Cigar Pairing: Romeo y Julieta Coronitas en Cedro

Continuing on with my cigar pairing series, this week we smoked a Romeo y Julieta Coronitas en cedro. During this past Thanksgiving holiday, after all the food was devoured, I grabbed this Cuban stick. I’ve had this cigar before, so I was familiar with its mild, slightly earthy character. I looked around my whiskey collection and thought Michter’s Toasted Barrel Finish might be a great match.

I was right.

The bourbon’s dark caramel and spice played nicely against the cigar’s wood and sweet tobacco notes. The magic happened with the whiskey’s finish. A puff on the cigar right after a swallow of bourbon added a bit of dryness to the whisky’s rich, dark finish. The cigar itself smoked well, lasting about 45 minutes or so.

Halfway through the cigar, I poured a second glass of whiskey – this time my choice was Maker’s Mark. Though not quite as satisfying as the Michter’s Toasted Barrel, Maker’s Mark’s sweet and palatable flavor profile showcased the cigar a bit more. That’s not a bad thing, by any means.

A great smoke, a wonderful bourbon, and a crisp autumn night. I can’t ask for more.

Romeo y Julieta Coronitas en Cedro can be purchased at Montefortunacigars.com.

Thanks to Montefortuna Cigars for the cigar. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Review: Johnnie Walker White Walker Blended Scotch Whisky

White Walker by Johnnie Walker.  There couldn’t have been a better partnership between Diageo and one of my favorite programs, Game of Thrones.   In fact, this blend is only the first release of this partnership.  Diageo has just released eight single malts tied to the different houses in the show.

Johnnie Walker blenders started with Cardhu and Clynelish.  The fruit-heavy flavors from those distilleries are very present, as you’ll read in my tasting notes.  White Walker is bottled at 41.7% ABV and available for $36 a bottle.  The packaging needs a bit of mention.  The bottle is wrapped as such to reveal icy blue writing and marks as the bottle reaches freezing temperatures.  Winter is here, indeed.

I typically taste whisky at room temperature.  However, the makers of this blend have created one that is meant to be served straight from the freezer. Before you start writing angry comments below, I know a lower temperature subdues the bouquet on the nose and the flavors on the palate.  However, whisky drinking is supposed to be fun.  Let’s let our preverbal hair down with this one.

Right out of the freezer, the nose shows some honey and sweet grain, as well as red fruit.  The palate maintains a sweet profile, with hints of creme brûlée, berries, and honey.  There’s a bit of vibrant sweet grain underneath. The clean finish evokes hints of caramelized fruit and a slight sprinkling of spice.  As the whisky warms to room temperature, it expectedly becomes a bit more aromatic on the nose.  More caramel and vanilla appear on the palate, and the finish becomes noticeably longer and richer.

The show tie-in and cool bottle aside, White Walker is a sweet and pleasant blend, but I wouldn’t call it a complex one.  This whisky is designed to be served cold in a tumbler and sipped while watching Game of Thrones.  I doubt it is meant to be dissected in a glencairn glass while writing lots of tasting notes… which is exactly what this writer did for this review.  It’s enjoyable enough.  I can sip on this, which is more than I can say for Red Label.  Overall, not too shabby.   7/10

johnniewalker.com

Thanks to Johnnie Walker for the sample.  As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Review: Little Book Chapter 2, “Noe Simple Task”

In what seems to be a lineup playing outside the typical confines of blending whiskey here in America, the second release of Beam Suntory’s Little Book hits shelves. For this 2018 expression, Freddie Noe looked past using only American straight whiskies in his blend. The result is a blend of 8-year-old Kentucky straight rye whiskey, 13-year-old Canadian rye whisky (aged in recharred barrels), and 40-year-old Canadian whisky that aged in once-used bourbon barrels.

In a nod to his grandfather Booker’s namesake whiskey, Little Book is presented at cask strength and unfiltered. “Noe Simple Task” comes in at 118.8 proof.

I liked the inaugural release in 2017, and this one stacks up. The nose is fragrant and floral with hints of violets, spice, and caramel. The palate offers an interesting tasting journey. Waves of caramel corn intermingle with a healthy dose of rye spice and cherries. There’s a slightly darker undercurrent of barrel char and tobacco on the back palate adding complexity. Caramel and oak return for the long finish.

The Little Book brand is Beam Suntory’s experimental series, or so it seems. Freddie Noe is two for two in putting together interesting blends. Make no mistake, Little Book does not contain a traditional American whiskey flavor profile. It’s more an exercise for a potential future master distiller to hone his blending skills. Thankfully, “Noe Simple Task” is an interesting whiskey, but more importantly it’s a tasty one. 8/10

Thanks to Beam Suntory for the sample. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.