Scotch Review: Aberlour 12 DW

Eh, not double the deliciousness...

I decided on the Aberlour because I wanted to give it a try against my favorite, The Macallan 12. They are very similarly priced and I wanted to see how the tastes compare. I also like my Balvenie Doublewood and thought this doublewood could use a tasting.

Color: muscat or russet, a deep gold
Body: medium

Nose: brown sugar and a some notes of floral, almost like a daisy smell

Palate: very fast with a sweet and spicy, a little floral is tasted, and ends with a little smoky flavor

Finish: it is a short finish with the smoke and sweet fighting for dominance, the smoke wins but it bits the whole time!

I liked this whisky but it was not very complex, with only a few flavors and some very strong characteristics. It didn't have the fruity smells or flavors that I expect from a sherry cask. The oak took over here and really pounced what the sherry had to offer. The finish was short and the bit was medium to strong. It did have some great sweet notes, but it just wasn't what I expected it to be. I would say it is a whisky to have in the cabinet because of the price, but not one to keep on the top shelf. I give this one a 7 of 10.

Question for YOU: What is your favorite doublewood Scotch!?

Cigar Essentials: The Humidor

The humidor, the most important piece to a cigar enthusiast, yet the most misunderstood! The humidor is the castle to your cigar kingdom, and without the right protection and care your kingdom will fall apart. It is essentially a porous box that is prime for keeping a certain humidity. If one thinks about what a cigar is, it becomes very apparent for special care. Because the cigar is a dried dead leaf, it can mold, lose taste, and dry up if the proper humidity is not maintained. That proper humidity is 65-75%. Monitoring that and achieving that, is done by getting special humidifiers and hygrometers.

So what should one look for in a humidor? Fist and foremost, it should be Spanish Cedar or Honduran Mahogany. These two porous woods allow for the proper breath-ability for the humidity levels to stay at 70%.

The next couple attributes are mainly personal tastes. Glass or no glass? I have one that is similar to the one pictured, but some people do not like or approve of glass tops. They don't have the properties of the wood and allow for sunlight to further increase temperatures and cause other problems. If kept in a dark place it doesn't really matter, in my experiences at least. I have had a great experience with the glass top and it holds the 70%. I also like the look of the glass top, it is up to you.

The location or allotment for the hygrometer is also a personal taste. I like mine to be built into the box, like pictured. This allows to monitor the humidity without actually opening the box. The only problem with these are that the analog hygrometers are finicky and I have had trouble with them in the past. I will recommend nice digital hygrometers in future articles.

Then there is the issue of shelves or dividers. I don't feel a particular preference either way, but I like the idea of being able to separate certain cigars from others. You wouldn't want to mix your sweet cigars with your earthy maduros. I would never recommend mixing flavored cigars in any box with normal cigars. An Acid or Java cigar can overpower other cigars and really alter the taste. I found it preferable to have 3 humidors! Ya that's right, 3. One for my sweet mocha cigars like the Java and Tabak Especial, one for aromatic Acids, and one for my traditional cigars.

Now that you learned just a few things about selecting a humidor lets look at how to season your new humidor. They say you need to season a new humidor because the wood has not absorbed any humidity and can literally suck the moisture from your cigars! You don't want a vampire humidor so always season new boxes! When you buy your humidor, “season” it by applying a moist cloth to the interior wood and then leaving a small, closed container of water inside the humidor for 12 hours. If the humidor “drinks up” most of the water, leaving the container near-empty after 12 hours, repeat the process for another 24 hours. Once the water stops evaporating, the humidor is ready for your cigars! Just add the humidifying solution to your humidifier and insert into the humidor. Make sure to sprinkle it into the device, do not drench it! It seems to actually cause it to not release enough humidity. Enjoy and I hope you found this helpful, feel free to leave comments and advice!

Cigar Review:Graycliff Professionale

Mmmmm, I decided to try this Graycliff after a few of the 1666's. I was in love with Graycliff's great full flavor and was trying to find one with a little less peppery of a taste. This was it!

It was smooth and rich, full of earthy notes and sweet chestnuts. It was great, and actually so complex I had a hard time putting my finger on the flavors I was experiencing! It is exactly what I am looking for. I love a good medium smoke, and this cigar was so smooth too. It had nearly flawless construction and a really great burn. The smell of a Graycliff is also worthy of noting, they have a sweet musky smell and it is much preferred over most cigars. All in all, I was very impressed and cant wait to get some more. Graycliff is my favorite brand at this moment, and I really respect everything they make. the price tag is a little hefty, but you can usually find some great deals at cigarbid.com. So check out this great smoke and make sure to buy online to save some bucks, it tastes better when it's a deal! I give this guy a 9 out of 10!

Cigar Review: Java Maduro

Sweet and mellow dark chocolate...That is exactly how I would describe the Java Maduro by Drew Estate and Rocky Patel. I reviewed the Java Connecticut shade earlier and I have to say I really like them both. The maduro is made with a sweet Brazilian maduro wrapper. It makes the flavor seem a little more bold and earthy. It is exactly like comparing milk chocolate to dark chocolate . I really like both cigars, it is hard to tell you  which one I prefer more. I would say the maduro is a more enjoyable on a cold winter night after a rich meal. The Java Connecticut is great for that after work treat! That is how I would compare them! The actual cigar itself is amazing.

The cigar had stellar construction, a medium slow burning draw, and a great overall presentation. Upon lighting you are pleasantly surprised by how mellow the taste is. It is a little stronger than the other Java cigar but offers a little more in complexity. It really takes on the espresso taste a little after an inch of burning. After this, it offers a deep chocolate and oaky taste. Towards the nub I started to notice the tiniest peppery finish. It was great, a little bit of everything, yet not too much. It was a really good cigar and I can't wait to smoke the others. They would make a great gift for others too. They are not very strong or offensive and can be given to anybody. The more experienced cigar smokers will enjoy its complexity and the novices can still love that great chocolate taste. Overall I give this one a 9.1 of 10, that is .1 higher than the lighter Java because I think the maduro version offers a touch more complexity! mmmmmmm tasty...

Cigar Review: Tatiana Mocha

I really like the Drew Estate Tabak Especial and the Java, so I decided to try another flavored cigar like those two. I decided on the Tatiana Mocha. It looked great and sounded delicious! When it arrived it was dark and heavy, very well made and had a great label and presentation. I couldn’t wait to smoke it!

It cut well and lit fairly easily. I noticed something interesting right away. It burned very strangely. It had a light colored ash, a very faint tan compared to a normal ash color. It was one layer of ash though, the other layers of the cigar ashed normally, it was just this one layer that burned a tan color. It tasted great initially, very faint traces of that mocha and it was very smooth. It was very enjoyable. As it got towards the middle the cigar, it really took on a nice mocha/chocolate flavor and was great. Compared to the Tabak, it was a little less flavored and more mellow. I then started to notice something very strange. It had a blue color to some parts as it burned?! It was that chemical blue that you get when you burn magazines! It freaked me out a little bit, not only am I exposing myself to burnt tobacco but now there are strange burning chemicals?! Not cool. Anyway the flavor started to get a little dull and chemically as well. Similar to the nub end of Acids. Acid cigars are great till the very end where they get a peculiar chemical taste. The Tatiana followed the same path. It had some burn problems as well and was very hard to keep going.

Overall, I give this cigar a 6 of 10. It had a great beginning and end, with a smooth mocha taste but the burn problems really took away from my experience. I was also a little freaked out by the blue hue that the ash took on. I hope my second picture portrayed that! I probably will not purchase again. I will stick with my Java’s and Tabaks when it comes to chocolaty cigars!

Whisky Essentials: A Whisky Bible

One of the easiest ways to enjoy whisky like a pro is to learn about the drink first! There are many "Whisky Bibles" out there but I have found Jim Murray's to be the best. They are filled with every dram under the sun, and a huge number of distilleries. It really helps when you want to get the most out of your drinks. Seeing what the "experts" say first, is a good place to start.

 It shouldn't affect your own personal tastes, but should be used as a guide to see what there can be. I like to read up what Jim thinks a whisky tastes like then dive in myself and see how my tasting compares. Generally he is spot on and it is very interesting to see how he names the tastes and smells you are experiencing. There are occasions where I think the artist in him gets away, and he starts getting a little too fancy with the descriptions.  There are tastes that are just too simple to be fully extrapolated like he does.All in all, he does a great job and at the beginning of every chapter he talks about the regions and trends in the whisky business and it is very interesting to read about it. I would recommend a book like this to novices and pros alike, it just makes sense to listen to a man that has tried 'em all!

Cigar Review: Padilla Obsidian Especial

This one was very similar to the Greycliff 1666. Its oily maduro wrapper and smooth taste really did a good job in comparing to my new favorite, the Greycliff. This padilla was excellent though. It had some more spice than I enjoy but man, what a great cocoa flavor! The ligero wrapper and Nicaraguan & Honduran filler was a great mix and match of flavors and it provided a very complex smoke. I have really grown to like the rich dark maduros like this one and it definitely did not disappoint. It had a very earthy after taste but it had a great thick smoke. The burn was so so and uneven but I blame the slight wind and not enough time to mellow out after arriving in shipping. I will definelty buy this again and will have to try the Padilla Miami, which gets great reviews as well. Overall i give it a 8.5 of 10!