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Saturday, July 2, 2011

Blend Lab CI XL-6560 and Founders KBS: Pairing

The Stout

Founders KBS – Kentucky Breakfast Stout
The Amazing Kosmicki’s Highly Acclaimed KBS
A Stout Ale Aged in Oak Bourbon Barrels
11.2% abv
12oz founders stubby bottle
70 IBU’s
$? No price on the bottle

On this rainy afternoon I thought I would take some time to do something different, how about a stout and a cigar review.  After all I have been doing a lot of ales, lagers and pilsners. 

Appearance: black lovely body with a firm one finger tan head that takes its time going down and then with each sip from her tulip shaped lips she leaves some nice lacing behind enough lacing to get a grown man in trouble with his wife. 

Aroma:  nice toasted malt sent and freshly ground coffee nose.  Every now and then while drinking I pick up an oaky note.

Flavors: oh, the flavors.  This is beer heaven.  All the notes are rich so, let’s get that out of the way.  Wonderful and bold dark roasted coffee, 90 to 95% dark chocolate goodness (and I love dark chocolate), vanilla bean and toasted grains with a nice touch of oak.  When I am sipping this ale I do not directly taste bourbon but, I get the feel of it – warmth (see mouthfeel).  I personally don’t like the direct bourbon interpretations. 

Mouthfeel: thick, a touch syrupy, creamy, silky smooth in texture, warm on the palate and I think my body temperature went up a degree or two, low (none) carbonation which adds to the very good creamy style. 

My Strength Rating: 9 – anything that brings your body temperature up a few degrees is on the full side.  Solid complexities, long lingering aftertaste. 



The Cigar

Blend Lab CI XL-6560
Wrapper: Connecticut  Ecuador
Binder: Habano Honduras Viso
Fillers: Ligero Esteli, Viso Jalapa, Seco Jamastran
Size: 6.5 x 60 The cigar itself weighs in at one poundJ
I love this size for a cigar. 
$8.00 a stick

This cigar is too good looking to smoke.

Off the Light: heavy smoke with each puff, dry dusty soil, and anticipation.  As the smoke continues I can notice the cedar starting to build, the dry dusty soil is still in the mix, by the time I am well into the first third the cedar profile has taken over and it is a firm cedar like quality.  The spice is not black pepper but, it kind of reminds me of ginger. 

Mid-Point: solid light gray ash, no flaking, even burn.  The dominate note is firm cedar, the dry dusty soil seems to have evolved into a bright mild-medium roast coffee note.  There is a long linger cedar spice like tingling on the tongue.  The more I think about the aftertaste I could go for a ginger and white pepper spice quality.  But, the cedar sure is present.  The texture is smooth overall. 

As the cigar passes the mid-point the white pepper seems to be more noticeable in the flavor. 


Down the Stretch: there is a slight bittering of the aftertaste probably from the heavy dose of cedar.  Cedar still seems to be the main profile.  The spice is white pepper on the taste and aftertaste.  The earthy tones seem to be a good mix of forest floor. 

The best way to describe ‘forest floor’ is: think of being in the woods and you grab a hand full of earth, what do you have … some rich soil, twigs (woody notes), leaves (tobacco), stone (mineral quality).  So yes, forest floor can be slightly different from product to product.  It could be more focused on woody and leaves and less on soil and mineral – or the other way around – or even some other combination.   

My Strength Rating: 4.5 – the firm cedar brings it up in value. 


The Pairing

The exchange between these two is interesting.  If I have a few sips of this tasty ale and then puff the cigar – the first puff or two seems to be void of flavor.

When I puff the cigar and then go to the ale it is a different tune.   The ales bitter notes are brought to the forefront for a moment and the vanilla bean for some reason is recognizable. 

The ales rich coffee and dark chocolate style is pure delight and is a very good complement to the cigars cedar, mild coffee, and white pepper profile. 

The way to maximize your enjoyment with these two is to pause for a moment between the exchanges.  The flavors get a moment settle within the mouth and then they seem to mingle better when the other is introduced.  For example: when I take a few puffs of the cigar, then pause and take a sip of the ale the cedar quality mingles better with the ale.  And I really like it the other way. When I take a sip or two of the ale and that rich coffee and chocolate melds into the palate and then I take a puff of the cigar – it brings out a bit of the coffee note in the cigar smoke. 

These two do work well together.  The ale is a sipping ale so you need lots of time (11% alcohol remember) and this is a big stogie so, you do have lots of time (2 hours +) if you are going to smoke it and enjoy the experience. 

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