Now I love pairing cigars with port, scotch, aged rum, and some beer styles – but I rarely have paired them with bourbon.  No reason in particular, I just haven’t.  Well I tried this tonight with a Davidoff Colorado Claro and woo! what a pair!  The woodiness of both the cigar and bourbon paired perfectly.  Also towards the end of the cigar, the cocoa and anise flavors were really intensified by the bourbon.

Here’s the tasting info provided with my sample:

Four Roses Single Barrel (100 proof)

A premium Single Barrel Bourbon with a taste that begs to be savored again and again. Its taste is complex, full bodied and surprisingly smooth with a delicate long finish that is unbelievably mellow. Contains hints of ripe plum and cherry tastes with fruity, spicy aromas including maple syrup and cocoa. Drink straight up or on the rocks.

Nose: Fruity, spicy, floral, cocoa, maple syrup, moderately woody. Palate: Hints of ripe plum & cherries, robust, full body, mellow. Finish: Smooth & delicately long. Size: 750ml

SRP: $35.99- $39.99

Thanks again for the sample, guys!

Please be our guest…The 2011 Pork n Puff is set!!! Saturday September 10^th we will be hosting Pete Johnson of Tatuaje Cigars for our yearly pig blowout. There is no greater celebrity in the cigar industry than Pete and we are extremely lucky to have him. This year we will be roasting 2 pigs since we are expecting a very large crowd. Both Walt and Rich will be crafting beer for the occasion, so get ready to party.

Sincerely,

Hal Rubin

More information will be out soon and I will update this as we learn of the time.

As is the tradition at the Pork n Puff, all box purchases will earn you a ticket into the drawing for a 42″ flat screen TV, an IPad 2 and my 2000 Millennium Opus X Humidor ($5,000 value). Pete is sure to bring lots of cool swag as well as some great smokes you can only get at his events.

Join us afterwards! – Following the Pork n Puff pig roasting, we will be having an after party with our new friend and partner at Amra’s downtown. For those of you who haven’t been there, you’re in for a treat. Dave Mellin is a great guy and really knows how to host a party.

Lots more details will follow (time, deals, etc) but I wanted to give you lots of advance notice so you can save the date.

Save the Date
September 10, 2011
Time – Noon – 5pm

After Party at Amras

5-Until

Viaje C-4

More after the jump…

It is nice and leathery, with a little pepper on the tongue.  As it heats up there are a few off notes, but they fade, giving way to more leather and some coffee notes.

Overall I enjoyed it, as it had some great flavors, but it may need some time to come around.

Rating: 83 (B)

Viaje C-4: closed foot

Rating: 90 (A-)

AVO “85^th” Anniversary Edition Cigar 2011

Pinellas Park, FL, March 14, 2011 – Cigar luminary Avo Uvezian is celebrating his 85^th birthday with the release of his Limited Edition Anniversary Cigar, the “85^th”. The “85^th” marks the tenth annual limited edition release from AVO Cigars, a tradition the legendary cigar composer started to commemorate since his 75^th birthday.

The “85^th Anniversary” presents itself in a majestic and charming cigar format – a noble “Diademas” – and is limited to 100,000 cigars worldwide with 60,000 cigars for the US market.

The sophisticated black, silky-matte-lacquered box with the impressive golden print of the “Avo 85^th Anniversary” logo underlines the gracefulness and the non-interchangeable note and denomination of this cigar.

The well-balanced combination of the San Vicente and Piloto tobaccos enfolded by a Peruvian binder and perfected with a special Sun grown Dominican wrapper as well as the gorgeous Diademas format make it an outstanding cigar. The “Avo 85^th Anniversary” is of medium strength, offers complex aromas and is an extraordinary smoking experience. A cigar no aficionado should miss!!

The AVO 85^th Anniversary will be launched on March 21^st, at Select Merchants only, with a retail price of $17.50 – taxes not included.

To launch the AVO 85^th Anniversary Cigar, a series of unforgettable intimate evenings will be held where guests will enjoy fine food and wine as well as having the opportunity to be among the first to sample and purchase the AVO 85^th Anniversary Edition cigar.

Seating at each dinner is very limited, and the AVO Select Merchants expect to sell out within days of the event announcement.

I for one cannot wait for this to come out!

Being that the Hemingway line is more full bodied than the regular line, I was concerned that the Rosado flavors would be obscured in a bolder blend.  In some ways I was right.  This cigar did not taste like the 858 Rosados.  It did not have the creamy leather, wood and cinnamon notes I love about the 858, but it was still good – just in a different way.  It was much spicier and had some clove and pepper notes that built throughout the smoke.  There was some roughness around the edges with this cigar, but I really enjoyed it.

Rating: 89 (B+)

La Flor Dominicana Air Bender - 2010 Zen Cigar of the Year

Zen Limited Edition Cigar of the Year:

This also required deliberation, but the winner came to me much more quickly.  It was the cigar that offered the most unique tasting experience..

EP Carillo Short Run – 2010 Limited Edition Cigar of the Year

Congrats!  I look forward to 2011!

Zen Cigar of the Year

Aurora 107 – a nice new offering from the oldest factory in the DR, great price point too.

La Flor Dominicana Air Bender – another wonderful full-flavored smoke from Litto Gomez.

AVO Heritage – the strongest AVO to date!  Very good and flavorful!

El Triunfador – it feels like this line has been out longer than 2010, but this is Pete’s smoothest and most refined cigar to date.

EP Carillo Core Line - Ernesto is back in form with his Core Line offering.

Zen Limited Edition Cigar of the Year – where small batches rule!

La Gloria Cubana Artesanos de Obelisco – a true pyramid shape, this cigar from General is actually really good.

EP Carillo Short Run – Ernesto at his best – with a hint of Kelner to the cigar.

Illusione Singulare 2010 – a cigar that gets better each time I smoke it.

Viaje Holiday Blend 2010 – Andre does a lot of LEs, but this is by far his best this year.

Griffin’s XXVI – after some duds, the Griffin’s LE is back!

So who’s it gonna be?  Is the suspense killing you??  Well, you won’t have to wait long.  I’ll reveal the results by the end of the week.  Oh, and no poll this year, but feel free to leave me your opinions and thoughts in the comment section.  Thanks!