The Worst of the Worst Series III: Vega Talanga Blue Label Corojo

Vega Talanga Blue Label Corojo and Hitachino Nest Beer XH: Pairing

The Worst of the Worst Series III

Vega Talanga Blue Label Corojo Series

This is one of the worst cigars I have had in my humidor over the years and I still have one hanging around.  I started to collect some of the impressive stogies so I could do this Worst of the Worst posting.

Toro 5.5 x 54; I’m guessing on the ring gauge

I don’t have the vitals on this stick but, that is okay because it really does not matter.  For you see, it is no longer on the market.  I don’t think it has been on the market for a couple of years.  The Vega Talanga Gordo size 6x60 was a fine inexpensive cigar.  Nice oaky and earthy flavors; rather simple but, enjoyable.

Well, the Gordo’s brother the Toro in this lineup did not live up to his brother’s standards.  I never liked the flavor profile of the Toro.  It was dry and boring.  Let’s see how it smokes now after spending five or six years rolling around in my humidor.  I am going to pair this cigar with Hitachino Nest Beer a beer that was aged in oak sake casks.

The Cigar

Vega Talanga Blue Label Toro

Off the Light: an easy going earthy style on the first half inch.  As the smoke continues the earthy style is still light.  I’ll describe the earthy style as dry leafs, soil, and a hint of wood.  Getting close to the mid-point I start to notice a hint of sweet cedar.  This really is not all that bad; it is really not all that good either.  It is just too simple and the earthy tones just don’t come together to make it interesting.

Second Half: right when I was starting to enjoy this one dimensional earthy cigar – wham – a strange little note appears.  A sharp dry slightly bitter note starts to stand out.  This dry sharp note is dominating the taste profile here in the second half.  I’ll take the boring first half before this.  No I see way I had this in my worst of the worst pile.  I don’t even want to finish this cigar.  It has a very unpleasant taste on the second half. 

The Beer

Hitachino Nest Beer XH

XH = Extra High

Kiuchi Brewery

Kodawari.cc

Product of Japan

Aged in Sake Casks

Strong Belgian Brown Style Ale

“Matured in Oak Casks which was used for maturation of Shocyu.”  - on the bottle

7% abv marked on the bottle

I don’t know a damn thing about Sake.  It has to be 25 years ago since I had Sake. 

Appearance: deep rich amber body with a fine little tan head the disappeared before my eyes.

Aroma: faint but there is a rich malty note and stone fruit.  Nice earthy tone. I do not pick up any boozy tone on the nose but, when I drink it I do.  

Flavors: light sweet grainy malt, rich stone fruit and wood, with each sip I pick up a little boozy note from the aroma and taste, oak spice on the finish

Mouthfeel: tangy on the tongue, no to low carbonation, slight bitterness on the mid and late palate, sharp cheddar like bit on the finish.   

To the Point: an interesting beer, I am not going out to look for it but I would buy one if I saw it and wanted something different. 

 

The Pairing

Not so bad.  This interesting beer from Japan is working with this rather boring cigar.  As I have written before, I like to see how the exchange goes from beer to cigar or from cigar to beer.  For this pairing it really doesn’t matter.  If I take a few puffs of the cigar the Hitachino Next Beer is there to wash away the rather dull notes of the cigar.  If I drank the beer first the flavors seemed to dominate the earthy tone of the cigar. 

Too bad the cigar went south on the second half.