Drew Estate: MUWAT "Kentucky Fire Cured" cigar (Nicaragua)

Here's what I've been smoking lately - a unique blend of fire-cured Virginia, Kentucky, and Brazilian mata fina tobaccos. It's a 5.5" x 34 ring gauge cigar, in the "Kyoto" format, released by Drew Estate.

By the way - "MUWAT" stands for "My Uzi Weighs a Ton" and is a cigar line that Jonathan Drew, patriarch of the Drew Estate brand, invented in collaboration with the Joya de Nicaragua cigar manufactory.

There's a unique aspect to this cigar that I want to discuss. Unlike today's cigar, most tobacco is air-cured, which means that it's hung in barns to dry for months at a time. Various processes go into the preparation of that tobacco, and there is some room for experimentation. For this tobacco, the Drew Estate tabacleristas actually fired the tobacco over flames. This, of course, will change the texture and the consistency of the smoke. After all - the chemical changes that go on in tobacco as it dries imparts flavor. Altering that process, as Drew Estate has done, will naturally change what comes out in the end.

The cigar lit up nicely, and took a few seconds to really get going. And after a few puffs, it wasn't much to write home about. Then it hit me! There's strong flavors of hickory and mesquite in there that I really enjoy. Once it gets going, it produces a lot of woody, light smoke that's really fantastic. The fire-cured tobacco really adds that extra edge of tastiness here. The cigar burnt well, a little unevenly, and petered out about half-pinky length.

Another thing I like about it is the size - it's just the right width and length for a solid 30-minute smoke, Sure, I'd be interested in trying a larger format, but these particular dimensions are great for a shorter smoke. I'm definitely going to try more in the future!

Evil Twin Brewing - "Even More Jesus" imperial stout

Spending the Thanksgiving holiday back in Connecticut with my folks has been great, but after several straight days of shoveling slushy, rainy snow, it was time to depart from my frequent fare of Pumking and Merrymaker in favor of something strong and dark.

Enter the beer - "Even More Jesus." It's a rather-strong 12% ABV imperial stout made by Danish brewing company Evil Twin.

Evil Twin Brewing Company is what's known as a "gypsy brewing company" - they have no physical space of their own, but instead are itinerant brewers who go from brewery to brewery and create one-off beers and special releases. In fact, the owner of Evil Twin, Jeppe Jarnit-Bjergso, is the brother of Mikkel Jarnit-Bjergso, the owner of Mikkeler, another "gypsy brewing company" (and a beer of theirs, the "Breakfast" oatmeal stout, I reviewed in June.)

Let's get to the beer. The pour is jet-black with a dark brown, foamy head. Light can't even penetrate the glass when I hold it up to the lamp, so I didn't even take a photo of that.

Kinda looks like motor oil! It has the usual aromatic notes of cocoa, which is a little disappointing, since I was hoping for a departure from the usual. But, no bother, since I was actually surprised by the taste. It was much creamier than I expected, and much darker. Almost brown-sugar sweet. It's super-rich and very strong, and has an oily finish of dark plums and fudge followed by an aftertaste that reminds me of coffee grounds.

I like it, because it breaks the mold somewhat in terms of taste. It loses the typical chocolate flavors (in taste if not in aroma) and masks the high alcohol content well with the very sweet flavors. It's smooth, which is another point in its category since some of the usual chocolate / coffee stouts have that burnt / espresso tastes to them. It's always fun to explore small, one-off creations such as this, and I'm looking forward to seeing what else Evil Twin has to offer.

Beer Flash: Oakshire Brewing Co.'s "Overcast" espresso stout

Just a quick beer flash before I fly out to Connecticut for the holidays. It's a 5.8% ABV espresso stout by Eugene, OR-based Oakshire Brewing Co.

Sort of usual for an espresso stout - rich, smooth, low-key, and not very hoppy. Good smoky cocoa flavors in there. Another plus is that it's in can format, so you can have just one if you like (unlike a bomber-format, which makes it hard to have just one serving.) Anyways, it's a rather delicious, mellow beer that really hits the spot.

Peak Brewing Co. - "King Crimson" imperial red ale, 2013 vintage

Today's beer is Peak Organic's imperial red ale, the King Crimson. I've had this beer a number of times, and reviewed it fresh back in April of 2013. It's very enjoyable - and surprisingly cheap!

Today's beer was purchased almost two years ago, as you can see.

It's been in my cellar since then, as an aging experiment. But, since time marches on and I have a lot of beer to try, I figured it's time to see once and for all how the King Crimson cellars. I have high hopes. Cracked the bottle open to a quiet gurgle. One lone bubble rose out of the neck of the bottle. The oxygen-fixing cap was a dark brown - not a good sign. I poured it out anyways...

...and the beer maintained its usual deep red color. Held up to the light, it throws a (very pretty) cloudy red color. A gorgeous color for beer.

No sediment in the bottom of the glass. The head died down slowly and settled to some token bubbles rimming the beer. There's no lacing on the glass. All of the things are in direct opposition to what I experienced last April when I reviewed it fresh.

"I've got a bad feeling about this..."

But - no sense in holding off. Time to dive in.

The flavor at first is very faint, and a little off. I'm also getting a slight sour note, which is something I don't want to get. I wasn't detecting much of anything in there. A glass or two in, I'm getting the flavors a little more. Some fruit and some pine, with malt. Perhaps this is due to the beer warming up.

And while the flavor did open up a little bit, it didn't have that real fresh strength I was hoping for. Like my aged Pumking, the flavors are muted and duller than usual and that really takes a lot out of the beer. Some beers are made to be enjoyed immediately, for example, the Enjoy by 7/4/14 ale.  And some are meant to be cellared for a long time (like the Dogfish Head 120 minute IPA. ) Usually, if they're made super fresh and without any natural preservatives, it says so right on the bottle. And while I don't think King Crimson is one of such beers, it still doesn't taste quite right. Two years is a long time to stick around in a cellar for any beer, and so this beer was more of an experiment than a true effort at aging.

I've got one in the fridge now, a 2014, and will drink it soon. It's a good beer, but this just goes to show that not all beers age well. Even with a high alcohol content, it still doesn't appreciate in flavor. At least I tried!

Beer Flash: Deschutes Brewery's "Black Butte" porter

Today's beer is one Dan has been urging me to try for some time now. I'd never come across it until recently, when D'Vines started selling it on draft for growler fill. I had them fill up Rex the Growler so I could try it out.

It's a 5.2% ABV American-style porter which is very smooth and milky. As you can see, it's pretty much black (as the name might suggest) and has a very mellow flavor all the way through. It almost could use a little more flavor, but that's a minor complaint.

The lowdown is that this beer is tasty, smooth, and delicious with a nice aroma of chocolate and nuts. I can compare it to Fremont's "Bonfire" one perhaps one of Southern Tier's Blackwater series of beers. It's definitely something to try if you see it; it's mellow enough that you can drink it as a session ale.

DC Brau - "On The Wings of Armageddon" American double imperial IPA

Today's beer is a powerful American double imperial IPA from local brewer DC Brau. It's their "On The Wings of Armageddon," a badass name if I ever heard one.

It clocks in at a respectable 9.2% ABV. Out in the world, it's only sold on draft - which is how I'm enjoying for the purposes of this review - but it's available on a very limited basis in canned form at the DC Brau brewery on the Maryland border in far Northeast DC. That canning run is infrequent and often sells out easily, but luckily, some acquaintances of mine we able to score me a 6-pack. Otherwise, it's available occasionally at D'Vines in Columbia Heights for growler fill. 

Just pouring it out into my glass yields crazy fruit and hops aromas even from a couple of feet away. There's a thick, white, foamy head that is persistent, with nice lacing in the glass. The color of the beer is a pleasing amber, and turns a cloudy orange when candled.

I let it sit for a few moments then dove right in.Whoa!

It's got waves of delicious tastes riding on a perfect current of hoppiness. There's lots of deep, mellow hop flavors, some citrus, and a slight edge of citrus bitterness that gives it a nice little nip. Dry bread tastes throughout. The real clincher is that the beer is so smooth. There's tons of hops but no aggravating bitterness or objectionable burning - just full flavor and surprisingly heady. Finish is warm and crisp, and aftertaste is very faint, with a pleasant flavor of hops.

I'm very happy with this beer. It reminds me of Great Divide's "Hercules" double IPA in terms of texture and taste. I'm really a fan of these juggernaut IPAs that hit you with a sledgehammer of flavor and hops, and I'm definitely going to make it a staple of my growler fills whenever I can, or perhaps finally make a day trip to the brewery to grab some more of their limited-edition cans.

Fort George Brewery + Public House - "Quick Wit" witbier

Every so often, my Seattle-based brother Daniel will send me a box packed with some of the finest in West Coast beers. Since these beers are often available only in the Pacific Northwest, I particularly enjoy reviewing them because I so rarely get a chance to try them.

One of the ones he sent was a 5.2% ABV Belgian-style ale made by Fort George Brewery + Public House, located in Astoria, Oregon.

It looks like OJ - opaque, dark orange, coupled with a faint aroma of spices.

Taste-wise, I really enjoyed it. It has a very mellow tartness to it that balances nicely with the typical Belgian spice flavors. I like the smooth wheat and tasty spice flavors. Warm and smooth overall, with a refreshing citrus levity. I like Belgian beers , and the sessionability of this one really adds to my enjoyment. It's a beer I wouldn't mind drinking all night.

Sierra Nevada Beer Camp, #3

Asheville Brewer's Alliance - "Tater Ridge" Scottish ale (7% ABV)

This beer is a deep Scottish ale made with sweet potatoes! Never had a sweet potato beer before...but that's because I think sweet potatoes are awful. Just ask my family at Thanksgiving, I won't eat them.

But I didn't say I didn't drink them. Anyways...pour is strong and thick, nice deep red color (my favorite for beer) and a brownish-bronze when candled. Beautiful. Nose is airy, a little aroma, but not much. Lots of carbonation.

Taste is interesting. A little sweet, but delicious. Smooth and full of flavor, nice warming feeling that turns into a smooth, sweet finish. Not bad at all! Color me surprised. I'd drink this all day long.

Oskar Blues Brewery - "CANfusion" rye bock (7.2% ABV)

Another brown pour, clearer this time. The beer has no nose. However, it is nice and tasty. Lots of rye tastes here, straightforward and hearty. I don't really detect anything super unusual about it, just a delicious and straightforward rye ale. 

3 Floyds Brewing Co. - "Chico King" pale ale (6.5% ABV)

As you can see, it's got a nice caramel color. One of the pleasures of drinking beer is seeing all the different colors. With this beer, there's a clean, crisp aroma with no strong smells. The taste is sort of a standard pale ale, done well. Interesting texture. Nice hops (the bottle says "resinous" which is a good word to describe the texture.)

Cigar City Brewing Co. - "Yonder Bock" tropical maibock (7.7% ABV)

This one intrigued me - never had a maibock before, and didn't know what it is. According to the German Beer Institute, a maibock is a strong golden lager meant to be enjoyed in between German beer drinking seasons of deep winter and summer. Hence the "Mai" in the word. It's also known as a "helles bock," "helles lager" or, and I'm really just taking their word for it, "Frühlingsstarkier."

Pours nicely, some interesting aromas that I couldn't quite recognize. Same went for the taste - it was delicious, very malty, with some interesting fruit flavors that were new to me in a beer. I spent a good few minutes trying to figure out what was going on up in here. 

It reminds me a lot of a fruity version of "Old Speckled Hen." There's definite fruit tastes in there, which is pretty cool, and ends up being a very refreshing and smooth beer. 

Turned out to be a great 12-pack. I'll definitely be buying this again next year! 

Sierra Nevada Beer Camp, Set #2

Here's part 2 of my journey through Sierra Nevada's Beer Camp compilation series! Part 3 will also be posted in a few days as well.

Russian River Brewing Co. - "Yvan the Great" Belgian-style blonde ale (6.3% ABV)

It's got a clear yellow pour, some aroma, looks a little thin. It's a Belgian style blonde, so it's going to be lighter.

The flavor is pleasant but thin - it's got some of the usual Belgian tastes, but thinner and more carbonated than they usually are. When I look for a Belgian, I want something thick and heavily spiced. However, this is a blonde ale, so it's meant to be lighter. Pretty good beer, nothing spectacular.

Ballast Point Brewing Co. - Electric Ray India pale lager (8.5% ABV)

This beer is an IPL - or an India Pale Lager. It's made similarly to the common IPA (India Pale Ale) but is made with bottom-fermenting yeast. This is done to make the beer a little lighter, not so bitter.

The Electric Ray beer has a light amber eye, looks pretty much like generic beer. Not too much aroma. The taste is rather good - it's got nice smoky malt flavors, with a strong taste of deep and pleasant hops, crisp and nicely balanced. I like it a lot.

Victory Brewing Co. - "Alt Route" altbier (6.6% ABV)

I admit this was the first time I'd tried an "altbier." Not knowing what it was, I had to look it up...turns out, it's a kind of beer originating in Germany which ferments on the top (hence alt, or high, in German.)

It's a nice deep brown color, deep red when candled. Taste-wise, it's delicious. Slightly sour, with a serious backbone of malt. Not a lot of hops, but definitely a full, crisp taste that carries well throughout the beer. I was surprised. I could really get in to this, and I wish it was available commercially. Note - after trying this altbier, I ran out and bought some delicious Union City Brewing Co.'s "Balt" altbier.

Bell's Brewery - "Maillard's Odyssey" imperial dark ale (8.5% ABV)

This beer has a deep, dark pour. I should have known, since it is a dark ale.

There's serious notes of caramel and chocolate in there. Some carbonation, not a lot though, with a nice feel to it. The flavors are deep and polished on the way down.

Kinda typical. Not bad, but typical. It has a lot of the same sweet stout flavors and textures that you might get in a beer of this caliber. I'd drink it again, but it's nothing to write home about. Stay tuned for the final installment in a few days!

How-To: Preparing Red Wine for Tasting

As another entry in my How-To series, I'm going to quickly discuss how I prepare red wine for serving. Remember - there are multiple ways to prepare and drink wine...this isn't an end-all method, just the way I do it. I'm not a professional sommelier, just a guy who has had a lot of wine and have narrowed down a method.

I'm also modifying this slightly from a December 2013 post I did about tasting wine. I wanted to go a little deeper into the steps BEFORE drinking so next time any of you have people over, you can serve your red wine like a boss.

STEP 1: Get some red wine.

For this, you'll need some red wine. White wines have a different procedure, which I may cover someday. But for right now, you'll need your favorite, regular red wine. I chose a delicious Bastide Miraflors syrah / old vine Grenache from France.

STEP 2: Pop that sucker in the fridge.

Most red wines are meant to be served at 62 - 68 degrees Fahrenheit. It's likely wherever you store your wine is not that cold. Mine's not. A French cave might be, or a cellar deep underground, but odds are if you are reading this blog you do not have either of those. 

STEP 3: Wait 20 minutes.

Twenty minutes isn't a long time, but it's long enough to drop that wine down to temp. You'll want your red wine to be a little cooler than the range I quoted above, because it's going to spend some time sitting out and warming up. Remember - a lot of the flavor development of red wine has to do with changes in temperature as well as exposure to air. So set the clock for twenty minutes, and go about your day. Take a walk, or start working on dinner (as I did, making a homemade goat-cheese-and-basil Alfredo dish, the sauce of which also coincidentally takes 20 minutes to simmer.)

STEP 4: Uncork and pour.

After 20 minutes or so has elapsed, you'll want to take your wine out of the fridge and uncork it. But wait - don't sit down and chug the whole thing just yet. Remember what I said about air mixing with the wine? You'll need to let it sit for a little while. So go ahead and pour out a few inches of wine into your glass, give the bottle a light swish or two, and set it back down on the table. It'll need at least ten minutes to start opening up; some people wait much longer than that. As you wait, and the wine warms up to room temperature from the fridge, and the elements of the wine start to interact with the air. So go back to making your dinner, or check your phone, or whatever - you'll only need to wait 10  more minutes. 

STEP 5: Enjoy!

OK, after 10 minutes, now it's time to serve your wine. You can pour out the desired amount into your glass and enjoy. But remember to follow the tasting tips that I outlined here. Your wine experience has only just begun - enjoy it on its own, or with dinner, or however you want to enjoy it. And hopefully, the knowledge of wine and the way the flavors open up will help deepen your enjoyment of the wine. Try these steps out next time you're having wine with dinner!

Beer Flash: Southern Tier Pumking (vintage 2013)

In honor of Halloween last week, I cracked open a 2013-vintage Southern Tier Imperial Pumking. I've had it in my cellar since last year, and curious to see how it ages, I figured now would be as good a time as any to try it out.

Notice how last year's bottle has a different label than this year's.

I wanted to see how this beer aged; as you know, aging a beer changes numerous aspects like taste and consistency and alcohol content. I poured some out into my usual glass, and noticed the eye is the usual clear orange. There's not a heck of a lot of foam in there.

The nose, as usual, is bright with pumpkin aromas and a hint of spice.

But now the real indicator - the taste. I have the fortune of knowing already what Pumking tastes like - both this vintage and the current release. So I'm at a bit of an advantage, since I know what to expect on both counts. The taste itself is actually rather muted - it still maintains the pumpkin flavors, but it's much less bright and heady than a current-year release might be.  There's still a warming mouthfeel that only gets better as the beer sits out for a few minutes. 

It may have to do with the freshness of the ingredients, but I'm going to sadly conclude that this beer does not cellar extraordinarily well. Sure, it still has some of the flavors, but one of the pleasures of Pumking is being able to enjoy it fresh with all the corresponding bright flavors and warm, fresh malts. Cellaring this beer for a year won't damage it terribly, but it won't appreciate it either. I was hoping that cellaring it for a year would make it stronger but none less tasty; and since this is my first vintage bottle of Pumking, I can conclude that aging does take away some of the texture that I personally find very appealing. I have another two vintage bottles, one of which I shall drink in short order. The other one I'm going to keep until this time next year, to give it another year to change.