For a recent porch smoke, I reached for the Herrera Estelí Norteño Toro Especial by Drew Estate. It had also been a while since I paired a cigar with a pour of bourbon, so I looked forward to revisiting an old favorite: Woodford Reserve Double Oaked.
The evening was warm — one of those early Virginia summer nights that require some adjustments to the cigar setup. More fans, shorter sticks, later sessions. I’m not complaining; I love warm weather. But after five minutes on the porch, I realized I needed to crank up the fan speed. With the air moving and a playlist queued, I settled in.
Woodford Reserve Double Oaked is a staple on my shelf. It’s flavorful, bold, yet accessible — something I can pour confidently for both the bourbon novice and the seasoned aficionado. I’ve never had anyone turn it down, let alone dislike it.
The nose opens with rich caramel, toasted oak, and vanilla, with just a touch of ethanol tingle. The palate follows through with layers of caramel, dark chocolate, seasoned wood, and ripe dark fruit. The finish is long and warming, blending lingering sweetness with a subtle spice.
At just 90.4 proof, it’s an easy sipper — perfect for pairing with a long smoke.
The cigar had been resting in my humidor for about eight weeks. It arrived in April as part of the Luxury Cigar of the Month Club, and I hadn’t smoked the Norteño Especial in a couple of years. Truth be told, I couldn’t remember much about it, which made the revisit feel like a first-time experience.
The 6 1/4 x 54 cigar sports a rough, oily Mexican San Andrés wrapper over a Honduran binder and Nicaraguan fillers from Estelí and Jalapa. It’s softly box-pressed and had a draw slightly more open than I prefer, but it still produced generous smoke.
Right out of the gate, this is a medium-to-full-bodied cigar. No warmup required. The profile is bold and flavorful, delivering notes of black pepper, cocoa, dark-roast coffee, roasted nuts, and cedar. The retrohale brings a strong hit of black pepper, adding to the spice-forward impression.
Though robust, the Herrera Estelí Norteño Toro Especial maintains balance and complexity, never overwhelming the palate. I did find the draw became a bit too loose at times, and the smoke production dipped — requiring a few relights — but overall, the burn stayed even.
This pairing leaned heavily into bold, spicy territory. At times, it seemed the cigar even coaxed out more spice from the Woodford Reserve Double Oaked. Whether imagined or real, the result was a lively, well-matched flavor fusion.
This pairing featured both familiarity and rediscovery — exactly what a good evening on the porch should be.
Cheers!
No comments:
Post a Comment
Comments on posts over 30 days old are held for moderation. Please be patient.
Obvious spam will never see the light of day. Don't waste your time or mine.