Smoke & Barrel: Recent Episodes
Smoke & Barrel
Join Smoke & Barrel for an entertaining discussion and reviews of Cigars, Whiskey and their pairings.
Featuring an exquisite Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper from a small crop cultivated in 1997, this limited production Macanudo was the first maduro in the Macanudo Vintage series. Underneath this hand-selected and well fermented wrapper leaf is a carefully blended concoction of Nicaraguan, Brazilian, and Dominican long-fillers. The result is a super smooth blend that is also very deep and rich in flavor. A natural maduro sweetness is accompanied with notes of dark roasted coffee, cream, and cedar.
We are pairing this cigar with Rabbit Hole Straight Bourbon https://www.rabbitholedistillery.com
This week we are smoking a CAO Flathead Sparkplug. The CAO Flathead Sparkplug 450 is a line extension to CAO’s Flathead line introduced in 2014. This would be the third regular production release of the Rick Rodriguez era with the CAO brand. For this release, Rodriguez blended his first Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper cigar since joining CAO. Flathead would also be the first all box-press line in the history of CAO. The Sparkplug introduces a 4 1/2 x 50 box-press robusto which would become the fifth vitola in the line. Recently, I’ve had an opportunity to smoke the CAO Flathead Sparkplug. Overall, I found this to be an impressive smoke – and a great vitola in the Flathead line.
We paired this cigar with Jefferson’s Ocean Voyage 23. Jefferson’s Ocean: Aged at Sea - A boat is a singularly uncommon place to age bourbon, but inspiration struck Trey on the deck of his friend Chris Fischer’s research ship. While watching Jefferson’s Reserve bourbon rock gently in its bottle, they wondered what would happen to bourbon aged on the bow of a ship. The caramelizing of the sugars in the barrel combined with the constant motion of the ship resulted in a dark bourbon with a briny, savory taste aged beyond its years. Now, the next round has headed out to open sea and this time, the barrels, aged up to 8 years, will be going all the way around the world.
The crime boss inspired CAO Consigliere Tony cigars are loaded with rich medium bodied flavors of earth, pepper, espresso, and leather, that are hard to refuse! These luxurious handmade premium cigars feature a unique multi-nation blend of Dominican, Columbian, Nicaraguan, and Honduran tobaccos that are covered by a zesty Brazilian wrapper leaf. With the highly regarded Consigliere series, the CAO family has once again opened their books to provide you with a truly unforgettable cigar.
We have Paired this stick with Knob Creek bourbon.
For better or worse, AJ Fernandez works his thing to re-imagines the classic Hoyo Dark Sumatra. The result is filled with finesse and flavor. Dark, rich, and luxurious; Dark Sumatra is a 5 country blend is TEEMING with STRENGTH. Handcrafted exclusively by AJ Fernandez at Tabacalera Fernandez in Estelí, Nicaragua with aged tobaccos (minimum 4 years), resulting in a medium to full-bodied profile .
A brawny smoke named after its alluringly dark, tercio-aged Ecuadorian Wrapper, Hoyo Dark Sumatra encircles the palate with an amazing, well-defined spiciness. Framed by a Connecticut Broadleaf binder and assertive blend of premium Honduran, Nicaraguan, and Dominican Habano Ligero filler tobaccos.
In this episode we are enjoying the Macanudo Gold Label. This cigar is an extension of the popular Macanudo Cafe line. The Macanudo Gold Label is a limited production cigar that boasts a specially grown rare golden Connecticut Shade wrapper leaves from the 1st and 2nd Primings. The result is a distinctive taste that's ultra smooth with a natural sweetness. These elegantly thin wrappers are supple with fine veins giving this cigar a wonderful sheen and appearance. Add some aged Dominican Piloto Cubano filler and a Mexican San Andres binder and you got yourself a mild to medium smoke with just the right amount of strength and flavor, a cigar that can be smoked anytime of the day, from the veteran cigar smoker to the novice and a truly wonderful stick.
La Gloria Cubana, a highly celebrated brand does a few things right, like putting out blends that are full, rich, creamy and strong. In essence, they’re everything you want a cigar to be, and nothing that you don’t want a cigar to be. It really is that simple.
E.P. Carrillo, the face behind the name, is a master of his craft. When it comes to full-bodied, well-constructed cigars, nobody does it better, and that’s why the fans absolutely love it and can’t stop coming back for more. A delicious balance of Brazilian, Dominican, Mexican, and Nicaraguan filler leaves are lovingly swaddled inside a dark, sultry Ecuadorian wrapper, or a perfect brown Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper. What you’re left with is something worth getting excited over. So get down with LGC, right about...now.
Good news, La Gloria Cubana has earned a whole slew of 90+ ratings, as high as 92 points. One such review noted: "It starts with a leafy edge, but quickly strengthens to show rich chocolate and leather flavors, with a cedary finish. A powerhouse that will age well."
We all know Macanudo, that’s for sure, but most people don’t dig deeper than the Café line. Macanudo Café is the gold standard for mellow-bodied cigars, and has been for years. But with the Inspirado series, the folks behind Macanudo took a more “boutique” approach, focusing their blends on complex flavors and rarer tobaccos.
Today, we’re smoking the Macanudo Inspirado Orange, a cigar that’s new…ish. You see, Inspirado Orange originally started as a European exclusive. It was so popular that it quickly moved to the states, originally appearing only in brick-and-mortar retailers. Today, the people have spoken and Inspirado Orange is finally available to the masses. Wrapped in a gorgeous Honduran leaf overtop Dominican, Honduran, and Nicaraguan long-fillers, Orange produces a rich, buttery blend with almonds, and a leathery core. A must-try for all fans of medium-bodied cigars. The Macau do Inspirado Orange received a well-deserved 92-rating and a ranking of 20 of the Top 25 Cigar in 2017 from Cigar Aficionado.
Online source
We are pairing the Mac Orange with Cleveland Underground Bourbon Whiskey
That has been finished with Black Cherry Wood
Cleveland Underground is a Proof: 94, ABV: 47% Bourbon produced in the great State of Ohio. The Bottle is a reasonably priced and a good value for the quality.
I get smells of the Black Cherry Wood, some Floral notes, Honey, and maybe a little Brown Sugar or light Molasses. How does it taste? You may ask ......... Well, it has a bit of Spice, maybe a Black Peper. There is a definite Leather with a hint of Coffee and a Caramel/Molasses thing happening with some Oak flavors mixed in. There is a Cinnamon flavor that is really accentuated by the Mac Orange and finishes with sweetened coffee, a bit of cherry and gingerbread. These two make this a delightful pairing combination. The Bourbon is Definitely suited for a cigar pairing, however I wound most likely pair this bourbon with a more full bodied smoke next time.
Mark Eckard
Join us as we enjoy the new to the market CAO Zocalo 6.125 x 52. The Zocalo is inspired by the vibrant Mexican city squares or Zócalos, CAO Zócalo takes you on an adventure in taste like only CAO can do. Shrouded with a Mexican San Andrés Morron wrapper, this leaf provides a depth of flavor adding complex earthiness, subtle spice, and a delicate sweetness to the overall experience. Combined with spicy, full flavored Nicaraguan fillers bound with an African binder, this cigar is an exceptional example of generational cigar knowledge and expert blending abilities rolled for your smoking pleasure.
We are pairing this with Rebel 100 Kentucky Bourbon. Since 1849, Rebel’s original, award-winning recipe has been made using only the purest Kentucky limestone-filtered water and new charred white oak barrels for aging. For more than 150 years, Rebel Bourbon has been bridging the gap between its proud heritage and modern tastes to honor the rebel spirit that lives in each of us. As the newest member of the Rebel Bourbon family, the Rebel 100 wheated bourbon takes everything you love about our Kentucky Straight Bourbon and dials it up to a wonderful sipping experience.
This week we enjoy the Punch Rare Corojo From a very old and trusted name in the world of cigar brands comes a much sought after smoke..... Punch Rare Corojo is a rich-tasting, square pressed cigar of distinction.
Started as a limited-edition brand in 2001, these special square-pressed cigars are released in small quantities only once a year, and are always at the top of the ratings.
Still handcrafted the Rare Corojo is made with rich, dark Sumatra wrapper leaves that are grown in the mountains of Ecuador, and the filler is a rich blend of Honduran, Nicaraguan and Dominican tobaccos.
While these cigars are great right out of the box, an additional one to two years of aging takes the Rare Corojo to a whole new level. Many smokers pick up at least two boxes every year so one can be put aside for long-term aging.
Overall a robust, well-balanced, aromatic, and super-smooth cigar. Its extra rich flavor, make these robust, heady smokes a real good treat.
Today we are enjoying the Mortal Coil. It is a new limited edition cigar from CAO. It is arriving at retailers beginning in Feb of 2021. The Arcana Mortal Coil is a 6 1/8 x 50 toro that is highlighted by Dominican andullo tobacco, a unique way of processing tobacco. Most tobacco used for cigars is harvested and placed in pilones—basically extremely large piles of tobacco that are rotated in and out as the leaves dry—but andullo tobacco is picked and then wrapped into large pods known as yaguasafter being harvested. These pods are then rooted into the ground while the tobacco cures.
For this release, General Cigar Co. is using four filler tobaccos: the aforementioned Dominican andullo tobacco, Dominican piloto cubano, Honduran tobacco from the Jamastran Valley and Nicaraguan tobacco from Estelí. It’s wrapped in a Connecticut broadleaf wrapper over a shade-grown Connecticut binder.
Pricing is set at $12 a stick and it is limited to 5,000 boxes of 20 cigars.
The Mortal Coil is being paired with Six & Twenty 5 Grain Bourbon. It’s is named for the 5 grains comprising the grain bill: corn (all bourbon must comprise at least 50% corn grain), rye, wheat (both of these common grain blends in bourbon), barley (slightly less common), and rice (almost unheard of). Six & Twenty Distillery was founded in 2014 by Farmer Redmond and David Raad in Powdersville, South Carolina. It is named for a pre-Revolution story about an escaped colonial maiden naming off geographic points on her way to warn the defending British troops of a native attack. The modern distillery is said to be located 26 miles from her point of capture... or, "twenty and six." . Then consider themselves a "grain to glass" distillery in that they control aspects of production from grinding the grain, to fermenting, to distilling, to aging, to bottling.
This week we enjoy a Cohiba Nicaragua paired with the Proper 12 Irish Whiskey. Cohiba is one of the most recognizable names in the land, Cohiba has pumped out countless Dominican favorites over the years. Now, they are on to new horizons, getting their feet wet for the first time in the fertile soils of Nicaragua with the release of the Cohiba Nicaragua.
This concoction of finely aged leaves boasts a bolder profile than many we’ve come to know from Cohiba. Adorned with a milk chocolaty Sun Grown Colorado Oscuro wrapper, this prize looks good enough to eat. Brimming with Nicaraguan long-fillers from Jalapa and Esteli all hugged by a Nicaraguan binder also from Jalapa, this is one medium to full-bodied masterpiece prime for the pickin’. Complex notes of cedar, leather, and pepper meld beautifully causing those who partake to begin frantically searching for another as soon as they see the nub is in reach.Cohiba Nicaragua was recently honored with a well-deserved 91-rating. The review stated, *"Notes of white pepper and cumin lead to a bold coffee bean character before the sweet, fruity finish. It's a dark and oily cigar that draws and burns evenly."
Proper 12 is today’s Whiskey....... The Irish whiskey is a t*riple distilled irish whiskey is an ultra smooth blend of golden grain and single malt with hints of vanilla, honey and toasted wood for a rich complexity. Founded by Mixed Martial Arts Champion Conor McGregor, the name refers to the area where McGregor hails, Dublin 12.
This week we had the pleasure to talk with the one and only Sean Williams. Sean is the brand ambassador to Cohiba cigars. Lead blender and overall great guy. We talk about all sorts of Cohiba info. We smoke a few of Sean’s private blend, the Cohiba Silencio and enjoyed a mild Benchmark Bourbon with our smoke. We talk blends and pairings for Cohiba, cigar culture and life in general. Sean also talks about his transition from his own brand to Cohiba and gives some insight on what Cohiba has in store for 2021.
This week we review the Punch Kung Pow.
Punch kicks off 2021, the Year of The Ox, with a limited-edition smoke called Punch Kung Pow!, the third release in the brand’s Chinese New Year Series. Kung Pow! follows 2020’s Punch Chop Suey and 2019’s Punch Egg Roll.
Handmade at HATSA in Danli, Honduras, Punch Kung Pow! has a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper over a Honduran Habano binder with long filler leaves from Brazil, Honduras, the Dominican Republic and Mexico. It’s available in a 6 x 52 Parejo and comes in 20-count bundles in a food takeout-style box, priced at $5.99 a cigar. The limited edition of 4,500 boxes ships to retailers on February 15.
“The Chinese New Year Series for Punch has become a new tradition and for the 2021 release, we took a page from the Szechuan cookbooks,” Ed Lahmann, senior brand manager of Punch and the creator of Kung Pow! said in a statement. “The medium-to-full-bodied blend is vaguely sweet with an undercurrent of spice.”
This week we are enjoying and reviewing a the Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure Seleccion. Hoyo de Monterrey has been bringin’ us the goods since 1865, and the Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure Seleccion pays homage to their enduring legacy in a way only a brand as revered as Hoyo can.
Made by STG Danli in Honduras, the nation where they have been crafted for the American market since the mid-1960s, Epicure Seleccion is crafted entirely of a proprietary blend of native Cuban-seed tobaccos grown in Honduras, with medium to full-bodied flavors of cedar, toast, hickory, coffee, and spice that will transport your palate back to the golden age of cigars. Hoyo de Monterrey has brought us a lot of gems over the years, but the Epicure Seleccion will easily go down in history as one of the best.
This week we enjoy A true classic through and through.
Experience the new side of Partagas 1845. Clasico features all the quality you've come to love from the classic Partagas brand. Consistently blended of Nicaraguan and Dominican tobaccos, and clothed in an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper all held together with a Connecticut Broadleaf binder, Clasico is a pleasant medium-bodied cigar.
A creamy profile is met with hints of toast and a nutty flavor for a great everyday cigar. Enjoy 1845 Clasico with your morning cup of coffee or on your way home from work for a relaxing cigar moment
Today we are enjoying the newest in the Diesel line of Cigars. It is named Diesel Estelí Puro, a blend that is not only a Nicaraguan puro but a cigar specifically made with tobaccos grown on AJ Fernandez’s farms in the Estelí region of Nicaragua. The cigars are being rolled at the Tabacalera AJ Fernandez Cigars de Nicaragua S.A. factory that also happens to be located in the city of Estelí, Nicaragua.
“Estelí Puro represents the future of Diesel in that the story of the blend is told by the tobacco itself,” said Justin Andrews, senior brand manager at General Cigar Co., in a press release. “With Estelí Puro, we made a collection that is completely unique in its bold flavor profile, yet has many of the attributes that have made the other Diesel expressions a cigar of choice among dyed-in-the-wool smokers. This is a cigar that demands the smoker’s full attention with deep and balanced flavor, a strong presentation and an attractive price point
In 2018, General Cigar Co. released the Cohiba Spectre, a cigar best known for its packaging and price.
That meant a single Cohiba Spectre was priced at $90, a noted change for General’s normally aggressive attitude in value pricing. In addition to the fancy packaging, the company promised that Spectre would be very limited, and with good reason. The cigar would be made with some of General’s oldest tobacco, aged in sherry barrels, and then rolled by just a single pair.
This year, the Spectre returned with new packaging and a new size, though the theme is very much the same. Once again, there would officially be just 180 boxes of 10 cigars. The 6 x 49 parejos use a high priming wrapper from Jalapa, Nicaragua that was aged in barrels. Underneath the wrapper is a Connecticut broadleaf binder and a filler that contains Brazilian mata fina and Nicaraguan tobaccos from Estelí and Jalapa. The Nicaraguan tobaccos were aged in Spanish sherry barrels
Join us as we enjoy this one of a kind experience at Smoke & Barrel.
In this episode we are enjoying the Cohiba Royals. The Cohiba Royale was created with the cigar connoisseur in mind,” according to Brand Ambassador, Sean Williams. The new Royale consists of a Nicaraguan sun-grown wrapper from the Jalapa valley, a Dominican Piloto Cubano binder, and fillers from Honduras and Nicaragua. Additionally, each leaf within the blend is said to have been aged for five to six years prior to be rolled. Sean Williams says, “All of the tobaccos that comprise Cohiba Royale are hand-selected and deeply aged, representing the best of the best tobacco growing regions in the world. The result is a cigar that is as bold as it is refined, befitting of the Cohiba name.
The Best Cigar is the one you're sharing with Friends and today we're smoking the CAO Bones from General Cigar, paired with Four Roses Small batch Bourbon