L'Atelier LAT56 and Peerless Small Batch Bourbon

The L'Atelier Cigar line from Pete Johnson of Tatujaje Cigars are consistently enjoyable smokes. One I've not had until late, to my recollection, is the L'Atelier LAT56. The highly rated line has been out for over a decade. 

The 6 1/2 x 56 LAT56 features a smooth, dark wrapper of an Ecuadorian hybrid leaf called Sancti Spiritus. The wrapper is slick with a shrink-wrapped tightness to the roll. The binder and filler tobaccos are Nicaraguan. A simple gold band completes the well-manicured look.

The smoke started off with nutty cocoa and a touch of pepper. Nuttiness and wood flavors held consistent, with the cocoa notes fading slightly, until returning in the final third. This was a most enjoyable smoke. The cigar had been resting in my humidor for just a few weeks. I need not have been concerned about the short rest time as the cigar produced a near perfect burn throughout. The line was sharp and the ash was solid without flaking. I did make one minor correction that surely would have fixed itself, but I get a bit OCD at times on the burn line.

The other half of this pairing consisted of Peerless Small Batch Bourbon. Even at 115.4 proof, I find this one to be a surprisingly easy sipper. The bourbon shines a dark mahogany color in the glass. There is a bit of alcohol on the nose, but it is minimal on the palate. Sweet notes of caramel and cinnamon arise first. Creamy butterscotch and brown sugar join in the short and clean finish. 

The L'Aterlier LAT56 and Peerless Small Batch combine for a flavorful, and even aesthetically pleasing, pairing. The long smoke time called for a couple extra splashes in the glass. As darkness fell, the cool fall-like air added to the ambiance of the evening of conversation with my wife on the porch. I smile still as I reminisce about it.

Cheers!