Sierra Nevada Hoptimum and La Aurora Preferidos #2 Maduro Cigar: Pairing

The Ale

Sierra Nevada Hoptimum

‘Whole-Cone Imperial IPA’

2012

10.4% abv

Appearance: rich amber

Nose: floral, grassy, sweet-bitter citrus

Flavors: tasty hops: floral, grass, citrus meat, and underlying sweet malts. 

Mouthfeel: low-fine carbonation, oily feel, little wool like on the finish, citrus bitter notes play on the palate for a long lingering session. 

My Strength Rating: 7

To the Point: a very tasty IPA, on the bitter side but, it does have some underlying sweet tones.  If you like IPA’s give this a try. 

The Cigar

La Aurora Preferidos #2 Maduro

Wrapper: Brazilian Maduro

Binder: Dominican

Fillers: Dominican, Cameroon, Brazil

Size: 5 x 54 Perfecto

My Strength Rating: 4 – mild-medium

Flavor Profile: light forest floor with a focus on dry leafs.  there is also a dry wheat toast and mild coffee.    

There is a firm and tight gray ash and the burn is good so far. 

The mouthfeel is relatively smooth yet dry on the palate – one might call it smooth leather.  I never found these to be complex in any way.  It seems to be a rather stylish smoke.  The body weight is not overpowering and the look of the cigar has – well – let’s call it – style.  This cigar would pair well with a Pinot Noir, Baco Noir or maybe even a Merlot.  It could even be paired with a fuller bodied white.  For beers – I could see Nut Browns, Brown Ales, or a Belgian Dubbel.  As for an IPA – I think the mouthfeel may be too dry to pair with that. 

The Pairing

And, with that last sentence above I had to go and pair this cigar with Sierra Nevada’s Hoptimum.  My ruling: it works.  I enjoyed these two together.  The Hoptimum had enough malty undertones to pull this off.  The cigar worked with this IPA because it does not have any spice on the flavor notes and the main profile is earthy.  

Short’s Brew Huma Lupa Licious IPA: Review

Short’s Brewing Company

Elk Rapids, Michigan, USA

$9.99 a six pack

6.8% abv

140 IBU’s and it is every bit of that

Appearance: amber with a shiny copper look – oops didn’t get that sediment off the bottom of the bottle.  Now, it’s a hazy amber dirty orange. 

Aroma: the nose is light for what is coming from the taste.  A little citrus and pine at best.

Flavors: big white grapefruit bite, black pepper citrus, pine, if there are any malts they are buried under the grapefruit attack.  If you want to know what a balanced ale should taste like well, this is not the one to try.  The Huma Lupa is hopped up.

Mouthfeel: steel wool like texture, pine needles, long hoppy bitterness on the tongue, I don’t know if I will be able to taste anything else the rest of the day at this point. 

I smoked a CAO Italia cigar with this IPA and it was a train wreck from the start.  This pairing is what this blog is all about; find the cigar and the beverage to make the best experience so, you can avoid this pairing from happening.  The bitterness, the nasty bitterness was just not for my liking.  The IPA just made the cigar nasty tasting.  I was planning to have a second bottle but, I just could not do that to my taste buds. 

What can we learn from this bad pairing?  Do not select a peppery spiced cigar to pair with your IPA.

Switching over to Belvinie Double Wood Scotch helped the cigar and my palate.

Lilja’s Argosy IPA: Review

East India Pale Ale

Sand Creek Brewing

Black River Falls, Wisconsin, USA

Appearance: hazy amber-gold with a little sediment floating around; nice one finger white head that leaves tons of lacing on the glass

Aroma: really, this is an IPA; no much on the nose, very light hop with a very light sweet note, pretty non-descript

Flavors: muted citrus tones, wet sea grass, damp grains,

Mouthfeel: low carbonation, tangy feel on the palate, citrus peel on the finish

To the Point: I don’t think this would even make a good introductory IPA.  Non-descript bouquet, rather boring flavor profile, I personally would not pick this up again.  

Bell's Hopslam Ale: Review

DIPA – Double India Pale Ale Style

Bell’s Brewery

Comstock, Michigan, USA

Bellsbeer.com

10% abv

Packaged on: 12/2011

Appearance: slightly hazy golden orange body with a big white head that leaves tons of lacing on the glass.  As they say, “female hops give the best head.”

Aroma: just opening the bottle is a pleasure to the nose.  That sweet citrus smell you get when you cut open a Ruby Red Grapefruit. 

Flavors: tasty grapefruit just like the nose.  Sweet Ruby Red and some usual tart grapefruit notes, a floral hop note, and I am going to say a sweet floral note as well, Now this is a balanced IPA

Mouthfeel: smooth, almost creamy feel, the alcohol does not stand out (be careful it’s 10%), moderate bitter bite on the finish,

My Strength Rating: 7 – this is on my high side of medium-full.  I was expecting an extremely full IPA here.

To the Point: if you can get someone to sell it to you, good luck, buy it if they do. 

Big Sky IPA: Review

Big Sky Brewing Co.

Missoula, Montana, USA

Bigskybrew.com

6.2% abv

65 IBU’s

I did a quick review of this beer back in July of 2010.  Let me update this IPA.

Appearance: amber body with a light tan or off-white one finger head that leaves tons of lacing on the glass.

Aroma: light sweet malts and grassy, citrus peel hops

Flavors: moderate grapefruit, orange peel, herbal spice, malty notes of sweet biscuit, lightly toasted caramel,

Mouthfeel: flannel like texture, makes me want to put on a flannel shirt and sit by the fire; lingering aftertaste of citrus meat and light spice.  Carbonation is moderate.

My Strength Rating: 6.5 – medium-full body

To the Point: a good IPA; if I graded beers I would give it a B or B+.  This should be a good session IPA.  I would buy more of this beer.   

Alimony Ale IPA: Review

India Pale Ale

Buffalo Bill’s Brewery

Hayward, California, USA

Brewed by: Independent Brewers United

Seattle, Washington, USA or Portland or Berkeley

6.8% abv

Appearance: somewhat clear amber body with a one finger head that dissipates quickly and leaves little lacing on the glass.

Aroma: not much to talk about here; little grassy hops

Flavors: hoppyful – floral, pine, little peppery, hint of pineapple with some undertones of malts,

Mouthfeel: low carbonation, little wool like texture,

My Strength Rating: 6.5 – medium-full bodied

To the Point: a good tasting IPA, probably not a beginner or introductory IPA but, the next step up so let’s call it intermediate level. 

Meantime India Pale Ale: Review

Meantime India Pale Ale

Meantime Brewing Co.

Greenwich, London, England

7.5 abv

1pt 9.4oz bottle

$9.99

Meantimebrewing.com

Fuggles and Goldings hops

Appearance: deep amber with a thin off-white head that fades quickly and leaves very little lacing

Aroma: light nose overall, touch of citrus, mostly grassy hops

Flavors: a bit of grassy hops, mild citrus meat, mineral water, light rye bread, pale malt

Mouthfeel:  mild-medium body, light grassy aftertaste, almost creamy texture, low carbonation, light dryness on the palate

My Strength Rating: 4.5/4

To the Point: a very good interpretation of a nineteenth century IPA.  I have to admit that I do like to enjoy an English IPA now and then.  

Left Hand Warrior IPA: Review

With Colorado Fresh Hops

Left Hand Brewing

Longmont, Colorado, USA

Lefthandbrewing.com

American India Pale Ale (IPA)

1pt 6oz bottle

$8.00 a bottle

7.6% abv

Appearance: clear and bright amber color with no head. I swirled the bottle a little and that picked up the head – a ½ finger bone white color.  It does leave some lacing each time I tip the glass for a sip. After drinking some of this IPA there is some nice lacing clinging to the side of the glass.

Aroma: not much here, maybe a hint of malts and grains and a sniff of hops. 

Flavors: this seems like a pretty light IPA.  A little tangy hop note and a bit of malts swirling around.  I would call it average/good for an IPA.  If I was going to grade it 79% - right on the edge of C+ and B-. 

Mouthfeel: light for an IPA, smooth, a light sweetness and a light bitter twang lingers on the palate,

My Strength Rating:4.5 – medium

To the Point: this should be a good IPA to have with lunch, the flavors should not interfere with what you are eating.

Troubadour Magma Triple IPA: Review

Belgian Triple IPA

Br. The Musketeers

Ursel, Belgium

Troubadourbeers.com

Globalbeer.com

11.2oz bottle

9% abv

If you have followed this blog you should know that I am a Belgian beer slappy.  When they released this ale I was looking forward to getting it here in Michigan.  Last month I finally saw it in the party store.  I have enjoyed the four pack and now that I am down to the last one – well, it’s time to review this Triple IPA.  It would be my bet that the American Style IPA lovers, the ones who love the prickly pine and bitter grapefruit notes only, I’ll guess they will not go to much for a Belgian Style IPA.  Open up your mind and your palate and learn to enjoy the beverage for what it is.

Appearance: looks like butterscotch pudding with an off white head; super easy to pour a two finger head and it leaves globs of lacing on the side of the glass.

Aroma: the main focus seems to be the Belgian yeast, then there is a light hoppy tone, some malts and the fruity notes come along as it warms up. 

Flavors: this ale is better around the 40-45 degree temperature.  The bouquet opens up as will the flavors.  This is also one of those brews that not very reviewogenic.  The flavors to me seem to be muted or muddled together but, I like it. 

Here are my notes: earthy Belgian yeast, a mix of citrus meat, some sweet malts try to get through but the hops seem to beat them back.  See, it is not a pretty review.  But, damn I sure like it. 

This ale has a rustic-sophisticated style to it.  It reminds me of a fine flannel shirt.  Yeah, that it.  A fine Pendalton wool shirt, the kind with the patches on the sleeves, and sitting in a log chair by a stone fire place. 

I’ll be doing some cigar pairings with this ale.  This can be a very difficult ale to pair up with a fine stogie. 

Samuel Adams Pale Ale: Review

The Boston Beer Company

Boston, Massachusetts, USA

5.25% abv

Appearance: lightly hazy golden body with a white head and some good lacing.

Aroma: very light malt? Uninspired bouquet – should be the name of a race horse not your beer.

Flavors: slightly tangy and floral hops, light bitterness, some sweet malts in the mix, a little fruity - like apples, I expected a better Pale Ale taste. I’ll call it a Mild Pale Ale.

Mouthfeel: nice carbonation, light tangy feel, some bitterness on the finish,

My Strength Rating: 4 – mild-medium body overall

To the Point: like I said earlier, ‘Uninspired’ pale ale.  Is Samuel Adams too big for their own pants? 

If you are suffering from Hops Deficiency don’t pick this one for the cure. 

Troubadour Magma 2011: Review

Special Edition 2011

Cascade Hop

Belgian Triple

Br. The Musketeers

Ursel, Belgium

Globalbeer.com

$13.99 a bottle

1 pt. 9.4 oz bottle

9% abv

Appearance: bright yet opaque tangerine with a big white head that has plenty of lacing on the glass

Aroma: delicate citrus notes of grapefruit meat and orange peel, dusty yeast, sweet malts in the center

Flavors: sweet honeysuckle, light-moderate prickly citrus notes, tasty Belgian yeast, peppery alcohol on the finish. A lingering mix of malts and hops on the palate.

Mouthfeel: low carbonation, light tickling of the tongue, sweet fruity and light alcohol peppery aftertaste. 

My Strength Rating: 6.5 – medium-full with just enough hops to add some character.

To the Point: my not be a good beer to review or as I call it – it’s not reviewogenic.  But, it sure is tasty to me.  This is my second bottle of this ale and I sure like it.