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.