The Cigar
Pinar del Rio Habano Sun Grown
Liga Cubana No. 5
Wrapper: Dominican Republic Habano Sun Grown
Binder: Criollo ’98 from Dom.
Fillers: Nicaraguan and Dom. Rep.
Size: 4.5 x 60
Beverage: Water – when I first tried to review this cigar
Off the Light: Nice earthy tone on the first two puffs and then Wham SPICE! A blast of peppery spice just dominates the palate for the next ½ an inch.
As the smoke continues the peppery spice is still full and the earthy tones are heavy. I am going to give it an 8 on my strength rating scale here on the first half.
Late in the first half the peppery spice starts to calm down and the roasted earthy tones are a little more in control of the show.
Second Half: well, that crack in the butt (on the cigar!) became a big problem. As you can see by the picture it exploded. Hell, I’ll smoke it. I’ll smoke another one later and add any updates.
The earthy tones are full and abundant. Woody, rich soil … okay I give up this is just fallen apart too much.
A few weeks later >
Okay, I am ready to go again with this cigar. I have a fresh one with no cracks.
I am drinking a Cabernet Franc Wine from Black Star Farms with this cigar to re-due this review.
This time I did not get that big blast of spice off the light. Maybe drinking this wine played a role. I’ll bet it did for the earthy tones and the peppery spice of the cigar seem a little more under control during the first half of the smoke.
The cigar has a nice medium-full roasted earthy coffee tone during this wine pairing. The strength rating seems closer to a 7 this time around. I don’t know if this inconsistency is from the beverage pairing or the cigar itself (I have not smoked enough of brand to know that) or is it just me and my palate. Whatever it is I do like this pairing.
The Second Half of the Cigar:
I am at the point where I had abandoned the first cigar that I smoked. There is a good medium-full earthy tone (rich forest floor like) here and I am starting to notice that woody note just like last time. It seems like a cedary spice taste.
The Pairing: These two are meant for each other. The cigar makes the body of the wine seem a touch fuller and that is a good thing. The blackberry profile of the wine is just as tasty as can be. The mineral soil note of the wine comingles with the rich forest floor tones of the cigar. The spicy tendencies of each match up well for a pleasing taste on the palate.
I do recommend a glass of water with this pairing for the mouthfeel is jammy during this session. The flavors just coat the palate and a good refresher is needed.
My Strength Rating: 7 – on the second cigar reviewed while drinking the glass of wine.
The Wine
Arcturos 2008 Cabernet Franc
Black Star Farms
Old Mission Peninsula
Suttons Bay, Michigan, USA
Blackstarfarms.com
12% abv
$29.50 a bottle
Visit WinePostings for the full review
Aroma: blackberry, soil earthiness, little smoky. Overall, a nice little nose.
Flavors: tasty blackberry, spice, mineral soil, smoky with a hint of oak on the finish (toasted oak).
Mouthfeel: thick, close to the jammy side, tannins and acidity while present were under control, lingering dark berries that just coat the old teeth and gums.
No comments:
Post a Comment