Root Beer and RomaCraft

Heading to the deck one afternoon to enjoy some reading in the warm weather, I opted for a rare indulgence in pouring a glass of root beer. We rarely drink sodas, but had the bottle of root beer on hand from a recent gathering. It seemed just the thing for an afternoon refreshment.

I decided to enjoy the soft drink with RoMa Craft Intemperance Volstead VO 1920 Roy Olmstead. The 5"1/2 X 54 Belicoso was part of the May Luxury Cigar Club mailing. It has been resting in my humidor for about 10 weeks. 

The Intemperance Volstead VO 1920 features an oily Ecuadorian Sumatra hybrid wrapper over a Mexican San Andrés binder. Dominican Republic and Nicaraguan tobaccos make up the filler. The binder is exposed at the last bit near the foot. Combined with the white and brown labels and the tapered cap, the cigar is quite attractive.

The smoke starts off with mild pepper and coffee flavors. Leather notes along with baking spices join in as the burn progresses. There are also some mild sweet notes in the finish. The flavorful smoke and the sweet root beer made for a delightful pairing.

Enjoying a nonalcoholic beverage with this afternoon smoke was fitting. The Intemperance Volstead is named for the Volstead Act implemented in 19020 which started the United States down the dark path of Prohibition. Roy Olmstead was a very successful bootlegger in the Pacific Northwest during Prohibition. 

Cheers!