AVO Cigars - "Classic Covers LE 2015 Vol. 2" [Dominican Republic]

This cigar is a special one I picked up at the Drew Estate / Joya "Doubleshot" event at Fine Cigar & Tobacco in Glastonbury, CT. It's Avo Cigars' "Classic Covers Limited Edition 2015 Vol. 2", a 6x54 toro from Avo's Improvisation series. It measures 6" long by 54 ring gauge - so almost an inch in diameter.

Interesting story on the name - the cigar company is named for Avo Uvezian, is a 90-year old jazz musician and cigar manufacturer who forms the inspiration for the company. You may know Avo's music - he wrote the song "Strangers in the Night" for Frank Sinatra. Legend has it that Avo, after traveling to Switzerland and being unhappy with the price of a Cuban cigar he bought, decided to make his own. Fast-forward 28 years, his cigars are now sold by the millions around the globe.

This particular cigar is Avo's super-premium limited edition series, and I'd seen this around a couple of times, in both catalogs and stores. I'm a huge fan of their other smokes, including the "XO", the "Domaine", the "Heritage", to name a few, so I was very interested in trying it. Unfortunately, they were only sold wholesale by the box, which was too expensive ($265 for 10, that's a bit much.) But I found a single cigar locally, so I figured I should give it a try. It cost $16.95 retail.

This cigar uses the AVO "Heritage" as an inspiration, and contains an Ecuadorian Marron 702 wrapper with longfillers from Mexico, the Dominican Republic, and Nicaragua. The "Classic Covers LE 2015 Vol. 1" uses a similar blend, but has long-leaf ligero fillers from Ometepe. Sounds good! Let's light up.

The draw is nice; and burns quickly through the first few puffs. Initially, there's a bit of acridity. That doesn't last long, however, and after a few more puffs, I'm noticing some deep, refined flavors - like tobacco, leather, and a strong woody note. It's really delicious. The construction is fine and even, and it burns solidly. Midway through, there's a note not unlike baker's chocolate. I wrap up the cigar around pinkie length, when it started tasting a bit acrid.

Overall, an enjoyable cigar with a good set of flavors. The construction was nice, draw was good, and the burn even. The only thing working against it is the price. I would happily pay $10 or $12 per cigar, but $17 makes this a rare treat.

Platform Brewing Co. - "Cherimoya Project" pale ale

Here's another from my summer trip to Ohio, this time from Platform Brewing Co., a medium-sized brewery in Ohio City just a few miles south of Great Lakes Brewing. Platform's stuff is readily available in the area; I got this one in the walk-in cooler at the Giant Eagle in Berea. It's their "The Cherimoya Project", a 6.80% ABV pale ale made with Meyer lemons and cherimoya.

I had no idea what cherimoya was until I had this beer. Research shows that cherimoya is a fruit native to South America, and has a green rind with a sweet creamy pulp. Mark Twain called the fruit "the most delicious fruit known to man." So it's no wonder why the folks at Platform used cherimoya in their beer.

A cherimoya.

In fact, this beer is the fourth and final beer in The Cherimoya Project's line. Other iterations include one with kaffir lime leaves (a la Indra Kunindra) and a dry-hopped pomelo ale. Interesting! I wish I could find those two to try, but for now, let's dive into this one.

In the glass, it's a light amber color. The beer is heavier than I expected. It's got a strong showing of hop flavors (not bitter, though, just tangy) and the lemon is just enough to be present but not overpowering. in contrast to lemon-drop aroma I sensed earlier. It's medium bodied, balanced, and has a nice zing of pale-ale crispness that's great for the season.

Cost-wise, it's $10.99, so within the acceptable 6-pack range. Not a bad ale if you're into pales, and the addition of lemon makes it a little lighter and zestier than other ales. Definitely a tasty pint!

Cellar & Stove: herbed chicken alfredo and SIMI Chardonnay [California]

In another "Cellar & Stove" segment, I'm going to make a seasonal pasta dish and pair it with a tasty wine. I actually built this dish around the wine - I saw it on the shelf and wanted to give it a try. I chose a 2014 bottle of SIMI Winery's Sonoma County chardonnay. Based in Healdsburg, CA, SIMI is one of the oldest California wineries. It survived Prohibition, and today the winery produces over 6 million bottles of wine per year.

Here's the dish - an herbed fettucine alfredo with chicken. Looks good, right? Here's what you need:

• Chicken - however much you want
• Fettucine - again, however much you want
• 1.5 cups of heavy cream - or more, depending on how creamy you like it
• 5 tablespoons butter - your choice of brand (I use Kerrygold, like a boss)
• 1 full stem spring/green garlic (stalk and bulb)
• Chives, to taste
• 2 cups shaved asiago or parmesan cheese
• Cracked black pepper, to taste

Unlike some other meals I have made, the timing here is very flexible. The sauce ends up taking a long time to reduce and thicken; so you can start it as early as you like. Likewise, you can cook the chicken beforehand needed. To start, add your cream, butter, and some black pepper to taste into a saucepan and turn to medium heat. Stir frequently, and once the mixture starts to bubble, turn it to low and let it reduce for about 10 minutes. You'll want to keep an eye on it.

You can start your pasta water now. I always add liquid bouillon, about a teaspoon, to all pasta dishes. It seasons the pasta nicely, and replaces salt in the water. Plus, if you really wanted, you could retain the water after cooking and it would make a nice stock for soup.

So as your water is slowly heating up, and your sauce is bubbling and thickening, start pan-frying your garlic and chives. I also cut the stem of the spring garlic I got at the farmer's market, and added that to the sizzling coconut oil. Turn frequently on low heat to avoid burning (especially the garlic!) The idea is to get them wilted and brown for garnish on the pasta. Also, notice that I've reserved a cup of the uncooked chives. That's for addition in the sauce towards the end.

The last step here is to add your chicken to the same pan. I've removed all of the garnish and put them aside, added some more coconut oil, and begun to fry the chicken. I guess you could add whichever meat you desire; this dish might even work well with tofu.

Regarding the wine - now's a good time to open it up. I had mine in the fridge. I chose the chardonnay because I'm looking for balance - Alfredo and cream / cheese sauces are very rich and flavorful by nature; so I'd want a wine that's clean, crisp, and fruity to serve as a balance to the heaviness of the pasta. Chardonnay is a common pairing with cream sauces, and sometimes, there's just no need to try a risky pairing. Stick with what works.

As it warms up, it projects a very appealing aroma - there's some light fruit in there, some white grape notes. It's a yellowish-white in the glass.

There's a nice dryness to it, perhaps more crisp than dry, with just a touch of oak flavors (which is kinda good; I've had some overoaked wines before and I didn't enjoy them.) I liked the acidity of the wine, too - not too much, but definitely enough to cut through the cheesy sauce and oil. Regarding fruit flavors - there's a layer of peach and lemon in there, just faint though, and without any sugariness or sourness.

To wrap up your meal, just add the warm alfredo sauce to your pasta - just pour over the chicken and pasta. Super easy! You can add your garnish on top, or in the middle, in whatever way you like. In the end, the wine is crisp and clean with some light flavors - a perfect complement to the meal! And it's affordable, too - this was on sale for $12.99 (down from $21.99) at Giant, of all places. Even grocery stores can have a reasonable wine selection!

Field Trip: Drew Estate's "Connecticut Barnsmoker" cigar event [South Windsor, Connecticut]

Today's post is a special treat - it's a review of an all-day, immersive look into the world of tobacco growing that took place on Saturday, August 6th at the Foster Family Farm in South Windsor, Connecticut. It's hosted by La Gran Fabrica Drew Estate, the fine folks who make a host of cigars reviewed on this blog. Drew Estate and its founder, Jonathan Drew, have a couple of these large-scale events throughout the year in various places to highlight growing conditions and processes, to celebrate the brand and the tasty cigars they have, and to spotlight the various farms and techniques used to produce cigars. They have three this year - one in Florida, one in Connecticut, and one in Kentucky (presumably to highlight their Kentucky Fire Cured cigars - awesome!)

This event has been hyped up for some time - tickets were at a premium and very sought-after. Luckily, I was in front of my computer at the time they were released (and got a head start thanks to my use of Drew's Diplomat app) and was able to snag tickets for my brother Dan and I. They sold over 500 tickets! My brother and I were very eager to go, because we both have been smoking Drew Estate cigars for years. We were introduced to the brand simultaneously by my aunt's boyfriend Tom, who gave us our first Kuba Kuba, and by David Lafferty, Drew Estate communications czar who gave me my first Liga Undercrown in DC at a fundraiser for a Member of Congress. Fast forward four years, and here we are, smoking Drew cigars at least once a week.

It's worth noting the importance and fame of Connecticut in the cigar trade. The Connecticut River Valley is home to dozens of farms that produce a variety of tobacco, most prized of which is the Connecticut shade tobacco. There are two kinds of cigar tobacco - shade and broadleaf. Connecticut makes both, and much of the agricultural industry in the area is based around the production of tobacco. In fact, the house I grew up in is located on a former tobacco field, and both my parents worked in the tobacco fields. So it's a big deal around here, and if you look at any cigar catalog or shop, you'll see hundreds of cigars that feature Connecticut tobacco.

Here we are at the Foster farm. That structure is called a tobacco shed, used to hang leaves for drying. Its walls have slats that can be opened. The field is currently full of delicious broadleaf tobacco, to be used in Drew Estate's "Liga Privada T52" cigar wrappers. The field is worth millions of dollars.  

Situated on an open expanse of field, the main event took place here, at a huge tent with tables and a stage. They had music playing, gave out goodie bags stuffed with cigars and swag, had a raffle, and some remarks by Jonathan Drew and Sam Morales. Part of the cost of admission was some special event cigars:

Incentive cigars included:

Liga Privada No. 9	6x52
Liga Privada T52	6x52
Liga Undercrown	6x52
Liga Privada Unico Serie Ratzilla	6x46
Liga Privada Unico Serie A	9.25x47
Nica Rustica El Brujito	6x52
Florida Sun Grown	6x52
Herrera Esteli TAA Exclusive	6x52

     
Notice they tossed in a couple of Drew patches and a Boveda humidification packet. Good move! Check out that Serie A...man, what a cool super-lancero format! They also had a Liga Privada Velvet Rat and a Kentucky Fired Cured Fat Molly, both of which I smoked during the morning hours.

An hour or so into the event, Drew Estate founder and head Jonathan Drew showed up with master blender Willy Herrera. I spoke to Willy briefly, letting him know I visited the tobacco manufactory that his mother-in-law Sandy Cobas owns in Miami (El Titan De Bronce, for those of you following along at home) and then moved on to the throng of people clustering around Jonathan Drew (or JD for short.) He was really friendly and took time to meet everyone who wanted to say hello.

The man himself - Jonathan Drew. What an awesome character!

The event featured four educational stations, each led by a Drew Estate expert who discussed one aspect of the cigarmaking process. Participants were divided into four large groups, and at the sound of airhorn, each group proceeded to one of the stations. My group visited the first station - growing.

Obviously, tobacco is a plant that needs proper conditions to grow. Our guide discussed the different ways to plant and the different conditions that tobacco requires. Of course, changes in these conditions can affect the flavor and appearance of tobacco, and so part of the growing process is careful attention to all the variables - light, temperature, exposure to elements, etc. Different tobacco types require different soil, and we discussed how shade and broadleaf are grown differently.

Tobacco seeds are tiny. Our guide passed around this baggie of them...looks like yard fertilizer.

They grow baby tobacco plants in planters like these. I shall call them "tobacclets."

The second station, just down the hill, was the blending station. Here, Willy Hererra and another blender discussed the techniques and skills behind choosing tobacco to blend.

Willy, in the blue shirt, was discussing how he blends a cigar. Blending cigars is a time-consuming and complicated process. There are hundreds of variants of tobacco fillers, binders, and wrappers, and it's up to masters like Willy to craft a combination of tobaccos that works well. Part of that is isolating flavors to then combine later.  Consistency is key - you can't bring a cigar to market unless you can replicate the same flavor profile crop after crop, year after year. And with growing conditions different from year to year, that can prove difficult.

As an incentive for attending the event, participants were each given a special cigar - a 100% Connecticut broadleaf cigar rolled specifically for this event. It's wrapped in shreds of paper from a Nicaraguan newspaper - cool! This is how Willy tries his blends - rolling a 100% pure cigar of a given tobacco leaf, to get the taste of just that flavor before adding that particular strain to a cigar blend. This way, he knows all of the flavors individually. 

After tucking that broadleaf single into my pocket for later, we proceeded to the third station - harvesting. Farmer John Foster, on whose farm we were standing, discussed the ways he grows his tobacco. It's quite a science - tobacco is planted, protected and cultivated over months and months, and harvested in particular ways - including chopping the tobacco at the base (stalk-cutting) and then letting the leaf wilt in the sun for a while before collecting.

Farmers use a flat-bladed axe to chop the tobacco leaves. The clump of leaves leftover (dried in the below pictures) is also called a "mano." 

Tobacco needs to ferment, and to ferment it needs one thing over all - heat. The fresh leaves, after being stalk-cut or uprooted, need to be dried out and / or fermented before they're ready to be rolled. This process takes place in a huge barn, also known as a shed. The final station was staffed by our man Jonathan Drew himself.

Tobacco leaves are dried in a very particular way. Freshly harvested manos are threaded onto a rig called a lay that's then lifted up into the rafters of a large shed, where they're kept for some time to mature and to dry, sometimes with the aid of fires. For example, the Foster farm dries its tobacco using charcoal fires - they go through 25 tons of charcoal per year. I'm told they use Kingsford brand BBQ briquettes.

Here's Jonathan Drew showing participants a tobacco plant before it is threaded on to a lay.

One step not represented here is rolling, which takes place in Drew Estate's massive facility in Esteli, Nicaragua. That factory produces 135,000 cigars per day. Cigar rollers, called torceador(a)s, roll cigars at a bench using a variety of tools. See a more detailed description of this process from my Miami trip earlier this year. 

And naturally, we capped the day off with some good eats - some fresh beer from Two Roads Brewing Co. and some delicious brisket, beans, cornbread, and mac 'n cheese from Bear's BBQ. This event was a ton of fun, and cool to see up-close how tobacco is grown, dried, and blended. It's well worth the cost, not just for the education but for the cigars alone. 

Wine Flash: 2014 Kirkland Signature "Carneros" pinot noir (California)

If you're looking for a good spot to pick up decently-priced wine, look no further than Costco - one of the new wonders of the world. Costco sells a decent spread of wine, including many of their own house brands. I've tried quite a few, and all have been great wines for great values. Today's is Kirkland Signature 2014 "Carneros" pinot noir. It's made in the Los Carneros AVA of California, which has a much cooler climate than many other Napa and Sonoma vineyards. As a result, Carneros red wines are known for their acidity. Carneros also has whites, including the possible first plantings of the Albarino grape.

Let's dive in. It's got a strong nose of dark fruit and berries. It's bright red in glass.

The wine starts off sharp, with some acidity (no surprise there) but develops with some light lemon and strawberry flavors, with a strong note that reminds me of black plum. It has a flavorful finish, with some mineral and ester notes. It's got a strong, full body, but not overly complex.

Overall, not bad, especially for $10.99. It's a tasty and full-bodied wine, which unexpectedly paired great with dinner - some lemon pappardelle mixed with asiago, Kerrygold butter, olive oil, and sliced chorizo. This wine is definitely worth trying if you want a decent, everyday Pinot.