Beer, Motorcycles and Cigars — Beer, Bikes and Butts

After kicking opposing counsels’ butts all week (example), I took a chair on the lido deck for a well deserved celebratory beer and cigar.  (Word is that the California Bar Association is considering a rule that would make it malpractice per se for an attorney to challenge me in court, but it’s probably just a rumor.) Choosing entirely at random, I ended up with a La Aroma de Cuba and a Barons Black Wattle Superior Wattle Seed Ale.

Barons Black Wattle Superior Wattle Seed Ale

Say that five times fast. This Australian beer is made from the – you guessed it – wattle seed. Although I didn’t sense any special flavor from aforesaid seed, my palate was expecting something more akin to a brown ale based on the appearance, and was met instead with a light porter. The tastes of nuts and coffee were present. The mouthfeel was creamy, and the beer finished with the slightest bitter.

Pick this up if you come across it. It is very good and quite different. I can see reaching for one when you want a fuller bodied beer but aren’t in the mood for a full-on porter. A solid 8.4 on the Morris Scale.

La Aroma de Cuba, Monarch (6 x 50)

I actually thought I snared a La Perla as I pulled this cigar out of the humidor, because the cigar bands are similar. Now I see the woman is facing the opposite direction. What was I thinking?

La Aroma de Cuba is made for and distributed by Ashton. The cigar name is based on a famous turn of the century Cuban brand made famous, in part, by Sir Winston Churchill who often described the cigar as one of his favorites. Using proprietary Cuban-seed Honduran tobaccos, La Aroma de Cuba is one of the most popular boutique brands ever made in Honduras. In past issues of Cigar Aficionado, the brand has been recognized for its quality and flavor, receiving as high as a 93 rating. This boutique brand is a sleeper, and can be grabbed for a low price as compared to other cigars of this quality.

The cigar generates copious amounts of aromatic smoke. The taste is mildly spicy. The draw was perfect. Although it burned a little inconsistently at first, it evened up. Because it was a little too mild for my taste, this cigar, while good, pulls only an 8.1.

Posted on January 31st, 2009 by Aaron Morris
Filed under: Beer, Cigars, Reviews