Around the World with King Poseidon
The Ale
“Old Crafty Hen”
Vintage Ale
Morland Brewing
England
1pt .9oz bottle
$4.49 a bottle
6.5% abv
I read that this ale has been brewed since 2008 but, just
came to the United States in November of 2011.
I wonder if they still brew “Hen’s Tooth”. I really liked that ale.
Appearance: rich copper body with a light tan one finger (if
that) head
Aroma: malt focused; caramel, biscuit, and dark fruits
Flavors: lightly toasted caramel, raisin, a little plum
skin, apple, light woody tone, to me the alcohol does not play a role in the
flavor
Mouthfeel: light carbonation, smooth, mild hop bitterness on
the finish giving it a semi-dry feel on the palate.
To the Point: a very tasty Vintage Ale. I would buy this again.
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
I just reviewed this cigar last week with a very good tawny
port (click here to see post) so; tonight I am going to pair it with a good
English Ale. I smoked another King
Poseidon just the other day and really enjoyed it. Earlier today I reviewed the “Old Crafty Hen”
and I think these two should pair up really well.
Off the Light: tonight I get a nice robust dark roasted
coffee note greets my palate on the first few puffs. As the smoke continues there is a rich composted
earth tone with some woody notes that develops with a hint of spice. The dark roasted coffee note really seems to
dominate. The cigar holds a good gray
ash with little to no flaking.
The Pairing: The coffee like profile of the cigar mingles well
with the lightly toasted caramel and dark fruit notes of this English Ale. Both of these products have a light woody
tone and during this pairing an oaky note seems to stand out.
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: this ale really seems to be mellow and it helps
to mellow out this full bodied smoke. On
the second half of this smoke the spice profile picks up a bit and a sip of the
ale just refreshes the palate making me want another puff of the cigar. This is a really nice ale to have with a full
bodied cigar.
Around the World with King Poseidon Series
Click here to read about this cigar paired with:
