Old Beer, Cigars, and the Fire Pit

Sunday afternoon was sunny and the spring allergies were tingling, but the temperature still needed "tweaking" to enjoy the outdoors. We decided to "de-winterize" the fire pit with the first fire of 2021. After clearing out some leaves, I got a fire going and settled in to enjoy a drink and a cigar. 

I dug out a couple of bottles of aged Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout for Colleen and I. These were bottles stored from 2008. We were putting away a lot of high ABV beers in those days for aging and they are most delightful now. I really should get back into that habit. The aroma coming off the glass was rich chocolate and coffee. I could detect it coming up from the glass on the table next to me, despite the smoke from the fire. The flavor was simply delicious. Creamy, dark chocolate, a touch of bitterness, with no alcohol detectable on the palate. I am going to miss these old bottles when they are gone.

The cigar selected was the Tatuaje Great Pumpkin. This stick was part of the 2020 Cigar Rights of America sampler I picked up over the winter. It is an attractive 6 x 52 Belicoso version of a cigar that Tatujae typically produces for events only, and consists of a Mexican San Andrés wrapper with Nicaraguan binders and fillers. 

I was looking forward to smoking this cigar and had been awaiting warmer weather, and the time to enjoy what would likely be a two hour plus smoke. Initially, I got some nice but mild milk chocolate notes, with just a touch of pepper. I struggled to get a lot of smoke through the cigar, so the flavors were muted. I tried relighting its few times, but the tobacco never really got going. Sadly, after about 20 minutes I tossed the cigar into the fire. I've smoked plenty of Tatuaje cigars, and have always enjoyed them. One bad stick is certainly not a condemnation of a brand or line. These are hand crafted items, made from leaves, and every now and then one will be not be right. It's a disappointment, not a condemnation. Life's too short to fret or struggle over one cigar, so I simply moved on to another selection.

Still having plenty of afternoon left, I grabbed an Oliva Serie V Maduro Especial from the humidor. This blend is one of my (many) favorites, especially in the Torpedo vitola.

Like the Tatuaje, this full-bodied cigar has a Mexican San Andrés wrapper with a Nicaraguan binder and fillers, and is spiked with Nicaraguan Jalapa Valley ligero leaves in the filler. It produces notes of rich, creamy chocolate, with a touch of spiciness. Cedar and nutty undertones add to the flavors enjoyed. The ligero leaf serves to contribute a bit of strength. The aged beer and rich cigar made for a very flavorful and enjoyable pairing.

We enjoyed the fire for several hours. A lot of that time was spend watching the numerous birds flitting around in the woods. There were quite a number of bluebirds catching insects in the leaves, and a pair of red tail hawks possibly nesting nearby. Ah, the signs of spring…