Casa Magna Dominican Gran Toro and Cigar Box Reserve Malbec 2012: Pairing

The Wine

Cigar Box Reserve Malbec 2012

Cigarboxwine.com

$16.99 saw it at some grocery store and had to buy it

See the March Matching set-up post

Appearance: black-purple body with deep purple highlights; slow dripping leggs

Aroma: black fruit, reminding me of black currant and black plum; touch of floral and mineral; on the bottle it says violet, I got a bottle of violet vinegar out of the pantry and yep violet it is;

Flavors: fresh black berry, plum, black currant; light tart cranberry in the mix; a 70% dark chocolate like note swirls around the berries; mild cedar spice; moderate mineral earthiness;

Mouthfeel: dry; tannins are moderate and under control; nice black fruit bitterness on the back and aftertaste; a pleasing thickness to the body on the first glass – starts to get a little jammy on the second glass; I’ll give it a 6 on my strength scale – just inside the medium-full range;

To the Point: a pleasing Malbec;

The Cigar

Casa Magna Dominican Gran Toro

Wrapper: Corojo

Fillers: Cuban-seed Dominican

Size: 6 x 60

Profile: medium-full body; dark roasted coffee; dark chocolate like bitterness; toasted caramel; fire pit smoky note; green peppercorn; earthy and peppery aftertaste

Click here to read the full cigar review

The Pairing

The wine seems to control the cigar – after a sip of the wine and then a puff of the cigar the cigar seems to lose all the flavor notes I mentioned above and the cigar only comes across with some deep toasted grains - a slightly boring exchange in my opinion.
Now, when I puff the cigar and then take a sip of the wine I get the flavors of the cigar of course and then they mix with the flavors of the wine for a decent experience because nothing flavor wise stands out.  The wine does come across a little fuller in body during this experience. 

I think both the cigar and the wine are in the medium-full range which should help to make a good match but, I think the robust flavors of the cigar are a little too much for this wine to maximize my experience. It was a decent pairing but, nothing special.

I gave this pairing 3-1 odds to win this March Matching but, it will be bring up the rear next to the Double Bastard Ale.

La Flor Dominicana DL 700 and Clos de los Siete: Pairing

The Wine

Clos de los Siete

Clos de los Siete Winery

Mendoza, Argentina

By Michel Rolland

14.6% abv

$35.00 at A Matter of Taste Restaurant

Blend: 56% Malbec, 21% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Syrah, 2% Petit Verdot

I had a glass and a half at the restaurant and brought the rest home to sit back to do a review and then smoke a fine stogie with it. 

Appearance: deep dark garnet, this is pretty close to black with a purple edge.

Aroma: very dense dark currant note, smoky, it smells like the dark chocolate with berries in it, earthy – mineral soil like

Flavors: heavy soil earthy tone, dark berry concentrate, 90+% dark chocolate that covers the palate, bold and intense.

Mouthfeel: thick and very dry on the palate, tart, earthy, the dry finish reminds me of 95% dark chocolate, leathery texture, lingering aftertaste

You can feel this wine just clinging to your teeth and gums. 

My Strength Rating: 8.5 – this full bodied blend is hearty.  It deserves a big steak.  I think I’ll make plans for that one day.  

The Cigar

La Flor Dominicana DL 700

Double Ligero

Laflordominicana.com

A very good web site to visit

Wrapper: Dark Ecuadorian Sun Grown

Binder: Dominican

Filler: Dominican

Size: 6.5 x 60

$10.00 Smoky’s in Northville, Michigan

Their web site warns you to eat before smoking this cigar.

I have never had this cigar before so, I do not know what I am getting into here.  This cigar just looked good and oily and strong.  That is what this wine needs for a good pairing.   

This Sun Grown wrapper has a beautiful sheen to the tobacco leaf.  It looks rugged yet rich.  The vein is the tobacco leaf and the color is just like art work or one expensive leather sofa. 

Off the Light: Oh yes, this is a double ligeros.  Rich soil earthy tone with a bit of spice and I can tell this is just the beginning.  Of course I just lit the cigar.  No just the beginning of the spice. 

As the smoke continues the texture is leathery and the body weight on the full-medium side.  I am thinking 7.5 or 8 on my strength scale and I am just a half an inch into this baby.  I’ll bet it gets fuller from here! 

The spice seems to be in play more on the finish and aftertaste.  A medium coarse black peppercorn like quality.  The rich soil continues and there is a strong dark roast coffee note. 

Now, I could not pass the smoke through the sinuses so, is this cigar going to be that strong of is it that I tried to inhale the dipping bread that I had before dinner. 

Mid-Point: strong dark roast coffee, rich mineral soil, hardwood, and spice.  The cigar has a strong mouthfeel with a leathery texture and a lingering aftertaste.  The black pepper seems to build on the aftertaste.  I’ll go to 8.5 on my strength scale. 

The Pairing: I just introduced the wine as I entered the mid-point of the cigar.  Wow, this cigar makes this wine seem … medium bodied.  This is a full bodied wine and this cigar is controlling this wine.  This is like two heavy weights in battle. 

The earthy tones match up well.  The dark berries and dark chocolate of the wine pair up well with the dark roasted coffee and hardwood notes of the cigar.  This is a full bodied experience. 

Down the Stretch: Just when I thought the cigar was starting to mellow on the last few puffs … Wham … the spice kicked in.  The smoke is now an earthy coffee profile with some robust roasted notes and charred hardwood.  The body weight is heavy.  Let me call it a 9 on my strength scale. 

The Pairing: I needed a few sips of the wine to control the heavy smoke of the cigar.  This is a strong earthy pairing.  I recommend a glass, no gallon, of water to go along with this pairing. 

I had some burning issues where I had to continually correct the burn of the cigar.  Since this cigar has such an oily wrapper I recommend dry boxing the cigar a day or two before smoking. 

I have not done a cigar review in a month.  What a cigar to choose to get back in the swing of things. 

Blend Lab CI ZK-660 and Chronic Cellars Sofa King Bueno 2009

The Wine

Chronic Cellars Sofa King Bueno 2009

15% abv

Paso Robles, California, USA

25% Syrah, 20% Petite Sirah, 18% Mourvedre, 16% Zinfandel, 15% Grenache, 5% Tempranillo, 1% Tannat

Appearance: deep purple

Aroma: rich dark berries, sweet spice, delicate earth

Flavors: mixed dark berries, the cinnamon slaps you silly, a touch of vanilla, 60% dark chocolate style,

Mouthfeel: thick, jammy on the tongue, long thick layers of dark berries linger on the palate,

My Strength Rating: 6.5 – the long lingering notes raises the point value. 

To the Point: If you want to know what a cinnamon note is like in wine then, get this bottle and have a drink.  Very interesting and tasty wine.

The Cigar

Blend Lab CI ZK-660

Wrapper: Brazlian Arapireca Maduro

Binder: Habano Nicaragua Viso

Fillers: Jalapa Ligero, Esteli Ligero, Condega Viso

$8.50 a stick

Cigarsinternational.com

Off the Light: hardwood, heavy soil earthy tone, and a touch of burnt coffee.

As the cigar continues there are a variety of earthy notes; on a couple of puffs I picked up a peat moss tone, rich black soil seems to be the main profile, hardwood, rich tobacco leaves.  The coffee note has settled to a grainy, earthy cup of joe. 

Paired with Chronic Cellars Sofa King Bueno 2009.  This cigar is really nice with this glass of wine.  The cigar seems to tame the bold dose of cinnamon.  The dark berry bowl mix of the wine mingles well with the earthy tones and coffee of the cigar.  

Mid-Point: The earthy French Roast coffee note has taken front and center in the flavor profile.  There is a dry dusting of 70% dark chocolate like character swirling around the palate.  With that Brazlian Maduro wrapper on this cigar it reminds me of the CAO Brazlian Amazon.  The mouthfeel is dry yet smooth.  There is a dry lingering dusty cocoa powder aftertaste.  

The Pairing: The dark chocolate like qualities of these two is very tasty during the exchange.  The wine seems to have a mocha like tone and caramel note during this pairing.  When I sip the wine and that bold cinnamon like note coats the palate and then when I puff the cigar that sweet spice circulates with the cigar smoke for a pleasing taste experience. 

Down the Stretch: This cigar has ample smoke.  The coffee flavor is still bold, the dark chocolate note is still swirling around and there is a spicy brown mustard note on the scene (it could be Gulden’s Spicy Brown).  None the less the cigar has a good green peppercorn like spiciness that builds during this third.  The mouthfeel is very dry and wool like in texture.  On the last inch of the cigar the flavors are just dry and dusty.   

The Pairing: the mouthfeel is thick and dry.  A glass of water is needed to refresh the palate at this point.  The dark berries, that touch of vanilla, and the dark chocolate from the wine is still tasty and it really helps the cigars dry texture at this point in the game. 

My Strength Rating: (cigar) 6.5 overall.  Starts off medium and ends medium-full in the final third. 

To the Point: an interesting smoke.  It reminded me of the CAO Amazon which I’ll have to smoke one tomorrow to experience the comparison. 

Tatuaje Tainos Cigar and Gerard Bertrand Corbieres 2006: Pairing

The Wine

Gerard Bertrand Corbieres 2006

Syrah & Mourvedre

13.5% abv

Gerard-bertrand.com

France

Opened the bottle last night and had a glass with dinner.  The taste was okay, the nose very nice, but I was too tired to do a wine review.  The taste was simple and boring and I did not even finish the glass.  So, I capped the bottle and here I am today doing the review today. 

Appearance: deep garnet

Aroma: black cherry, dark currants, herbal-spice note

Flavors: Much better today.  Firm earthy quality, nice dark berry blend, nice touch of sweet black cherry, pleasing spice.  As I focus on the spice I notice a touch of thyme and white pepper.   On my second glass there is a good smoky note hitting the nose and this transfers to the taste. 

Mouthfeel: firm, jammy at times, smooth overall, tannins under control, nice acidic structure,

My Strength Rating: 7 – very tasty, on the second day, firm and thick texture for a good medium-full mouthfeel. 

If you get this bottle, decant it for at least 20 minutes to get the flavors to open up. 

The Cigar and Pairing

Tatuaje Tainos

Wrapper: Habano Ecuador

Binder: Nicaraguan

Fillers: Nicaraguan

Size: 7.6 x 49 Double Corona

Source: Tatuajecigars.com

Tatuaje is Spanish for tattoo

Off the Light: smooth, portabella mushroom earthy quality, touch of spice.

As the smoking experience continues I think it reminds me of: meaty portabella, sweet spice, a touch of pink peppercorn, rich soil.  Medium on the palate.

I introduced the cigar on the second half of the wine bottle.  The wine notes have opened up and I thought this cigar would make a good pairing and I am not disappointed.

The wine mingles well with this tasty cigar.  The interplay of the spices is a tasty treat.  The dark berries and black cherry of the wine balance with the earthy mushroom qualities of the cigar at this point.

Mid-Point: late on the first third and moving into the mid-point the black pepper spice is starting to kick in.  The sweet spice and mushroom notes have moved on but the earthy note reminds me of a rich soil.  There is a medium roast coffee note developing along with some hardwood note.  The body weight seems to move into the medium-full category in the mid-point.  I’ll place it as a 6 on my strength scale.

The wines white pepper and thyme notes complement the cigars black peppery profile that has developed.  The rich soil earth and coffee notes of the cigar play well with those berry and cherry notes of the wine.  

Down the Stretch: firm hardwood, forest floor earthy notes, coffee, and green peppercorn mix for a good medium-full experience.  I’ll give it a 6.5 on my strength scale.  The cigar never becomes bitter down the stretch. 

My Strength Rating: 6 – nice complexities and I like how the cigar evolved throughout the smoking experience. 

This wine has been a perfect match with this cigar.  The wines flavors seem to comingle with that of the cigar and this is maximizing my smoking experience. 

With each sip of the wine I look forward to each puff of the cigar and likewise.   As I near the end of the cigar and the last few sips of wine I just wish this experience could continue. 

Don Pepin Garcia Series JJ Natural and Detroit Red Wing 2007 Merlot: Cigar and Wine Pairing

The Cigar

Don Pepin Garcia Series JJ Natural

This in a Nicaraguan Puro

The wrapper is Nicaraguan Corojo

$13.50 in Michigan

Size: 6 x 54

Off the Light: light earth, woody, and a little nutty note off the first few puffs.  Then, a slight spicy note started to appear.  As I continued to smoke this stick past that first inch the spice started to really appear.  Black pepper and a solid woody note become the main profile. I can’t make up my mind on the wood; is it spicy cedar or a firm oaky note?  The strength rating for me is about 4.5 on the beginning.

Mid-point: As the cigar enters the mid-point I believe that woody note is oak.  It is a pleasing toasted oak at this point.  The black peppercorn taste has mellowed a bit to a green peppercorn note.  The earth profile has a forest floor style and there seems to be a dry coffee note. 

The texture is fairly smooth overall and the body is medium in style.  I am going to give it a 5 strength rating at the mid-point.

Down the Stretch: good earthy notes, smooth green peppercorn, seems like a toasty rye bread, nice oaky notes.  The cigar finishes with a good 5 strength rating.

The Wine

Detroit Red Wing 2007 Merlot

North Coast

13.8% abv

Cellared and Bottled by:

Wine World Estates

St. Helena and Napa, California, USA

Alright, I do not have much hope for this wine.  I seems gimmicky to me but, let’s give it a good review and see.  Plus, this is game 4 of the first round tonight.  What a good way to watch the game.  Go WINGS!

Appearance: rich ruby color

Aroma: currant, berry, and a hint of alcohol spice

Flavors: dark berry like, black cherry, hint of green peppercorn spice on the finish.

Mouthfeel: light, smooth in its delivery, touch thin, linger berry note

My Strength Rating: 4 and I could see 3.5.  The aroma is light, the flavors are smooth and mellow.  There is not much in texture or long lingering notes. 

Gimmicky?  No.  It’s not a bad wine.  A good restaurant wine to go with pizza, sandwiches and the like.  Good wine to serve at a party.  Maybe a Stanley Cup Party!!!

The Pairing

I did not plan these two.  I just bought this cigar yesterday at my favorite cigar store which is closing next month.  Thirty plus years in business and time to retire.  Good bye Trader Tom’s.  I am not a Don Pepin fan so; I just thought it was time to review one. 

This pairing is actually surprising me.  I thought maybe the spiciness would overwhelm this mellow Merlot.  These two are complementing each other well.  I get a good spicy smoke and a nice mellow berry taste from the wine.  I also think the cigar helps this wine some.  While smoking the cigar the wine seems to have a little more body than what it has while drinking it by itself.

La Gloria Cubana Serie R No. 6 Maduro and Triple Overtime 2005 Cabernet Franc



Signed bottle by Igor

 The Wine
Triple Overtime 2005 Cabernet Franc

14.5% abv
Iltripleovertime.com
Napa Valley, California, USA
Igor Larionov Select Wines
My Strength Rating: 4.5

Igor Larionov is a former Detroit Red Wing hockey player and being from the Detroit area as well as a hockey fan I just had to buy this bottle. As it states on the bottle about Igor, “…being the oldest player in NHL history to score a triple overtime goal in the Stanley Cup Finals on the way to winning his 3rd Stanley Cup Championship.” Oh, how great that moment was and how great it was to see him skating for the Red Wings. I did not make it to the Fine Wine Source when Igor visited (about a year ago) and signed bottles of his wines but, Jim Lufty got me a few bottles of his fine wine with Igor’s signatures.

Here is the description from the bottle, “…bouquet of cedar, spice and black fruits. In the mouth there is an abundance of sweet cherry, blackberry and vanilla…”

On the opening of the bottle there is plenty of sediment on the cork and within the neck of the bottle. Oh, this is good stuff.

Based on the first glass; to me I get the spice and black fruits and berries on the nose along with a sweet vanilla-cherry note. I am not picking up the vanilla on the taste but, the sweet cherry and blackberry along with black currant fills the palate. A pretty straight forward wine. The tannins and acidity are moderate making it approachable for most palates. The mouthfeel is smooth overall.

Decanted second glass; the black fruits are a little richer and there is a little more earthiness on the nose while the sweet vanilla-cherry notes become more of an undertone.

Now, this is what I like about Cab Franc wines - the earthy style is showing up. While, the earthy notes are showing up it still is smooth in texture. The sweet cherry, blackberry, and black currants are still on board for a very tasty wine.

The medium body of this wine and its smooth texture will give it some good range for pairing with food and cigars. This is a nice Cabernet Franc.

The Cigar
La Gloria Cubana Serie R No. 6 Maduro
Wrapper: Ecuadoran Grown Maduro
Filler: Dominican and Nicaraguan
(as it states on the tin)
Size: 5-7/8” x 60
My Strength Rating: 6

This is one smooth and rich tasting cigar. I have always enjoyed the Serie R line-up from La Gloria. The key to a tasty cigar with the maduro is to get a jet black stick and not the ruddy blackish-brown stick. Back when I use to buy these by the box I would have the tobacconist open the box up before I would purchase the box to make sure I was buying the jet black ones.

Now, this is not a complex cigar. Just like the Triple Overtime wine this cigar is pretty straight forward. This cigar has a very rich and tasty earthy-coffee style. The earthiness is like the rich soil that the plants are grown in. The coffee is a rich and thick Espresso style. On the second half of the smoke there is a green peppery spice that builds to add some character. The earthy style becomes thicker as you near the end of the cigar.

I think the earthy style of this cigar will go well with the wines cherry and blackberry taste.

The Pairing
I would like to sit back with Igor and enjoy this pairing. The earthy profiles are working with each other for a good medium bodied experience. The moderate spice and espresso like notes of the cigar are nice with the berries from the wine. This is a good pairing to just sit back and enjoy.

Man O’ War Toro and the turk red wine: Review

The Cigar
Man O’ War Toro
Wrapper: Habano Ecuador
Filler: Nicaraguan
Size: 6.5 x 52
My Strength Rating: 7.5

The first two inches of this cigar showcases that wonderful oaky profile that I like so much from this Man O’ War series. There is a nice sweet style of pecan wood coming through here. The earthy notes are smooth, the spicy notes are at play, and the medium-full roast coffee notes are flavorful. All these flavors are being delivered with a rich and robust mouthfeel. During the first third of the smoke it is like a rollercoaster ride for my strength rating: Off the light the cigar delivered a calm 6 and then built up to an 8 and then settled down to a 7 strength rating. The strength rating is not the only thing that changes during this smoke; the pepper spice profile changes. There is a good black pepper note during the first couple of inches and then it mellow to a nice white peppercorn taste.

The final half of the cigar is a solid medium-full and pushing toward the full. The smoking experience pushes toward that 8 strength rating on the finish. The black pepper notes come back and the earthy notes are abundant. The oaky profile builds in strength as well. This is one eventful smoke.

The Wine

the turk 2005 Blend
50% Shiraz, 28% Grenache, 16% cabernet, 6% mourvedre
Turkey Flat Vineyards
Barossa Valley
Australia
14.5%abv
http://www.turkeyflat.com.au/
My Strength Rating: 6.5

the turk 2005 has a deep purple color. The bouquet is absolutely wonderful. Smelling this wine makes me think of walking into a winery. The smell of all the grapes in a winery is such a great experience. The aroma from this wine is of dark berries and fruit along with some spice hitting the nose and I am in red wine heaven.

As the wine hits the tongue I realize there is a smorgasbord of flavors to be had. The two dominant notes to me; dark berries and green peppercorn. There is a solid blackberry profile mixed in with some sweet raspberry and red currants. Plum and black currants mix in to make this one tasty experience. Then, the earthy and smoky style kicks in to coat the palate with red wine delight. To me there is a nice undertone of rich milk chocolate.

Let me try to explain the mouthfeel. You know how your mouth gets coated from a piece of … let’s say 70% dark chocolate, how it just covers every square inch of your mouth. That is what I experience from this wine. The aftertaste is long and tasty. The texture is thick but, not overpowering. Overall the mouthfeel is rich, thick, and medium-full in body but, still smooth in its delivery.

The smoky style, the variety of berries, the spices, the earthy quality, the pepper – wow, this wine has some complexity. This wine is made for a great cigar.

I am looking forward to the 2006, which is a different blend consisting of: 33% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Shiraz, 24% Mourvedre, and 18% Grenache.

The Pairing
As I stated above, “this wine is made for a great cigar.” The variety of berries, the smoky and earthy notes, and the interesting peppery style is just going to work with so many cigars.

The oaky profile of this cigar adds a great dimension this pairing. It makes the wine taste a little fuller, while the other tasting notes comingle so well for a solid medium-full tasting experience.

The wine really manages the strength rating of this cigar. I find this cigar to be a 7.5 on my strength scale when I smoke it all by itself but, during this pairing the wine keeps this in check. I think the cigar comes across like a 6.5 during this pairing.

This would be an excellent for an after dinner experience.

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1932 Padilla Salomon Cigar and Copeland Creek Meritage 2002

The Padilla 1932
Wrapper: Oscuro
Size: 7.2x59
My Strength Rating: 7.5/8
See posting: February 13, 2010
A very good fuller bodied cigar. This cigar has some fuller spice and roasty notes that will fill your palate. There is a good black pepper like quality to the taste. I also, notice a chocolate and coffee style behind the spicy profile. This should be a good pairing with this wine. I like the bold spice of the cigar being matched with the delicate softer spice of this wine. The chocolate and coffee should mix well with the big cherry notes of the wine. I am ready to sit down and pair these two up.

The Wine
See the posting from yesterday for wine notes.

The Pairing
The wine is just as tasty as it was last night. But, what a big disappointment, this cigar tastes like what the 1666 should have tasted like – boring. Are my cigar taste buds off or what? This cigar taste like a dry and uneventful turd. I have had several of these this year and they were all good. My cigar world is not making sense right now. The cigar bundle of 1666’s seemed like a bad lot and last night one of them smoked liked how they are suppose to taste – very good. I was planning to do this review – the 1932 cigar with this wine and this cigar pulls up lame.