Saison Rue Belgian-Style Ale, made with Rye and Brettanomyces

What a find in my own backyard.  Just a month ago I discovered and wrote about the wonders of a yeast called Brettanomyces, or “Brett” for short, that is normally viewed as a contaminant.  As the Orval beer I was drinking demonstrated, this “contaminant” can be used to add distinctive flavors to beer.  I sadly reported, however, that few breweries are courageous enough to take on the Brett challenge and that Orval is the last Trappist monastery that uses Brett in its the beer making process.

But tonight I selected a beer I have never tried from The Bruery, which is located right here in So Cal, in the City of Placentia.  Right there in black and white (actually more of a maroon and yellow), the label says it is made with brettanomyces and rye.  I feel like such a nub for not knowing a local brewery offered a Brett beer, but in my defense the label also says that it is offered only occasionally.  (Pretty brilliant actually.  When a vat gets contaminated with Brett, you bottle the stuff and call it a seasonal.)

But enough background; to the beer!  This is great stuff.  I am really becoming a fan of Brett if these two beers are illustrative.  The Brett provides a earthy taste that is unlike any beer you have likely tasted.  I didn’t like this Saison Rue as much as the Orval, but it is still very good in its own right, and the Orval is much more expensive.  You’d do well to give this one a try.  I give it an 89.

Cain F Straight Ligero (6 x 60)

I don’t often crave a specific cigar, but this one has been calling to me since I spotted it in my humidor.  It’s a dark, massive beauty, and the Ligero is the slowest burning part of the tobacco leaf, so I had to wait for sufficient time to devote to this stick.

Ligero refers to the leaves from the top section of the tobacco plant. Exposure to the sun creates a stronger, robust flavor, while producing an oily texture.  The Cain F (by Oliva) is made of three different Nicaraguan Ligeros, in a dark Nicaraguan wrapper.

The cigar presents with a perfect construction, with no soft spots and minimal veins and seams.  Upon lighting, it produces copious smoke with a strong spice/pepper and a slightly sweet taste.  Given the content, I anticipated some harshness, but it was very smooth.  Indeed, the strength can be deceiving, because the taste is medium in strength but it soon hits you right between the eyes.  By midpoint, the strength of the cigar is more evident. 

I was right about needing time for this monster; it was a two hour commitment.  But it was time well spent.  A very good cigar, earning it a 90 on The Morris Scale.

So the series just ended, and in the final episode Grace finally opens the box and finds that it contains Gurkha cigars.  Then in a final battle with evil, Grace is talking to some evil guy, who may or may not be the devil but who is responsible for the Oklahoma City bombing, and he comments that Gurkha cigars are the best you can get.

There you have it.  God smokes Gurkhas.  All I could think of is how much did Gurkha pay for that bit of product placement?  I think God could do better, but I did give the Gurkha Titan a 92 back in September of 2008, so I thought I would check to see if I still like them. 

Gurkha Titan 6.2” x 56

The Gurkha Titan is a 6.2 x 56 Honduran cigar with a Maduro wrapper.  The Titan debuted at the 2005 Retail Tobacco Dealers tradeshow, and with only 1,000 boxes made, it was only available to a small number of suppliers. The cigar begins with a combination of five year old Nicaraguan, Honduran, and Columbian fillers that are secured in a five year Nicaraguan binder. It is then finished with a dark 1996 Vintage Costa Rican wrapper.

The Gurkha Titan had a perfect burn and draw and yielded a long ash. Medium to strong the entire length, with lots of flavorful smoke tasting of spice.  The 92 I gave it last time was spot on; I still really like the Titan.  A very tasty smoke.

They run around $30 a stick individually from the discounters when you can find them.  CigarsDirect has them for $24 each in quantities of 16, which is $48 less than what Cigars.com charges for the same quantity.  I don’t like to commit to 16 of any cigar, so I watch for cigar bundle specials that include a Titan.  Cigars International recently offered a Gurkha “Top-Ten Sampler” for 30 bucks that included a Titan.

Old Scratch Amber Lager

I continue to be a real fan of the Flying Dog Brewery in Frederick, Maryland, and its Old Scratch Amber Lager did not disappoint.

Old Scratch pours deep golden amber with a large, off-white head.  The nose is interesting, with a smell of toasted malts; almost like oatmeal.  The taste is malt and citrus, with a hint of bread and caramel.  The mouthfeel is perfect for a lager, and not at all watery.  Outstanding drinkability.  It’s not my all time favorite from the Flying Dog Brewery, but it warrants a strong 90 on The Morris Scale.

Joya de Nicaragua Fuerte Serie B, Corona Gorda (5.0" x 46)

From what I read, Nicaragua is the fastest growing cigar manufacturing country in the world, and for good reason.  I’ve never met a Nicaraguan puro I didn’t like, and supposedly Joya de Nicaragua started it all.  This stick was no exception.  Many cigars start slow and turn into something special as you smoke, but a precious few invoke an immediate “oh yeah” from the first draw.  That was my reaction to this small, unassuming beauty.

The taste was strong with a mix of spice and leather, but without a hint of harshness.  The smoke was thick, voluminous and dark, as though to confirm the complex taste I was experiencing.  The construction and burn were perfect.  This is one great cigar, earning a 95 on The Morris Scale.

If you are interested, BestCigarPrices.com provides a detailed history of Joya de Nicaragua here.  But that site does not offer the Fuerte Serie B, which proved a little elusive.  The going price on the sites were I was able to find it was around $63 for a box of 20, which is a great price for such a quality cigar, but at the time I am writing this, Cigars International has them on sale for $40.  At $2 a stick, this may be the best cigar value I have ever found.

Orval Trappist Ale

You may not give much thought to the yeast used to make your beer, but it can make a huge difference in the taste.  If you have ever made your own beer, you may be familiar with a yeast called Brettanomyces, or “Brett” for short, that is normally viewed as a contaminant.  This yeast comes from wood, and can feed on wood, which can be a problem for breweries that ferment in casks.

But in the proper hands, Brett can be used to add distinctive flavors to beer, and is used in some sour beer styles.  If you want to experience a Brett beer (not in a sour style), Orval is the only Trappist monastery that uses Brett in its the beer making process.

The taste of the Orval Trappist Ale is amazing, especially if you take the time to really smell the beer before you take your first taste.  The aroma of Brett beer is sometimes described as damp wool.  The Orval smell is slightly citrus as well, but very distinctive, and totally belies what you are about to experience. 

This Belgium Trappist ale pours a golden brown with a frothy tan head so thick you could suspend a cherry on top if you were so inclined.  The wild Brett yeast brings an earthy taste, that is at the same time sweet, dry and citrusy.  The yeast taste was oddly reminiscent of the horrible yeasty beer I created during my first home brewing attempts, but in this case it is a perfectly balanced addition.

You need to experience this beer.  It’s a little pricey at $4.79 for an 11.2 ounce bottle, but this is a true experience.  Draft magazine rightfully rated this beer at 98.

Partagas Black Label Pronto (4 3/16″ x 36)

The impulsive purchase in question was a box of Partagas Black Label Prontos.  You need to understand that I don’t buy boxes of cigars.  There are just too many great cigars out there (and sitting in my humidors) for me to commit to an entire box of anything, no matter how much I might like it.  

But the demonic laugh sang from my computer, signaling the hourly deal from CigarMonster.com.  (I really need to sign them up as an advertiser if I’m going to keep pimping for them.)  It was a box of 25 small Partagas cigars for $49.99.

“No, you don’t need more cigars damn it,” I said to myself (I should probably talk to someone about these conversations.)

“But it would be nice to have some small cigars, for the many times I can’t commit to a two hour smoke.”

“No, it’s 50 bucks, man.”

“But that’s only $2 a stick.”

“Paypal or credit card?”

Famous Smoke Shop (the bastards behind CigarMonster.com) claims these are made exclusively for them, which I will take as true.  The small sticks are made from Nicaraguan and Piloto Cubano Ligero tobaccos capped in a black, and one of the oiliest Habano wrappers, I have seen, but I say that in a good way.  I didn’t allow this to mellow in my humidor, smoking it the day after the box arrived, and for that reason I think it was a little too moist.  For that reason, the burn was a little ragged at first, and I had to relight a few times, but setting these minor issues aside, this was an amazing smoke.  I never would have anticipated the rich, spicy taste and copious smoke from such a small contender.  Equally surprising, despite my intention to use these as quick smokes, it took about 35 minutes to finish this cigar.

I’ll give the Partagas Black Label Pronto a 91 on The Morris Scale.  Put a few in your travel humidor for those times when you can’t commit to a Churchill.

Spezial Pilsner by Einhorn Beer Company

The Einhorn Beer Company claims to be a California Central Coast transplant of a German beer company.  If you examine the label on the beer, there is nothing to indicate this is a domestic beer (and notice the Spezial spelling).  The company wants you to think this is a German beer, and proudly proclaims that all of their beers are brewed according to the German Purity Law (Reinheitsgebot) which was established in 1516.  That’s a bizarre claim to make, when you think about it, because I can just imagine what constituted purity in the 1500s.

But ignoring the hype, the Spezial Pilsner is a North German style, where pilsners are traditionally more bitter than in the rest of the country.  It is a full-bodied, golden-colored craft beer and has only 5% ABV.   It contains high-quality aroma hops from the Tettnang region in Germany, a small town near Lake Constance on the Austrian border.

The beer certainly pours like a German beer, with a huge foam head.  The nose was citrus, and the mouthfeel was thicker than you would expect from a pilsner.  The taste was grapefruit and very refreshing.  Great beer.  I give it another 91.

Let’s keep things in perspective.  I mean, seriously, when Ben Roethlisberger of the Pittsburgh Steelers turned to the camera after winning Super Bowl XLIII and said, “I’m going to Disney World!”, did anyone think that was an endorsement of the amusement park?  Of course not.  We all knew he was just showing a little love for the fine organization that had given him a very large stack of cash.

So, for example, if an outstanding cigar retailer like CigarsDirect.com gets really generous and sends me a free box of ten God of Fire cigars, by Carlito, aged two years and released only in limited numbers, you can bet I’m going to show them a little love.  It’s not going to “buy” a favorable review, but it would certainly be fair and appropriate to tell my readers that while I have not yet had the honor of ordering from CigarsDirect.com because all my humidors are already overflowing, from what I have seen CigarsDirect.com stocks some hard to find cigars at good prices, and they may want to visit the website and form their own opinions.  Heck, I’ll even show you some love if you too send me a box of good cigars, suggesting that my readers should check out your website the next time they need the services of a trade commission.

I hope this has made my position perfectly clear.  Now onto tonight’s reviews.

God of Fire Churchill by Carlito

God of Fire is one of the most limited production lines made by the Fuente family in the Dominican Republic.  It came about as a joint effort between the Fuentes and the Prometheus company, which makes cigar accessories.  The God of Fire cigars come in two blends, one designed by Carlos Fuente Jr. (“Carlito”) and the other by his father, Carlos Sr.  Carlos Sr.’s blend of the 2005 vintage, in the robusto size, received a rating of 93 by Cigar Aficionado. The God of Fire Churchill I am reviewing is the 2006 vintage, released in 2009 after more than two years of aging.

The cigar is the type that smells great even before you light it up, with a sweet caramel aroma.  The construction is impressive, and revealed no soft spots.  The burn was perfectly even with a long ash, yielding copious amounts of smoke.  The stick started a little slow in taste, but soon released a strong, complex blend of pepper and coffee.

For some reason this stick draws criticism from some quarters, claiming it is over-hyped., but I throughly enjoyed the God of Fire Carlito.  With that said, at $22 each, you’d better be sure you share my opinion before you commit to a box.  A strong 92 on The Morris Scale.

Hoegaarden White Beer

Named after the Belgian village where it was first discovered, Hoegaarden wheat beer has a rich history dating back to the middle ages.  It is the original Belgian wheat beer and part of a long brewing tradition in this agriculturally rich region.  Blended with malted barley, wheat, coriander and curaçao orange peel Hoegaarden has a distinctive, smooth flavour and subtle citrusy character.  When poured it has a soft, white creamy head and pale almost shimmering appearance. Today the Hoegaarden brewery is owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev.  (Thanks to Wikipedia for the background.)

It pours with a thick head, and the beer itself is very pale and cloudy.  The nose is citrus, but the taste consists of bananas and grapefruit.  I’m not sure how this ended up in the ol’ beer fridge, and I selected it with no preconceived notions, but I was very pleasantly surprised.  This is a refreshing beer with excellent drinkability.

Nonetheless, I braved the cold for tonight’s tasting.  I selected a dark beer from one of my favorite breweries, Deschutes Brewery in Bend, Oregon.  (For fun, whenever I’m in Oregon, I always make it a point to pull into a gas station and start pumping my own gas.  Self-service is not permitted in Oregon, and I’m always met with someone who goes crazy and explains to me why it is good for the economy to force gas stations to hire people to pump gas.  Quite entertaining.  Give it a try.)  For my cigar, I chose a Diesel Unholy Cocktail.

Mirror Mirror 2009 Reserve

Mirror Mirror is a barley wine, with 35% of the contents aged in oak barrels.  It follows from and is inspired by Mirror Pond Pale Ale, which has been doubled up to barley wine strength.

The beer pours a dark amber with a small but persistent head.  The initial nose consists of caramel and oak, and the taste follows with the addition of malt and chocolate.  The aftertaste is sweet.  Even though the ABV is 11%, there is no sense of a high alcohol content with an IBU of 30.  The pint plus six ounces was eminently drinkable.  Deschutes Brewery has never failed to please, and this one comes in at a strong 9.4 on The Morris Scale.

Diesel, Unholy Cocktail by  A.J. Fernandez

Abdel (A.J.) Fernandez is said to have studied under Don Alejandro Robaina in Cuba, and to have produced cigars for brands such as Rocky Patel and  Padilla.  The Diesel was introduced in 2009, and is available only in the 5’ x 56 belicoso.

This torpedo stick had flawless construction, and possessed tastes of spice and leather.  The taste was very good throughout, with perhaps just a hint of harshness toward the conclusion.  A very pleasant smoke, garnering an 8.9 rating, and the hope I will come across this one again.

P.S.  A special thanks to Danny De La O, who gave me a heads up on a store that sells Blue Label for $120!  Quite a deal.

You see the classic example of CCD every time you go to a large shopping mall, especially around Christmas time. You are forced to park miles from the mall, while dozens of handicapped parking spaces near every entrance go unused. That many handicapped spots make no sense whatsoever, but long ago in some legislative session a conversation took place that went something like this:

“I am a compassionate person who cares about the handicapped, and I therefore propose that we pass a law that reserves a parking spot close to the entrance so they will not need to travel so far in their wheelchairs.”

“I too am compassionate, but more so than you. I propose that we force businesses to reserve two handicapped spots near the entrance.”

“Your suggestions are sound, gentle persons, but you do not have the level of compassion that I possess, or you would see that a mere two parking spots is not nearly sufficient. I propose that every business be forced to set aside five percent of the available parking spaces for the wheelchair bound.”

“Your compassion is impressive indeed, kind sir, but if you possessed my much higher level of compassion you would understand that handicapped persons are not limited to those in wheelchairs. I propose that doctors be permitted to declare that anyone is handicapped, and that ten percent of all spaces should be reserved for their use, and that anyone that uses such a spot who is not handicapped, should be assessed a large fine.”

And so it went.

CCD was in full effect last year when Congress decided that the Food and Drug Administration would regulate tobacco products. In passing the new law, Congress added many CCD provisions, including a regulation that made it illegal for tobacco companies to use any color or graphics in their advertising. You see, Joe Camel was voluntarily discarded years ago since it was decided a cool camel in a leather jacket would encourage young boys to smoke. But the legislators are more compassionate than that, and decided that any pictures or color might have the same effect. U.S. District Judge Joseph McKinley in Kentucky ruled late Monday that those marketing restrictions violate the tobacco companies’ free speech rights.

In a fun twist, now that the FDA is regulating cigarettes, R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. had also argued that it must be permitted to say that its cigarettes are “FDA Approved.” The FDA screamed, but Judge McKinley ruled the FDA must let companies say it has approved their products. Congress; can you say “hoisted on your own petard?”

Thankfully, when thumbing through a copy of Cigar Aficionado, we will still be able to see the beautiful cigars in the ads, and will not be limited to black and white text.

Cohibas are among the world’s most famous and sought-after cigars, and were originally produced exclusively for Fidel Castro.

U.S. District Judge Robert W. Sweet barred General Cigar from using the Cohiba name in the United States, but allowed it to keep using the name on its Dominican-made cigars, pending appeal.  Judge Sweet said his most recent opinion was “nearly identical” to his previous finding that General Cigar Holdings had tried “to plagiarize the mark” and engaged in “intentional copying.”

Cuba had to work for this victory.  The judge’s original decision was reversed by the 2nd Circuit, which dismissed the federal claims, saying the embargo between the two countries barred the Cuban company from acquiring property in the United States, including trademarks.  The U.S. Supreme Court then declined to hear the case.

But when New York’s highest court clarified its position on what constituted unfair competition, Cubatabaco’s state law case was back on.  The New York Court of Appeals found that “bad faith” wasn’t necessary to prove unfair competition by appropriation, only that “deliberate copying” had taken place.     Cubatabaco argued that on the cusp of the 1992 cigar boom, General Cigar selected the “Cohiba” name for a new line of premium cigars “in order to exploit the reputation and goodwill of the Cuban Cohiba,” according to the ruling.

Judge Sweet agreed, and said the U.S. company’s choice was “in part to capitalize on the success of the Cuban Cohiba brand and especially the good ratings and notoriety that it had received in Cigar Aficionado,” a magazine for cigar enthusiasts.  The debut issue of the magazine proclaimed Cohibas to be Cuba’s finest cigars, in an article called “The Legend of Cohiba.”  Cubatabaco further claimed that the Cohiba name was protected under the Lanham Act by the “well-known marks” doctrine, even though the company held no U.S. trademarks.

Judge Sweet agreed that this was the case, but said Cubatabaco’s challenge of the Cuban Asset Control Regulations was obsolete after the state court’s ruling.  ”The New York Court of Appeals held that plaintiff could be entitled to relief against use of its foreign mark if it could establish deliberate copying and secondary meaning, even though the plaintiff had no U.S. trademark rights,” Sweet wrote.  ”For certain kinds of cases … goodwill can, and does, cross state and national boundary lines.”

Thinking of going to one of the Big Smoke events sponsored by Cigar Aficionado? A few days ago I attended The Big Smoke in Las Vegas, and here are my impressions. I attended only the night portion of the event, not the day seminars or whatever it is they do, so keep that in mind. That portion could be much better organized than what I experienced, but let me walk you through the experience of the evening function.

I arrived about 15 minutes after the hall opened, which I later discovered was a good idea.  Most waited in line with a thousand others as their tickets were taken, but there is no advantage to going through that process.  So, first tip, arrive late.

When you enter, you are given the usual trade show bag for all the cigars and other goodies you will be receiving, along with a ticket book.  You then go to each of the 25 or so booths in the hall and present your ticket for a cigar.  Other booths are for booze, cigar accessories and the like, and usually offer a sample.  (If you click on the picture below, and zoom in on the map, you can see all the vendors that were present.)  Inexplicably, the number of the coupon was not posted on most of the booths, so as each person approached with his book, he’d have to ask which coupon he needed, and then dig for it.  Thankfully most of the booths quickly spotted the problem and put up impromptu signs displaying the coupon number.  Some of the smarter attendees split up the coupons among their group, with one person taking all the number one to five coupons to those booths, another taking six to ten, etc.

This treasure hunt is unnecessary and should be eliminated.  In theory, the point is to force you to go to each booth to collect your cigar, where you can then meet the company representative and hear their spiel or ask them questions.  In practice, that doesn’t happen.  Instead, lines form at every booth and taking the time to talk about the cigar would be rude to all the people behind you.  I had my cigar angel with me, so she received cigars and marriage proposals with none of the line nonsense, but most were not so lucky.

Making matters worse, people like Rocky Patel very nicely make themselves available for pictures, but no differentiation was made between the photo line and the cigar line.  I did a quick poll of the people waiting in the hour-long Rocky Patel line, and with no slight to the star power of Rocky, most just wanted their cigar.  If you knew how to work the system, you could get your cigar and be on your way, but the people in line didn’t know that.  Strangely, while everyone else was waiting an hour in line to be photographed with Tom Ozgener, the President of CAO, my cigar angel somehow had me up front, shaking his hand and smiling for the camera in two minutes flat.  I guess what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.  Tip two: Bring your own cigar angel.  Everyone bends over backwards to help an angel.

Here’s the way it should work (take note Cigar Aficionado).  You enter the hall and are handed a bag already filled with all the sample cigars.  You then take a leisurely stroll around the hall, talking to any cigar representatives you choose.  You could meet the representatives and discuss the cigars, without delaying anyone.  I’m sure the counter-argument from the cigar vendors will be that with the coupon system, people are getting only the cigars they want, so none are “wasted”, but if you are so unsure of your product that you don’t want to include it in a bag that is being handed to die-hard cigar fans, you have issues.

The event is three hours long, and I estimate it would take an hour to an hour and a half to hit all the booths and collect your cigars with no assistance.  After that amount of time, with their cigars in hand, people starting drifting from the hall and it became less crowded.  I didn’t stay to the bitter end, but I imagine if you did so, you would then have a better ability to visit the booths in a more leisurely manner.  Tip three:  After arriving late, stay late.  The YouTube video above was apparently shot late in the show, because there is no line at the Oliva booth.

I made the mistake of eating not long before the event, thinking that the food would be limited to small samples at the end of long lines.  That was not true.  Food, good but not great, was provided buffet style, and there were a number of food stations with free samples from local restaurants (most or all of them at the Venetian/Pallazo).  Tip four: Be hungry.  There was also no shortage of free drinks, with a number of distilleries offering samples. 

Bottom line?  Am I glad I went to The Big Smoke?  Yes, for the experience.  Would I do it again?  No, not unless I read that they have changed the system in the way I’ve suggested.  But to me, the experience was more than what went on at the Big Smoke.  Rather, Las Vegas becomes a cigar town and you see your cigar-smoking brethren everywhere.  The two cigar lounges I visited – Casa Fuente at the Forum Shops at Caesars and Rhumbar at the Mirage next door – were packed with other cigar afficionados.  (I’ll review these places later.)  I didn’t want to risk taking a lighter on the flight to Vegas, so once there I stepped into a Davidoff shop at the Pallazo and found Tim Ozgener holding an impromptu cigar seminar.  I bought a shirt at Tommy Bahama’s and received a free commemorative Big Smoke ashtray.  I had a great weekend in Vegas, and may well return when the Big Smoke is in town just for the cigar friendly transformation, but I’ll skip the event and spend the $240 on cigars of my own choosing.

The toro (6″ x 50) comes in a glass tube, sealed with the trademark Maker’s Mark wax, but in silver instead of red, to mark the 10th anniversary (of making cigars, perhaps?).  The binder and filler are from the Dominican Republic, with a Connecticut wrapper.  They don’t use the words “infused” or “flavored,” rather they state the cigar is “aromatically seasoned” with Maker’s Mark bourbon.

This randomly selected cigar turned out to be a very pleasant smoke.  Very creamy taste, with a perfect burn and construction.  I found only middling reviews of the other “non-anniversary” Maker’s Mark cigars, but they must have stepped up their game for this addition, because this was nice.  Sadly, cigar snobs will be put off at the notion that this is a “flavored” cigar, and as a result will miss a real treat.  Most of us enjoy a cigar with some complexity, and seek to identify the subtle flavors of spice, chocolate, leather, etc.  So it is with this medium-bodied cigar, with not so much a taste of bourbon, as a mellowing presence of bourbon.  Do an end-run around your cigar ego if necessary and try one of these surprisingly good cigars.  An 8.9 on The Morris Scale.