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!

Room 101 Snake Shake Cigar and Old Elk Bourbon

It had been more than a week since a relaxing cigar found its way onto the schedule. But finally, a free evening at home, and somewhat moderate weather prevailed. Looking through the humidor I noticed I still had cigars from the monthly Luxury Cigar Club packages waiting to be explored. I grabbed an unfamiliar cigar one called the Room 101 Snake Shake. The gold embossed band inspired me to grab a somewhat color-coordinated bottle of Old Elk Cognac Cask Finish Bourbon.

The 6 x 50 Toro had been resting in the humidor since November. The blend is a shiny Nicaraguan puro sporting a dark chocolate color wrapper. The wrapper is oily with a sort of "smooth roughness" to it. It was an attractive roll and gave a hint of a bold, enjoyable smoke to come.

The first puffs on the cigar provided an eye-opening blast of pepper spice. After a few minutes the spiciness was balanced by other flavor notes. Rich coffee and the bitterness of dark chocolate come into play. Earth and leather provided background notes. The cigar is full bodied and flavorful, yet manageable. The Snake Shake is a Luxury Cigar Club exclusive and I expect I'll soon be ordering a few more. This will be a great late night smoke with bourbon come the warmer months especially.

The Old Eld Cognac Cask Finish turned out to be a good match for the cigar. The bourbon is aged for at least five years in Limousin oak casks, after which it is finished in cognac casks for 10 months. The aroma is sweet with the 109.7 proof whispering its presence.  Upon sipping, sweet raison and apple notes predominate, along with caramel and oak. The proof shows in the finish with a mild spicy heat, which provides a small extra "oomph" without being overpowering.

The cigar burned perfectly, giving an 80 minute smoke. The sweet and mildly warm bourbon provided a nice foil for the pepper of the smoke. Nothing disappointing to be said about the pairing at all.

Cheers!

Hibiki Whiskey and Room 101 Send Nudes

A mid-week opportunity to enjoy a cigar and a drink arose somewhat unexpectedly. Despite the cold temperature outside I couldn't resist taking advantage. I grabbed a Room 101 Send Nudes smoke from my humidor, and grabbed the bottle of Hibiki Harmony Japanese Whisky I've been eyeing.

I've actually had the whiskey sitting on my shelves for a couple years. Despite the fancy attention-getting faceted glass bottle, it had not been visited recently. I've been wanting to drink it again, but newer bottles kept getting my focus.

Hibiki Harmony checks in at a mild 86 proof. The golden liquid has a pleasing floral and honey aroma. In the sipping, the whisky comes alive. It's light, and flavorful at the same time. Fruit, honey, cinnamon, and a host of other notes blend into a palate pleaser. The finish is clean with a touch of sweetness and heat.  I'm a jaded bourbon lover, but the bright, mild Japanese whisky was most delightful. 

The unbanded Room 101 Send Nudes cigar was included in the November Luxury Cigar Club monthly shipment. I knew Room 101 by name, but that's about the extent of my familiarity. The only description provided was of Nicaraguan binders and fillers. The Toro sized stick appears to have Habano wrapper of some ilk. I admittedly was not expecting much excitement from the stick, and figured it would be worth the risk of lighting it up in the cold.

Immediately upon lighting it, I was hit with a burst of pepper. Wow, I was not expecting that. As the cigar progressed to the halfway point, the spice diminished. It was still there in the back, but balanced by black coffee and woody notes. It remained a flavorful smoke until I had to put it down. While at the start the smoke overpowered the Hibiki a bit, the combo developed into an enjoyable pairing.

One of the banes of cold weather smoking is occasionally a wrapper will crack and explode from the cold, dry air. About the midway point of this cigar I noticed some minor flaking of the wrapper, which the burn easily passed by without any issue. Along about the start of the last quarter, the wrapper developed more significant cracks along its length. At one point I actually heard a "pop" as the wrapper split. It was below 40° at this point, and I was leaning over the propane heater, which may have compounded the issue.

Ah well, my glass was empty and my hands were cold, so I didn't try to salvage the last bit. It had been a surprisingly enjoyable break, and I felt no disappointment with the either drink or the cigar.

Cheers!