February 12th, 2018
For the experienced premium cigar smoker (as well as anyone just discovering the enjoyment of hand-rolled tobacco), figuring out what to drink while relaxing with a good smoke is important.
Pairing a cigar with a beer is initially a fairly easy thing. Lighter bodied cigars are best accompanied by lighter bodied beers, and so on through the flavor intensity spectrum. But craft brewers have pushed the envelope to create very different and, in some cases, truly astounding beers and ales. Not to be outdone, cigar manufacturers are constantly modifying their blends to create different profiles within their cigar lines. Getting a truly outstanding pairing can therefore represent a bit of a gamble. Still, it’s very rewarding when you find the perfect pairing.
]]>January 30th, 2017
This edition of A Rich Pour focuses on a dry red wine with a rather long title – Domaine Lafage Cuvée Nicolas Grenache Noir Vieilles Vignes, Côtes Catalanes 2014. Fortunately for the consumer, the wine is as substantial a mouthful as its name.
The Cuvée Nicolas is pure Grenache Noir, and comes from the Aspres region of southeastern France, located approximately halfway between Grenoble and Marseille. The vineyards lie in poor soil at some four hundred meters of altitude, and are surrounded by scrubland.
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October 24th, 2016
This edition of A Rich Pour marks something of a departure from the usual format, as I’m profiling just a single wine rather than a selection of spirits, wines or a region.
After decades of purchasing, cellaring and writing about wines, I’m not one to be seduced by attractive labels. This particular instance proved an exception. For one, the front label had an elegant simplicity about it that seemed to whisper, “Quality.” Secondly, the Rioja certification sticker on the back of the bottle stipulated the lowest regional Denominación de Origen Calificada classification – no Crianza, Reserva or Gran Reserva to be seen here – and this despite some words from the winery to the effect that this red was a traditional blend, which had spent a year and a half in the cellar prior to release. Last but not least, I’d never before come across any products from this winery. Given the approximately CDN$20 cost of the bottle, I was intrigued, and took the plunge.
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The sun is shining, and any memories of the chill of winter are now distant ones. A sudden hankering for liquid coolness demands to be satisfied. What to reach for? There are countless choices – an Indian pale ale perhaps, a gin and tonic, a Mojito or Pina colada, a mint julep, a whisky and soda or a refreshing white wine. That last option sounds like a pretty good one. Let's explore it further.
White wines can, of course, be enjoyed throughout the year. But they really come into their own when the hours of daylight lengthen and the thirst factor escalates.
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For the northern-clime residents among us who are, as yet, dealing with snow and cold, the thought of food and wine of the warming sort is, well, a comforting one. And given the vagaries of El Niño this year, we’re not alone.
When it comes to winter wines, reds rule. I’m a big fan of the dry red wines from Spain, as I find they often offer tremendous quality at relatively modest cost. Garnacha and Graciano may not be the most widely planted red grape varieties in Spain, but they’ve certainly gained in stature of late – not the least because of the resurrection of old vineyards and the efforts of a few pioneering winegrowers.
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It has become a growing tradition that the as yet expanding craft beer industry will produce a selection of labels for the Christmas Holiday marketplace. The good news is there are options out there beyond the flood of IPAs choking the shelves these days. While some of these options represent little more than novelty packaging, there are many quality selections for beer lovers and those who enjoy various styles. Best of all, the types to be found serve as nice complements to a smoke.
Personally, I infrequently pair a decent beer with a cigar, because I find many craft brews lose their character and flavor against the tobacco. But winter in general – and Christmas in particular – manages to offer up numerous choices that actually hold up well. You begin to find heartier styles, spicier flavors and stronger content – all which means you can enjoy two worlds at once.
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Charleston Beer Week is a week-long beer extravaganza that’s held during the second week of September each year. Bars, restaurants and local breweries in the Greater Charleston Metropolitan Area host events like tap takeovers, haunted pub crawls, food and beer pairing seminars, and even pig pick-ins and haunted pub crawls. There are several events scattered about town each night, making it easy to for everyone to find something to try. I’ve been to one or two of the individual events before. But this year, I decided to try and take better advantage of what Charleston and Beer Week have to offer.
Join Cigar Weekly's Brad Slager (MartiniShark) as he delves into the world of milk stouts, and offers a few tasty recommendations for beer aficionados.
While not necessarily elitist, drinkers of Guinness can still be a passionate lot. I have encountered many who swear by their choice. At times, they adhere to the dark rich malt elixir with a rock-ribbed devotion, touting its benefits over many other beers even as they declare that some people cannot handle the heft, the taste or the strength of Guinness. The only problem? Better, more potent and flavorful choices abound in the side category with 'cows on the label'.
From my samplings of Guinness, I've always felt this legendary beer was actually wan in flavor, mostly chalky and surprisingly lightweight. In fact, I have found many porters that offer up more complex profiles. But for overall pleasure from a full bodied brew, I always trend towards the sub-group known as milk stout. While Guiness makes promises, milk stout delivers.
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This time of year provides no shortage of celebrations and traditions. If you are the sort who savors quality craft beers as much as you cherish tobacco rolls, then there is another ritual you should plan to add to your next holiday lineup. Once a year, Goose Island Brewery releases very limited batches of coveted Bourbon cask aged stouts. These beers are the kind of bottled bliss you need to seek out as a holiday gift – to yourself.
Follow Cigar Weekly Managing Editor Doug Kuebler (jazznut) on a ‘bottle by bottle’ journey through Spain’s Rioja wine region.
Spain, which boasts the greatest total area planted to grapevines of any nation on earth (though not the largest production of wine), is truly a happening place for any wine aficionado. Bierzo, Calatayud, Jumilla, Priorat, Rías Baixas, Ribero del Duero, Somontano, Toro, Yecla (to name but a few) – the list of officially demarcated Spanish winegrowing regions seems to lengthen almost day by day. Yet, when it comes to quality table wine, a single historic province continues to capture the attention of consumers, both in Spain and abroad – Rioja.
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