abv

Gerard-bertrand.com

France

Opened the bottle last night and had a glass with dinner.  The taste was okay, the nose very nice, but I was too tired to do a wine review.  The taste was simple and boring and I did not even finish the glass.  So, I capped the bottle and here I am today doing the review today. 

Appearance: deep garnet

Aroma: black cherry, dark currants, herbal-spice note

Flavors: Much better today.  Firm earthy quality, nice dark berry blend, nice touch of sweet black cherry, pleasing spice.  As I focus on the spice I notice a touch of thyme and white pepper.   On my second glass there is a good smoky note hitting the nose and this transfers to the taste. 

Mouthfeel: firm, jammy at times, smooth overall, tannins under control, nice acidic structure,

My Strength Rating: 7 – very tasty, on the second day, firm and thick texture for a good medium-full mouthfeel. 

If you get this bottle, decant it for at least 20 minutes to get the flavors to open up. 

The Cigar and Pairing

Tatuaje Tainos

Wrapper: Habano Ecuador

Binder: Nicaraguan

Fillers: Nicaraguan

Size: 7.6 x 49 Double Corona

Source: Tatuajecigars.com

Tatuaje is Spanish for tattoo

Off the Light: smooth, portabella mushroom earthy quality, touch of spice.

As the smoking experience continues I think it reminds me of: meaty portabella, sweet spice, a touch of pink peppercorn, rich soil.  Medium on the palate.

I introduced the cigar on the second half of the wine bottle.  The wine notes have opened up and I thought this cigar would make a good pairing and I am not disappointed.

The wine mingles well with this tasty cigar.  The interplay of the spices is a tasty treat.  The dark berries and black cherry of the wine balance with the earthy mushroom qualities of the cigar at this point.

Mid-Point: late on the first third and moving into the mid-point the black pepper spice is starting to kick in.  The sweet spice and mushroom notes have moved on but the earthy note reminds me of a rich soil.  There is a medium roast coffee note developing along with some hardwood note.  The body weight seems to move into the medium-full category in the mid-point.  I’ll place it as a 6 on my strength scale.

The wines white pepper and thyme notes complement the cigars black peppery profile that has developed.  The rich soil earth and coffee notes of the cigar play well with those berry and cherry notes of the wine.  

Down the Stretch: firm hardwood, forest floor earthy notes, coffee, and green peppercorn mix for a good medium-full experience.  I’ll give it a 6.5 on my strength scale.  The cigar never becomes bitter down the stretch. 

My Strength Rating: 6 – nice complexities and I like how the cigar evolved throughout the smoking experience. 

This wine has been a perfect match with this cigar.  The wines flavors seem to comingle with that of the cigar and this is maximizing my smoking experience. 

With each sip of the wine I look forward to each puff of the cigar and likewise.   As I near the end of the cigar and the last few sips of wine I just wish this experience could continue. 

5 Vegas Cask Strength Firkin and Hofbrau Maibock: Pairing

The Beer

Hofbrau Maibock

7.2% abv

330ml bottle

Staatliches Hofbrauhaus

Munchen, Germany

Appearance: shiny copper with plenty of head that is slightly off-white in color.

Aroma: very faint, slight sweet

Flavors: the grainy sweet malts are up front, kinda tasty, a nice grassy hop note in the middle, slightly peppery finish.  After a few more sips I notice a slightly toasted caramel note with a nice nutty style.  This bottle is much different than the one I had 2 or 3 years ago.  All I remember is that euro metallic taste with a flat Oktoberfest profile.  Today, this one is very nice.    

Mouthfeel: surprisingly the carbonation seems on the low side, semi-dry finish with that slight peppery finish to boot.  A light dry grassy note lingers on the palate. 

My Strength Rating: 4.5 -

The Cigar

5 Vegas Cask Strength Firkin

Wrapper: Nicaraguan Corojo
Filler: Ligeros leafs are use from: Nicaragua, Honduras, and beyond – where is beyond?
Size: 6 x 60 box-pressed – I don’t think I have had a 60 ring box-pressed cigar before.

Freebie with purchase.  I just figured something out here.  The freebie Firkin is a rectangular box-pressed and the ones I bought back in February are squared box-press.  I looked at my order from then and it is called a Firkin.  So, which is its true shape?

I am smoking the freebie.  The rectangular shaped one. 

Off the Light: (11:22pm) very smooth and mellow with a soft earthy tone on the first few puffs.  For the next inch the notes are of soft earth; white mushroom and moss like.  My strength rating for the opening is 3.  I am wondering if they put the wrong cigar bands on this cigar. 

The draw on this cigar seems weak at times.  It is not tight.  It just seems like the smoke is just not coming through. 

This is not the pairing I was expecting.  The cigar profile is throwing me a curve ball here.  I was expecting a much stronger smoke with some good oak, solid earth, and maybe some spice.  But, the beer is matching the strength level at this point.  The soft earthy tones of the cigar are mingling just fine with the toasted caramel and grassy hops of this Maibock. 

Mid-Point: Someone is messing with me.  Now, I am not a big 5 Vegas fan nor have I smoked a ton of the Cask Strength style.  Last year I bought a 5 pack of the Toro (which I think that was the only size at the time) and I enjoyed them.  They were hearty and meaty overall.  Not this one. 

Some mild roasted coffee notes are coming into play.  There is still a decent soft earthy style but some woody notes are starting to develop.  I am at the mid-point of the cigar and the best I can describe the earthy notes is ‘forest floor.’  Mushroom, moss, wet leaves, some damp wood, and some mineral soil tones. 

As the experience passed the mid-point a touch of spice starts to inter the picture. (12:00am) The texture is super smooth and seems damp.  I guess that is consistent with the earthy style.  

The Hofbrau Maibock is mixing it up well with this stick.  I think the Maibock seems a little spicier paired with this cigar at this point.  The beer is also a little earthier in profile during this pairing.  It is clearly reminding me of a good Oktoberfest beer at this point. 

Late in the second third of the cigar, the spice has not really developed into much, the spice seems soft and mellow.  All of a sudden some oak comes on to the scene.  The coffee note is more medium roast in style and the body seems more medium.  It is like the cigar went from a three strength rating to a five in a puff.  Don’t get me wrong on the first half.  I think I liked the flavor profile.  I just was not expecting what I experienced. 

Down the Stretch: the amount of smoke coming from the cigar has increased and I guess the flavors will follow.  Let’s see. 

The oaky note has strengthened along with some fine grind black pepper.  The earthy notes are more solid and firm and the toasted notes seem heartier at this point.  The strength rating kicked it up a notch to a six. 

The Maibock seems fuller in body during this exchange.  There seems to be some toasty grains and a nice spiciness to the beer. 

My Strength Rating: 4.5 overall – started off mild-medium.  Then, the body moved to medium at the mid-point.  Then, medium-full on the finish.  The cigar never became bitter or harsh. 

This was one crazy review (with the cigar).  I never had this size before and now I want to try another to see if it is the same but, I only had this one. 

At 12:50 am I have about an inch to go on the cigar.  Overall, this was an interesting ride.  I did not expect the flavor profile at the start of this cigar.  What I got ‘down the stretch’ is what I thought I was in for. 

Reposado Habano ‘96 and Mikkeller Beer Geek Breakfast Stout: Pairing

The Cigar

Reposado Habano ‘96

Wrapper: Habano

Fillers: Nicaragua

Size: 7.1 x 58 figurado

I bought this stick a month or so ago and just getting a chance to try it.  I thought I bought the maduro figurado so, I selected an oatmeal stout to pair with it.  After lighting the cigar and a few puffs later I had a strange tasting maduro.  So, I looked at my order and I bought the Habano wrapped cigar.  I don’t know how this will go with my stout – but, I’ll find out in a few minutes.

Off the Light: Easy to light and it is a fine looking stick.  Medium-full pepper strength and a dusty earth profile.  After the first couple of inches the peppery notes start to subside and a nice Habano spiciness is in firm control. 

Mid-Point: a good dry earthy tone dominates, leathery in texture, and that firm spiciness continues to tingles the tongue. 

Down the Stretch: the Habano spiciness has left me, earthy tones of soil and woody notes are the main stay. 

My Strength Rating: 7 – That peppery start plays a big role. 

The Stout

Mikkeller Beer Geek Breakfast

Oatmeal Stout Brewed with Coffee

7.5% abv

1pt 9oz bottle

$10.00 a bottle

Mikkeller

Nogne O Grimstad, Norway

Appearance: black with a tan head that leaves plenty of lacing on the glass.

Aroma: rich roasted malts and coffee

Flavors: nice roasted coffee flavor but then the other flavors are muted or muddled together.  Roasted malts and toasted grains is the best I can come up with.  There is a bitter finish like black walnuts and a dash of saltiness. 

Mouthfeel: heavy in weight, low in carbonation like a stout, bitter on the finish and a thick lingering nasty sour-bitter taste is left on the palate. 

My Strength Rating: 8.5 – it’s that linger aftertaste that raises my strength rating. 

To the Point: skip this one.  Unless you like a very bitter tasting stout. 

The Pairing

This is God Damn awful.  That bitter note and that strange lingering aftertaste just collide with the cigars spice profile.  The beer cost 10 bucks and the cigar 3 bucks and I am pitching the beer.  Not saying much for that beer.

5 Vegas Gold Maduro Campana Pyramid: Review

Wrapper: Pennsylvania Broadleaf

Binder: Nicaraguan

Filler: Honduran and Nicaraguan

Size: 5 x 58 Pyramid

Freebie with purchase

I am doing this review outdoors which I do not like to do.  I always think that the wind and other outdoor factors interfere with reviewing specific tasting notes.  The wind does make a cigar burn faster and that right there will change the smoking experience.  But, this is a 5 Vegas Gold Maduro so, there should not be too much of an issue here.

Off the Light: dusty soil earthy tones.  As I get about an inch into the cigar there is a slight hint of coffee.  Medium in body and fairly smooth in texture.  Late in the first third some spice finally kicks in. 

Mid-Point: a good mix of green and white peppercorn makes for a tasty spice profile, a mild to medium roast coffee, and that dusty earth note is present.  The mouthfeel is dry and semi-smooth. 

Down the Stretch: the dry texture is demanding a good amount of lager.  The spice seems to be more of an undertone to the mild coffee and dusty soil notes at this point. 

My Strength Rating: 5

To the Point: a good average cigar, not that complex, and enjoyable with a malted beverage.

Cuba Libre Campana Pyramid: Review

Wrapper: Corojo

Filler: Jalapa Valley

Size: 5 x 58 Pyramid

Freebie with purchase

Cost is around $2.50 per cigar

Off the Light: the first few puffs had a nice earthy start and then a strange chemical note came along.  The chemical note is a cross between a cleaner and a glad bag and this is making me sad.  I had a very nice wine to pair with this stick.

Now that I am past the first inch that strange taste is gone but, I can’t get it out of my mind or my taste buds.  It had lasted for about four or five puffs of the cigar.

Okay, some earthy notes are starting to come into focus with some toasted grains. 

Mid-Point: mineral earthiness (this is good), dry roasted nuts, slightly burnt hardwood notes.  The texture is a bit scratchy. 

As the cigar passes the mid-point it starts to mellow a bit. 

Down the Stretch: toasty and roasted notes of earth and wood. 

My Strength Rating: 6 – a rough smoke. I can’t believe I finished it. 

To the Point: This stick is nothing like other Cuba Libres that I have had.  They are an average to slightly above but, this one is way below average.  The grade of D for sure.

Reposado Connecticut ‘96 and St. Feuillien Triple Abbey Ale: Pairing

The Cigar

Reposado Connecticut  ‘96

Wrapper: Connecticut

Fillers: Nicaragua

Size: 7.1 x 58 figurado

If you are looking for a mild cigar to smoke this is it.  It sports flavors of toasted white bread, lightly roasted almond, and a white mushroom earthy tone.  On the final third of the cigar there is a moderate oaky note that is introduced with a little firmer earthiness, and toasted grains. 

This is a good cigar to pair with Belgium ales, IPA’s, or even light to medium bodied red wines that are fruit forward.

The Ale

St. Feuillien Triple Abbey Ale

8.5% abv

1pt 9.4oz

$10.00 a bottle

St. Feuillien Brewery

Le Roeulx, Belgium

St-feuillien.com

Appearance: hazy golden color body and a two finger foamy white head. 

Aroma: Tropical fruit meets sweet passion fruit.  The bouquet is very nice as the ale warms up.

Flavors: sweet candy coated fruits, a touch of mango with a smidge of apricot. Then, throw in a tad of pear and okay a squeeze of green grape and a little golden raisin.  There seems to be a dash of hula skirt grass from the hops! 

Mouthfeel: yeasty up front with a bit of bittness (light) on the finish.  Creamy in delivery and a semi-dry fruity aftertaste. 

My Strength Rating: 6 – the complexities of flavors and lingering aftertaste. 

To the Point:  tasty candied fruits and creamy texture with a semi-dry finish to make a pretty good Triple Abbey. 

 

The Pairing

Tonight I am pairing this with St. Feuillien Triple Abbey Ale.  This cigar does not interfere at all with the wonderful passion fruits of this tasty Triple Abbey Ale. 

I am enjoying this pairing and it is reminding me that I need more milder bodied cigars in my humidor so I can pair them with some of the tasty beverage that I mentioned. 

Gran Habano Imperiales #5 and The Hattrick 2005 Reserve Merlot: Cigar and Wine Pairing

The Wine

The Hattrick 2005 Reserve Merlot

Igor Larionov Select Wines

Stags Leap District

Napa Valley

14.5% abv

$45.00

The cork reads, “Hockey is my life – wine is my passion”

On the back of the bottle, “The Merlot with a splash of Cabernet Franc Exhibits a deep ruby – garnet color as well as dense, smoky black cherry flavors, medium to full body, soft tannins and plump finish.”

Iltripleovertime.com

Appearance: deep ruby it is

Aroma: smoky, dark berries, touch of oak

Flavors: earthy notes of rich soil and minerals, toasted oak, tobacco, black currants, I am not thinking of black cherry (sweet) it is more like a Michigan cherry (tart) especially on the finish,

Mouthfeel: smooth in delivery, a slight tartness on the back of the palate, a dry oaky note and dark berry like lingering note

My Strength Rating: 7  a very good medium-full bodied red wine.

The Cigar

Gran Habano Imperiales #5

Wrapper: Nicaraguan Corojo

Binder: Costa Rica

Fillers: Costa Rica and Nicaraguan

Size: 6 x 60

The box is marked 2008

And this is my last stick of this size

Off the Light: sea salt, coarse black peppercorns, rich forest floor earthy tones

Mid-point: The tasting notes from the first third continue.  They seemed to mellow a little and then they picked back up as I entered into the mid-point.  I am picking up a toasted oak note late in the mid-point.  This is a very good strong stick.  At this point I would have to say my strength rating would be an 8. 

Down the Stretch: The salty taste faded finally, the black peppercorn seemed more like a fine grind rather than a coarse peppery taste, the earthy notes seemed scorched along with some dark roasted coffee notes along with some toasted oak.  I may be picking up some of the oak taste from the wine.  But, I like it anyways. 

My Strength Rating: 8 overall.  Solid black peppery notes throughout, with a firm oaky presence on the second half of the cigar and a tasty earthy tone is mingled in to add some interest. 

The Pairing

Wow, my first few sips were a collision in flavor profiles.  The spicy profile of the cigar transferred to the wine.  That was a zesty, tazangy, tantalizing twister on my tongue.  The flavors that collided came from the sea salt and black pepper like notes of the cigar crashing with the tart cherry and oaky like notes of the wine. 

The next few sips calmed down a little but, that is not saying much.  Well, it was mostly zippy on the back of the tongue.  Let’s do a little water here and see what happens. 

Wine first and the flavor profile is back in order.  Couple puffs of the cigar and that seems okay.  Now, back to the wine.  Yep, the wine has a little zip to it when I smoke the cigar first and then go to the wine.  Time for more water. 

The flavors of the wine are starting to adjust here with each exchange.  The tasty berry like flavors and rich soil earthy notes are coming back with each sip of the wine. 

5 Vegas Gold Double Nickel and North Bridge Extreme: Pairing

The Ale

North Bridge Extreme

Norrebro Bryghus

Imperial India Pale Ale

Copenhagen, Denmark

9.5% abv

1pt 4.3oz bottle

$15.00 a bottle

On sale $10.00

Appearance: dirty brown with a fine beige head.  Solid lacing and a thin layer of head sticks around. 

Aroma: earthy hops, funky roasted caramel, barnyard.  Not the best bouquet around. Is this old?  No expiration date on the bottle. 

Flavors: earthy dusty hops, toasted caramel, good touch of toffee flavored coffee, grains, herbal

Mouthfeel: a touch of bitterness balanced with a solid dose of sweetness for an IPA, there seems to be a thick feel that comes across as ‘almost’ creamy.  Toasted caramel, grassy, grainy lingering notes. 

To the Point: This is a strange Imperial IPA.  It is sweeter than I would expect.  Too many identifiable malty notes and the hops seem muted or dusty.  It should be the other way around.  Well, it is interesting.  Interesting as in I cannot decide if I like it yet or not. 

My Strength Rating: 6 – medium-full rating because of it complex flavor profile and lingering notes. 

Oh, I put on my reading glasses and just started to read the bottle – here is an interesting tasting note on the back of the bottle: “…unusual for a true imperial IPA – created by an intense malty body that softens the extreme hoppiness.”

Wish I looked at the bottle first.   I did but, I just could not read it (the small writing), because I did not have my reading glasses on! 

The Cigar

5 Vegas Gold Double Nickel

Wrapper: Connecticut Shade

Filler: Honduran, Dominican

Size: 5 x 5.5

My Strength Rating: 2.5

These 5 Vegas Golds are very smooth and tasty mild cigars.  I usually get a nice mellow oaky flavor and a mild almond like nutty note.  This is not a complex cigar.  I like this cigar for pairing with milder dishes, white fish or shell fish.  They also pair well with pilsners, lagers, other lighter beers and white wine.

I selected this cigar to see if the mellow oaky notes of this cigar would collide with the strong citrusy notes of an IPA.  Well, this is not a strong citrusy IPA.  The malty notes play a big role in this beer. 

The Pairing

These two work well together.  There are enough earthy tones in this Imperial IPA to play off the oaky flavor of this cigar.  My hypothesis was that the oaky note would not work well with the hoppy citrusy notes of an IPA.  The tasty toasty caramel and grainy malts mingle well with the almond like nuttiness of the cigar.  I believe these malty notes impart a sweet earthy tone on this cigar. 

I am still up in the air if I like this ale or not but, I do know that I really like this cigar with this ale.  I would buy this beer again just to have it with this cigar.

Don Pepin Series JJ Salomon and Skargaards Porter: Pairing

The Porter

Skargaards Porter

Porter Brewed with Honey

By: Norrebro Bryghus

Copenhagen, Denmark

6% abv

1pt 4.3oz bottle

$15.00 a bottle

On sale for $10.00

Appearance: black body with a strong foamy tan head.

Aroma: soft roasted malts on the nose

Flavors: Black tea comes to mind, soft pumpernickel bread, and pecan nuts.  As the beer warms some mild coffee kicks in with a smoky alder wood note.  I don’t notice any honey notes but, maybe it is mixed in with the slight sweet and toasted malts. 

Mouthfeel: smooth, not much carbonation, I don’t get any creamy feel, more watery but, not in a bad way.  Light bitterness lingers on the palate with some roasted grains and a dark chocolate feel.    

My Strength Rating: 6 the lingering bitterness brings this up to the six rating.

To the Point: not a bad Porter.  I am not going out of my way to buy another. 

The Cigar

Don Pepin Series JJ Salomon

This in a Nicaraguan Puro

The wrapper is Nicaraguan Corojo

Size: 7.25 x 57

Off the Light: light woody notes and soft soil earthy tones.  I am thinking a 3.5 or 4 on my strength scale.  As the cigar continues the earthy tones are pleasing and there is a soft peppery style that starts to build. 

Mid-point: The hard wood notes and soft soil earthy tones are still the main profile.  There is a hint of soft white pepper.  Not as peppery as the smaller sizes.  There is an undertone of mild roasted coffee.  I am thinking the strength is around a 4 on my strength scale; just on the light side of medium.

Down the Stretch: as the smoking experience comes around the final bend the woody notes are still present with the earthy notes building up in strength.  There are more roasted grainy notes at this point without being bitter or too strong.

The Pairing

Not a bad pairing.  There is nothing super special here in this pairing.  The woody notes and mild coffee play well with each other.  I think I could fall asleep during this pairing.

Don Pepin Series JJ Maduro Sublime and Little Kornkny Ale 2006: Pairing

The Ale

Little Kornkny Ale 2006

Norrebro Bryghus

Barley-Wine Style Ale

“…brewed with US hops and European malts…”

“…notes of plums, dried fruits, spice, and caramel.”

Copenhagen, Denmark

12% abv

1pt 4.3oz bottle

$25.00 a bottle

On sale $21.00

Appearance: dark brown body with a thin tan head this turned to nothing in a split second.

Aroma: rich sweet caramel, touch of delicate spice

Flavors: sweet caramel mixed with molasses and brown sugar upfront, dry fig, dried brown spice, touch of pink peppercorn, touch of semi-sweet chocolate, vanilla extract.  This is a sipper.  When the ale warms up the alcohol spice is a little more noticeable.

Mouthfeel: smooth, a touch boozy or cognac like, note much in carbonation, a syrupy sweetness dominates the palate and lingers on the tongue. 

My Strength Rating: 7.5 – the syrupy feel adds some good weight, the cognac likeness adds depth and the complex flavor profile adds a lot of character. 

This Barley-Wine Style Ale should be very good to pair with a cigar. 

 

Don Pepin Series JJ Maduro Sublime

Wrapper: Broadleaf Maduro

Fillers: Nicaraguan Corojo and Criollo

Size: 6 x 54

$13.75 in Michigan

This cigar has been around for a while for the white cigar band has turned to a cream color from the tobacco. 

Off the Light: dry earth and hardwood greet the palate.  As the smoke continues there is a fine grind peppercorn blend that plays on the palate and sinuses. 

Mid-point: dry earth, forest floor, toasted oak, medium dark roast coffee, white peppercorn mustiness,

Down the Stretch: The toasted oak note was a bit stronger, roasted tobacco, dark roast coffee, and dry earthy notes.  The peppercorn notes seemed to take a back seat during the last third. 

My Strength Rating: 7 - firm medium-full body with rich meaty flavors.

The Pairing

When I take a few puffs of the cigar and then sip the ale the cigar helps to cut through some of the sweetness and leaves a wonderful aftertaste. 

Now, when I sip the Barley-wine style ale first I get that rush of sweetness and the other flavors of the ale and then when I puff the cigar it seems like some of the flavors transfer to the cigar.  The maduro sweetness is little more noticeable.

This is a solid pairing. 

Gurkha Empire III and Norrebros Julebryg: Pairing

The Ale

Norrebros Julebryg

Norrebro Bryghus

Ale brewed with spices

Copenhagen, Denmark

7% abv

1pt 4.3oz bottle

$15.00 a bottle

On sale $10.00

“…unique Danish style Christmas ale.”

Appearance: ruddy brown with a fine tan head that leaves some lacing on the glass.

Aroma: sweet bread and rich spice nose

Flavors: nutmeg, clove, dry brown spice box, pecan nut, toasted grain.

Mouthfeel: a bit watery on the edges, light feel on the palate, pie crust note linger for a short time. 

My Strength Rating: 3.5

To the Point: If I was to grade the ale I’d give it a B-.  $10 for a B- is not worth the price.  While it has some interesting flavors all I could think was ‘so what.’

The Cigar

Gurkha Empire III

Wrapper: Costa Rican Madura

Fillers: Dominican and Honduran

Size: 5.5 x 52

This cigar is consistent throughout the smoking experience.  Toasted marble bread (pumpernickel and rye), medium roast coffee, sweet maduro style.  The mouthfeel is fairly smooth, dry coffee like notes linger on the palate.  My strength rating is a 4 overall. 

The Pairing

Rather dull and boring.  Neither one really helped the other during this pairing.