Italy: Negronis and Cigars

Bourbon was not a beverage we saw much during our stay in Italy, though in truth I was not expecting it either. Obviously we drank a lot of wine with our meals. When I went looking for a cocktail to enjoy with an evening cigar, the Negroni was a commonly available option. At our hotel in Assisi, the Negroni was the 7 Euro "special" available each evening, so an obvious choice. During the afternoons, the clerk on duty had mixology knowledge limited to Aperol Spritz, hence that beverage during a previous smoking break.

The Negroni is a classic Italian cocktail, that is very simple to make. It consists of equal parts gin, vermouth rosso, and Campari, stirred over ice and garnished with an orange slice typically.  As a side note, cocktails are about the only time one sees ice in drinks in Italy.

Despite being considered an apéritif, we usually enjoyed the negronis after dinner. (Especially at the hotel in Assisi where there was no one with the knowledge to prepare the drink until after 7:00PM.) One evening pairing was with a Rocky Patel The Edge 20th Anniversary Robusto. The cigar features a 10 year aged Ecuador Sumatra wrapper, a Honduran Broadleaf binder, with filler tobaccos from Honduras and Panama. The 5 1/2 x 50 Robusto is is a medium bodied smoke with rich notes of espresso, dark chocolate, and nuts.

Later in the trip, another evening and another Negroni, this time with the Plasencia Reserva Original Toro. The richly flavored 6 x 50 Toro has notes of espresso, cedar, pepper, and dark cherry, with some sweet bread in the background.

Did I mention I enjoyed a lot of Negronis in Ireland? Here's another pairing, this time properly consumed before dinner. This one was served in a water glass, with both an orange slice and a lemon peel. It was paired with the last of my cigars brought from home, a Crowned Heads Le Carême in the Canonazo (5 7/8 x 52) vitola. The Le Carême is one of my favorite smokes. This 5 7/8 x 52 box pressed stick has a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper, a Sumatra binder, and Nicaraguan fillers. Though is has a creamy, sweet chocolate and nutty flavor profile it made another enjoyable pairing. (From this point on, smoking would be be limited to Italian Toscanos.

The Negroni is a more bitter cocktail than the sweeter profile of my usual straight bourbon, or Old Fashioned cocktail choices. However, all the cigar pairings were enjoyable. It was Italy after all.

And then...

When a friend who was also on the Italy trip came by for dinner recently, we decided to recreate the memory with more Negroni and cigars!

Cheers!

Plasencia Reserva and Sagamore Spirit Sherry Finish Rye

Most of my cigar smoking is solitary. A good cigar and bourbon is my ideal way to wind down and loose the stress of the day. It's also certainly more convenient than driving to a cigar lounge. Of course, enjoying alcoholic beverages is easier when there's no driving involved. While we have frequent house guests, few of them enjoy cigars. 

When a friend does come for the express purpose of smoking and drinking, I usually start out with a small exploratory tasting to decide what to pour. (I'm a believer in sticking with a single choice for an evening, rather that jumping around to different pours.) For a recent occasion, a friend and I settled on Sagamore Spirit Sherry Finish Rye. I find sherry and port finished whiskeys to be very complimentary to most cigars. I selected a Plasencia Reserva Original for our enjoyment. Colleen brought out cheese, crackers, nuts, and grapes to snack on. She's a rye fan, so she joined us on the deck as well. 

Sagamore Spirit is carrying on the Maryland Rye tradition that started before, and resumed after Prohibition. I always think of Pikesville Rye when I think Maryland Rye, but that is now produced in Kentucky by Heaven Hill Distillery. Sagamore Spirit comes from Baltimore's Inner Harbor area, though they do employ sourced distillates. 

This expression consists of a blend of four year old rye that is aged for 18 months in PX Sherry casks. The rye appears a deep burnt orange color in the glass. Aromas of dark fruit like figs, cherries, and raisons greet the nose. The opening sip brings a quick hit of cinnamon. That quickly subsides as the sherry influence on the rye comes to the forefront. The dark sherry flavors come through, with a hint of citrus and rye spice. The 106 proof is evident but not harsh or all-encompassing. I truly like this one and will be sad to see the bottle emptied, which may happen over a shorter timeline than planned. 

The Plasencia Reserva is made with all Nicaraguan tobaccos. The cigar is medium bodied with a rich flavor profile that compliments the sherry influenced rye very well. Espresso, cedar, pepper, dark cherry notes, and some sweet toasted bread combine for an enjoyable pairing. 

The rich flavor of the rye and the cigar prepared us quite well for the BBQ rib dinner that followed.

Cheers!

Pasencia Reserva Original, a Hoppy Beer, and a Lost Glass

It's been a rough few months here for our drinkware.  I mentioned previously dropping one of my favorite coffee mugs. Now, a classic beer glass has met its demise, and not without collateral damage.

I had enjoyed a sunny afternoon with a Sierra Nevada Celebration, one from 2020 that had been hiding in the back of the beer fridge. This annual winter release is always anticipated for its fresh hop goodness. They usually don't last long here, but at least the bottle ensured it retained most of its flavor.

The cigar smoked was Plasencia Reserva Original. Being a Nicaraguan puro, (a blend I have been gravitating to of late) I get the expected mash of espresso, cedar, pepper, and dark cherry notes, all softened with some sweet bread. The cigar is medium bodied, but richly flavored. 

I had some trepidation how the cigar and beer would match up, but surprisingly the flavors melded well. This cigar is something one could enjoy in the morning with coffee, or with an after dinner bourbon. And, obviously, a hoppy beer. 

The glassware I used was a promotional glass I had picked up years ago at some "Steal the Glass"event at a local pub. With an easy to hold shape, and embossed with the brewery name on one side, and the Celebration on the other, it makes fun glass to use with a fun beer. (And for added bling in the Instagram shot.) Alas, as I was washing the glass the next day, as I place my hand and sponge into the glass, it shattered. Granted the glass was at least a decade old, but I am always careful to not forcibly shove my hand inside.

The glass was one of a pair, and we've accumulated hundreds of logo glasses over the years, so only a sentimental loss. The sharp edge did make a pretty significant slice on my hand. Actually more of a filet than deep cut. I'll spare you photo of the wound or bloody sink. 

I needed another drink after this.

Cheers!