Cold Weather Comfort: Elijah Craig 18 and a Cigar

And so it begins — cold weather smoking. When the colder weather settles in, it ways takes some extra effort to get outside to enjoy a cigar. I think "Do I really want to do this?" The answer is of course "yes" so I grab a jacket, fire up the propane heater, and go out. Once I'm settled in it's usually not that bad, and even pleasant. It's just that initial seasonal change that takes getting used to. In a few weeks, I won't think twice.

This evening I poured tastes of several whiskies from my shelves to decide what I felt like enjoying. I settled on the Elijah Craig 18 Year Old Single Barrel. This is a bottle I've been nursing for a couple years. It's an excellent pour, though a somewhat pricey one.

The 90 proof bourbon emits a delightfully rich aroma of honey, vanilla, and citrus. Those flavors transfer to the palate. The overall taste is cinnamon, a sweet fruit, with vanilla and caramel thrown in. I retrospect it reminds me of an apple pie. The sweet finish is moderately long with a lingering oaky dryness.

With the bourbon decided, it was time to choose the cigar to accompany it. I decided to light up a Gurkha Cellar Reserve Limitada that had been sitting in my humidor since July. (Ah, thoughts of warmer days.) Gurkha is not a brand I've smoked much, but was interested in what the Cellar Reserve held in store.

The 6 x 58 Perfecto has a dark brown Brazilian Arapiraca Maduro wrapper that's oily in appearance. The Dominican filler and binder leaves have been aged for 15 years. A tight pigtail finishes the cap. The smoke started off medium bodied with leather, cocoa, and roasted notes. The flavors and body remained consistent throughout. Admittedly I was hoping for a bit more boldness for the evening. The burn was excellent, however I did let the cigar go out once when I set it down and zoned out to the music I was listening to. Overall, the Gurkha Cellar Reserve Limitada was a flavorful, though milder than expected, smoke.

The delicious bourbon, the smoke, and bit of dark chocolate thrown in, made for a most pleasant evening. Despite the openness of the screen porch, the propane heater at my side kept the chill away. As the temperatures drop, I look forward to trying new pairings to help warm the cold nights.

Cheers!