CIGARS 091812

Hola aficionados!  it's time for another installment of cigars!  I haven't been smoking much but I have quite the back log of sticks to cover!  My body is a fucking wreck right now!  I have irritated scar tissue in my ankle, my left knee has some damage to the PCL and there are several other things I'm currently experiencing that all culminate to me feeling like shit!  So I really haven't been in the mood to smoke plus the whole Indiana smoking ban has put a wrench in things to be honest!  Enough of my whining, I sound like a woman!  Let's talk Stogies! 

Hammer and Sickle Robusto:  I read about these cigars in a catalog from Corona Cigar.  At first glance I was intrigued.  Amazingly enough I was at a local cigar shop in Terre Haute, Indiana and I found a box of these!  The original box these were shipped in was a glass case and it was pretty cool!  I thought the cigar was pricey for a robusto size but since I have disposable income I said "fuck it" and bought one to take home and smoke!  I didn't wait my normal grace period of 1 month to smoke this baby.  I lit it up that evening and began enjoying it!  

Hammer & Sickle Robusto Natural cigars boast a five-year-aged Connecticut wrapper with a three-year-aged filler from the Dominican Republic. The smoke is medium bodied and ultra-smooth with notes of pepper and some sweetness along the journey, while pampering the palate with a luxuriously creamy finish. These cigars received rave reviews at the 2009 IPCPR trade show in New Orleans. 

I thought this was a fantastic smoke to be honest!  It was a mild to medium body smoke.  From start to finish the smoke was smooth and tasteful.  I found hints of leather, wood, and slight pepper.  What impressed me most about this cigar was the construction.  This was a well made cigar.  I actually managed to smoke it down to the label without the ash breaking off.  I was very impressed with that!  Overall I was happy with this cigar even though the price was a little steep!  I planned on buying a box of these back then, but I never got around to it.  I should get another couple of these cigars to keep in the humidor!

Padron 3000 Maduro: I first tried a Padron cigar about 2.5 years ago on a recommendation from EDG.  I bought a 2000 Maduro at Friar Tuck in Champaign, IL!  I was very impressed with that cigar!  A few months later I was at a cigar shop in Bloomington, IL - Smokers Choice.  For the record Smokers Choice is a great cigar shop!  They have an excellent selection of cigars and a place to enjoy them.  What is awesome though is they have a community beer fridge in their smoking lounge and that is cool!  I bought two Padron 3000 Maduros and put them in my humidor to acclimate!  I smoked the first one about a month or so after I bought them.  I was pretty disappointed in that cigar and got pretty sower on Padron as a result.  I forgot about that second cigar for a loooong time, but a few months ago I decided to try my last one and it was a lot better!

Padron cigars are patiently handmade with long-aged Cuban seed tobaccos grown entirely in Nicaragua. A true classic and unique-tasting cigar whose outstanding quality defies its affordable price. Distinguished by their square-pressed shapes, dark, oily wrappers and medium-to-full bodied flavor, these perfectly balanced puros brim with complexity and the essence of coffee and cocoa bean. Their consistency is attributed to limited annual production, which keep them at the peak of flavor.

This was one smooth cigar!  The smoke was rich from start to finish.  The draw was excellent!  I got hints of coffee and wood followed by some spice.  I'm not sure why the first one disappointed me so much. The only reason I can think of it this one sat in my humidor for an extended period of time and mellowed?  Either way I highly recommend Padron cigars!  

Well there ya have it!  I have a few more reviews to post in the next few weeks!  One is the Arturo Fuente Chateau Fuente Sungrown!  Another is the Room 101 Namakubi!  Both cigars were excellent by the way!  Be on the lookout!

Cheers!

BEER 091112

Happy 911!  In honor of the second worst attack on American soil I'm offering up some more beer reviews!  What was I doing September 11, 2001?  I was sitting in an office in the middle of nowhere doing paperwork wondering why I had a one night stand with some slut and dating a religious maniac! Of course both of those took a back seat when the attacks happened.  As I headed home at the end of the day I had to pinch off a shit and my truck was on E!  All the gas stations were backed up and gas prices spiked.  Even Taco Bell was packed...apparently all the fat pieces of shit thought terrorism was going to effect fast food so they loaded up!  I drove 23 miles on E in a Dodge Ram pinching off a shit!  As I got home to my parents house I rushed into the house and barely made it to the pot before I shit myself!  To this day that is one of the best shits I've ever taken!  Thanks Osama Bin Laden!  On with the Beer!

First up is ....Surprise a Pale Ale!  Silver Back IPA from Wynkoop Brewery!  I first tried this beer last December when I flew out to spend my birthday with Steveo.  Mine's on the 5th and his is on the 7th (the date of the worst attack on American soil).  We celebrated by microbrew crawling and hitting a cigar bar!  Good times.  One of those microbews was Wynkoop Brewery Colorado'’s first brewpub, Wynkoop Brewing Company was founded in 1988 by a group of young entrepreneurs and urban pioneers led by former Denver mayor and current Governor of Colorado, John Hickenlooper.  Wynkoop is a great brewery!  I thought the scenery and the taproom was great!  We stopped in and had a few of their beers that night.  Among those beers was Silverback Pale Ale!

Silverback Pale Ale is a standard west coast style pale ale with a solid hoppy presence that's done in a can without apology. And none is needed; it's totally enjoyable.

Silverback pours unfiltered, copper, with a white head that sits on top of the body and dots the pint glass with spots. It smells of citrus hops and caramel malt with biscuits and bread. It's crisp, finishes clean, and drinks easy at 5.5% alcohol.

Beer Advocate rates Silverback Pale Ale an 82.

Admittedly I was pretty buzzed by the time we hit Wynkoop up so I can't remember if I liked Silverback!  So on my May visit to run the Bolder Boulder I grabbed a 6 pack and smuggled it back here!  

I'm mixed on Silver Back.  I think when I'm drunk I like it more than when I'm sober...not unlike Labambas Borritos!  The taste seems very earthy to me for an American Pale Ale.  I guess I've just had so many hopped out beers that the hop profile of Silver Back really doesn't do anything for me.  Big Cookie had this one pictured and seemed to like it so I guess it just depends on who you are!  That being said if you ever find yourself in Colorado try one and be sure to hit up Wynkoop!  

Sierra NevadaSouthern Hemisphere Harvest Ale!  Heeeeyyyy it's not an IPA...GO FUCK YOURSELVES!  

I have to admit I love Sierra Nevada's beers.   One of my favorites is their Bigfoot Barleywine style ale!  That is some kickin shit!!  

I picked up this bottle of SH Harvest Ale a few weeks back on a doughnut trip to Baesler's Market!  It was flat out popping on the shelf and the tag "NEW" hanging below it had me at hello!  Sierra Nevada describes their SH Harvest Ale as:

Our newest addition to our Harvest family is Southern Hemisphere Harvest. This is the first time we know of that an American brewer has put out a beer with fresh-picked hops from the southern hemisphere. The inaugural ale will debut in late April and will feature fresh Pacific Hallertau, New Zealand Motueka and New Zealand Southern Cross hops, all from New Zealand.

Like our Celebration Ale, the fresh hops in this beer are dried right after being picked then shipped immediately to Chico for brewing so that they retain their peak aromatics and flavors. To ensure the freshest hops possible, we went to the added expense of flying these hops from New Zealand to Chico so we could brew with them the week after they were picked.

Beer Advocate rates Southern Hemisphere Harvest Ale a 91.

I shared this with Turbo and Big Cookie the other night during the Giants vs. Cowboys game!  The Assassin couldn't make it for reasons unknown but rumor has it it was female related!  Anyways I loved this beer.  It had a very nice hop profile with floral hints!  The beer was smooth.  I didn't think it was too malty or too hoppy.  I highly recommend this beer if you can find it.  I went back to Baesler's but it was sold out!  I'm kicking myself in the ass because at $4.99 a bottle I should've bought a few for the winter!  Live and learn!  

Well that's it for now!  I'll be back with other amazing beers here in the next few weeks!  McHooligan's is now open and it will become the central location for beer tasting down the road!  I'm even working on a podcast!  

Cheers!

HOP RUSH IPA

Sick of hearing about IPAs?  Well blow me!  I love em and until something comes along that takes their place I'm gonna keep featuring them!  For your drinking pleasure is Hop Rush IPA by Four Horsemen Brewery out of South Bend Indiana home of Notre Dame!  

Hop Rush is an American Pale ale made with citri hops which happens to be the same hops used in Zombie Dust, one of my favorite beers in the history of ever!  I bought this beer at Baesler's market in Terre Haute, Indiana.  If you've never been there I would suggest you go for a Super Market it really has no equal in this area!  They have an amazing array of beer!  I usually stop by there on my Wednesday comic book run!  I always leave with something and last time I left with a 6-er of Hop Rush!

After a few sips I definitely thought this was a tasty IPA.  It had just the right hop profile and the IBUs were comparable with that of Zombie dust.  Although Four Horsemen brewed this beer with citric hops I didn't taste the floral hints over the pale ale like that of other citric hop brewed beers.  That being said this was a damn good IPA.  I'd buy a few more and have them sitting in the fridge for the right occasion!  I've only seen Hop Rush at Baesler's so if you're over there grab a 6-er and see for yourself!

Cheers!

DEVIANT DALE'S @oskarblues

It seems I'm always writing about Pale Ales and IPAs on this blog!  I'm sure it is total bullshit because I know most people prefer the watered down taste of rice beer like Bud Light or all American offerings from Miller-Coors.  For some stepping outside their box consists of trying a Sam Adams of some sort because it seems they have a shit load of beers, especially of the seasonal variety.  So me talking about beers (pale ales ect...) from Stone, 3Floyds, Oscar blue among others probably sounds like Portuguese! Here's some advice: step outside of your trailer or oversized diesel truck and try a real beer not horse piss!  I did just that when I stepped outside of my Dale's Pale Ale comfort zone and tried Oscar Blue's Deviant Dale's when I went out to Colorado for the Warrior Dash a few weeks back!

DeviantDale’s IPA (8% ABV, 85 IBUs) was born at the crossroads, in a juke joint, as if Dale’s Pale Ale sold its soul to balance Deviant’s foreboding aromas of citrus, grapefruit rind and piney resins with a copper ball-of-fire color and inscrutable finish. The 2011 GABF Silver Medal Winner (American IPA Category) is the Devil incarnate with untold amounts of malt and hedonistic Columbus dry-hopping. Oskar Blues’ southern spirit caught a northbound blues bus to ColoRADo to deliver the boundary bustin’ brewery’s first 16 oz. tallboy can.

BeerAdvocate rates Deviant Dale's an 89.

This beer is a Power house and I found that out after the first sip!  Son of a BIATCH!  At first drink I thought this was a Double IPA because it sure tasted like one, but it wasn't!  Oscar Blues has crafted a handsome IPA from the foundation of their Dale's Pale Ale!  This Beer is a two canner for me because anything more than two would fuck my shit all up which is surprising because of it's 8% ABV!  I usually can drink a few of those at that % but this baby here is a sipper!  I actually admit I struggled to finish this beer and that happens pretty much never with an IPA!  I need to give this another try and thankfully Turbo is bringing a few 4 Pack back from his Vision Quest!

Cheers

CIGARS 090212

Camacho Coyolar Puro Rothschild (Camacho Black) - I first got this cigar  in a 5 pack sampler back in August.  They've been in the humidor for about a month now.  Camacho Coyolar Puro Rothschild Dark Natural cigars set a whole new standard for bold, EXTRA-full-bodied tobacco flavor. These stunning cigars are handmade with a mucho potent blend of all-Honduran-grown long-filler tobaccos grown on the Coyolar farm (where this cigar gets its name). The smoke is well-balanced and aswarm with dark, earthy, spicy flavors. Best recommended for the cigar smoker with a hard-core palate - seriously! 


This cigar took me a good two hours to enjoy and I use the word enjoy liberally!  The cigar had a better than average draw which seems to be the case with all Camachos.  The ash burnt even and true!  The smoke was rich smelling and had hints of spice, but mostly woody. I thought the flavor was a little bitter but I think if I smoked a few more I would acquire a taste for this particular offering from Camacho.  It took me awhile to find the sweet spot and I'm not even sure I ever found it.  I was a fairly smooth smoke all the way from start to finish!  I purchased these off my iPhone app; Cigar Monster through Famous Smoke.  


Of all the Camacho lines I've tried this is probably my least favorite.  For a Cigar just under $7 I thought it could've done more for me.  However when compared to other cigars in a similar category this one holds up well, I just don't see myself ever buying a box like I would with Camacho's triple maduro or Corojo lines.  All that being said try one if you get a chance and make your own judgement!

Joya de Panama Robusto - I first read about these offerings from the mountains of Panama in an article in Playboy last spring.  It peaked my curiosity so I decided to buy a sampler pack of five.  

Joyas de Panama cigars are quality artisan products made of organic Cuban seed tobacco. The leaves are hand selected and examined for quality assurance. No chemicals, pesticides or machines are used in the growing or production of this sustainable product. The cigars are mild to medium in flavor, thus accessible to a wide audience of enthusiasts.

The cigars are 100% puros, all Panamanian product. Cigars are individually wrapped in cellophane, and bundled or boxed in packs of 25. 

Panama has a rich history of cigar manufacturing for over 100 years. The tobacco is grown in the Chiriqui province of Panama, a lush region well known for it’s agricultural products. The rich volcanic soil and shade canopy give the tobacco it’s Colorado Maduro color and smooth, full flavor. The consistent tropical climate of Panama has been a prime location for cigar production, much like her neighbors, Cuba, Nicaragua and Honduras.

The cigars are constructed of a long filler with Sumatran wrapper. They are mild to medium in flavor, with a smooth, even draw. These smokes have been described as imparting a spicy nutmeg flavor, blending rich leather with hints of rum and oak.

I've had these in my humidor since late July so they had ample time to acclimate.  I was excited to try these cigars but like the Camacho I wasn't all that impressed.  The draw was a little too tight and if you've ever fought a cigar with a poor draw it can become exhausting and unenjoyable after a bit!  The burn was even and the ash was very consistent with a slight grey color.  I thought the cigars were very well made.  The taste was very earthy.  I didn't find any hints of spice tough.  I thought the smoke was earthy as well with a slight richness.  I wonder if the cigar had a better draw if I would've had a more enjoyable smoke?  I need to try another one in 6 months or so.  The Jury is still out on these cigars.  If you plan on trying a few e-mail their company and haggle with them over shipping...they're a new company and need to build a solid base so they may be willing to send you the cigars for free shipping.  I can't recommend these or tell you to stay away.  I think you should find out for yourself if you have about $40 lying around!

Cohiba Robusto - This is one of the first Cubans I've tried since the whole Partagas fiasco back in June.  I bought two of these off BellHop Cigar.  At $24 a piece you might think these are a bit pricey but I'm one of the very few people who actually benefited financially from getting divorced so I can afford to be stupid at times.  I purchased these to take to Colorado for Steveo and I to enjoy at one of the Cigar bars we hit up from time to time!  

The Cohiba Robusto is a great example of quality materials, incredible construction and perfect balance between power and flavor.  The Cohiba has a hint of clover among the base flavor of wood and spice!

I've smoked some good cigars over the past few years with Opus X and Davidoff being two of my favorites.  I thought the Cohiba was comparable.  The draw was excellent and the flavor was smooth from start to finish.  It wasn't very complex just basically a workman like smoke with hints of spice and wood just like the description said.  The ash burnt perfect as well as a remarkable even burn.  The smoke was very aromatic as well!  

The only cigar I remember being as enjoyable as the Cohiba was the Davidoff Short Perfecto!  It might have a slight advantage over the Cohiba in taste and definitely price!