This past Saturday, I pulled a Gran Habano Vintage 2002 out of the humidor. I have to say, I was impressed with this cigar before I considered the price point. The flavors were well pronounced and the cigar was slow burning. Spice, wood and some cocoa dominated the profile. I did experience some burn issues, mostly with a wavy burn, but overall, this was a fantastic cigar for $2.

Yesterday morning, I grabbed a Gurkha Fuerte XO that had been sitting for almost 2 years. The first one I had was incredibly bitter and I figured lots of rest might fix the cigar. It did fix it slightly, but it just wasn't the most interesting cigar to begin with. Some wood, some cocoa, still some bitter, not very pronounced flavors. Overall, not impressed.

Last night, I lit up a Gurkha Empire III. The lick on the cap made me think a sweaty, fat person rolled this cigar. It was oddly salty. I almost tossed it, but was too lazy to walk back upstairs for another stick, so I lit up. The cigar brought a very earthy, and.....well.....slightly salty, chewy, leathery profile to it. It wasn't bad for a while, but it started getting old about half-way through.

With the Gurkha Empire, I sat and sipped some Boggle Vineyards 2006 Petite Sirah Port. Now, I realize that this isn't a traditional port, due to the grapes, as well as the region it's produced (California, rather than Portugal). It is a ruby style port, meaning that it is not generally aged for long and will not age in the bottle (Tawny ports are blended years that have been maturing in barrels and Vintage - not to be confused with Late Harvest Vintage, which are meant to be drunk rather than aged - Vintage Port is generally aged a short time in barrels and meant to be aged in the bottle, sometimes up to 20 years before consuming). This wine was reasonably priced at $20 for a 500ml bottle. The nose was strong in blackberry and cherry notes. On the pallet, it was loaded with blackberry and cherry again with chocolate and a touch of oak in the background. This is a very full, fruity, berried, sweet wine that would go well after a nice meal. Do not look for big oak in this wine, as you won't find any heavy oak or wood notes. Look to a 20 or 30 year Tawny for that.

OK, since I got a request for more drink reviews.......screw it. I don't need an excuse to drink. I felt like mixing myself a drink tonight. Seriously though. I did get a request to continue drink reviews and it inspired me. I mixed up two drinks tonight. One for my girlfriend, the other for myself.

First up was a drink taken from the menu of the Alembic Bar in San Francisco. A friend of mine went there recently and raved about it. This is my take on it, since they don't include recipes on their menu.

Poop Deck: 2 oz Landy Desir Cognac, 1 oz Blackberry liqueur, 1 oz Boggle Petit Sirah Port, 2 dashes Angostura Bitters. Stir and strain. Spicy, Fruity and slighty vegetal on the nose, this one was a bit different. Had more of a classic cocktail feel, which I seem to be really enjoying lately. The cognac came through enough both in the nose and on the pallet. The spice from the cognac was softened and sweetness was accented by the berry liqueur and port, while the spice and herbal characteristics of the bitters helped to accent the spice as well.

Spiced, Berry Rum: 2 oz Plantation 20 year Rum, 1 oz Boggle Petit Sirah Port, 1 tsp honey dissolved into 1 oz cold water, 2 dashes Angostura Bitters. Stir and strain. The vanilla of the plantation rum, combined with the honey reminded me, both in the nose and on the pallet, of a few desserts I've made with the two ingredients and usually some fruit such as banana, apple or berries. The port helped to soften the drink a bit and add a slight berry note to the overall feel. The bitters, once again, helped round out the drink and add some spice and complexity to an otherwise sweet honeyed-vanilla drink.

nicely done..

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Thanks for the great drink reviews, I for one definately appreciate them and quite honestly can't get enough of them. I know it probably takes a lot out of you but for you to step up and force yourself to make a drink just to review for us here on the forum says a lot about what kind of character you have.

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"Sometimes you ain't what you think you wanna be, but dadgummit, be satisfied 'cos you ain't what you don't wanna be and if you ain't what you don't wanna be, you don't wanna be somethin' you ain't."

bandyt09:

Thanks for the great drink reviews, I for one definately appreciate them and quite honestly can't get enough of them. I know it probably takes a lot out of you but for you to step up and force yourself to make a drink just to review for us here on the forum says a lot about what kind of character you have.

Rob really takes one for the team by drinking for us, and explaining the flavors. With years of training, his stamina for drink pouring is unmatched. Truly a great BOTD (brother of the drink).

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It's BORKs not BOTLs

There is no blender but Litto Gomez, and I wish I was his merchant.

hahaha. I do my best. Hopefully, people find them interesting and useful enough. I'll always post whether or not a drink and cigar were paired together and try to match them up or at least let you know whether or not it was a good match.

If anyone has any suggestions or requests, please feel free. I'll be going to a tasting at my local liquor store this Sunday and will probably end up picking up at least one bottle (probably more).

Rob, if you haven't already, you should review this drink:

The Last Word.

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www.wbfiller.com

www.smoketherevolution.com

Sounds good. I'm liking this one already. I'll hit up the liquor store on the way home (believe it or not, I don't actually have any maraschino liqeur) and hopefully pour myself one of these tonight. Thanks for the input.

I'm going to kill someone. I just wrote up a page of reviews and got a server error and it erased everything.

Rob1110:

I'm going to kill someone. I just wrote up a page of reviews and got a server error and it erased everything.

Suuuuuuck (you can also replace the "s" with a "f").

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www.wbfiller.com

www.smoketherevolution.com

OK, here goes....for the second F*ing time around. I made it to the liqor store and picked up the Maraschino liqueur to make the Last Word that sightunseen requested/recommended.

The Last Word: I found most of the recipes suggested these portions: 1 part Gin (I used Bombay Sapphire), 1 part Green Chartreuse, 1 part Maraschino Liqueur, 1 part lime juice. While the first attempt was way too sour and acidic from the lime, I added a bit of agave nectar to balance it out a bit. Next time around, I'd cut the lime in half and use 1/2 part lime juice and 1/2 part agave nectar, just so it's not so acidic. On the nose, the drink was very floral with sweet herbs and spices. The lime being too strong, it ended up tasting like a spiced, herbal margarita. The juniper from the gin comes through, along with pressed flowers, herbs and spices but they were sadly muted by the dominance of the lime in the original mix. I feel with the reduction of lime and addition of a sweet element to balance out the acid of the lime, this would be a much better drink. Agave works well with lime, so that would probably be the best sweetener here.

Padilla Miami Churchill (old blend): At one point, I had both blends of the Padilla Miami. I smoked the newer blend a while ago and don't remember it really wowing me. The old blend was about the same. The pre-light was predominantly tobacco with some hay and a hint of cinnamon. It lit with some spice, cocoa and cedar notes but quickly fell flat. A tobacco core and much less spice than I expected, this one just didn't hold my attention and I put it out half way through. Pairing it with a drink like The Last Word, just didn't work with this blend. That drink deserves and calls out for a much spicier cigar.

After the first attempt, I went with a cigar that I'd been really meaning to revisit after sitting in my humi for almost 2 years.

La Aurora Barrel Aged Churchill: First, let me say that La Aurora holds a special place in my heart, being the first premium cigar I ever smoked (preferido emerald tubo). When I heard about the Barrel Aged concept and blend, I was really excited to try it. Needless to say, after buying two singles and smoking one, I picked up a box. I reviewed that first one on here almost two years ago and this is the second one I've smoked from that box (way too many were given away as gifts or in trades - I only have a few left). With two years rest, I'm sure the cigar has improved, as has my pallet, so I'm really excited to try this one again.

The construction of this cigar was spot on. Rustic looking but well put together, heavy in hand, tightly packed but the draw was perfect. Pre-light draw gave notes of oak, a sweetness and cocoa. It lit easily with a torch and the taste was very similar to the pre-light, with oak dominating the pallet. This cigar smokes beautifully with volumes of smoke on the draw. Slightly wavy burn line but never got out of hand. A cocoa note begins to build around the half-way point, as does the body but never becomes quite full and oak continues to be a dominant note throughout the cigar. Though consistent and not incredibly complex, the notes in this cigar are so pronounced and well done that it easily holds your attention and calls you back for more. Now I have to figure out whether or not I need another box. It'll be some time before that, either way.

The drink I paired this with was fairly simple, but paired perfectly with the cigar (think barrel aged booze for a barrel aged cigar and you won't go wrong - aged rum, cognac or bourbon would all work perfectly to complement this cigar). I started with 2oz Cognac (I used Gabriel and Associates Fin Bois - produced by the house of Ferrand, known for their exceptional cognacs and spirits, it is heavy on vanilla and at $35 a bottle, it easily drinks like a cognac at twice that amount), 1 & 1/2 oz Gran Marnier (easy choice - orange infused cognac), 2 dashes of Angostura Bitters and a teaspoon of Maraschino Cherry syrup. Stir on ice and strain into a chilled martini glass with a cherry. It has the classic feel of a Manhattan with more of a vanilla/orange body. Though not quite as complex as The Last Word, this would pair beautifully with most spicy/woodsy medium to full bodied cigars. Sometimes there is beauty in simplicity.

This weekend, one of the local liquor stores is having a taste of New England and will be featuring beers, wines and spirits from local spots. I'll be there and will be bringing some extra cash that I have set aside to restock the liquor cabinet a bit. I've got my eyes on two bottles of Gabriel and Associates cognacs (Grand Champagne and Petite Champagne) as well as a bottle of El Jimador Anejo Tequila. We'll see what I come back with but I have a feeling this is going to be one expensive trip to the liquor store....UGH.... Either way, you guys will be guaranteed some reviews!

Great review. Did you have to drybox the La Aurora before smoking? I smoked what I believe was the No. 4 and while the flavors were fantastic, it had terrible burn problems. The wrapper on it was very oily. I have one more in the humi that I'm going to drybox before smoking. For the old Padilla Miami, was the band a different design? I'm asking because my local B&M has the Miamis in a red and black band that I've never seen before.

Thanks for trying out The Last Word. You mentioned that the tartness of the lime would pair better with a spicier cigar. Perhaps another DPG creation like the Cuban Classic? Also, did you read the part in the article where they modified the drink by replacing gin and lime with rye whiskey and lemon (they called that variation The Final Word)? How do you think the flavors would change?

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www.wbfiller.com

www.smoketherevolution.com

Thanks, sight. I didn't drybox the Aurora before, just pulled it out of the humi. The burn problems weren't bad, just wavy. I have had the #4 in the past and remember liking the larger ring gauge better. I found it burned cooler and the blend seemed to come out more. Not that the #4 was bad, just liked the churchill better. The Miami was the red and black band. That's the older blend.

Thanks for the recommendation on the drink. It wasn't the tartness of the lime that would pair better, it was the full-bodied, spicy, herbal notes of the drink - Gin is very herbal and has a big bouquet-like flavor, Chartreuse is similar but even fuller, with lots of spicy, floral and herbal notes all mixed together. Because of this, the two seem to work really nicely together and while the lime can tame the alcohol burn, it can cause some acid burn of its own. A DPG would probably work nicely with this drink, as would some of the spicier Ashtons (ESG, VSG), opus, etc. I didn't catch that article but that does sound interesting. Rye generally has a spicier profile and should play nicely with the Chartreuse. The Lemon would work to tone it down, but I'd even consider muddling some lemon with sugar for the same reason I'd cut the lime in the Last Word.

Very interesting observations on the drink. It's times like this that I wish my tolerance to alcohol wasn't so abnormally low.

As for the Miami, I think I better head down to my B&M before they sell out.

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www.wbfiller.com

www.smoketherevolution.com

This past Saturday, I had a La Rosa Especial - not sure if they're still in existence, but some cheap-o cigar I picked up at JR on a weekly deal back about 2 years ago (I think it was about $25 for a box of 20). I picked them up as a golf-course cigar and that's just what they are. Even after two years, spice, cedar and tobacco notes are all you really get. Not terrible, just not a great or memorable cigar.

Yesterday, I took the day off from work and spent a few hours at the beach with my girlfriend and her sister. Lit up the grill for some steak tips, grilled asparagus and grilled peppers and lit up a Diesel while I was grilling. Man, that is a good cigar. Big, earthy, leathery, chewy flavors throughout with a burst of spice in the first inch. Some cocoa develops around the halfway point, but never dominates. This is a hefty cigar both in size and body.

Before the Diesel, I mixed up a quick pomegranate margarita just to go through some of the tequila I have opened before I rip into a new bottle. I used two parts (I think it was odwalla) pomegranate limeade, two parts Dos Manos anejo tequila (not a bad anejo for the money, but expected more - it's on the oaky, not quite as sweet side of tequila with plenty of agave up front), one part cointreau and one part agave nectar/water mix. It was a nice change up from the traditional margarita and just added a little more fruit. I just wasn't in the mood to start squeezing limes along with preparing stuff for dinner.

Also hit up the liquor store this weekend for that tasting. Lots of vodkas, some rums (nothing worth mentioning) and one gin. The best vodkas I tried were the Vermont White (vodka distilled from milk sugar) - slightly sweet both on the nose and on the pallet, but a creamy sweetness. This would be perfect in a coffee/cream based drink such as a White Russian. Very crisp and clean. Next up was a vodka developed in the basement of the owner's Hadley, MA home called V one vodka. It's distilled from one particular type of wheat (which escapes me at the moment), making it quite unique. Very crisp and clean with a slight grassy or lemon sweet note. I was impressed at how clean this vodka was, with no sharpness or after bite at all. The Gin was called Knockabout Gin and it had a slightly different bouquet than most gins on the market now. The juniper was not quite as present as usual, but notes of corriander and cinnamon seemed to stick out a bit more rather than be overpowered by the juniper. I really enjoyed that one (the same distillery made Folley Cove Rum, which I didn't enjoy much, as well as a vodka that was so-so). Finally, Cold River made a blueberry vodka that was fantastic. The nose was of blueberry candy and that carried over to the pallet but not as strong. I'm not big on flavored vodkas, but this one tasted very natural. There was another blueberry vodka from a Nantucket distiller that tasted more like a dry blueberry wine mixed with vodka. Not as sweet, but not quite as enjoyable either. I ended up purchasing more than I should have, but those reviews will come later.