Forgot to post my review on the Cain Nub Habano. Don't remember specifics, but do remember really liking this cigar. Very smooth, with some sweet notes. Not the typical profile you'd expect from such a strong cigar.

Finally tried my first 5 Vegas Triple A tonight. I can't say I was as impressed as I thought I would have been or hoped to be. It was decent, don't get me wrong. The first inch reminded me a bit of the diesel without the chewy, leathery profile but more of a traditional maduro. Some spice, some earthiness, lots of tobacco and some cocoa. I had such high hopes for this cigar and I felt it kind of fell flat in the middle for a while. I bought 3 of them and will let the other 2 rest for 6 months or more before revisiting (most likely, it'll be close to a year before I get around to this one again). Hopefully they improve with age. So far, the Cain is the winner here.

The drink of choice tonight was a Sazerac, which I thougt would pair nicely with the Triple A, since it's reputed to be full-bodied and fairly strong. Traditionally, this is made with 3 parts Rye (I used Rock Hill Farms Bourbon - not bad, but I don't think I'd recommend it - I'm just trying to finish off the bottle, though it's proven to be a better mixer than on its own), I used 1 part simple syrup, 3/4 parts Absinthe and 2-3 dashes of Peychaud's bitters. Stir on ice and strain into a chilled highball glass. The flavors work better than you might expect and the bitters really brought out the anise in the absinthe and added some slight spice notes to it as well. I have to say, the drink turned out really nice. Unforturnately, I think the drink overpowered the cigar, if only slightly. It might have been better paired with a Monte Media Noche or a spicier cigar.

Yesterday was just a bad day for my taste buds overall. My girlfriend played polo up in Quechee VT (near the Killington ski area), so we headed up in the morning and got some breakfast before the game. Some bland bacon, bland eggs that weren't fluffy for so called "fresh farm raised," and a "maple" milk shake that just tasted like a vanilla milk shake with a teaspoon of maple syrup dropped in.

After sitting in 90 degree heat in the sun for hours while setting up, blah blah, finally playing a game of polo, washing down horses, blah, blah (for anyone with a significant other who is a horse person, I feel your pain), they offered us some food. At this point, we were both so hot an exhausted, we just wanted a cold water more so than food. After downing a water and a lemonade, she ventured to the food table and grabbed some fruit. The woman who made the food apparently mixed up fruit salad with salad. She had apples, bananas, watermelon and oranges covered in what tasted like italian dressing. It was absolutely horrible. She handed me the plate in disgust and took some grapes (which weren't very good either). We finally left and headed home, rather than stay the night.

On the way home, we stopped and grabbed a few bottles of wine to relax and end the night later on but decided to shower and grab a bite to eat. Her dad is the CFO of a magazine in Boston and gets all kinds of gift cards and favors through companies who advertise through them, so we decided to use one of those for a free meal. We went to Anthony's Pier 4 in Swampscott, MA. Walked in and were impressed by the windiow views and overall ambiance as well as the menu. The waiter seemed put out and couldn't bring me a bar menu or tell me what they had for scotch or cognac, so I ordered a manhattan. The appetizer came (Maple smoked salmlon with melba toast and some garnishes) and was fantastic, so we were really excited for our meal.

Half way through the meal, my girlfriend mentioned that I should start a review site for all the food, drink and cigars I review. As we were discussing it, I went to pour myself some manhattan (they serve a tiny bit in the glass and fill a small carafe and put it on ice to keep it cold), which tasted like bourbon with a cherry in it more than an actual manhattan and noticed a fruit fly in my carafe. I realize that fruit flies are common around bars and wasn't about to let it bother me. So, I poured off the booze and left the dead fly in the carafe and set it aside. Then, I taste my duck (pan seared duck with an orange-plum glaze) and there's no sauce or glaze. Just very gamey tasting duck. Cooked well, but no seasoning or sauce. I asked the waiter, who checked with the kitchen and said the chef told him he put only a little on before cooking (that's another gripe all together). OK, now my girlfriend is changing her mind on me doing the whole review site. "you'll just complain about everything." As she's saying this, she cuts into her fish (Haddock with an orange-pistachio, basil sauce, which was delicious up to this point) and says "I hate when fish has these huge veins.....wait, that's not a vein, is it?" No, it's a worm, and as she flakes more off, she finds all of his buddies. At least a half dozen of them. Nice. Needless to say, we didn't pay for the drink or her meal and left quickly after paying the part of the bill we felt was justifiably paid (though some people would have put up a fight and not paid at all).

After all that, we opened up a bottle of 2008 Terrazas Malbec that we had just purchased on the way home. I opened it and it smelled a bit sharp and young, so I poured a little and let it breathe for a few minutes. On the nose, I got some cherry and plum, but faint. When sipped, there was a faint hint of plum and then nothing. It just faded, like that, into nothing. Some alcohol burn was all that remained. At the same time, I lit up a Cain F, that I had been really excited to try. Same thing. First few puffs were creamy, wood, and something different that I didn't have enough time to place because the flavor just disappeared. I tried to smoke but couldn't get past the half way point. The draw was painfully tight and I found a good sized stick near the head after cutting. After putting it out, I decided to dissect the cigar and found some pretty hefty stems (more like sticks - I mean, I could have almost played fetch with the dog with some of these) througout every leaf that went into the construction of that one. Fed up, we just went to bed.

Sorry, I'm done complaining, but it was just one of those days. Hey, I figure this is a review page. Bad reviews count for just as much as good reviews.

Wow, rough day! Nothing like getting some tree branches in a cigar! Terrible.

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It's BORKs not BOTLs

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

....so, did your girlfriend's team win the game at least. ( need I ask at this point ).

Haha. No, they pretty much got demolished. 15 to 5. I tried pretending I was with the other team but they weren't having any of it.

Had a few buddies from work over last night for some food, drinks, and cigars. I ended up grilling some wings that a friend brought and made my spin on Red Robin's Bonsai Burger.

While preping and cooking I lit up a Gurkha Micro batch (the belicoso) and it was just what I was looking for. Smooth, not too strong but not too mild, woodsy, tobacco flavors that could stand up to being ignored for the most part. It was a very "meat and potatoes" type of cigar.

Afterwards, I lit up the Cain Nub maduro. It was good, but I honestly enjoyed the habano much more. The one thing I noticed about both was how incredibly smooth they both were. I felt the habano had a touch more spice and complexity, while the maduro had the typical maduro sweetness with cedar and some cocoa. Not a bad cigar, but I'd buy the habano again over the maduro. I also felt the habano had a bit more of a nic kick.

After doing a little reading, I decided to pour myself a Sazerac in the traditional sense. I just wrote up a review on one that I made with bourbon and was reading yesterday that the drink was actually first made with cognac. Here's the breakdown: 3 oz cognac (Gabriel and Associates Fin Bois), 1 oz simple syrup, 3 dashes Angostura Bitters - place all over ice and stir for 30 seconds. At the same time, chill a highball or your glass of choice and just before straining the drink in, pour a touch of absinthe into the serving glass and swirl it around to coat the glass and pour off the excess. Strain and enjoy. As much as I really enjoyed the bourbon version, I really liked the cognac version as well. Not sure which one I'd prefer. Either one would stand up to a good, strong cigar.

You should make a review site with all of your food and drink concoctions..

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phobicsquirrel:

You should make a review site with all of your food and drink concoctions..

Agreed! I'm a big fan.

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It's BORKs not BOTLs

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

Thanks for the kind words guys. I've tossed around the idea, but for now, I have this thread, which I will continue to update. Maybe once I feel I've amassed a big enough collection, then I'll start a dedicated site.

OK, before I get to my cigar and drink reviews, I'm gonna post a new one here. A friend of mine caught a keeper while striper fishing the other night and gave me a filet from the catch. I decided to go all out and make a nice dinner for my girlfriend and I and thought I'd post it here.

The fish was done in simple fashion with some grape seed oil on the bottom to prevent it from sticking, sprayed with fresh squeezed lime juice and seasoned with Hawaiian black sea salt and roasted papaya seeds. I first baked for 15 minutes at 350 (with aluminum foil covering the fish) and then broiled at 550 (removed the foil) for 5 or 6 minutes. To top the fish, I made a lime burre blanc sauce but added a little heavy cream (so, no longer technically a burre blanc) and a little less butter. The sauce by itself was a little too tangy and heavy but went perfectly with the fish. I served it all over a bed of coconut and lime risotto with some mango and papaya diced in. The sweetness of the rice and tartness of the lime sauce balanced nicely with the fish without overpowering it. If you took a bite of any one alone, it was good, but a bite of all 3 together created a nice harmony.

For dessert, I made a creme brulee for the first time and after a few attempts, finally got the hang of caramelizing the sugar. To go with it, I had fresh home made whipped cream, strawberries and a rum caramel that I made with rum, vanilla, lime, sugar and a clove. That sauce was amazing! I want that on some donuts in the fall.

Last night I lit up a Nat Sherman 489 Tubo #1 and wasn't too impressed. Mostly tobacco, hints of spice and faint hints of sweetness that could have been toasted marshmallow or even gram cracker, but too subtle to notice. If the flavors were more pronounced, this could have been a great cigar.

Paired with that, I fixed myself a sidecar. 2 parts Landy Desir Cognac, 1 part Cointreau, 1/4 lemon squeezed and 3 dashes of Angostura bitters over ice - stir and strain. It was a classic cocktail in every sense. The tart lemon cut through the cognac, while the bitters added dimension and the Cointreau added some sweetness. Unfortunately, this was too much for the cigar to handle, so I let the drink sit until I was done with the cigar. This wouldn't be in my top drinks to make, but it certainly wasn't bad. More of a winter drink though.

Fish sounds fantastic - and creme brulee is my favorite desert by far. Never attempted to make one...

Every time I read one of your reviews, I am amazed at how many different types of liquor, mixers, and other such things that go into drinks you have on hand. Any chance we could see a pic of your bar/liquor collection?

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It's BORKs not BOTLs

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

I'll try to get some pics of the liquor cabinet this weekend. I also have to update my facebook pics with this last dinner, but I do have an album of dinner photos on facebook (Rob Giuffrida). I'm pretty sure my profile is public.

Great, great thread! I just love the cocktail menu! And now food?!?!?! OMFG. Big fan, big fan.

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"All things are possible through faith in The Beard."
- j0z3r 1/15/2010


pure.refreshing.bacon.

Thank you again for the comments. It does help motivate me to do more reviews and really keep up with this thread.

Today, I tried lighting up an H. Upmann vintage (don't remember the size) but coudln't get through it. Just harsh, bland, blah. About half way through, I tossed it and pulled out a Tatuaje Havana VI Nobles that I just picked up on a deal (5 for 21.50 free ship). The pre-light sent was mostly tobacco and some barnyard scent but after a punch, the draw had a nice, sweet, dark cherry note to it. That note came out once lit but was more subdued and only lasted the first few puffs. It was joined by cedar and tobacco, which dominated once the cherry faded. There wasn't much sweetness in the first half, but started to pick up a little bit again in the second half of the cigar. Towards the end, I started picking up on a slight hint of spice, which I expected more of, this being a child of Pete and Pepin. Either way, it was a nice cigar with great, pronounced flavors.

Also made myself a cup of starbucks espresso roast with my french press and topped it with some fresh whipped cream. I put some grade b maple syrup and pumpkin pie spice in the cream before whipping and it turned out amazing. I'll definitely be using that one again!

I'm also going to try posting some pics of my booze, so bear with me. We'll see how this works.

Let's see how this works...


here are some cellos that I've completed so far. Left to right - Spiced Orange and Apple Pie were my Christmas cellos for 09, Blood Orange in the middle, Pumpkin Pie for Halloween 09 and finally, Pomello and white grapefruit.


Some of the more interesting and commonly mixed - L to R: (shelf) D'aristi - Myan drink of Rum, Honey and Anisette, Pyrat XO (some gin in the back), Godiva, Kahlua, Navan (behind is some pear brandy and metaxa), Grand Marnier (behind and right are other liquors); (floor) Plantation Rum, Hendrick's Gin, Agwa (distilled from bolivian coca leaves), Zen (green tea liqueur), Chartreuse, Absinthe, Gabriel and assoc. Fin Bois cognac - there's much more to this cabinet, but I don't want to post too many pics


Glenlivet 21, Viking Blood (mead with spices and hops), Ultimat Vodka, Bogle Petite Sirah port, Muscat wine, more wines and random stuff in the back


El Jimador Anejo Tequila, Woodford Reserve Kentucky Derby ed., Pierre Ferrand Cigarre Reserva, Gabriel and Andrieu Petite Champagne and Grand Champagne

There were a few more pics but I don't want to overdo it.