BOLIVAR ROYAL CORONA

It's been a looong time since I've posted.  Writers block is a bitch and to be honest I've been too disgusted to write because of the Steelers shitty season.  That being said I've had some great beers and cigars regardless.  One was the Cuban Bolivar Royal Corona!  

Country: Cuba
Wrapper: Cuban
Strength: Full
Length: 4 7/6
Gauge: 50

Bolivar is a current pre-reolution brand, established in 1902.  It is classified by Habanos Sa as a multi-local brand, and has a minor market share.

The strength range comprises full strength cigars using tobacco from the premium Vuelta Abajo Region.  There is a Non-Cuban brand of the same name.

Cigar Aficionado rated the Bolivar Royal Corona a 93 so like the fish I tend to be I bought a couple and aged them in the Ark.  I decided to pull one out a few months ago and enjoy it with some bourbon.  The cigar had an excellent dry draw with a strong tobacco taste.  After lighting the first few puffs yielded thick, aromatic smoke.   The burn was very even.  I found there to be notes of leather and spice with a few hints of creamy finishing with a nice earthy note.  For a full flavored cigar I didm;t get light headed or rubber legged as in the past with powerhouses like the Partagas Serie D No. 4.  This was just a smooth and enjoyable Cuban cigar with a pleasant taste on the palette.  I have one left and can't wait to light it up this spring!

Cheers!

3FLOYDs MOLOKO STOUT @3floyds

I used to be a stout guy, loved em whether they were in a bottle, pint, had a shot of Jameson in em, or I was pounding a pint and puking it back up in the glass and repounding said pint again in my show stopping move called the "Chickenhawk"!  Eventually I outgrew stouts.  I got tired of the traditional stouts such as Guinness, Murphy's and a few other well known brands.  They're bland taste is something I eventually outgrew.  But over the last few years as I've been extensively exploring the the world of craft beer I've discovered several craft-stouts that I absolutely love the shit out of and Moloko by 3Floyds Brewery is no exception!




Style: American Milk/ Sweet Stout
%ABV: 8.0
IBU: 30
Brewery: 3Floyd's Brewery
Beer Advocate: 92 Outstanding!

This is just a great beer.  Its deep dark almost espresso color fills a glass black!  With little to no head the beer just looks fucking tasty in a pint glass.  The first sip yields notes of dark chocolate and espresso with sweet hints.  As it warm up Moloko becomes creamy and smooth and more sweet showing its teeth a little more with pecan notes as well as other nutty tastes.  This is just a very rich beer that should be enjoyed at or a little below a cool room temperature.  Moloko is a fall seasonal from 3Floyd's and is out right now.

I love all the beers from 3Floyd's.  Moloko is just another great beer in a long line of amazing offerings from 3Floyd's.  If you're a stout lover I think you're pretty much obligated to try Moloko and add it to your beer portfolio!  I definitely will be getting another bottle for my collection!

Cheers!

HERRERA ESTELI BY DREW ESTATE @hererraesteli

This past weekend was the opening of the 2013 College Football season and I did everything but watch football…and that sucked!  I got a little depressed to be honest.  Regardless whether I had fun or not in my other endeavors I still missed that feeling of being a lazy sack of shit laying on my couch and watching shitty football games where the equally shitty ESPN commentators sucked each and everyone off including themselves in an annoyingly ghay cavalcade of ridiculousness.  So at the end of this Labor Day weekend filled with Shenanigans and Tomfoolery I had to, needed to relax and I did so with an awesomely bad ass cigar-the Herrera Esteli By Drew Estate!

Brand: Herrera Esteli By Drew Estate

Type: Robusto

Country: Nicaragua

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano

Price: $9.00

Strength: Full

Length: 5 ½

Gauge: 52

Master blenders from the famed El Titan De Bronze factory in Little Havana, Willy Herrera assumed the same title for Drew Estate in 2012.  The first project to bear his name for Drew Estate is the Herrera Esteli: a cigar that has taken nearly a year to blend and produce.  Comprised of Ecuadorian, Honduran and Nicaraguan tobaccos, the Herrera Esteli in unlike anything to ever come from the Drew Estate factory.  According the Herrera “it’s Cubanesque in natureand described as well rounded and flavorful but not too powerful”!

Of all the Nicaraguan cigars I’ve smoked this is by far and away my favorite and it’s not even close.  This also is hands down the best product from Drew Estate I’ve had including the ACID and Liga brands.  I had the Robusto from the Esteli line.  The cigar was well constructed as is the case with all Drew Estate products.  The cigar cut true and the dry draw was amazing.  I was shocked at how well it was because the Liga Undercrown and Privada both had terrible draws.  Upon lighting the harsh, bitter notes typical of Nicaraguan cigars were absent.  The first few puffs were a mildly peppery taste with hints of cedar.  There were varying notes of spice along with different degrees of pepper throughout the duration of the smoke.  At times the cigar became very woody with notes of leather.  The cigar burned nice and evenly for the entire smoke.   Overall this was an extremely pleasurable smoke.  It had some balls though because after I finished I got that swimmy head and rubber leg feeling as I stood up!  I highly recommend the Herrera Esteli line of cigars from Drew Estate.  They may be a little pricey but they’re worth it IMO! 

Cheers!