I’m a sucker for the nobly grandiose, so when you hand a me cigar I’ve never heard of that sports a vibrant label with aristocratic calligraphy and golden edges, you can rest assured that I’ll be happy to give it a shot. Gran Habano is the brain child of third-generation tobacconist Guillermo Rico. The idea behind this Honduras-based company is to offer quality cigars made the old fashioned way at an affordable price.
It’s a noble venture, and I look forward to seeing how the cigars hold up to the mission!
Product Specifics
Cigar Reviewed: Gran Habano Corojo #5 Habano Robusto
Vitola: Robusto
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Corojo
Binder: Nicaraguan Habano
Filler: Nicaraguan/Costa Rican Habano Long Filler
Length: 6 Inches
Ring Gauge: 54
Aesthetics Construction, & Feel
This Gran Habano Corojo #5 could be in better shape. Part of the veiny and rugged wrapper that was chipped off in the midsection somewhere along the way, and the body is packed quite tightly, almost to the point of being downright brittle. On the bright side, however, the cap is in perfect condition: no openings, no unraveling, just an excellent garnish with the seams perfectly sealed and stacked on top of each other like the rings of a tree trunk. The foot sports a cold odor of faint pepper, as does the wrapper.
Flavor & Smoke Characteristics
First Third
Despite the extra tightness of the body, the draw is borderline perfect, although this might have something to do with the whole in the midsection of the wrapper, which takes a lot of air out of the body and accordingly obscures the flavor. The flavor itself (when I can taste it) is a pleasant, though slightly immature, with a sourdough bread note in the foreground and some salt in the background. The retrohale initially has no flavor whatsoever. The smoke clouds, though are just the way I like ’em; thick and aromatic. The burn is also quite even, which mediates the wrapper dilemma.
Second Third
Things thankfully start to pick up as the wrapper hole in the midsection of the body is slowly eaten up by the burn, which is still even at this point. The flavor profile begins to change and expand as the foreground’s flavor gets incrementally more woody and musky as the second third progresses. The background of the flavor still has its salt, but it is eventually joined by the pepper that was hinted at in the cold odors before lighting up. The draw remains surprisingly smooth, even after the wrapper hole is eaten up.
Point of Convergence
The foreground once again morphs, with the musky wood in the foreground being joined by a pleasant meaty essence. The background salt and pepper provide a perfect supplement to this combination in the foreground. The retrohale begins to get some flavor as well, receiving some of the pepper that came into the background. The two eventually merge, but before they do, the wood becomes bitter, and the draw begins to singe the tongue as the nub is approached. When they do eventually merge, however, the singed tongue is ultimately worth it for the sultry flavor combination.
Conclusion
Not unlike the Archetype Initiation I reviewed some time ago, this cigar has great potential, but it’s got a bit of a ways to go. The craftsmanship is there, without a doubt. That pesky hole in the wrapper was the only real flaw in an otherwise flawless design; probably the result of bad handling before it found its way to me. The #5 has a robust flavor profile, there just isn’t enough of it. The Grand Habano Corojo is not by my favorite thing by a long shot, and not something I’d recommend. However, if Mr. Rico keeps at it, then in a few years, I’m entirely confident that he’ll have me eating my words.
Up for review today is McCarthy’s Oregon Single Malt Whiskey. It’s a pot distilled single malt whiskey that I’m proud to review seeing as this spirit hails from my home state, Oregon. Now, if you’re reading and aren’t well versed on the history of whiskey, America isn’t known for making great single malts. That reputation has traditionally been ascribed to Scotland and more recently to Japan. But the whiskey up for review today is proof that enterprising and innovative American distilleries like Clear Creek (owned by Hood River Distillers) are finally producing product that can stand toe to toe with Scotland’s great distilleries.
Distiller: Clear Creek Distillery / Hood River Distillers
Mashbill: imported peated Scottish barley
ABV: 42.5% (85 proof)
Age: 3 years
Aged in: “air dried” Oregon Oak
Appearance
McCarthy’s Oregon Single Malt comes in a bottle that brings up a lot of nostalgia for me. The design of the label is in line with other great local brands (McMenamin’s comes to mind), and the center of the label features a quaint illustration of Multnomah Falls, a hike I made many times growing up.
In the glass, the liquid is a light, honeyed gold.
Nose
Quite light. Aromas wafting up from the glass include a unique Oak note, moss, and a faint charcoal barbecue-like scent. What’s interesting to me about this whiskey is that though you can smell the peat from a few feet, it’s not nearly as aggressive off of the glass.
Palate
Just marvelous. Not too aggressive on entry though the whiskey does betray its age a bit. Flavors kick off with moderate peatiness, malt and round oakiness (presumably the Oregon oak influence). It doesn’t stop there, offering additional flavors of apples, pine, and, if you can bring yourself just to imagine it, the inside of an old wooden cabin in the heart of the Cascades.
Ok that last one might be a stretch. Point being: it’s good.
Finish
Sweet, long, and a bit astringent. You’ll want to have a glass of water on hand if you’re going to be drinking much of this whiskey.
Conclusion
McCarthy’s Oregon Single Malt is a classic American single malt, and I’m not just saying that because I’m a native Oregonian. It absolutely refuses to behave as young as it is, sipping like a much older whiskey. It delivers abundant and nuanced flavors that engage the palate and ignite the imagination: exactly what a whiskey should do.
Up for review today is a limited edition blend from Don Pepin Garcia, the Don Pepin Garcia 15th Anniversary toro. This cigar is one of many limited edition cigars released by the company over the last few years. The LE 2018 cigar commemorates the opening of Garcia’s factory in Miami, and comes at a price of $20 for the robusto and $24 for the toro. Certainly not cheap cigars, with the price reflected in the 3-year aging of the cigar’s tobaccos and the impressive unboxing experience that comes with each cigar being sold in individual coffins.
Product Specifics
Cigar Reviewed: Don Pepin Garcia 15th Anniversary Limited Edition Toro
Wrapper: Nicaragua (Habano)
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Size: Toro (6 1/2 x 52)
Appearance & Construction
The Habano leaf on the Don Pepin Garcia 15th Anniversary toro is a rich, marbled brown, with no major veins or cracks. It has very little texture, but quite a lot of oil covering it. The branding is, as you can see, pretty spectacular. The cigar comes in individual coffins and sports one large, gold, red, and blue band. If the goal was for the cigar to look celebratory (and it undoubtedly was), then the team got it right.
Taking a whiff off the foot, I pick up notes of dry cedar and coffee beans. The pre light draw is extremely flavorful, with lots of fine ground white pepper, sweet granola, and earth.
Flavor and Smoke Characteristics
The Don Pepin Garcia 15th Anniversary Limited Edition opens with a refined and moderately toasty medium bodied flavor profile. The cigar produces ample smoke, with primary notes of dark chocolate, almonds, dry cedar, floral, and a creamy finish. There’s also a lot of white pepper on the palate and on the retrohale. By the end of the first third, I’m really enjoying the cigar. Strength-wise, it’s definitely well below what I had assumed would be a full bodied knock em/sock em profile.
As the cigar progresses to the end of the first third, the burn becomes a bit wavy, with a mostly white ash. Strength and body drop down a touch to the bottom reaches of medium bodied.
In the second third, like clockwork, the strength ramps up a bit, and the profile shifts markedly. The dry cedar note shifts to a softer, more concentrated oak. Alongside that is a dark, fruity note kind of like cherry. Construction remains great, and smoke production increases as well, making for an enjoyable smoking experience.
As the cigar burns through the final third, body and strength increase to full. Unfortunately, the flavor profile doesn’t maintain balance, particularly the spice and pepper notes which are overwhelming. A few minutes later in the final inch, the smoke heats up quite a bit, providing a good opportunity to set the cigar down.
Conclusion
The Don Pepin Garcia 15th Anniversary Limited Edition Toro is a good limited edition cigar to pursue, particularly if you are a fan of Don Pepin blends. For most of the smoking experience, it performs with finesse and complexity, but can’t seem to maintain consistent balance. The final third left much to be desired in this respect.
For that reason, though I can recommend purchasing this cigar as a piece of cigar history, this blend doesn’t capture a stellar rating.
I’ll start off here by saying that interviews aren’t a common thing here at Fine Tobacco NYC. Generally they’re a bit tedious to put together and I’ve often found reading interviews that they can at times be extremely long without saying much of value.
In the case of Gene Kizhnerman from Taste the Dram, though, the interview makes a bit more sense because he is knowledgeable both about spirits but also about the business of owning and maintaining a blog (and a blog that I regularly read). So for those readers here who have considered starting a blog or some kind of review site but haven’t gotten around to it, this interview could give you some insight into what it takes to run a blog, particularly in the spirits space.
All that out of the way, let’s get on to the interview.
Alright Gene, I’m going to do my best to avoid completely generic interview questions, but we’ll see how goes. Let’s get the complete basics out of the way. Where are you from, and what is Taste the Dram?
I am originally from Moscow, Russia and I came to the United States as an immigrant refugee when the USSR fell apart with my family back in the early 1990’s. Lived in New York ever since. Taste the dram was something that I started a few years ago when I first fell in love with my girlfriend Rebecca. Before Rebecca I had a major hatred for anything whisky related. From nightclubs to shots of Jameson and Johnny Black, I had no idea what good whisky was all about. I had this notion that you just shoot it fast and hold your breath. Long story short, I met Rebecca and on our first date we spoke about her love for whisky. Particularly the Balvenie 21. Now as I stated before I thought I hated anything whisky related, but here I was, trying to impress this girl. Our second date I took her to the Flatiron Room (this was the place known for whisky). At this point it was still very difficult to enjoy this spirit. It was harsh and spicy and just too much for me to handle.
On our third date, a friend recommended we check out a local bar restaurant in our area called Wheated. I think this is where Taste the dram was officially born. We met the owner of the bar and he was very knowledgeable about the spirits. He recommended I start off with a lighter approachable Japanese Whisky, the Yamazaki 12. At first sip, I thought to myself, wow yea, I could enjoy this. Then something crazy happened. An ambassador for Laphroaig and Beam Suntory walked into the bar and happened to be good friends with the owner. Out of nowhere he heard my story of being new to whisky, and bought us a round of the Bowmore 25 and the Auchentoshan 21. When I tried these spirits, I was blown away by the complex flavors and the robust profiles of the whisky. You can say I was hooked from the first sip.
Taste the dram is an online digital magazine that features spirit reviews, interviews, and spirits related lifestyle.
Why did you start Taste the Dram?
So Taste the Dram started more as a hobby. I started an Instagram and started posting the whisky I was tasting at Wheated and other whisky related establishments. From there a few months later, I began my website Tastethedram.com. I thought people would appreciate the reviews of whisky I was putting together, and make their ordering whisky at the venues more approachable. I wanted there to be a real website with real reviews. A lot of these blogs have whisky reviews but they post photos they find from online websites. So there was no real way to tell if they truly tasted the bottle they are reviewing or just making stuff up.
From there it kind of took a life of its own. I began to reach out to distilleries and venues and other spirits eventually. And I noticed people really reacted positively to the stories we were offering. So we just kind of kept it going.
As someone who writes my own blog, I know it can take a lot of work to keep content rolling. It gets even harder when holidays roll around or life stuff comes up. What keeps you writing and producing content day after day?
I have turned this into my passion and something I truly enjoy. Also I get a lot of great feedback from my readers and followers and I know I cannot disappoint them. I try to keep the content fresh and not repetitive. There is a lot of work that goes into the articles we write. Usually we have to meet with the companies or persons we are interviewing. We prepare a detailed list of questions that pertain to their business. We then record the entire conversation, which sometimes consists of hours of work. Then we manually retype the recording, edit, add photos and post. Sometimes one interview from conception to execution can take 5-7 days. It’s a time consuming process. But it’s well worth it.
I’ve had a few readers write in and ask how they can get started with their own blog. What would some of your tips and recommendations be for someone looking to convert their passion for whisky into a blog?
I would say do it because you want to and not because you’re expecting to get money from ads or get free things out of it. Sure over the last year, we have been invited to attend and do coverage of many events at no cost to us and we have been sent free bottles. But let me tell you, it takes a lot of manual effort on our end, which pays for itself.
Content is key. You have to figure out how you will stand out from all the other blogs. Everyone has a niche. For me personally I try not to compete with the other whisky blogs out there. I simply cannot. I do not have the resources or the man power. I am a one person show. That is why I try to bring the content that I feel is both engaging and interesting and I will not have much competition from other blogs.
Lastly you really have to enjoy to write. As you know Matthias SEO is big in getting more and more readers to your site. And writing 2-5 sentences and keeping it brief will not build you any engagement. Also consider you will be paying for the domain, monthly hosting and other expenses. You almost have to enjoy writing as much as you enjoy breathing to have any type of success in this industry.
Let’s switch gears a bit. In the course of your work, you’ve met a lot of people in the whiskey industry, from established brands like Macallan to smaller boutique whiskey companies. Given what you’ve seen, what would you say the ingredients (or mashbill in this case) for a successful whisky company is in 2018?
Great question Matthias. There are probably over 2000 craft whisky distilleries in the United States alone. Even more globally. Then you have the big brands like Balvenie, Macallan, Lagavulin to name a few. Then the international market has made a huge push into the whisky market with spirits such as Yamazaki hailing from Japan, Kavalan from Taiwan even Paul John or Amrut from India. To be a successful whisky company in 2018, I think you need to have the following formula.
Create a quality product. This means that if you are a craft distillery don’t just start pushing out 6 month or 1 year bourbon or rye for instance. It’s going to be very hard for you to compete with shelf space with some of the bigger well known players such as Michters or Elijah Craig. Also, don’t just go into the business thinking you will be a millionaire. We have interviewed so many small craft distilleries, and most have done their homework and worked for another distillery and learned the craft. They sit on their products without seeing a profit because they want to release a 3-4 year aged product instead of white dog whisky.
Don’t try to expand too quickly. Make sure you are well known in your area where the whisky is made. If you make whiskey in NJ, don’t go for distribution in California. Make sure you’re the top distillery in NJ and NY and other surrounding states.
Do not try to be like everyone else. IF you do, you will fail before you even get started. Be different.
Social Media is huge! Social media allows whisky companies to reach a major demographic of potential buyers of their whisky. Build your social media presence and find the right platform that gets you the most visibility.
Build relationships, go to events, make your product visible and known. Also do not price gauge to make a profit initially that will turn the customers off in the long run.
There’s a reason some of the big companies like Macallan are the brand everyone knows about. Macallan does not spend money on marketing or billboards. When you make quality products at an affordable price, people will take notice.
Ok let’s talk favorites. What is your favorite core line single malt, and what is your favorite hard-to-find whisky that you’ve had so far?
Oh man so many here for me. Favorite core line single malt is the Glenfarclas 17. At $99 retail this 17 year old is a true sherry bomb. I personally love anything finished in Oloroso Sherry cask. I feel it brings those inviting notes of toffee, dark chocolate and honey. Another great one in that price range is the Aberlour A’bunadh. Cask Strength sherry bomb, just cannot go wrong.
I’ve been fortunate to have had a lot of hard to find whisky, but I would say the once that stand out is the Rosebank 21 year old, Scotch Malt Whisky Society 71.42 Sinbad Preparing for a Journey – this whisky tastes and smells like salted popcorn. Lagavulin 1985 – 21 year old single malt bottled at cask strength was phenomenal.
What is one post on your website my readers should drop everything to read, and what is it about?
We’ve had so many over the years that it’s pretty hard to choose just one. But if I had to I would say check out the interview we did of a whisky influencer on instagram Nate Woodruff aka @Whiskywithaview.
Nate is one of those guys, former brand ambassador that is just a breath of fresh air. People see these instagram influencers as just someone who gets free things from whisky brands. But no one sees the hustle or the sacrifice it takes on the backend. I think Nate is a great example of what it takes to be a whisky influencer, and just a general whisky lover.
I have a lot of respect for anyone who can curate a beautiful Instagram or Twitter account in the whisky world. It absolutely takes a lot of time, hard work, and attention to detail.
What’s the most surprising or even shocking thing you’ve learned about whisky, or the whisky industry, in the time that you’ve been writing?
Nothing really too shocking just my personal observations. There are some craft distilleries out there that just started out because they thought it would be cool to make whisky. They had no prior experience or knowledge of the process. Their whisky actually tastes pretty awful and expensive for what it is. I will not mention which distilleries I am speaking of in particular but there are quite a few.
The one thing that I’ve always had an issue with in the whisky industry was the lack of women. Women have a better sense of smell than men biologically and are some amazing bartenders, distillers, ambassadors even spirit distillery owners. I wish more people interviewed these powerful and upstanding women of the industry. We have interviewed a numerous amount of women in the past that have contributed to such a major growth of the whisky industry as a whole, and we will continue to support them. Some of the best most outspoken and knowledgeable whisky ambassadors are women, to name a few Jordan Zimmerman (@jzimmerman_tx) formerly of Highland Park now works for Jura and Dalmore. Amanda Victoria (@ladyamandavictoria) from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society, Tracie Franklin (@glenfiddichtf) to name a few.
Thanks for taking the time to share your knowledge and experience, Gene. Where can people find you online and on social?
Thanks Matthias for doing this interview, I am really humbled by it. I am pretty active on instagram @Tastethedram and also my website Tastethedram.com has a lot of really interesting content. We have some impressive interviews coming your way soon. We have Interviews with Global Brand Ambassadors for Highland Park and Macallan, a few new craft distilleries, a few international whisky brands and local whisky/spirits restaurants around NYC, among many more in the near future.
In early May, we hosted an event featuring two limited edition cigars from La Instructora and Sans Pariel cigars alongside a flight tasting of rare rums from Diplomatico. The event and pairings were fantastic, and I was excited to take a few of these unreleased cigars and smoke and review them on my own time.
In particular, this limited edition La Instructora cigar is one that I have to review because, to be frank, I have been blown away each time I’ve smoked it. Unfortunately, I don’t have details on the tobaccos that comprise this cigar, but that isn’t stopping me from writing this review today.
So let’s get to it.
Product Specifics
Cigar Reviewed: La Instructora Limited Edition (2018)
Wrapper: undisclosed
Binder: undisclosed
Filler: undisclosed
Size: undisclosed (best guess, 6 x 54 toro)
Appearance and Construction
To say this cigar looks unusual would be a massive understatement. Let’s tally it up.
Weird, modern art inspired band: check
Barber pole outter wrapper: check
Closed foot: check
Double wrapped foot and cap: check
The outer wrapper has a noticeable outer oiliness, and innumerable seams where all of the different wrapper leaves come together. It seems constructed well enough, with just a slight amount of give when squeezed. The cold draw is moderately restrictive and full of finely ground pepper and spice, along with a bit of sweet earthiness.
Let’s light up.
Flavor and Smoke Characteristics
The La Instructora kicks off with a blast (and I mean blast) of extremely strong flavor, likely the result of the closed foot. The flavors are hard to pin down, but the ones I recognize are black pepper, molasses, dry cedar, burnt coffee, and a creamy finish. Hard as the flavors are to identify, it’s immediately clear that they harmonize well because damnit they’re delicious. Smoke production is slightly above average, but improves as the cigar burns.
About half an inch in, the ember is just clearing the double wrapped foot, and the profile takes a distinct turn. The flavor recedes from full to medium-full, and the profile shifts, with a dominant nuttiness, creamy cocoa, leather, with roasted nuts and pepper on the retrohale. Just absolutely delicious.
Off note, but what’s also interesting about this cigar as I smoke it is how it is so flavorful that each puff activates my salivary glands.
Heading into the second third, the smoke settles at just above medium in body and medium-full strength. That burnt coffee note has morphed into a smooth espresso, with other dark chocolate, black pepper, and minor leather notes.
The cigar stays roughly the same until halfway through the final third, where a new flavor emerges, a kind charred meat that pairs nicely with the sweeter, creamier notes. The retrohale meanwhile loses most of its spice and is replaced by a very fine charcoal flavor.
At around the last inch and a half, the strength picks up quite a bit to full, and the heat ramps up as well, providing a good (but not welcome) excuse to put the cigar down.
Conclusion
If I didn’t know anything about where this cigar came from, my first thought looking at would be “gimmick” because most barber-pole wrapped cigars I’ve smoked are muddled on the flavor side and largely unenjoyable. But this cigar is simply spectacular, and one I wish was in regular production. I’d easily pay north of $25 for the amount of flavor, complexity, and balance that this cigar consistently provides (I smoked three for this review).
Aaron Saide and La Instructora has proven twice now that they can produce cigars with a far above average amount of complexity and flavor.
You won’t find this cigar on shelves, but if you do, buy it.
