Tonight’s Tasting: Black Butte Porter and Toraño Exodus 1959 Silver

Feel free to skip the following self-congratulatory paragraph.

Crazy but successful couple of weeks. Two defendants failed to appreciate the skill set. My favorite was a guy my client was suing, who filed a cross-complaint thinking that would give him some leverage. The judge conducted one final settlement conference before trial, and my client, knowing the defendant doesn’t have much money anyway, graciously offered to just walk away. But the defendant refused and demanded payment of a ridiculous amount of money on his ridiculous claim. With no settlement, the case proceeded to trial and I called the defendant as my first witness. Two hours into my examination, the judge spontaneously announced that he had heard all he needed to hear, and unless defendant had some “miraculous evidence” he was going to find in favor of my client. He suggested the parties and attorneys talk settlement again. My client said fine, and said he would dismiss the action in exchange for defendant paying the same ridiculous amount defendant had been demanding. Defendant agreed, and we set up a ten year payment schedule, non-dischargeable in bankruptcy. Ouch. Time for a victory cigar.

Toraño Exodus 1959 Silver, Robusto (5” x 52)

This cigar is comprised of a filler blend of tobaccos from Honduras, Costa Rica and Mexico, with a Cuban-seed Criollo wrapper. The construction was good but the burn was a little iffy. The taste was of cedar and nuts and was mild to medium. A nice enough cigar, but nothing exceptional. An 8.1 on The Morris Scale.

Black Butte Porter, Deschutes Brewery

Black Butte pours to a very dark brown, almost black color. It forms a nice head and presents with a slight nose of nuts. I was expecting something good, especially since this beer has garnished a few awards, but I was sorely disappointed. Everything about this beer is bland. The mouthfeel is watery as is the taste. I see now why the latest award was some seven years ago. If I had a gun to my head and had to say something nice, I suppose it could be a good introduction to a porter for someone who has never had anything other than Budweiser, since the lack of taste would be familiar. Give this one a miss. A 6.9.