Vitola: Corona Gorda- 6” x 48 ring gauge
- Included in SnS 2018 Kit, total value $150
Background
SnS 2018 kit part 3 brings us to the cigar labeled #1. The mottled light and medium brown areas of this one immediately made me think of Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper, although with no facts anywhere that I could find, I could be off. I liked the Corona Gorda size and decided that if it were, in fact, Sumatra it might go quite well with the beer I had chosen.
In an effort to not appear to always be reviewing Monkey Town Brewing Company products, today I am taking a look at Hutton & Smith’s The Promenade. Hutton & Smith Brewing Company is located in downtown Chattanooga, Tennessee, not too awfully far from the downtown location of Burns Tobacconist, where I work. We also carry several of their beers at our downtown shop, so if you’re in the area and want to try a cigar and beer pairing, we have you covered.
The Promenade is a beer from H&S that I keep coming back to. It’s a New England IPA with a medium bitterness and a juicy, tropical flavor. It weighs in a 6.6% ABV. It is widely available in East Tennessee…I bought my at the local Food City (grocery store chain).
Notes
The beer first…as has become my tradition…Wow…this may be the first time I’ve poured it out of the can and that is a really bright orange beer. It’s almost the color of orange juice…except OJ doesn’t typically have a carbonated head. It had an aroma of mango more than anything else. Taking a sip, I found The Promenade to be very “fruit forward”…something you might say of wine, but not so much of beer. The hoppy bitterness was really kept at a minimum, sneaking in toward the finish. Overall, though, I found this to be a very approachable, drinkable craft beer.
The SnS #1 had a very cedary aroma to the wrapper leaf, while the foot was more earthy, with a touch of sweetness. Once lit, I got tons of cedar, some red pepper and earth, and a touch of sweetness and a mineral note that seemed to confirm that this was a Sumatra wrapper leaf. The retrohale had mostly searing red pepper with a touch of roasted nuts.
I have to say the beer brought a tremendous amount of sweetness to the party and it was very welcome. I have not often really enjoyed Tatuaje’s Sumatra-wrapped offerings, but adding a nice sweet beverage beside it, really seems to have enhanced the experience for me.
