The Cigar
Casa Magna Dominican Gran Toro
Wrapper: Corojo
Fillers: Cuban-seed Dominican
I am expecting this cigar to be a great match with this Ale.
Off the Light: earthy dark roasted coffee followed by smoky fall leafs;
First third: smooth almost creamy feel; the earthy dark roasted coffee continues with an 80% dark chocolate like bitterness; toasted caramel; a toasty forest floor note of twigs, fall leafs, and soft moss;
Mid-point: the slight creamy feel is gone but it is still smooth yet robust; the fall leafs and twigs are slightly burnt giving it a smoky fire pit note; the coffee note moves to the fairly burnt side – time to drink that coffee or take it off the burner type coffee note; a nice peppery note picks up on the finish and aftertaste;
Down the Stretch: the caramel note returns with a somewhat burnt style; toasted grains; smoky fire pit continues; lightly burnt coffee; green peppercorn notes on the mid, back, and aftertaste; lightly charred earth and peppery aftertaste;
To the Point: this cigar has a pleasing robust style; medium-full body; dark roasted coffee; dark chocolate like bitterness; toasted caramel; fire pit smoky note; green peppercorn; earthy and peppery aftertaste; I recommend this cigar for those who like a full-medium bodied smoke; I like this cigar enough that I just bought two more boxes
The Ale
Thirsty Dog Wulver Wee Heavy Ale
Aged in Bourbon Barrels
Thirsty Dog Brewing Company
Akron, Ohio, USA
Aged 11 months
12% abv
22 IBUs
12oz bottle
$25.00 a four pack
Appearance: dark brown body with some deep mahogany edges;
one finger tan head that did not stay around long; a light sheet of lacing with
each sip that slowly drips to nothing
Aroma: rich toasted caramel hits the nose followed by
roasted vanilla bean from the oak barrel aging; a smoky note develops as the
ale warms along with a slight boozy bourbon note
Flavors: the rich caramel and vanilla really stand out
giving it a toffee note; this reminds me of a toffee pecan coffee blend that
I’ll drink once in a great while; the oak profile seems to develop with each
sip and a lightly seared dark honey comes into play; the nutty note reminds me
of salty cashews and fresh pecans; the flavors seem to intermingle well;
Mouthfeel: creamy feel; light syrupy feel; low carbonation;
toasty and roasty; rich without being cloying; very easy to drink for a 12 percenter;
lightly charred oak and roasted grains on the aftertaste; to me this ale is
full-medium in body
To the Point: this is one fine Wee Heavy Ale that has been
aged in Bourbon Barrels; it received a 97 world-class rating with 453 reviews
on Beer Advocate – pretty impressive; are they overrating it to justify the
twenty five dollar price tag – maybe; at 25 bones, a four pack, I would expect
that it is out of the price range for the casual drinker; if you really like
Bourbon Barrel Aged Ales this is a must try and then you can decide
The Pairing
The coffee and dark chocolate like bitterness of the cigar
blends so wonderfully with the ales bourbon barrel notes. The toasted caramel, roasted vanilla, and
lightly seared honey notes of the ale merges with the flavors of the cigar like they
were meant for each other. In other
words the flavors of each standout and mingle perfectly. These two complement each other for an
exceptional experience. I highly
recommend this pairing.
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