Tabacalera Victor Sinclair - "Serie '55' Imperial Connecticut" [Dominican Republic]

Here's a look at a nice cigar which I smoke regularly, that is quite overdue for examination. It's the third entry in Tabaclera Victor Sinclair's "Serie 55 Imperial" line, and one my brother Dan and I bought when it was first released. He's a big fan of mild, shade-grown tobaccos, and riffing off the "Victor Sinclair Serie 55 White" success, we grabbed these. 

The original "Serie 55" is so named because each cigar is a blend of 5 tobaccos, aged 5 years. I've had almost all (if not all) of the original "Serie 55" cigars - they have a maduro version, a habano, a Cameroon, and a sungrown I believe. I'm having a hard time figuring out what makes the Imperial series different from the regular. Wrapped in a Connecticut shade wrapper and filled with Dominican fillers, this cigar is clean and crisp the whole way through, featuring some nice grassy, somewhat aged flavors. Kind of like parchment paper with a touch of minerality tossed in. Ash burns a light grey, almost white, with some mottling.

At $20 for five, it's a good cigar for the money and a solid everyday smoke. It's pretty creamy, so definitely scratches that Connecticut shade itch while not breaking the bank on a Montecristo. This smoke kinda reminds me of the old Cuvee Blancs, which I really miss. 

____ Brewing Co. - "the key to the bathroom" stout

Today's beer I found kicking around the back recesses of D'Vines, a lonely single can on the furthest shelf of the walk-in. I don't recall seeing this beer, with its slipshod adhesive label, for sale anywhere on the shop floor (or even in the back stock room) in all the time I have been working at the shop. Who knows where this can came from, or when, or why, but it's mine now.

This is the "the key to the bathroom", and is a 10.00% ABV imperial stout made by _____ Brewing Co. I've never seen nor heard of this brewery before, which I learned is pronounced "Blank Brewing", although they style it with a few underscores. The label, which is basically a vinyl sticker, is affixed off-kilter, doesn't really say much. The front has a cool design mostly reminiscent of the old-school early 90's games, and the back has a couple of mushed-together lines of green ASCII text rambles on a bit about the "inspiration" behind the beer, etc.

But wait - it also says on the can, made at Dorchester Brewing Co. Not ____. Well, I know what's up - further research reveals that this brewing company is affiliated with Twelve Percent Imports - very important clue: sometimes, very small breweries don't have the ability to distribute products on a national scale. Maybe not even on a statewide scale. Or maybe they are simply so small that they don't have the brewing capacity to even attempt to distribute beyond their town or county. So they may contract with larger breweries, like Dorchester, to get their brews made and canned. Then, something like Twelve Percent goes out and tries to find these smaller-release beers and provides a conduit through which they can produce and market. And I'm glad they did - _____ has some neat other releases, which I have subsequently seen, including a hazy IPA called "Your favorite IPA on tap. And do you guys sell wine, my girlfriend doesn't like beer."

OK, let's see how this thing is out of the can. Pours thick, generating the darkest brown head I have ever seen. Forget candling this thing, not even going to try.

Surprisingly, it's quite smooth and milky. There's some booziness, i.e. a heavy alcohol sweetness, with deep and full flavor of chocolate milk. There's moderate spice, a bit dry and herbal, with a long baker's chocolate on the finish and a little bit of sweet alcohol. Very heavy and warming, and super tasty!

So according to the back of the label, this beer is inspired by apple and cinnamon breakfast cereal - Apple Jacks, I guess. But having had the beer, I'll have to take their word for it - I'm not getting any of the spices or anything resembling a bowl of cereal, except maybe for the milkiness. But really, this is not at all sweet. I think the most peculiar thing about it is the dryness - a nice divergence from some of the sweet, syrupy stouts out this time of year.

And now for cost/benefit - is it worth four bucks for a 12oz can? Yeah, I think so. It's a "big enough meal", so to speak, to warrant that cost. I'm not sure what format in which it is normally available - four packs? Six packs? Any of which are sure to be in the $20+ range. That might be a bit much, but for a single, it's good to try.  Bottom line - it's a tasty beer, nice and thick, perfect for a snowy winter's day or blustery fall evening.

Laurent-Perrier - NV La Cuvée Brut...Happy New Year!

Happy 2020! For my first post of the year, here's a snapshot of my New Year's Eve Champagne. After a grueling, nonstop, 7-hour shift at D'Vines, I brought home this lovely French sparkling white wine to celebrate the new year. It's a traditional brut Champagne from Laurent-Perrier, the third best-selling label of Champagne after giants Veuve Cliquot Ponsardin and Moët et Chandon. Originally founded in 1812, Laurent-Perrier went through many trials and tribulations, numerous owners and mergers, survived both World Wars, grew and expanded and over time has amassed numerous other holdings and wine labels, and now exports to well over 100 countries across the globe.

How badass is this - during World War II, the scion to the Laurent-Perrier business, Bernard de Nonancourt, joined the French resistance and rose to the rank of sergeant. Although his brother, Maurice, died in a concentration camp, Bernard fought tenaciously and was awarded a Croix du Guerre for bravery. Attached to the famed 2nd French armored division, he assaulted Hitler's Eagle's Nest fortress over Bechtesagaden in Austria and personally blew off the steel doors to Hitler's wine cellar, revealing half a million bottles of wine, including hundreds of cases of stolen Champagne Salon (now produced under Laurent-Perrier) which had been taken by German soldiers in 1940. Bernard returned to France a hero, presumably with less Champagne than he found, and ran the company until his death ten years ago in 2010.

OK, the clock has struck midnight, and out comes the cork to ring in 2020. I shook the bottle a bit and eased the cork out, comes out with a nice pop. Aroma is clean with some apple juice notes.

I'm picking up an interesting blend of flavors here - some fresh fruits, like green apples and pears, coupled with a nice minerality. The texture is off-dry, so a bit softer for a brut, and has a moderate sweetness. Interestingly, it's somewhat creamy, with a touch of peach-style sweetness on the end which is super enjoyable. Aftertaste is minimal and doesn't hold much onto the tongue after swallowing.

Refreshingly sweet and gentle bubbles, it's a bit softer and sweeter than other brut Champagnes I've had, which is nice. I'm not a fan of the super dry and super fizzy bubbly, so this hit the spot. It's not cheap, being sold here at D'Vines for $52.99, but it's worth it if you're looking for a nice Champagne.