Vitola: Corona Gorda- 5.5” x 46 ring gauge
- $9.25
- Cigar provided by Cornelius & Anthony Cigars; Whiskey purchased at Jax, Chattanooga, TN
Background
Today I am visiting with a couple of old friends…
Daddy Mac was the second blend released from Cornelius & Anthony Cigars and the first made in Nicaragua at Eric Espinosa’s La Zona factory. It uses Nicaraguan filler and binder leaves along with a Brazilian wrapper. I published a full review on Daddy Mac close to two-and-a-half years ago. I did enjoy it, but felt like it wasn’t the most compelling cigar I had smoked recently. Since that time I’ve had other C&A sticks that I’ve simply liked better (including Señor Esugars, Venganza and Aerial), so I have to admit to not revisiting this one much.
The other old friend is Mr. Elijah Craig. Mr. Craig hails from Kentucky…the real Mr. Craig is part of the legend of the creation of Bourbon when he accidentally got his whiskey barrels charred before using them. Whether that story is true or not, Heaven Hill makes several Bourbons labeled with his name in their Louisville distillery. I believe at least a portion of that is barreled and aged in Bardstown, where the company is headquartered. This particular bottle is an 11-year-aged whiskey selected for bottling by Jax Liquors in Chattanooga, Tennessee. It is 94 Proof (47% ABV). Heaven Hills uses a standard 78% corn, 10% rye, 12% malted barley mash bill for Elijah Craig (and Evan Williams and Henry McKenna and some Parker’s Heritage…and Heaven Hill-branded Bourbons), using barrel char #3 or #4. Mash bill info from Liquor-dot-com.
Daddy Mac is available from Leaf Enthusiast sponsor, Cigar and Pipes and Small Batch Cigar.
Notes
The Elijah Craig was a medium-dark amber color and had a medium-heavy viscosity when swirled in my glass. Nosing it, I got a ton of oak aroma right up front, with vanilla and caramel notes coming in behind that. Sniffing multiple times broke through and got a little of the corn graininess in the aroma and some honey.
It was smooth and light on the lips, with plenty of caramel sweetness and an exquisite vanilla secondary flavor. The relatively low amount of rye in the Bourbon kept the spice at bay until the finish after I swallowed. It’s at times like this that I remember why I took such an affinity to Elijah Craig in the last decade. It is just a dynamite medium-bodied Bourbon that is rounded enough to work with just about any cigar and cheap enough that it won’t break the bank (this store exclusive was between $35 and $40, but in general you can still get Elijah Craig Small Batch for $30 or slightly north of that amount).
The Daddy Mac was medium-bodied, with a notes of cedar and honey, along with a touch of pepper spice. It mixed well with the Bourbon, although I have to say it didn’t really improve the cigar much, if at all. Again, I have emphasize that this is a perfectly “good” cigar, but just doesn’t hit my palate in a way that I can call it “great.”
