Beer, Motorcycles and Cigars — Beer, Bikes and Butts

Last night’s tasting was sponsored by the fine people that make Oliva (oh-lee-va) cigars.  A bunch of door prizes were given out, but I didn’t win a thing.  I think the fix was in.

I love the draft beer at this place.  I generally switch between the Stella Artois and the Alaskan Amber.  Full size pints filled to the brim and served so cold you’ll wonder how it is possible that it’s not frozen.  I’m not kidding here.  While hiking on a glacier, I drank water directly from the glacial stream (that’s the glacier in the photo), and it wasn’t as cold and refreshing as the beer at the 8eightyeight Diamond Crown Lounge.  I could have saved myself a trip to the Arctic Circle.  Sure, it was a moving experience at the time, knowing you are drinking water from ice that may have been frozen for thousands of years, but now, if I ever repeat the experience, I’m sure I’ll say, “eh, the beer at the Diamond Crown Lounge is more refreshing.”

The cigars provided were the Oliva “V” and “O”.  The Serie O is a Nicaraguan Puro, “made in the original Cuban tradition of growing the same Habano seed in diverse regions of the country to produce a distinct blend.”  Sadly, I couldn’t enjoy the O because the draw was too distracting.  Very loose; like smoking a soda straw.  I’ll withhold judgment on the O because it may have simply been the victim of improper storage.

The “V” on the other hand was a real treat.  It is “a complex blend of Nicaraguan long filler tobaccos.  Blended with specially fermented Jalapa Valley ligero, and finished with a high priming Habano Sun Grown Wrapper.”  OK, if you say so.  I just know that it was nicely complex with tastes of spice and chocolate.  Admittedly, it is sometimes difficult to pick up the nuances of a cigar at these 8eightyeight tastings because the lounge becomes unbelievably thick with smoke, but the Oliva V was still able to impress.

Posted on June 11th, 2009 by Aaron Morris
Filed under: Beer, Beer Facts, Cigar Facts, Cigars, Reviews, Uncategorized