A. FUENTE DON CARLOS @A_Fuente_Cigars

Rarely do I completely and utterly own a cigar…I did with the Don Carlos Robusto by Arturo Fuente!  I literally smoked it down to the label without any ash fallout!  That my friends is as perfect a smoke as one can get especially when the cigar is amazing like the Don Carlos!

Country: Dominican Republic

Wrapper: Natural

Strength: Medium

Length: 5

Ring Gauge: 50

Price: $9.35

A rich African Cameroon wrapper over vintage Dominican filler give way to flavors both complex and refined.  The slightly sweet flavor produced by the select African Cameroon wrapper is in perfect balance with the savory aroma!  Flawless construction, a hallmark of Tabacalera A. Fuente ensures an even burn and smooth draw, unquestionably among the world’s most elite cigars!

I’m ashamed to admit I have a box of these and the price I got them for…well I might as well

have stole it!  I was at the right place at the right time!  Of all my cigars the Don Carlos is one of my all time favorites.  I’m not sure there are any other cigars in the Ark I can pull from and experience a guaranteed amazing smoke!  This is the second Don Carlos I’ve had from that box and it was every bit if not better than the first!  The draw is always amazing with this cigar.  The burn is even from start to finish, and as the picture shows the ash is a work of art!  The aroma is very pleasant as well!  I got hints of spice, wood, and cedar with subtle hints of vanilla bean.  Not a super complex cigar but ultra flavorful from start to finish!  The Don Carlos is one of those few cigars that you know will be good, bet on it!  A. Fuente is a great company.  I haven’t had anything from them that I didn’t like.  Consistency is their trademark I would have to imagine and they hit the nail on the head with the Don Carlos.  If you’re an Opus X fan abut don’t want to pay the $$$ then I highly suggest you get into the Don Carlos line.  I don’t notice much difference to be honest but a guys wallet may!

Cheers!

RYE OF THE TIGER IPA @GreatLakesBeer

If you read my post on Stone’s Enjoy By IPA then you know I think hipsters are douche bags!  I was accused of being a hipster once because of my handlebar mustache!  Handlebar mustaches are timeless and just because a few hipsters decided to grow one don’t mean I’m a hipster.  I shower, I hate the environment, own guns, hate liberals and conservatives equally, don’t smoke weed…I could go on!  If I’m anything then I’m a soft- core Super villain who is currently only able to commit to an oddly shaped hair growth on my upper lip...FYI it's cheaper than a broad!  Anyways even though I hate hipsters there is one in particular who did me a solid and recommended Rye of theTiger IPA by Great Lakes Brewery!  Thank you hipster, you do your species proud…shockingly!

Great Lakes Brewery's Rye of the Tiger has claws. Named for its fierce hop profile and sharp rye content, Rye of the Tiger is a thrilling India Pale Ale with bite. Rye of the Tiger is crafted for the fighter
in all of us, a powerful beer meant to inspire feats of strength and skill. At 7.5%, mind those catlike reflexes if your bout goes into extra rounds. If you can handle this hopped-up kitty, you’ve earned your stripes.

Before Reinheitsgebot came into practice in Germany, ruling that only barley, water and hops could be used to produce beer, portions
of rye malt were sometimes substituted for barley malt to create the roggenbier style. In a more contemporary fashion, we’ve used rye to add complexity and flavor to this hop-forward India Pale Ale, creating our version of the burgeoning American “Rye-P-A” style. Adding rye to the malt bill provides crispness, spice, and a dry feel that makes for a very clean, refreshing brew.

Pairs With: Fried chicken, milder blue cheeses, and spiced desserts

Shelf Life: 90 days

Style: American IPA

ABV%: 7.5

IBU: 92

Brewery: Great Lakes Brewery, Ohio

Beer Advocate: 90 Exceptional

Now there aren’t many things to come out of the state of Ohio worth a shit (stay classy Cleveland) but Rye of the Tiger IPA is one of them.  I’m not a big Rye IPA guy I just think they taste a little funny.  I should note that this beer shouldn’t’ be confused with the beer of the same name by 3 Floyds!  Anyways like I said not a fan of most Rye IPAs but the last few I’ve tried including this one right here have been great! 

Rye the Tiger had a very pleasant and intense hop profile.  I didn’t get any floral notes associated with some of my favorite IPAs.  I find that Rye IPAs tend to be a straight up hop experience with slight hints of malt and a touch of a yeasty taste on the back end, this was the case with Rye of the Tiger.  This was a hoppy beer and at 92 IBUs it was pretty evident it was a taste bud destroyer!  Now I can see why the Binny’s hipster recommended it for me.  He must see my cart stacked full of various IPAs when I’m in there.  I recommend this beer purely on its hop character!  It would be a great refreshing beer slightly chilled on a July afternoon watching all the shit-bags walk past your house!!

Cheers!

STONE ENJOY BY 5.17.13 IPA @StoneBrewingCO

"KABoom" as I’ve mentioned in the past  there aren’t many breweries I like better than Stone Brewery!  They make some frackin gnarly beers and their latest seasonal Enjoy By 5.17.13 is no exception! 

I found out about this saucy little bomber on crack-book (yes it’s good for some things).  Unlike several seasonal brews from the likes of Founders and 3 Floyds to name a few, Stone does a good job getting their product to the masses and I don’t have to worry about some long haired hipster who works at a local mega-liquor store buying it up so he and his underachieving dipshit buddies can sit around their apartment and drink it, all the while talking about how they’d make the world a better place!  Go Fuck Yourselves hipsters, you all suck! 

You have in your hands a devastatingly fresh double IPA. While freshness is a key component of many beers - especially big, citrusy, floral IPAs - we've taken it further, a lot further, in this IPA. You see, we specifically brewed it NOT to last. We've not only gone to extensive lengths to ensure that you're getting this beer in your hands within an extraordinarily short window, we made sure that the Enjoy By date isn't randomly etched in tiny text somewhere on the label, to be overlooked by all but the most attentive of retailers and consumers.  


Style: American Double/ Imperial IPA

ABV%: 9.4

IBUs:

Brewery: Stone

Beer Advocate: 98 Excellent

Enjoy By 5.17.13 should be drunk by the date it suggests and I did just that!  If you’ve ever had Great Divide Fresh Hop then you know how insanely awesome fresh brewed beer can taste.  Enjoy By does not disappoint.  After popping the cap it was pretty evident by the nice hopped out aroma coming from the bottle this was going to be a great Double IPA.  The pour was nice and bubbly.  It had a nice head to it and looked super fresh with a nice light amber color .  Every time I looked at my pint glass I could see bubbles rising to the surface indicating its ultra freshness! 

Enjoy by had a nice refreshing hoppy taste.  Not too hoppy and bitter, but tasty enough to slam the shit out of my taste buds. There were hints of fruity and floral notes right off the bat with a slight malty finish, which is a characteristic of most good IPA but not Double IPAs.  Enjoy By didn’t taste like a double to me, which I liked.  I could drink several pints of this which is scary because it’s smooth and did I mention it’s 9.4%!  If I had to rate this double IPA I’d go 8.5 out a possible 10 which I’m sure is less or not as good as what those hipsters would rate it because they’re fucking snobs!  Get a real jobs you shit heads! 

Cheers!

CUABA DIVINOS

One would think I’m on a string of smoking Cuban cigars…and you would be correct in that assumption.  It’s more of an impulse thing really.  I have several and they’re highly enjoyable so I said “what the fuck” and I started smoking em!  This little guy here was a cigar I decided to smoke after a few beers one night and I got bored! 

Country: Cuba

Wrapper: Cuban

Strength: Medium

Length: 3.9

Ring Gauge: 43

Cuaba released its first ever Limitada in 2008.  This continued along the same lines as the rest of their releases.  All the leaves (filler, binder, and wrapper) have been aged for at least two years.

For a cigar similar in size to my dick it was pretty tasty!  When I first got this I thought “are you kidding me” because it was so damn small and I paid $10 for it.  I remember thinking I was a dipshit and despite this being an excellent smoke I still feel silly spending that coin on a small stick!

The cigar is a unique figurado shape that all the Cuabas are known for.  This is a complex shape to roll.  After cutting the cigar I tested the draw, it was perfect and consistent with almost every Cuban cigar I’ve tried.  I lit it up and began to check for notes.  Right off the bat I tasted a creamy smoothness that is common with all the Cuban cigars I’ve had.  The burn was even and true.  Although not a complex cigar the Divinos had definite notes of spice and wood with subtle hints of nut at times.  It didn’t take me long to enjoy this cigar.  Despite its size and short duration I thought the Divinos was an excellent smoke.  Cuaba makes a larger sized version of this and I’m considering trying this one as well but at $17 a stick it may be sometime

NORSE LEGEND @SamuelAdamsBeer

Yggdrasil, the Nordic Tree of Life...ya know that elaborate wood carving where those dipshits hid the cosmic cube in Captain America: The First Avenger!  Well I'm pretty sure that is what's staring at me on the bottle of another of Sam Adams Small Batch offerings...Norse Legend.  It doesn't actually remind me of the Tree of Life nor is it supposed to either, but the label is pretty cool!

Legend has it that barrels of this ancient brew were found on sunken Viking ships.  This Nordic ale called a Sahti took root in Finland becoming one of the oldest continuously brewed styles.  Deep amber in color, the distinctive herbal citrus aroma and flavor comes from aging on a bed of juniper berries for a fresh and flavorful brew.

ABV%: 7%

STYLE: Sahti

BREWERY: Samuel Adams

Beer Advocate: 80 - Good!

I first tried this beer about a year and a half ago at TGIF.  There it was on tap along with several other offerings of Sam Adams small batch brews.  Of the flight I tried I'd say Norse Legend was the smoothest of them all.  Although not real strong and I should note that I highly doubt any Vikings would drink a lot of it prior to raping and pillaging a village but it's pretty good for a sahti.  

There were definite hints of fruit right off the bat indicated by it's juniper roots.  There wasn't a distinctive hop profile that I could tell.  IF it reminded me of anything it was a fruitier dark ale.  I can't really say anymore about this beer other than it's worth trying and the label is cool.

I should mention that I have several of Sam Adams Small Batch bottles.  Coming in at around $5 a bottle they're very affordable for a genuinely good beer as Sam Adams is always known for.  There are several beers in this lineup from Sam Adams, and they all should fit select tastes.  Try em!

Cheers!