'03 RyJ Petite Corona (BGRW)

[teamrandr]

  Okay I sit down with this oldie to reflect on the past month. My life has been kind of in a whirlwind so to speak ever since I lost my Grandma in November. She was a mentor to me. She was everything that you think of that is right about life. It almost seemed like the emotional rollercoaster of her passing blended seamlessly with the pandemic hysteria. Every step I take and think I might falter I am surprised at my own strength. I sit here so blessed and so fortunate to be able to smoke this oldie on my back patio. I must be grateful during these times. Rob encouraged us to bring out the big guns. For some reason this stick called to me. What a great day to review this stick for the FOH heads.

 

    First 3rd Cold aroma is pleasant but faint. It is straight tobacco. This doesn't make me upset. The wrapper while rather fugly does have some nice characteristics. There is still a nice sheen to the wrapper. Upfront we are blown away with a pepper flavor. Not Nicaragua pepper though. Sort of bell pepper flavor. Interesting to say the least. Wow as we progress the sweetness of the smoke is incredible. Not necessarily something I look for in a smoke. This is welcome however. I am getting a nice undertone of dark chocolate. This is blending right in with the sweetness. You always hear about the cherry aspect of RyJ. I can see this in the form of a dark chocolate covered cherry.

 

  2/3 The flavor progression was immediate. No beating around the bush here.  This can the case with many aged sticks. Once you get past 10 years many sticks only shine in the last 3rd. The flavor is more robust now. Less sweet, and more rich on the tobacco/baked goods end. The transition is welcomed. Just when you thought cherry might have left the building it comes back. Oh by the way the body is light. Really light. Many might throw this stick out. The flavors are not in your face. The palate is left with a tobacco aftertaste. This is not welcome! Halfway and the cherry flavor is on a baked dried cherry spectrum. Is this past its prime?? Probably, however it could also be a treat in say 30 years from now. I have smoked some super aged sticks that were beauties at 50+ years.

   Final 3rd The body is moving towards medium. We are getting baked dried cherry with aged tobacco. I actually think that these will get better. Many would toss them aside. Call them past prime. The dark chocolate aspect is coming back. We are seeing rich tobacco mixed with the cherry/baked dried fruit. Funny thing is 2003 was my graduating class. I can't help but laugh at the simple times that were around then. Here I sit enjoying this smoke on a beautiful sunny afternoon. The body takes a sudden tilt to past medium. We are talking now. The cherry aspect never left. It sits in a chaotic mix of baked sweet bread, dark chocolate  and rich tobacco. I am just happy to be here and this moment is good. My golden Rye just jumped on my lap. She weighs 65 pounds. This is great moment. I am finishing off a classic and I have my beloved Goldie with me.

 

  The sun is shining. This reminds me of Grandma. The good stuff about life. On a normal scale I would go with a solid 90. The smoke had a moment half way through. It came around in the final 3rd to showcase the dark chocolate/ baked cherry aspect. Given the current situation I am giving this a full blown 95. I am no doubt very blessed to be sitting here in good health. My house is well stocked with food. Life is truly good.