Tag: Cigar

Lebanese wine review: Clos St. Thomas Les Gourmets Red from the Bekaa Valley of Lebanon

Lebanese Wines: Clos St. Thomas Les Gourmets Rouge 2019

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Name: Clos St. Thomas Les Gourmets Rouge
Type: Red Wine
Grapes: Syrah, Cinsault, Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon
Year: 2019
Country: Lebanon
Region: Bekaa Valley
Date Consumed: April 30, 2024

A smooth, medium-bodied red wine from the Chateau St Thomas vineyard with low tannins and medium acidity. The major notes I got were of sweet berries, ripe red cherry, iron, and strawberry-lemon lollipop.

Les Gourmets Rouge is an affordable, easy-to-drink kind of wine, made to be consumed in casual settings.

It may not invoke the muses, and it may not release poetry from one’s lips, but it does have the power to create an environment where one can initiate warm conversations with close family members and friends.

Food Pairing: Red sauce pastas, cold cuts and cheeses, nuts and chips.

Cigar Pairing: medium-bodied claro or Colorado cigars. Maybe the Chateau Fuente King T Natural, or the Juan Lopez Adon, or even the Casa Turrent 1880 Rosado Gordito.

Cigar Review Lebanon: Have a Cigar Arturo Fuente Chateau Fuente King T

Have a Cigar: Arturo Fuente Chateau Fuente King T Natural

Chris Khatsch2 Comments

Name: Arturo Fuente Chateau Fuente King T Natural
Country: Dominican Republic
Shape: Parejo
Size: Churchill (7 inches x 49)
Strength: Medium

I paired this medium-bodied cigar with espresso and sparkling water.

Branding: 90/100
When I walked in the lounge’s humidor, I wasn’t planning to light an Arturo Fuente. I was looking for something big — a toro or a double toro — with a maduro wrapper. But the Chateau Fuente King T’s Churchill-sized tube made me wonder what’s inside. And that was enough for me to pick it up.

Construction: 80/100
Good construction, but it did have some imperfections. (Jokingly, I’d say it looked like a Cuban.) Like many works of fine art, however, it is the imperfection that gives it its final character. If all cigars were perfect, then all cigars would taste the same.

Experience: 90/100
Smooth. Nice and even burn. Excellent draw. Good smoke. Average ash. Nonetheless, a great smoking experience overall.

Duration: I smoked it slowly. It took me 120 minutes to finish it.

Flavor: I got notes of earth, cream, oak, and spices. Some sweet, gamey hints here and there — like grilled meat dipped in honey.

Pairing ideas: Medium-complexity single malts, lagers, or medium-bodied red wines like Pinot Noir.

Joya De Nicaragua Black Toro Cigar Review from Lebanon during Sunset

Have a Cigar: Joya De Nicaragua Black Toro

Chris Khatsch1 Comment

Name: Joya Black Toro
Country: Nicaragua
Shape: Parejo
Size: Toro (6 inches x 52)
Strength: Medium

A flavorful, medium-bodied cigar that pairs well with blended Scotch.

Branding: Here’s an attractive cigar. The band gives it a bad boy vibe. (Because it’s named Black, I felt like pairing the first third with a glass of Johnnie Walker Black Label.)

Construction: Masterfully rolled, the Joya Black has no weaknesses.

Pre-light: Promising a rich experience full of flavors.

Cut: Straight cut, as always.

Burn: Great and even burn.

Duration: 90 minutes.

Draw: Firm draw. Could have been a little looser.

Smoke: Good.

Ash: Good.

Flavor: Coffee, leather, and hints of pepper.