Vitola: Long Robusto- 5.5” x 50 ring gauge
- Included in SnS 2018 Kit, total value $150
Background
For the second installment in this series, I opted to go with the SnS 2018 #3. There were a couple reasons. First, it was a chilly early spring day, topping out at about 55 degrees, but with the sun starting to descend and a freeze warning on for the late night/early morning hours, I knew it wouldn’t stay warm enough to smoke something much bigger than this…basically a Robusto with an extra half an inch on it. Second, I needed something a little milder than the Broadleaf I did last time, because the beer I was pairing with it wasn’t all that full-bodied, either…at least I didn’t think it would be.
#3 appears to have a Habano wrapper, although I guess it could be Sumatra just looking at it. On first glance it’s closer to the Habano Rosado I’ve seen on some Tatuaje releases like the lighter-colored 15th Anniversary, or maybe the Reserva sw. It’s always a safe bet that the innards are Nicaraguan for filler and probably binder.
Today’s selection from Monkey Town Brewing Company (in beautiful downtown Dayton, Tennessee) is the latest in their line of milkshake IPAs…something called Boysen 2 Men. The description in Untappd calls this a “Double Boysenberry Milkshake IPA aged on twice the amount of vanilla beans as our usual Milkshake IPA series.” And in case you haven’t heard about “Milkshake IPAs,” the same source defines it as “Similar to the New England style IPA, this style uses pectin, rich fruits, oats, and lactose to enrich the beer.” It weighs in at 7.5% ABV.
Notes
As with last time, I took a sip of the beer right after I took some photos. I’ve tried several of the other beers in MTBC’s Milkshake IPA series…and I enjoyed them!…but I knew right away this one was something extra special. It had a sweet and tart berry note that took me back to the first sour beer I enjoyed, The Bruery’s Frucht Boysen. The lactose comes on really strong in the mix here, adding plenty of creaminess and sweetness to the mix. I’m not even sure why this is considered an IPA since it really doesn’t have the characteristic bitter hoppiness of an IPA. All I know is that I love them.
The cigar had notes of wood and grass on the wrapper…and pretty much the same on the foot since it was a closed foot stick. The cold draw was very good and tasted of cedar and earth, with a touch of sweetness in the mix. Lighting it up, I got a good amount of cedar on the palate, along with a slight red pepper burn and an underlying sweet note. The retrohale was nutty and extremely peppery.
As the cigar went on, it remained woody mostly, with some nutty and sweet overtones and a slightly increasing pepper burn. It was medium-bodied and very well-balanced. Surprisingly, it went really well with the beer, which added it’s own sweetness and just enough tartness. It was an unexpectedly nice pairing.
