Curivari Seleccion Privada Diplomaticos and Swordfish Double Cascadian Dark Ale

The Cigar

Curivari Seleccion Privada Diplomaticos

Curivari.com

Nicaragua Puro

Criollo and Corojo Tobaccos

Size: 6.25 x 54

Personally, some guy must have measured this one … I would bet it is no bigger than 52 on the ring gauge. 

Off the Light: the palate is greeted with roasted grains and a medium roast coffee style.  As the smoke continues there seems to be an Alder wood quality in the mix. Smooth delivery and medium in body.

Mid-Point: The woody quality continues with a mild-medium coffee and roasted grains.  The Curivari web site says it has a sweet finish.  I’ll call it a semi-sweet finish.  Also on the web site it says it has flavors of vanilla and wood.  I am having a hard time picking up the vanilla note.  The smooth texture makes for a pleasing smoking experience. 

Down the Stretch: a pretty consistent smoke throughout.  Medium body, nice toasted notes and a smooth delivery. 

To the Point: I like this stick.  If you like a medium bodied smoke with some good roasted notes this is it. 

The Ale

Swordfish Double Cascadian Dark Ale

Reel Ales

Fish Brewing Company

Olympia, Washington, USA

Reelales.com

7.5% abv

64 IBUs

1pt 6oz bottle

The store I go to gave me this bottle.

Appearance: black body with a two finger tan and creamy looking head that leave some massive lacing on the glass. 

Aroma: nice hoppy presence that reminds me of soft pine; roasted grains in the mix, a touch of semi-sweet chocolate

Flavors: the hoppy notes come through with a tasty mix of pine and citrus rind; the toasted malts are present with roasted grains, bitter chocolate bite, toasted … slightly burnt caramel, I think you can even throw in coffee … medium roast coffee

Mouthfeel: low carbonation, nice bitter style (it does have a 65 IBU), the malts are doing their job for some balance, lingering roasted notes on the aftertaste, a touch of 99% dark chocolate bitterness, not heavy like a stout – closer to a porter in mouthfeel 

To the Point: to me it is a tasty dark ale and perfect on this cold fall day here in Michigan. 

The Pairing

This is one fine pairing.  The roasted grains, medium coffee and nice woody style of the cigar comingles well with the Ales hoppy tones and roasted malts.  The medium body of the cigar keeps the bitterness of the Ale in check.  A stronger or spicier cigar would bring out the bitterness of the Ale and may be too much.  

Ave Maria Cigars: Quick Reviews

Clermont Corona

Size: 5.5 x 45

Profile: Nice full bodied start off the light. Settles to a medium-full after the first half inch.  Solid oak and earthy style while the peppery spice plays on the nose and the back of the palate.  I smoked this little stogie down to the nub – my finger tips and lips started to feel the burn. 

I paired this cigar with Altenmunster Festbier.  This Marzen style beer is a mild brew yet tasty.  It has sweet toasted malts, light rye bread likeness, and grassy hops to give it some balance. This Oktoberfest may not be big in style but, it is tasty and easy to drink.  As for the pairing; this is very pleasing.  The oaky profile of the cigar mixes it up well with this beer.  Altenmunster just refreshes the palate and makes me want another puff of the cigar. 

Crusader Robusto

Size: 5 x 52

Profile: This stick starts off differently than the Corona.  Nice sweet tobacco notes with a soft earthy tones.  The mouthfeel is more medium-full on this Robusto compared to the full bodied start of the corona.  As the smoke continues on this Robusto the oaky wood note develops as the soft earthy tones and sweet tobacco swirl around the palate.  So far I have not noticed the spice showing up (half-way thru).  As soon as I write that on the next few puffs the white pepper spice hits the palate.  The second half of this cigar finishes on the full side of medium-full.  The sweet tobacco notes seem to fade in the second half.   

Knights Templar Toro

Size: 6 x 48

I don’t remember the last time I had a Toro size with a 48 ring gauge.  I like the 52 or 54 sized Toro’s.

Profile: has a hint of sweet tobacco but not as much as the Crusader Robusto.  The oak was up front here at the start.  As the smoking experience continues this stick is reminding me of the Churchill size with the oak as the main profile with a little earthiness and this stick has just a hint of dusty white pepper. 

I paired this stogie with Xingu Black Beer.  The oaky profile of the cigar was a nice contrast to the black beers toasted grains and roasted caramel. 

Ave Maria Lionheart and Peirano Estate Petite Sirah 2008: Pairing

The Cigar

Ave Maria Lionheart Box-press

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano Sun Grown

Binder: Nicaraguan

Fillers: Nicaraguan

Size: 5.5 x 55

Special Edition Sampler

Taste Profile: nice woody tone that reminds me of oak, a touch of walnut, earthy notes, and dusty white pepper. The cigar has a dry leathery texture.  The cigar provides plenty of smoke, burns evenly, and has a solid medium body just on the edge of medium-full. 

The Wine

Peirano Estate Petite Sirah 2008

The Heritage Collection

Peirano Estate Vineyards

Graton, California, USA

11.2% abv

See full review (click here)

This wine has a very nice bouquet.  To me this wine has rich dark berries, dark soil earthy tones with a firm oaky presence, and hint of soft white pepper. 

The Pairing

These two match up well with their oaky tones and dusty white pepper spice.  The dark berries of the wine mingle well with the earthy and walnut notes of the cigar.  I like puffing on this and when the dry leathery mouthfeel kicks in a sip or two of the wine refreshes the palate and those tasty dark berry notes are just wonderful.  

Black Crown Robusto Cigar

Wrapper: Honduran Habano

Binders: yes, two: Honduran Habano and Nicaraguan Ligero

Fillers: Seven different long filler from Central America

Size: 5 x 50

It is interesting how things work out sometimes.  Usually I end up on the day late and dollar short side but, not this time.  I was planning to buy a five pack of the Black Crown Cigar ($23.00) and buy a new lighter.  The lighter I was planning on buying was the Bugatti B-2002 Dual Flame Lighter which was selling for $49.00.  That would be $72.00 plus shipping and handling.

Two days later I see the ‘week-end spotlight’:  A box of 20 Robusto Black Crown cigars for $79.00 plus a free Bugatti B-2002 Dual Flame Lighter and free shipping to boot.

Today they showed up on the door step.  Let’s give one a review but, remember they just showed up today.  In the winter months I like to give the cigars a little time in the humidor to readjust from the shipping process so, this should not be a problems here in October. 

Appearance: nice looking stick, brown leather like look and a nice sheen.

Off the Light: nice and spicy; reminds me of spicy cedar and cracked black pepper.  As the smoke continues there is a good earthy tone of forest floor (dried leafs, fertile soil and cedar wood). Solid full bodied experience on the first inch or so; the spice profile is the most dominate at the point.  As the burn approached the mid-point of this robusto the spice settled a little – just a little. I am going to give this stogie an 8 on my strength scale; just making the full bodied range.   

Second Half: the spice settles a little more and the earthy tones start to show a little more.  To me there is a French roast coffee likeness here on the second half.  The description that I read on this cigar had ‘toasted peanuts and cocoa.’  I did not pick either one of those out on this stick.  I wish I did for that sounds really good to me.    

On the final two inches of the smoke the cigar really balances out with the earthy tones being the main profile and the spice playing a secondary role.  For my strength rating I’ll give it a 7 which is medium-full. 

To the Point: I do not like buying a box of cigars that I have never tried before but the deal that I described above I just could not pass it up.  I really like the cigar right off the bat.  I like a spicy smoke that leans toward the full side and the first half was just that.  I like the change during the second half of the smoke for that strong spicy profile could get be a little too much all the way through. 

Overall, I really enjoyed this smoke.  I would recommend the Black Crown Robusto to anybody who likes a spicy medium-full to full cigar.  I am happy with this box purchase.  

12-10-12 Lighter update: I have had a chance to use this now and this lighter is ... useless.  Yes, useless!  The fuel tank does not hold much to start with and after lighting a cigar or two it will be out of fluid. If you think Colibri is bad wait till you use this Bugatti.  Save your money.  Use a match.

Ave Maria Special Edition Sampler

One of Each of the Following

Click on the link

Charlemagne Dbl. Corona 7.5x54 - below

Barbarossa Churchill 7x48

St. George Belicoso 6x54

Knights Templar Toro 6x48

Lionheart Box-press 5.5x55

Clermont Corona 5.5x45

Crusader Robusto 5x52

Ark of the Covenant Gordo 4.5x60

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano Sun-grown

Binder/Fillers: Honduran and Nicaraguan

Quick Review: Charlemagne Double Corona – 7.5 x 54

This big boy has a very hearty oaky profile, hint of dusty white pepper and a medium-full body.  

La Sirena King Poseidon and Ramos Pinto Porto 20 Years: Pairing

Around the World with King Poseidon 

The Port

Ramos Pinto Porto 20 Years

Tawny Port

No Vintage on Bottle

Quinta do Bom Retiro

Produced and bottled by:

Adriano Ramos Pinto

19.5% abv

750ml bottle

Appearance: shiny copper

Aroma: nutty for sure, reminds me of almond and hazelnut, also vanilla and oak, brown spice, toasted caramel,

Flavors: roasted caramel, roasted almond, touch of hazelnut, dried cherries and candied fruit, oak backbone with toasted vanilla shining through,

Mouthfeel: smooth, the alcohol is not showing (have to be careful for it is tasty), touch of sweetness on the delivery, dry on the mid and finish, pleasing complexity,

The Cigar

La Sirena King Poseidon

Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro

Binder: two Cuban seed Nicaraguan tobacco

Fillers: Nicaraguan Criollo 98 and Corojo 96

Size: 6x 60 

A very good barnyard aroma as I smell the stick and I know this is going to be good (I hope). 

Off the Light: rich composted earth on the first few puffs.  As the smoke continues there is a woody tone that develops with a hint of spice.  There is a dark roast coffee likeness.  The cigar holds a good gray ash with little to no flaking. 

The Pairing: a sip of the tawny port and a puff of the cigar: oh that’s nice; some of the port flavors seem to transfer to the smoking experience.  Now a sip of water and then a few puffs of the stick and a sip of the port: not bad; the port flavors really seem to stand out.  Not much intermingling of the flavors this way as compared to sipping the porto first and then smoking the cigar. 

Second Half of the Cigar: full bodied dark roasted coffee and earthy tones dominate with a measure of oak and a white and green peppercorn blend in the mix.  This is a smooth and full bodied experience.  It does not seem to be the most complex smoke, but for my palate it sure is tasty. 

The Pairing: sipping the port first and then puffing the cigar sure seems to be the right exchange in my humble opinion.  Sip this porto and swirl it on the palate … just let it coat the mouth and then take a puff of the cigar.  The roasted caramel, toffee, and nutty flavors are just terrific and then the cigars dark roasted coffee and earthy tones mingle for a great experience.  The candied dry fruits of the Port just sweetens the deal. 

To the Point: I think this Ramos Pinto 20 year old Tawny Port will probably go well with most quality cigars but, this has been a great pairing with the La Sirena King Poseidon.  

Around the World with King Poseidon Series

Click here to read about this cigar paired with:

Brux

Old Crafty Hen

Baco Noir Wine