The Belgian Blue is a limited-edition cigar released in 2024 by Crowned Heads — only 2,000 boxes of 12 were produced. It’s a 6x54 box-pressed Toro, featuring a Mexican San Andrés Maduro wrapper over an Ecuadorian binder. The filler is comprised of Nicaraguan and Dominican tobaccos, 75% of which are ligero leaves — the strongest part of the tobacco plant. Fittingly, the cigar is named after a breed of Belgian cattle known for their strength and sculpted muscularity. Coincidentally, we had recently watched an episode of Clarkson’s Farm where Jeremy was buying a Belgian Blue bull. That reminded me I still had a few of these cigars in the humidor, and it influenced the evening’s selection.
As I began to enjoy the smoke, I heard a roar in the distance, growing louder. It wasn’t a tornado approaching, nor a noisy truck as I first thought, but a wall of heavy rain moving swiftly through the trees. I quickly shifted my setup from the outer edge of the porch to the inner wall — just in time. The rain hit hard and loud. Colleen stepped out and said she’d heard the roar inside and wondered what it was.
At that point, I turned off the music I’d been listening to, as it was impossible to hear. In a twist of fate, the last song that played was “Storm Warning” by Charlie Musselwhite, from his new Look Out Highway album released just a couple of weeks ago.
With only a light mist reaching me now, I was able to continue my smoke. The Belgian Blue opens with bold pepper and sweet mocha notes. As it progresses, it evolves into a full-bodied experience featuring a medley of caramel, roasted nuts, and oak. The smoke is copious, rich, and creamy.
I paired the nearly hour and 45-minute cigar with a pour of Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Bourbon (Batch A124). Elijah Craig releases three barrel-proof editions each year, and A124 is the first of 2024. It clocks in at 119 proof, with a 10-year, 9-month age statement — one of the lower-proof and younger releases in the series.
This bourbon brings a robust profile of brown sugar, caramel, and charred oak, with a distinct cinnamon spice kick. The sweet and spicy finish is long and satisfying. I typically enjoy bourbon neat, and I’ve had this one that way. But for this pairing, I opted for a large ice cube. The slight chill and dilution smoothed some of the proof’s bite and opened up more sweetness. It paired nicely with the cigar, though eventually the bourbon became too diluted, muting the flavor.
Surprisingly, the sky turned blue as the storm front moved on. I restarted the music and enjoyed the rest of the cigar in unexpectedly pleasant, spring-like weather.
Cheers!
