Tag: Cigar

Smoking a cigar at Chateau Pape Clement in Pessac, Bordeaux.

Have a Cigar: Sin Compromiso Seleccion No. 5 Parejo

Chris Khatsch1 Comment

Name: Sin Compromiso Seleccion No. 5 Parejo
Country: Nicaragua
Shape: Parejo, Box-Pressed
Size: Toro (6 inches x 54)
Strength: Medium to Full

Last week, I went on a wine adventure with my wife, and this was one of the cigars I took to Bordeaux with me. I smoked it the night we stayed at Chateau Pape Clement, which is a beautiful Chateau in the Pessac region that produces Grand Cru Classé wine. We stayed there for one night.

The Sin Compromiso had a good draw, and it burned slowly and evenly. The notes were nicely balanced, and the primary flavors I got were dark chocolate, burnt bread, and pepper.

I paired it with espresso, partly because I like pairing cigars with coffee and partly because I wanted my body to take a break from wine. We had a wine tasting scheduled at 11 AM the next day.

Overall, I’d give the Sin Compromiso an 85/100, and I wouldn’t mind smoking one again.

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.