Flor de las Antillas Toro Gordo and Jewbelation Sweet 16: Pairing

The Ale

Jewbelation Sweet 16

16^th Anniversary Ale

He’Brew the Chosen Beer

Shmaltz Brewing Company

Saratoga Springs, New York, USA

Shmaltzbrewing.com

16 Malts / 16 Hops

16% abv

1pt 6oz bottle

$10.99

I have never had this ale before and I have to admit that I am not looking forward to reviewing this one.  I just have that perception that it is going to be on the sweet side, too sweet side, for me.  But, it may contrast well with this medium-full cigar that has a nice dose of pepper. 

Appearance: coffee black body with a two finger dark tan head; leaves some sticky lacing on the glass with each sip

Aroma: rich sweet malts, roasted malts, just a touch of alcohol, not as boozy as I thought it would be, let’s see what happens as it warms up, fig, chocolate syrup, coffee; the nose has that boozy tone as it warms. 

Flavors: this has a very rich style, the kind that can become too much for me, rich sweet  malts followed by some toasted grains, burnt sugars, dark chocolate covered caramel, a squirt of Hershey mild chocolate syrup, hoppy spice or is it the alcohol,

Mouthfeel: a bit syrupy, thick and chewy is a good way to look at it, rich toasted and slightly burnt notes cover the palate, sweet on the front and mid palate, hoppy spice and alcohol peppery feel on the finish with the sweet note swirling around, low carbonation feel,

My Strength Rating: 8.5 – full bodied

To the Point: as they say on the bottle, ‘this is about cupcakes and unicorns’ and I feel like I just ate three too many cupcakes and I am only halfway through this bottle.  This is a sipper.  Would I buy another one? … No.  If you like bold and rich malts … this is for you. 

The Cigar

Flor de las Antillas Toro Gordo

My Father Cigars

Wrapper: Sun Grown Nicaraguan

Binder: Nicaraguan

Fillers: Nicaraguan

Size: 6.5 x 56 smooth box-press

Smoky’s of Northville: $9.95

Cigar Aficionado’s Cigar of the Year for 2012

They gave the Toro size a 96 rating out of 100

I smoked this cigar about a week ago and liked it.  I have not reviewed the cigar yet; I usually write a review before I pair it with a beverage.  Tonight I am just going to dive in and pair it up. 

Off the Light: a solid dose of white pepper greets the palate.  As the burn gets past the ½ inch point a dusty soil earthy tone develops with some lightly toasted grains.  My strength rating on the first third; 7 

The Pairing: the ale seems to dominate this peppery beginning of the cigar.  The rich, sweet, and toasty malts with the syrupy mouthfeel just coats the palate and mellows this cigar out like a little baby.  When I take a few sips of the ale that thick texture with its burnt sugars, toasted grains, and chocolate covered caramel notes just lingering around as I puff on the cigar for a tasty experience. 

Mid-Point: the musty white pepper is still leading the way with the dusty soil, toasted grains, and woody notes give this cigar a nice earthy feel.  A medium roast coffee note appears here at the mid-point.  The mouthfeel is dry and semi-smooth.  I have to admit that I don’t think this size is as complex as the Toro size.  The Gordo also seems to be a bit fuller than the Toro.  Late in the mid the white pepper mellows and becomes more of an undertone.   My strength rating on the mid; 6.5

The Pairing: I did not think I would be able to finish this very rich and bold ale but, this cigar was its savior.  Here is the situation; puff the cigar first and then sip the ale or sip the ale and then puff on the cigar; for me … sip the ale and then puff on the cigar is the best experience.  The cigar seems to be dominated by the ale when I smoke the cigar first and then sip the ale.  I really like how the cigar blends with the ale when I drink the ale before puffing the cigar. The flavors of the cigar seem to mingle with the bold aftertaste of the ale.    

A glass of water needs to be nearby during this pairing.  This is a very dry pairing. 

Down the Stretch: the white pepper has taken the back seat to the earthy tones as the cigar enters the final third.  There seems to be a nice toasted oak note that has developed.  The toasted grains and dusty dry soil are still present.  The musty white pepper is more of an undertone here at the beginning of the final third but, then starts to build as I get close to the end.  The mouthfeel is dry and slightly spicy.   My strength rating on the stretch; 6.75

My Strength Rating: 6.5/7 – medium-full bodied

To the Point: not as complex as the Toro.  The strength rating seemed to be consistent throughout the smoking experience on the Gordo.  The flavors of the Gordo seemed to be fairly simple compared to the Toro.  This seems to be how I perceived these two when I sampled them last week at the cigar store.