A Cigar And A Bourbon At Sunset

The days are, ever so slowly, getting longer. I've noticed that if we eat dinner just a few minutes early, and I've already prepped my selections for smoking and sipping, I can enjoy the last bit of sunlight at the start of the smoke. One evening this week, I was ready with the choice of a Cigar Clowns Torpedo and some Blade and Bow Bourbon. 

Blade and Bow is one of the bourbons that I've kept on hand for several years. The price point is right for a regular sipper, although it's going up like everything else. It could be a had for under $40 a couple years and it's now approaching $50. The VA ABC does put it on sale occasionally.

The 91 proof bourbon pours a golden orange color and emits a sweet fruit aroma along with a touch of alcohol on the nose. It's quite easy to sip, with notes of caramel and white fruit. The finish has a crisp graininess and a subtle oak char.

The Cigar Clown Torpedo was a selection in the August Luxury Cigar Club Core package. Not much information is provided about the 6 x 52 sharply pointed torpedo. The wrapper is listed as Mexican San Andrés Claro and the rest of the components are undisclosed. The flavor profile is best described as creamy. There's a touch of cedar spice to add variety, but overall the smoke is one dimensional. I found there to be a "horse blanket" funk to the finish. It reminded me of some of the yeasty farmhouse ales. Not wholly unpleasant, but not eliciting excitement to my palate. To my surprise given its hefty size, the cigar gave just under an hour of smoking. 

As an added bonus, the sky burned a bright red as the sunset. Of course as the sun set the temperature dropped. However, the quick burning cigar did not require a long sit in the cold.

Cheers!