Up for review today is the Origin of Species by La Pluma Cigars. This brand sponsored our last Smoker Social at Merchants NY Cigar Bar, and they were a huge hit. I’ve only smoked a handful of cigars from La Pluma, but I’m already a big fan. Reasons below.
Blend Specifics
Size: Corona Gorda
Wrapper: Jalapa (Nicaragua)
Binder: Mexican San Andreas and Nicaraguan binders
Filler: Nicaraguan
Appearance & Construction
This cigar is presented beautifully. I love the offset and angled band, as well as the yellow and black color scheme. Construction is sold with a slightly restrictive draw.
Flavor & Smoke Characteristics
Off of the foot, I pick up notes of wood, cinnamon and a pleasant sweetness. Upon lighting, the cigar opens up with medium bodied smoke and a lot of flavor. Prominent is an oak note with a hint of vanilla and grassy sweetness.
At about half an inch in, another interesting note enters the mix. A salty sweetness that reminds me of caramel corn. Additionally, there’s a nice spice on the retrohale. Unfortunately, at about this time the wrapper splits a little as well, though the problem corrects itself a few minutes later.
At 2/3, this cigar is still at a solid medium. The oak, spice, and vanilla notes are still present. The size really is perfect on this blend, bringing out the notes in a balanced way that is very enjoyable.
The final third is much the same. Little change in body or strength, though a bit of white pepper is present, hitting the tip of my tongue.
Conclusion
Overall, a very enjoyable smoke. The Origin of Species by La Pluma Cigars is a great first release. The profile is complex, well balanced, and maintains great strength of flavors through the entire smoke. I highly recommend this cigar to anyone interested in finding a great new boutique.
After a few weeks in the Scotch world, I’m returning to my roots on the bourbon trail to review this W.L. Weller 12 Year, another great offering from the Buffalo Trace Distillery. For the price (about $25), this is really a respectable bourbon that delivers on flavor and finish. Here are my thoughts.
On the nose is a thick, intense, sweet, corn and caramel smell. Additionally, I pick up a whiff of (surprise) wheat.
Taste
Wow, this is a sweet bourbon. It doesn’t carry with it a ton of complexity, but it is very enjoyable. Notes include sweet corn, vanilla, oak, and brown sugar.
Finish
As the flavors fade, a confectionary note emerges, offering a nice change of pace. The finish is long and sweet. As others have noted, this bourbon is very similar to Maker’s Mark. It reminds me a lot of Maker’s 46, which at about 75% higher price, doesn’t quite justify the cost.
Conclusion
Other whiskey reviewers have lamented that for being aged 12 years, this bourbon just doesn’t have the complexity to justify the $25 price tag. For a wheated bourbon, though, I think it’s a great deal and absolutely something to carry standard on your shelf. The W.L. Weller 12 Year will take it’s place as a standard on my shelf next to the similarly value-priced Evan Williams 1783. Final Grade: B+/A- (buy)
During one of our cold and dreary winters here in New York I invited some close friends to my house for a grueling task. I wasn’t asking them to move furniture or paint rooms which are the archetypal favors you may rope a friend into. No, this was a “chore” most mates would jump at the chance to aid in. The call I placed was to ask if they would assist me in rating a vertical of Pappy Van Winkle 15, 20, and 23yr. old bourbon. Needless to say both friends didn’t seem to mind lending a hand or their taste buds. However in order to gather sufficient and comprehensive results I had to put a few key methods into place.
First I chose these two friends for particular reasons. Although I had many people offer to “help” out with my study I felt I needed some specific tasters. One of them has tasted many a fine bourbon yet still considers his tasting acumen as” budding” and continuing to develop. Also this individual doesn’t covet any booze or cigar and price and/or hype never sways him. I can always count on him for an honest assessment and he is one friend who even keeps me grounded at times. The other person has never tried bourbon but is a big fan of wine with a developing palate enhanced by his extensive Sommelier certification coursework. He is an asset to the study as he has the ability to recognize taste but no preconceived notions on what bourbon should be.
The Setup:
Second we had to do this study blind. In order to score without bias we needed to NOT be aware of what we were drinking. Each bourbon was covered up by someone not participating in the study and each bottle labeled simply 1, 2 & 3. We were poured each one in number order and utilized the UC Davis College Wine Score Card which applies to spirits as well. This card has a point system broken up into 3 categories with a scoring system for each category. The categories were Appearance, Odor, and Taste. Each category was noted and then given a score. The scores were then added up for a final scoring on that particular spirit. The highest total score that can be achieved is 25 points on the UC Davis College Wine Score Card respectively. The results and ratings below are listed highest to lowest scored with tasting notes as well as the year of the bourbon. The results were quite surprising. Enjoy!
1. Pappy Van Winkle 20yr. Old Bourbon- 20 Points. We found that this bourbon was the sweet spot in terms of the time Pappy should be aged in barrel. The color was a wonderful golden amber with a honeyed hue and a touch of rose’. The first nose gave off alcohol aromas some vanilla and slight spice. Initial tastings had vanilla, baking spice and oak with medium intensity. The mid palate was smooth and refined with oak vanilla and earthy characteristics. The finish was long, rich and continued with an interplay of spices, toasted oak and vanilla. An extremely balanced bourbon with a length that beats many I’ve tasted.
2. Pappy Van Winkle 15yr. Old Bourbon- 18 Points. The color in the glass was that of caramel and toasted almond. Nosing gave off aromas of cinnamon, citrus and spice. This bourbon had a weighty mouth feel with earth and vanilla dominating. Midway caramel, butterscotch and a bit of toasted oak came through. Some “bourbon heat” kicked in for a moment before finishing with a long caramel/toffee aftertaste. This was a medium intensity bourbon and we all felt it was a fine sipping spirit.
3. Pappy Van Winkle 23yr. Old Bourbon- 17 Points. The color on this bourbon was medium with an amber hue. There was a more intense burn on the nose with some vanilla coming through on the second impression. There wasn’t much more on the front of this offering. First sip yielded baking spice, wood and coconut. Midway gave a lot of earthiness along with baking spices and some more vanilla and caramel. There was a lot of heat present and the finish took on a long earthy and spicy character. This bourbon came on with intense spice, heat and wood no doubt due to its aging however we did not feel the extended time benefited it.
The lineup and copious note taking
So after a long hard afternoon which trickled into evening we concluded our findings. Having drunk these bourbons for years I wasn’t surprised to see the 20 yr. old the best in taste, flavor and finish as it has always been my personal favorite. We were all surprised to find that the 23yr. old scored the lowest in our tasting. This wasn’t a bad bourbon at all in fact it is of extremely high quality. The additional aging however seemed to overpower some flavors which seemingly hurt its scoring. What makes blind tastings so interesting is that you remove your preconceived notions and are forced to focus on the sight, smell and taste of the product alone. I would recommend getting some friends together and try a blind tasting. It can be done with any spirit and you may be surprised at what you THINK you like. I’m sure you won’t have any trouble finding friends to lend a hand in this endeavor,I sure didn’t.
On Thursday, February 27th, over 100 New York City cigar and whisky enthusiasts attended FineTobaccoNYC’s third “Smoker Social” at Merchants NY Cigar Bar. The event featured premium whiskey from Jack Daniel’s, including Jack Daniel’s Gentleman Jack and Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel. Guests also enjoyed the Hispaniola El Trabuco 1844 and the Tres Carabelas.
Starting at 7pm, the event ran well into the evening. Jack Daniel’s and Hispaniola were accompanied by TJ Kowalchuck’s solo performance of classic jazz and blues music.
Merchants NY Cigar bar, the venue for the event, offered guests access to their luxurious lounge area with full bar and food service, a level of luxury only three other venues in all of New York City can boast.
Previous FineTobaccoNYC events have featured premium spirits selections from Johnnie Walker, Brugal, Zacapa, Bulleit, Glenfiddich, and cigar companies including Espinosa, Moya Ruiz, Alec Bradley, Reinado, Hispaniola, La Hoja, and many more. Sign up for our mailing list below to hear about future events.
On Wednesday, September 18th, FineTobaccoNYC and the Carnegie Club teamed up to present another edition of Straight Up & Toasted. The event featured cigars from Espinosa Cigars and Moya Ruiz Cigars, as well as a special selection of bourbon and rye from Bulleit Whiskey Co.
The evening event, open to the public, started at 8:00pm. Around the same time, the Stan Rubin Quartet livened up the atmosphere with a selection of new and old jazz numbers. Approximately 150 attended the event and enjoyed cigars, whiskey, live music, and special item raffles throughout the evening.
Guests also shared the event with friends online via social media using the hashtag #CarnegieClub. Below is a selection of social media stories generated during the event.
