Jim Beam Repeal Batch & Le Carême Pairing

I've experimented with a lot of cigar and beverage pairings over the past few years. Be it whiskey, beer, coffee, soda, tea, etc., many work, some do not. Surprising as it may seem, I find coffee to be one of the hardest things to pair with cigars, especially black coffee. (Which, face it, is the only proper way to drink coffee.) Plain water is way down on my list when it comes to cigar accompaniment. To me it rarely enhances, and sometimes detracts from the cigar's flavor.

Most enjoyable are those times when a pairing works exceptionally well. That was the case recently when I poured some Jim Beam Repeal Batch bourbon with the Crowned Heads Le Carême Belicosos Finos 2021.

Jim Beam Repeal Batch is a bottle I picked up when it was first released in 2019. I enjoyed it, and emptied most of the bottle, before being distracted by other things. Repeal Batch is said to have been inspired by the Jim Beam bourbon of the 1930's. The bourbon is aged four years, is non-chill filtered, and bottled at 43%ABV. The flavor profile features oak, butter, and vanilla. It's a very smooth sipper with a clean finish. It sells locally (when you can find it) for $16.99 for a 750 ml bottle. It's a fine whiskey at a bargain price.

Recently I had to urge to dig out the Repeal Batch again. When I had the chance to do so on a recent Friday evening, I thought hard about what cigar to enjoy with it. I settled on the limited edition Le Carême Belicosos Finos 2021. Le Carême from Crowned Heads is one of my "keep on hand" cigars and the belicosos format is one I really enjoy in many cigars.

This turned out to be a great pairing, surpassing even my expectations. The cigar is medium bodied with creamy, sweet notes. There's a touch of cedar spice to add some complexity. The sweet oak and vanilla of the bourbon complimented it to perfection.

When I picked up this bourbon a couple years ago, the guy at the ABC store remarked, "At that price, you should buy more." In retrospect, he was right, and I'll probably grab more when I see it on the shelves. After a long period of unavailability, the regular production Le Carême is back in the stores. The limited release series is probably gone until another year, but I'll be watching for it too.

Cheers!

Long Weekend Getaway

We recently escaped the daily routine around the house for an extended weekend in the southern reaches of Virginia. We found a small cabin rental near Galax, Virginia, located next to a charming stream. The cabin sat at the end of a long, gravel single lane road. Peaceful seclusion at its finest.

One of the first things we noticed upon arrival was that the fire pit by the stream was already stacked with kindling with a pile of firewood left nearby. It was the perfect place to relax after a long day of driving. The Crowned Heads La Coalición provided the perfect accompaniment to a cool glass of Legend Brown Ale. 

On the second afternoon of the trip we made an extended visit to a local craft brewery, Creek Bottom Brewing Company. We had a great time enjoying great food and beer, so expect a review of this brewery in a future post. Returning to the cabin, we once again retreated to the stream side fire pit. This time I lit a cigar I have been looking forward to with much excitement.

Crowned Heads Le Carême Belicosos Finos LE 2021 is a limited edition of the wonderful La Carême. La Carême is one of my "keep on hand" stick, if possible. I say "if possible" because the cigar has been unavailable for a while, in any vitola. The Belicosos Finos Limited Edition was last released in 2019. After seeing an availability announcement, I was fortunate enough to get in a pre-order for a box of the 2021 release. The cigars arrived a few weeks ago and I brought one along to enjoy on the trip. It's a great stick and I look forward to enjoying the rest of the box, over time.

We did a little sightseeing during the trip but spent most of our days hanging out at the cabin. The view and the sounds of the water, and the many birds flitting about were quite enjoyable. We even spied a mature bald eagle sitting over the stream. The early morning dew added to the mystique and beauty. 

It wasn't all time by the fire. The deck on the house offered a nice view, which at one point included a point of Guinness Stout and an Oliva NUb Maduro on a sunny afternoon. 

The Shot Tower State Park provided a brief respite from the drive on the trip home. The 75 foot tower was visible from the highway and we saw it on the drive down, so vowed to check it out. There appeared to be a nice walk along the New River adjacent to the park, which was noted for further exploration on a future visit.

The five day getaway was a most welcome break. While much of the time was spent reading or just sitting around, it was devoid of chores, and despite reasonable internet connectivity, no work-related interruptions. It wasn't until we started planning possible excursions for 2021 that I realized how little time off I'd taken in 2020. Hopefully, we'll make up for that in the coming year.

A Perfect Match: Le Carême and Eagle Rare on a Fall Evening

When I unboxed the July Cigar of the Month package from Cigar and Pipes and saw the Crowned Heads Le Carême, I smiled. The Le Carême is one of my all-time favorite smokes. Then I noticed the enclosed cigar was the 6 ½ x 48 Hermoso No. 1 vitola, and I realized it was one of only two Le Carême releases I had never tried, the other being the 2018 Belicosos Finos Limited Edition. After letting it rest in my humidor for eight weeks, I decided it was time to light it up this weekend.

The Hermoso No. 1 features the familiar Le Carême blend: a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper, Ecuadorian Sumatra binder, and Nicaraguan fillers. The box-pressed stick sported an oily wrapper and was quite firm — especially toward the cap end. The draw was tight at first, limiting smoke production.

By the halfway point, the draw became even more restrictive. I spent some time gently massaging the cigar until it lost most of its box-pressed shape and began to resemble a traditional round cigar. The effort paid off, as the draw loosened and flavorful smoke began to flow more freely. It’s a constant source of wonder to me why so many manufacturers are so enamored with box-pressing their cigars these days. Interestingly, the Limited Edition Le Carême releases are not box-pressed, though the core line is.

To pair with the creamy cocoa, sweet chocolate, caramel, and espresso notes of the Le Carême, I poured a glass of Eagle Rare Bourbon. The 90-proof bourbon complemented the cigar beautifully. Vanilla, honey, and dark fruit led the flavor profile, with a pleasing spice emerging toward the finish. A long, sweet aftertaste lingered just long enough to meet the next puff of the Le Carême in perfect harmony.

The crickets in the woods were especially vocal on this cool fall evening, and I soon drowned them out with a little blues playing from the porch speaker. The seventy-minute smoke was entirely satisfying, though it reminded me that it’s nearly time to bring out the porch heater for the season. But, as they say, needs must.

Cheers!

An Evening of Flavor: Skipper’s Select Bourbon and Crowned Heads Le Carême

I picked up a bottle of J. H. Bards Skipper's Select Toasted Barrel Bourbon while visiting the tasting room a couple months ago. I had nearly forgotten about it until now but on a very pleasant Halloween evening, I decided to open it. Trick or Treating is a non-event the last few years in our neighborhood, so I knew I wouldn't be interrupted. I looked forward to a relaxing evening on the deck.

Named after Skipper, the cannon that fires with every VA Tech Hokies football score in Lane Stadium, this release supports a great cause, the Triumph NIL fund for VT athletes. I was hopeful the whiskey would live up to the occasion.

The aroma brings the classic caramel and vanilla notes that bourbon lovers expect, but the toasted barrel aging adds a mild, satisfying char that deepens each sip. Overall the flavor is smooth, sweet caramel and fruit. The wood char finish is quite pleasant. The finish is smooth and short lived. It's a very pleasant and enjoyable sipper at a mild 93 proof.

For the cigar, I selected my last Crowned Heads Le Carême 2021 Limited Edition Belicosos Finos. It had been aging in my humidor for over three years, making this final smoke bittersweet. 

The well-aged cigar was exceptionally enjoyable. The cigar burned beautifully, releasing rich, flavorful smoke. The creamy chocolate and cedar flavors of the Le Carême paired wonderfully with the bourbon’s caramel and char notes. Beside the Crowned Head La Carême being one of my favorite cigars, I believe the Skipper's Select Toast Barrel Finish just might be my favorite J. H. Bards spirit yet.

While enjoying the Le Carême Limited Edition I had a flashback to the very first one of these I smoked from the box I had purchased on preorder. We were on a getaway to a cabin in southwest Virginia and enjoyed it around the fire. I thought it was interesting how that memory popped into mind, and how distinct it was. It’s amazing how a well-aged cigar and a good bourbon can bring back the best memories. 

Here’s to more evenings like this one.

Cheers!

Crowned Heads Le Carême Pastelitos 2023 Limited Edition

The Le Carême from by Crowned Heads is one of my favorite smokes. I always have it in the humidor, and currently I've got three different vitolas on hand. The Le Carême Pastelitos 2023 Limited Edition 2023 is the latest addition to that lineup.

This is a unique shape for the blend. Not only is it a short 4" x 54 robusto, the cigar is round, rather than the box press most usually seen. There is an also a decorative pigtail end cap. The limited Belicosos Finos is a somewhat annual round torpedo I've mused on previously. Like all the Le Carême, Pastelitos features a Connecticut broadleaf wrapper with an Ecuadorian Sumatra binder and fillers from Nicaragua. 

The pre-release marketing noted the Pastelitos has a short smoke suitable for those cold winter smoking sessions. The cigars did not ship to retailers until April. I've smoked two since they arrived, but I will surely have plenty left come next winter. I placed an online order pre-release last February for a five pack, and then at the end of March placed the same order, forgetting I had an order already waiting. It was a nice surprise when I received two shipping notices on the same day in April!

The Pastelitos flavor profile is similar to the other in the line. It's that medium body and creamy, sweet notes, with a touch of cedar that makes it pair so with bourbon or coffee. The smoking time was around 40 minutes.

For the aforementioned bourbon pairing, I grabbed the bottle of Wyoming Whiskey Small Batch. This is a  tame five year bourbon that comes in at 88 proof. There's a mild balanced flavor profile with raisins, brown sugar, and charred wood. The finish as a touch of heat and lingers, more so than expected in the low proof. 

I'll try to resist, and leave the remaining Pastelitos to rest in my humidor until next winter when I am desiring of a quick 30-45 minute smoke. Should I fail, you'll read about it here. 

Cheers!

Warming Up On A Cool Fall Evening

One a recent cool fall evening I broke out the only A. Smith Bowman whiskey I’ve not previously tried, at least to my memory, the Isaac Bowman Port Barrel Finished Bourbon. This lapse despite living local and even working next door to the distillery for many years. The bourbon has been hard to find for most of this year due to a bottle shortage. During a recent tour of the distillery I asked what was happening with all the Isaac Bowman sitting in port barrels and was told they had stock ready and it had been transferred to stainless steel tanks to hold. The bottle supply issue seems to have been resolved as all the Bowman bourbons have appeared in quantity at the ABC stores the last couple weeks.

The bourbon has some sweet fruit on the nose. The flavor profile is less sweet with dark fruit and a refined port influence. At 92 Proof, it's easy on the palate and has a clean, short finish with a faint lingering fruitiness. I’ve not always enjoyed port finished bourbons but this is a winner IMO. For $40 this could be a staple on the shelf. 

I chose one of my favorite cigar blends to enjoy with the bourbon, the Crowned Heads La Carême. I enjoy this cigar in all it's variations, but the 2021 Limited Edition Belicosos Finos is especially nice. (And now only three left in the box.)

The cigar is medium bodied with creamy, sweet notes. There's a touch of cedar spice to add some complexity and it's one that seems to go especially well with bourbons of all sorts.

 

Warm days followed by cool nights . . . that's Fall in Virginia. It takes me a while to adapt to smoking in the cold, using the propane and electric heaters. At first, I'll just forgo the pleasure, but as the cool evenings become more regular, the choice must be made. I've finally broken out one of the heaters. After burning off the dust, it provided just the touch to ward off the chill. And the bourbon didn't hurt either.

Afternoon Coffee and Cigar

Ah, the Winter Solstice. My reminder that the days will now start getting longer, even if the average temperature remains miserably low. At least we've turned the corner on short days. This week, after errands and lunch out with Colleen, I relaxed on the deck with a cappuccino and a smoke. 

The smoke selection this afternoon was the Crowned Heads Le Carême Belicosos Finos LE 2021. I've mentioned this limited edition version of Le Carême in the past since the brand is a favorite. The medium bodied blend of sweetness with spice made an excellent pairing with the creamy espresso drink.

The coffee in the cup didn't last as long as the smoke, but I was enjoying the cigar immensely, so didn't feel compelled to venture inside to prepare another cup. And the temperature on the deck, supplemented by propane and electric heat, was made quite pleasant. With enough good beverage and cigars, we'll get through the winter yet.