La Flor Dominicana Air Bender Maduro and Bell’s Cherry Stout: Pairing

The Stout

Bell’s Cherry Stout

Bell’s Brewery, Inc

Comstock, Michigan, USA

Bellsbeer.com

7% abv

12oz bottle
$16.99 a six pack

Packaged on 10/4/11

Stout brewed with Michigan cherry juice

The few beers that I have had with cherries added to the mix I have not truly enjoyed. So, let’s see if Bells can pull it off.

Appearance: black body with a toasty tan one finger head that leaves very little lacing if any.

Aroma: to me there is not much on the nose, I do pick up the cherry juice, but the stout notes seem relaxing

Flavors: oh yes, the cherry flavor is pleasing with a stout background giving it some body. The flavor reminds me of a coffee cherry blend. The coffee note seems medium in strength.

Mouthfeel: smoother than I expected, some nice stout like bitterness but not powerful, lingering cherry and roasted notes on the palate.

My Strength Rating: 6 – medium-full overall to me

To the Point: leave it to Bell’s to do it right with the cherry flavor. I cannot think of one beer with cherry added to it that I would drink again but, I would do this and good thing since I bought a six pack. I think the wife may even like this stout and she does not like too many types of stout.

The Cigar 

La Flor Dominicana Air Bender Maduro

Wrapper: Brazilian Habano
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic

Size: 6.5 x 54

Off the Light: little spicy and earthy from the start.  Deep soil earthy tone with a grassy/grainy note with a white and black pepper mix swirling around.  The cigar has a good medium body mouthfeel here at the start.

Pairing: The Bell’s Cherry Stout reminds me of a coffee cherry roast blend.  This stout goes well with this Air Bender.  The cigars earthy style of soil, grass, and grains mingles perfectly with the stout’s upfront cherry profile.  The stout’s smooth and tasty mouthfeel is a nice complement to the cigars smooth mouthfeel yet light peppery taste. 

Mid-Point: the mid-point brings a ‘black and tan’ coffee tone that reminds me of the medium-roast black and tan coffee from Biggby Coffee.  The soil, grass, and grainy earthy tones of the cigar continue along with a tasty mild white and black pepper mill mix.  The texture is smooth while the earthy tones coat the palate.  I’ll have to give it a 5.5 on my strength scale. 

Pairing: during the exchanges between these two fine products the big cherry profile of the stout seems to transfer to the flavor profile of the cigar.  Take a couple of sips of this stout then, swirl it around the palate and then take a few puffs of the cigar and you will experience this exchange.    

Down the Stretch: the cigar picks up a little bitter bite during the final third but, nothing that detracts from the taste.  The earthy style is a bit more roasted.  The soil is deeper and the grains are toastier. 

My Strength Rating: 6 – just making into the medium-full range.  The final third brought it up to the 6 rating. 

To the Point (cigar): a good quality smoke but, is it worth the $14.00 a stick price?  Well, probably not.  It is worthy to try one or two sticks.