Vitola: Toro- 6” x 52 ring gauge
- Included in SnS 2018 Kit, total value $150
Background
For the last installment off this look at the SnS 2018 membership kit cigars, I got myself back to Monkey Town Brewing Company and brought cigar #4. It was the first time we got above the 80º mark in Dayton this year…but I’m quite certain it wouldn’t be the last. I sat outside in the burgeoning shade of a mid-spring maple.
As far as I could tell, #4 was wrapped in a Habano leaf, just judging by color, feel and aroma. Could have been Sumatra, I guess…I only play an expert on these matters about 4 days a week.
I ordered up a Monkey Town mainstay this time: Amber Waves of Grain, an American brown ale that was flavorful enough to go with the cigar, but light enough to drink on a warm day.
Notes
The beer was a dark amber color, certainly brown enough to be called a brown ale, but I would probably call it an “amber ale” myself just to differentiate it from nut brown ales, of which I’ve still only found one that I would repeat. Without the ABV or IBU being stated, I was left to just speculate on those matters. Amber Waves was malty and slightly hoppy, with just the slightest nuttiness.
The SnS 2018 #4 was medium-bodied with plenty of earth and cedar, along with just a bit of pepper spice. It was just about perfect as an example of middle-of-the-road Nicaraguan cigars that have great flavor. I would take one of these all day long over a Padron 1964 Anniversary Natural…I’m a Maduro guy for that line of Padrons.
Nice pairing, too. Neither cigar nor beer overpowered the other. Although I’d still rather have Bourbon with a cigar almost anytime…or a Monkey Town Stout with a Nicaraguan Maduro…the last year or so of exploration of beer styles has really paid off with a much better ability to pair good beer with good smokes.
This wraps it up for the SnS 2018 series. I hope you enjoyed it and if you liked it I hope you can join the Saints and Sinners Club for 2019. Basically, you have to have a friend who is already “in” and has an invitation to give. Every member gets a single invitation to extend each year…don’t ask me, mine is already spoken for.
