Spring’s Hit and Run: Room 101 Hit & Run Redux with Old Forester 1920

Well, that tease of Spring was nice while it lasted. On Thursday the thermometer went from 80 to 35 like it spotted the sheriff behind the billboard. The winter blast even dropped a few inches of snow. By Friday evening the sun was shining, the snow was gone, but the thermometer still hovered in the low 50s. Despite it all, it was still warm enough for a sip and a smoke on the porch.

I lit up a Room 101 Hit and Run Redux that had been resting in my humidor since last July, and poured a bit of Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style Bourbon to enjoy alongside it. Given how the weather had bolted from spring back to winter in less than a day, the cigar’s Hit and Run name felt especially appropriate.

The Hit and Run Redux is a medium-to-full bodied smoke with a Mexican San Andrés Maduro wrapper, Ecuadorian Sumatra binder, and USA Pennsylvania Broadleaf and Nicaraguan Criollo ’98 filler leaves. This 6 × 50 Toro has a slick, dark wrapper and a nearly seamless appearance.

A mix of sweetness and pepper kicked off the smoke, soon joined by notes of bitter espresso and dark chocolate. There was also a faint edge of minerality in the profile that was a bit off-putting in an otherwise smooth and flavorful cigar.

The Old Forester 1920 proved a fitting companion. Notes of cherry, dark chocolate, caramel, and maple sweetness — along with a robust oak char and its healthy 115 proof — stood up well to the cigar’s bold character.

A steady wind roared through the treetops and pushed a cool breeze through the open porch window. Even so, the evening was a pleasant one. The return of colder weather was disappointing, though certainly not a surprise. Around here, March rarely settles on a season for long.

Still, a good cigar, a solid pour of bourbon, and a little time on the porch make even a fickle Virginia spring feel just about right.

Cheers!