Our friends at La Hoja cigars announced recently via mailing list the launch of Havna Night at Papa Juan Cigar Co. There will be drinks, Hoja de Flores cigars, music, and generally great times for everyone who comes.
The event will be hosted every 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month – so if you miss the first edition, you can always make another. There will also be a Domino double 9 tournament at the event for those interested.
When asked what is my favorite cigar vitola, I usually answer with belicoso. Coming in at 5 ½ x 52-54 this vitola is the same length as a corona but thicker, very similar to a torpedo but without a pointy tip and technically a figurado.
La Duena means female owner and this cigar was blended in part by Janny Garcia daughter of Cigar superstar Don Pepin in conjunction with Pete Johnson (Tatuaje Cigars). For her cigar blending debut Janny chose an interesting marriage of Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper and Connecticut and Nicaraguan Binder and filler. Her brother Jaime Garcia handles production and in like fashion, La Duena joins the My Father family of cigars.
Blend Specifics
Size: 5.5 x 54
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Appearance & Construction
Satin matte wrapper leaf with long blotchy discolorations. Some visible veins and very toothy. Not a pretty stick. Simple white and red no frills band gives little information. Pretty straight forward
I use a straight cut, and the pre-light test has a perfect draw which tastes peppery at the tip of the tongue. Rich Nicaraguan tobacco aroma at the foot of the cigar.
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Flavor & Smoke Characteristics
This cigar opens with dry cedar taste at the first draw, earthy,musty, sulfur and it progressively gets spicier. Chili Pepper sneaks in and overtakes the palate. At about halfway, flavors are settling with a medium body, rich woody retrohale. I can tell this cigar has a white and razor sharp burn, with ash falling right on the second third mark
By the second third all the flavors come together in harmony. It balances very well with a buttery texture and every taste mentioned in the first still dancing around beautifully. The body becomes richer, with flavor and strength lingering around medium and full for a long finish.
In the final third, the sulfur flavor picks up. Although its not a flavor I enjoy, my cigar burns excellent, which is a sign of good tobacco and great construction. Pepper taste still hanging around but be careful not to pull too hard or the pesky sulfur reveals itself.
Conclusion
Janny’s efforts did not go unnoticed in her debut as a blender even if she did get a little help from Pete Johnson. This cigar is complex with flavors that work together in a package to deliver a tasty treat. My favorite is the second half by far where the flavors mend and flow well. I hope this cigar will be a stepping stone for Janny Garcia and I expect many good things to come in the future from her especially having the bloodline for producing some excellent sticks. Cheers to the future!
I came across Vizcaya VXOP Cuban Rum Formula Cask No. 2a1 about a year ago. After finding a bottle in New York and trying a dram, I wanted more details about the rum. Vizcaya provides an excellent description on their website:
Made in the Dominican Republic, Vizcaya VXOP starts with sugar cane harvested at the peak of freshness, then quickly pressed to collect its fragrant juice. The juice is fermented and distilled in small batches, before being aged in selected oak barrels that formerly held bourbon. This process, known as methode agricole is the unique distilling method that infuses Vizcaya VXOP rum with its exquisite bouquet, smoothness, and delicately refined taste.”
The rum sounds appetizing from the description. Now time to see if this rum’s can stand up to its high reputation.
Bronze. When swirled around the glass the rum develops legs before slowly rescinding back down.
Nose
There is vanilla and caramel concluding with a faint hint of spice.
Palette
The palette follows the nose closely. Upon making contact with the palette, the rum opens with vanilla, caramel, and butterscotch before proceeding to an intricate floral note. There are hints of bourbon and woodiness from aging the rum in bourbon barrels adding complexity. The rum finishes with a light spice that complements the prior delicate flavors.
Finish
Smooth and velvety. There is no burn.
Cigar Pairings
I would recommend the Chateau Fuente, Guillermo Leon, and Zino Platinum for pairing with Vizcaya VXOP.
Conclusion
The award given to Vazcaya VXOP, best in show and double gold, display the craftsmanship that went into creating this exquisite rum. If you enjoy rum then I suggest you track down this rum.
Did you see the trainwreck? About a week ago, the management of Maker’s Mark announced to liquor store owners that they would be watering down the original Maker’s Mark recipe to keep up with rising demand (presumably in emerging economies like China). The new mixture, said management, would taste virtually the same but have an alcohol content of about 3% less.
In other words, the company would sacrifice quality and tradition for a few extra bucks.
As anyone who read the announcement would guess – fans went bat-shit crazy on Twitter, Facebook, and email. Maker’s Mark responded the way any sane company would and promptly apologized on Sunday via Facebook, with COO Rob Samuels saying “You spoke. We listened. And we’re sincerely sorry we let you down.” Fans were appeased, but Maker’s damaged their brand.
The thing I can’t seem to understand is, how did these guys not see the backlash coming? I spoke with the owner of Downtown Cellars on Liberty St. in Manhattan’s Financial District, and he said that he couldn’t care less if the alcohol content was dropped slightly as long as taste remained the same. What most everyone would acknowledge though is that perception often creates reality, and when Maker’s Mark fans felt the product that they recommend to friends was being diluted, they revolted. This is especially true in the luxury goods industry, where consumers don’t pay for ingredients, they pay for status.
I think the main point here is, if you in company management and you decide to change your core competency, in this case, the recipe that makes you world famous – think again. When firms like Instagram announce that they’ll sell user photos, they should have thought again – and their users forced them to.
The management at Maker’s could have saved themselves and their fans a lot of heartache if they had tested their announcement beforehand using surveys and focus groups. If they had done this, they might have seen it coming.
After the forecasting of Hurricane Sandy to hit the east coast, I stocked up on necessary supplies as well as dark spiced rum to wear out the storm. I picked up a bottle of Kraken Black Spiced Rum. The Kraken is a black molasses based rum infused with various spices. This rum is able is priced around $20.
Product Specifics
Producer: Kraken
Country: Trinidad
Type: Spice Rum
Website: www.krakenrum.com
ABV: 94 Proof (47%)
Bottle: 750 mL
Appearance
The bottle is interesting with a white background with a black squid reaching its tentacles up to bring down a ship on the ocean. The rum is a dark mahogany that is almost black. Very little light makes it through the rum.
Nose
The initial whiff is alcohol but clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, maple, and molasses begin to open up.
Palette
Medium body with kitchen spices from the nose in addition to dried fruit.
Finish
The ending is smooth with molasses.
Cigar Pairing
This rum would pair nicely with a medium to full-bodied cigar with a maduro or habano wrapper that is Nicaraguan. I would recommend a Camacho Triple Maduro, Rocky Patel Decade and 15th Anniversary, and Illusione f9.
Conclusion
Kraken Spiced Rum is a welcome addition to the spiced rum market. This rum is a great value that is versatile. I found this rum worked well neat, on the rocks, but was particularly a great mixer. I found it worked well in coke and made an excellent Dark N Stormy.
