So, I decided to go with a commercial brew from Great Divide Brewery out in Denver, Colorado. They're one of my favorite breweries and many of their beers find their way into my fridge on a pretty consistent basis. However, the Samurai Rice Ale was a brew that I hadn't had the opportunity to enjoy and I thought that maybe it was time to take this beer for a test drink.The Diesel Unholy Cocktail is a cigar that's been garnering a lot of praise. Diesel cigars in general are also enjoying a lot of publicity, especially with Shorty Rossi of "Pit Boss" endorsing the Diesel Shorty. This particular cigar is one that Shuckins (one of my buddies from Puff.com) bombed me with recently. I figure since Shuckins endorses it, that's all I need to know. So, I'm planning on an amazing smoke complemented by a crisp sparkling brew.
Specs:
Great Divide Brewery - Samurai Rice Ale
Availability - Most liquor stores within relative proximity to Denver, Co. Specifically, this means most states bordering Colorado and maybe even a bit beyond Kansas (Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia, Washington DC and believe it or not, Belgium and Japan).
ABV - 5.2%
Seasonal: Summer
Type of Beer: Higher ABV, possibly a session beer for the initiated.
The Diesel Unholy Cocktail, however, "Un" in unholy. By definition, unholy means Sinful; wicked. Not holy; unconsecrated. I'd have to disagree on this definition, though, because the marriage between the tobaccos in this torpedo has definitely been consecrated. And it's "wicked" good.
Diesel Unholy Cocktail Facts:
Origin- NicaraguaVitola - Torpedo
Length - 5"
RG - 56
Filler - Three regions of Nicaragua; Jalapa, Condega, Esteli
Binder - Nicaragua
Wrapper - Pennsylvania Broadleaf Maduro
The price of this cigar was FREE (thanks to Shuckins). However, I'm averaging about $2.55 per sticks by purchasing 5-ers or 20 packs of samplers. This stick is available in boxes of 30 for around $100, 5-ers are about $23 and a single runs around $6.
The Review:
Pint
The appearance of the Samurai Ale is golden. Small (about 1/2") but bubbly head. Nice sparkle in the sunlight. Lacing is gossamer thin and almost semi-transparent. It reminds me more of champagne than beer, to be honest.
Puff
I started this cigar at about 8:15pm, so I was running later than usual. I used a Dickman cut because I really like that cut on torpedos. The overall appearance of this cigar is wicked right down to the typography on the footband. Normally, I'm not a fan of bands arund the foot of a cigar, but this particular cigar works it like a hot stripper on a pole. Very few veins and nearly invisible seams give this cigar a great overall look. The cigar is "plump" in a good way almost tight. The wrapper has a beautiful deep brown and slight oily sheen.
Pint
The aroma of this beer is somewhat floral/citrus. Not overwhelming. I don't get a real hops profile and the malt seems to take a leading role. I'm not a rice aficionado, but I assume that there's supposed to be some sort of aroma profile. I don't get one, though.
PuffThe cold draw on the UC is a bit tight. I'm concerned that the humidity is going to make this into a tough smoke. The initial toast and light is very easy with a very even light right from the start. Initially there is a lot of smoke. After purging, my first draw brings initial flavors of cedar and some nuttiness, specifically peanuts. There is a slight black pepper and the overall blend is earthy tobacco. The draw is perfect and the cigar smokes easily.
Pint
As I take my first sip of the Samurai Pale, I'm hoping for something that makes it unique. When it hits my tongue, the initial taste is reminiscent of a pilsner. It's very easy on the tastebuds, but the flavor is almost neutral. It's a good beer, but it doesn't give me the "OMG! This is going to be an amazing beer" flavor that I'm looking for. I'm concerned that this beer is not going to be able to hold its own against the UC.
Puff
The first third of the UC is very good. It's not overwhelming. The smoke is beautiful. It's not overly complex, but the blend is amazingly good. The smell of the smoke is very fragrant in a good way. I pull four long puffs per draw and the smoke doesn't even think about getting warm. After the stick has been lit for about 20 min., the smoke tapers off. The peanut flavor is still carrying through, but the aroma of the tobacco still has that deep earthiness to it. The ash is slightly flaky, but overall very dense. The draw seems to be tightening up a bit due to the humidity outside.
Pint
My first impression of this beer being similar to champagne is fairly accurate. The mouthfeel has a light smoothness to it that I would describe as almost like pop-rocks. Sparkly and tingly, however, this leaves the tongue fairly quickly and finishes off smooth and slightly malty.
Puff
I'm hitting the 45-minute mark on this stogie and I'll be damned if I don't lap the ash. This is really disappointing to me after seeing so many photos of this particular stick with a solid ash almost to the nub. The draw has tightened up considerably, but there's a nice floral aroma coming from the cigar that actually matches up really nicely with the Samurai Pale. Through the second third the floral morphs into gentle citrus. Then the pepper kicks in again and the cigar hits an earthy phase that's stronger than the first third. The peanuts are gone. I nudged the head with my teeth a bit and the cigar opened up immediately. The draw was much better after this. The cedar has also returned for the second third. There's warmth in the smoke, but it's not bitter or unpleasant.
Pint
My overall impression is that the Samurai Pale Ale is a perfect "sit on the deck and enjoy summer" type of beer. No overwhelming flavors that beg to be tasted. The rice may be more of a gimmick than anything because I'm not noticing that it imparts any rice characteristics or flavors to the beer. This brew has a nice aftertaste, the lacing is a bit weak. With a 5.2% ABV, this beer does have a bit more of a kick than a normal session beer, but it's still very good after a long day at work or hot day out doing yardwork. Oddly enough, this beer actually matches up pretty well with the first third of the Diesel Unholy Cocktail.
Puff
The first two thirds of this stick were just getting warmed up. During the final third, the shit really hits the fan, but in a good way. This diesel takes its time. You start it. It warms up and runs at a nice even pace, but then, once it gets going, it starts to fly like a Cummins on a dark highway. The heady aroma and smokability of the first two-thirds fool you into thinking that this cigar is going to meld with your lips and gently lull you into pleasant thoughts. Then, it nails you to the floor with the final third. It's not bitter, but the spice and pepper start kicking you in the tongue like David Beckham with a bad attitude. The good thing is... you'll enjoy this beatdown. There are no "notes" of pepper/earthiness/spice at this point. It's a full on heavy metal concert in your mouth. The aroma of fresh cedar also blends nicely with these flavors. If you breathe in slightly (not inhaling, just try to catch the aroma of the cigar while you puff), it's almost like cutting down an evergreen in November.
Final Thoughts: The Diesel Unholy Cocktail is a cigar well worth nubbing. It's consistent throughout and I fully blame my ash issues on the humidity here in Kansas. Medium to full-bodied, and definitely the final third is full-bodied. High notes of pepper and spice blended with earthiness and cedar and some peanuts thrown in for an extra kick. I would recommend this cigar to a seasoned smoker. It does have a bit of ass-kick after you get through the first half. Overall, very aromatic and vigorous.
Rating:
The Diesel Unholy Cocktail gets a great rating of 4 out of 5 puffs.
The Great Divide Samurai Pale Ale is overall good and gets a rating of 3 out of 5 pints.
That's all for now...
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