I finally got around to smoking my most recent cigar: the Monte Cristo White Toro. When I was looking for a good summer smoke, the Monte Cristo was recommended to me by the smokemaster at one of my local humidors. I had tried the Arturo Fuente Claro and enjoyed it very much, and being such a cigar noob, I asked for something similar. I thoroughly enjoyed it. The taste was surprisingly light, yet full-bodied taste, but mild enough to be enjoyed on the hotter (and muggy) days of summer. This particular cigar has a good spice to it as well - spice with a little kick to it. It's really, really enjoyable, and good for a nice, long, relaxing smoke. Highly recommended.

Now on to my second quick review: St. Peter's Cream Stout.

This little gem was absolutely delicious! I felt like I was actually in a little dark English pub drinking it. It does have a good kick, so I wouldn't recommend driving afterwards, but it was really tasty. It was probably the darkest brew I've had next to a Guinness, and it was very rich and robust. It had a nice little slide-off at the end - a nice smooth finish - that made it all the better. I highly recommend it.

Color(Light -> Dark, 1-10): 9

Texture(thin -> thick, 1-10): 7

Taste(light/mild -> dark/rich, 1-10): 9

Flavor(sweet -> bitter, 1-10): 8

Charlie

I've been thinking that I need to have some sort of rating scale for taste, color, texture, etc., and while I work on coming up with a good way to present that, I'll just use a basic point system. 

Franziskaner Dunkel

Color(light -> dark, 1-10): 7

Texture(thin -> thick, 1-10): 4

Taste(light/mild -> dark/rich, 1-10): 5

Flavor(sweet -> bitter, 1-10): 6

There you have it. Franziskaner is a good beer worth trying, but because it's so in between the light and dark flavors and textures - it really has a little of both - it's hard to say just where it fits in best.

Charlie

For the beer, I started off with a Moose Drool at Old Chicago. I thought it was supposed to be on tap, but it ended up being from the bottle. In spite of dashed expectations, I still enjoyed it. As far as taste goes, it was one of the best I've had. As some might know, I am a huge fan of Newcastle, both on and off the tap, and it has always held a special place in my beer tastes. But I must say that the smooth richness of Newcastle is somewhat eclipsed by the Moose Drool, in spite of its name. For those who have not indulged in the high taste of Newcastle, allow me to spell it out in a few words: creamy, medium-dark ale, with strong undertones of almost nutty persuasion. The Moose Drool is similar, but rounder in the fact that it is all that Newcaslte is, just more. I would highly recommend it. Beer #2 this weekend was the dark-but-not Tucher dopplebock, which is perhaps the best medium-dark beer I've had, albeit the strongest in alcohol content (about 9%.) The Tucher looks almost like a Guinness, with a weight more like a dark Newcastle - but still creamy on the backend. Excellent choice for someone NOT driving after having one. I get pints for around $3 at my local liquor store. The third flavor is Samuel Smith's Nut Brown Ale. It was on sale in a pint bottle for $3.57 at our BD International Wine Center, and I must admit, it was another very good choice. Although it appears very dark, the taste, although markedly nutty at about mid-drink through the finish, also has the illusion of being dark tasting - but it really isn't that dark, compared to the venerable Guinness Extra Stout. Fairly smooth, good flavor, but a little more zingy than say a Sam Adams Cream Stout (an awesome dark beer.) This weekend was an exceptional one for my beer tastes. All the brews I had - Moose Drool, Tucher Dopplebock, and Samuel Smith's Nut Brown Ale, are all excellent beers and will definitely see time in my kitchen in the future.

Now on to the cigars...

I have not smoked a cigar for years, I would say at least 4-5, but wanting to get back in to it, I did some quick research and me and a friend decided on an Arturo Fuente 8-5-8 Flor Fina. Now my tastes not being honed as they will be after a few more cigars, I have to say that I quite enjoyed this one. Good flavor, smooth, neither sweet nor spicy, with a good finish, and never harsh. Toward the end I got some uneven burning, but that is to be expected with even the best cigars sometimes. It was a medium-bodied flavor with a good deal of taste for those who don't like the lighter Macanudos, but not so heavy as to be a cold-weather treat. All in all, without having much experience in the complexities of cigar taste, I would recommend it to anyone looking for a good summer smoke.

Coming next time...

Today I bought a Monte Cristo White Toro, which was recommended to me by a cigar expert at a local humidor. He showed me a number of mild summer-style cigars with lighter leaves and light-to-mild taste. I was told the MC has a bit of spice tagged on to it, so I opted for a little more flavor as I see no reason to waste good time and money on light cigars (or beer for that matter.) I'm hoping to induldge tonight, but other factors dictating my schedule more than my desire for a tasty cigar, we'll just have to see. I'll be back soon with the report, and hopefully some new brew info too.

Charlie

It seems that life never stays the same; some things are always changing. One of those dynamic circumstances in my life is my career and learning. I am currently transitioning from work in IT infrastructure to software engineering. I'm going to college with just shy of a year left, but still working as a systems admin. As things at work and school are accelerating, I am finding myself more in need of some challenging hobbies that allow me to exercise my mind while doing something enjoyable.

I decided to take up some hobbies that have always sparked my interest. As I get older I am realizing that if I don't make an effort do the things I've always secretly wanted to, I never will.

A few of those finer things I want to learn about are gourmet beers, wine, cigars, and espresso. I'm well on my way learning how to make my own espresso and am learning about what goes in to a well-crafted cup of coffee.

A friend and I are going this weekend to pick up some good beer and cigars. I've done a little research on decent $5-$10 cigars, but we'll just have to see.

On the beer and wine front, I'm becoming acclimated with several really tasty and full-bodied imported beers. There are quite a few domestic beers that have a decently complex flavor, but you just can't beat the average German dark brew. For wine, I'm still very much a novice. I am learning all the different types of wine, and after I'm comfortable with that, I'll learn some of the fermentation and aging techniques. 

That's my purpose in creating this blog - to provide a way to write down what I'm learning about my new hobbies, and to share that knowledge with others. I'm hoping that some of you aficionados will share your experiences with me, too.

Charlie