Ill take some glen.
Any glen will do
Oh youve only got 21, Ok Ill take a couple toots of that!

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MOW Badge: Honorable Service recipient 9/21/2010



Work called! They said if you dont come in on Friday, dont bother to come in on Monday! - Whoo hoo four day weekend!

I think I do have the 12 and I know I have the 15. Those are up above (the pics of the cabinet) with the other scotches.

Last night I had some friends over for a cigar dinner. I tried to pair each course with a drink that might work well with the food and finally some cigars to go with coffee. Problem was that I promised everyone Monte Cristo Media Noches and only had 5 cigars for 6 guys.....sooooo, I felt compelled to smoke one of my Opuses, while I handed Montes out to everyone else.

For a starter, I made up a cheese plate with some aged canadian cheddar, various olives and stacked some fresh basil from my garden, proscuitto wrapped mozzarella, a fresh tomato slice from the garden on top of a cracker and topped it off with some truffle balsamic glaze. Paired that with some Apple Ice Wine that is made by a local winery - very nice. Heavy on apple and sweet, but not cloyingly sweet - this is a perfect after dinner drink or something to sip with cheese and fruit.

For a main course, I made a coffee crusted pork tenderloin, topped with a blackberry-balsamic reduction, grilled asparagus and mashed acorn squash. That was served with a Bogle 2007 Petite Sirah - very heavy on cherry and dark berries without too much oak and almost no tannins. This wine was a perfect pair for a pork dish and stood up to the plate very nicely.

I ended the meal with pears poached in spiced red wine, served with vanilla bean ice cream and some of the wine reduction. This is such a simple but delicious dessert and presents well too. I served this with the Spiced Old Port drink that I made and reviewed in a recent post. All went over well.

With the cigars, I brewed up some fresh Kona coffee and made some fresh sweetened whipped cream with some maple syrup and pumpkin pie spice right in the cream. While the coffee is outstanding on its own, I wasn't in the mood for a straight black coffee and wanted people to have the option of cream. Paired with my Opus, the coffee with sweetened cream went surprisingly well. The cinnamon, fig and baked sweet bread notes in the Opus complemented the coffee, while the occasional bits of spice helped to separate the two. This power ranger was much better than the first one I had. I'm glad I have a few more on hand.

Rob - It sounds like you put together an absolutely exquisite selection. I wish I had friends like you in my area...even were I to host something similar, it is a rare individual that can truly appreciate such things.

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There are two kinds of people in this world that go around beardless — boys and women — and I am neither one.

Hays:

Rob - It sounds like you put together an absolutely exquisite selection. I wish I had friends like you in my area...even were I to host something similar, it is a rare individual that can truly appreciate such things.

Oh I appreciate such things! So when is dinner Hays?

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


pure.refreshing.bacon.

Sounds like you just made a new friend there, Hays. It's true that it is rare to find people who truly appreciate something like this. That's why it was a smaller invite than our usual cigar get-togethers. We have about 10 or more guys here at work that will get together from time to time and someone will host a cigar night or we all head to a cigar bar around here. This was just the most formal cigar night we've had so far.

Man, what a well planned out dinner and cigar night. Seriously Rob, you need to start a review site. Pics of something like this, and recipes for your dinners and drinks would go over spectacularly with people like me that love to cook, love to drink, and love cigars. :)

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It's BORKs not BOTLs

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

Jdorais:

Hays:

Rob - It sounds like you put together an absolutely exquisite selection. I wish I had friends like you in my area...even were I to host something similar, it is a rare individual that can truly appreciate such things.

Oh I appreciate such things! So when is dinner Hays?

LOL if you check your mail, you'll learn that you're missing out! But you're right - I had discounted your interest in such things... We'll have to plan something!

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There are two kinds of people in this world that go around beardless — boys and women — and I am neither one.

TatuajeVI:

Man, what a well planned out dinner and cigar night. Seriously Rob, you need to start a review site. Pics of something like this, and recipes for your dinners and drinks would go over spectacularly with people like me that love to cook, love to drink, and love cigars. :)

I second this idea wholeheartedly Rob, and JDorais was already a friend ;-). In fact, I owe him a night out myself, considering how grandly he treated me the last time we got together.

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There are two kinds of people in this world that go around beardless — boys and women — and I am neither one.

Once again, thank you guys for the kind words. I've been thinking about starting a site dedicated to reviews. I just need to get the motivation to actually do it.

Before I get into my new drink, I'll do a quick restaurant review. My girlfriend and I went to a fairly new restaurant here in Salem, MA. Greenland Cafe is a restaurant with a focus on organic and sustainable as well as local produce (I don't care so much about the organic thing) and their chef has a knack for pairing flavors. I was also impressed when some classic cocktails, such as the sazerac that I ordered, were on the drink menu and even more impressed when my drink showed up made properly. It seems their bar tenders actually know what they're doing and aren't just pouring a rum and coke.

The waitress told us that they had just started a cheese pairing menu where they offer one cheese from either the US or, on the current menu, Spain and pair it with another food that, together they really pop. We picked the Spanish Mahon, which was paired with Spanish Chorizo and chopped bacon. The cheese alone was nice, slightly sharp, nutty, sweet and creamy, but when eaten with the chorizo and bacon it really opened up. The bacon added a smoky element, while the chorizo added some spice and flavor. I was impressed. After that plate, I'd go back just for drinks and cheese plates.

For dinner, they offer full entree sizes or a tapas menu. We opted for 3 tapas: First a Roasted Artichoke and Fontina Cheese Fondue with Warm Bread which was excellent, but not very out of the ordinary. Just what you would expect. Next it was Crispy Duck Confit with Blood Orange and Soy reduction. The duck was seasoned and cooked perfectly and the reduction added a nice sweetness to the overall dish. Next, we had a Braised Pork Belly in Calvados with a Granny Smith Apple salsa. The pork just fell apart to the side of the fork and the calvados had a great apple flavor that went perfectly with the pork. Finally, we ended the meal with a Flourless Chocolate Torte with Strawberry Coulis that was absolutely fantastic.

Last night I finally picked up a bottle of St Germain and got another bottle of Plantation Rum, since I knew I was almost out of my current bottle. I fixed myself a drink and was really happy with it. 1.5 oz Plantation Rum, 1 oz Grand Marnier, 1 oz St Germain and 1/2 oz Fee's Blood Orange Bitters (these have no alcohol and are slightly sweeter than most bitters so you can use them more freely without ruining the drink). It was a tad on the sweet side but I really enjoyed it. I would make it again in a heart beat and even consider substituting the blood orange bitters for angostura bitters and possibly Peychaud's Bitters. A lemon twist might also help add some tartness to an otherwise very sweet drink. Cheers.

I'm going to have to try that drink for myself Rob - sounds quite up my alley, though we'll have to see. I will probably add in the twist, as it sounds like that would be a good addition. Also, PM to ya.

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There are two kinds of people in this world that go around beardless — boys and women — and I am neither one.

Sounds great Rob, always enjoy your reviews. They make me want to take my cooking to the next level.

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lilwing88: "Closed, huh? That blows. I guess I'll take my HTF Tats, Viajes, Fuentes and smoke them till I puke....."

Rob and this thread have really expanded my cocktail horizons. Some of you know that I'm quite the vodka and tequila whore (both straight up), but the weekend before last I made my first Old Fashioned and I was blown away. Right then and there I commited to trying/making a new artisan cocktail every weekend. Last weekend I found a cocktail called the Harrington and loved it. So now I have to figure out what to make this weekend. Any suggestions Rob?

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


pure.refreshing.bacon.

Tried posting last night but had some computer problems, compounded on a bad day, injury playing soccer, shitty day at work....let's just say this is one good reason I don't own any guns.

First, thanks Jdorais and it's nice to see someone expanding their horizons because of my reviews and knowing I had an influence on someone being adventurous and trying new things. Better yet, you actually found some new drinks you enjoy. Also, props for actually owning something obscure like Chartreuse and mixing with that. It's good stuff but most people don't have a clue that it exists. That's why I searched for a drink to make for you. If Tequila is your stuff and you have Chartreuse, that gave me a base. I paired the drink with an Oliva Series V Salomon that I picked up at a local B&M recently, knowing I'd need a good, hearty cigar with assertive flavors to stand up to Tequila and Chartreuse.

Oliva V Salomon: Pre-light brought notes of black pepper, tobacco and hay. The cigar lit easily with notes of wood, pepper, toast and a slight fruity sweetness. This cigar was heavy in hand and aside from a few corrections, burned fairly well. Flavors were well pronounced, complex and strong while remaining balanced and incredibly smooth and refined. At its widest, it picked up some cocoa and cinnamon spice. Around the end of the first third, the pepper faded and oak and cocoa became the front runners. Unfortunately, around the end of the first half was where the complexities ended. It seemed the second half of the cigar focused more on strength and left mostly cocoa and some oak notes. Still an enjoyable cigar.

El Jimador Anejo Tequila (apparently, this is the #1 selling Tequila in Mexico - take it for what it's worth) - had a nose of oak, vanilla and agave with a faded hint of cherry or plum. On the tongue, the oak and agave were up front with the vanilla trailing behind and the fruit was somewhat lost. Either way, a great Anejo for under $30.

I'm going to call this drink the Mexican Monk (because I'm not creative enough to think of anything else and I think that works). 2.5 oz El Jimador Anejo Tequila (if you really enjoy that Agave flavor, try a Reposado but I'm not sure how well a blanco would play with the other ingredients), 1/2 oz grade B maple syrup (I originally intended to use agave nectar but I realized I was completely out.....so.....I improvized), 1/2 oz water - pour all over ice and stir - at the same time chill a glass. After stirring, pour a small amount of Green Chartreuse into the chilled glass, swirl to coat the glass and dump the excess and strain your drink into the glass. On the nose I picked up a mix of herbaceous notes, wood, sweet, dark, ripe fruit and some peppery notes. The taste was herbs, with grassy, peppery notes, followed by oak with vanilla and maple trailing. The agave presence here was very muted but could be picked up in the mix. Overall, a complex drink but it worked. Pick a good complex cigar to go with this one.

I also tried another new drink with some new bitters that I picked up recently and hadn't tried yet. I'll call this one a Spiced Orange. 2 oz Plantation 20 year Rum, 1/2 oz orange juice, 1/2 oz Fee's Blood Orange Bitters (not necessary, but will add more complexity and sweetness), 1 tsp honey and a few dashes of Underberg Bitters (German bitters - very heavy on clove). I didn't drink this one but I did get to try it. I could see it being a great winter drink served warm or cold, depending on your mood. Even mixing some warm cider in there on a cold winter night to warm you up. Spicy, clove and orange mixed perfectly with the vanilla, citrus and spice notes found in the Plantation Rum. If using warm cider, I'd omit the orange all together and just go with 2oz of Plantation and a few dashes of bitters in to a mug of hot cider.

Another great review. I enjoy the V and have had it in the beli, robusto, and diadema. Not sure if I can handle a Salomon though, it sounds like too much of a cigar for me.

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