Monte Cristo no 1 2020 box year (VVRW#3)

[dominattorney]

After a review hiatus I am back. With a vengeance it seems, as I've only taken one photograph and have also reverted to my old habits of not documenting the box code. 

I met two public defenders at my spot after work Friday and we shared stories, drinks and yes. Monte no 1s from my box. Sadly this box seems to have a construction issue. You know how sometimes you get a stick and it's box pressed a little too aggressively and the wrapper is barely clinging to keep the whole situation together? That's been the thing with these so far. One in 3 has a tough draw, but nothing serious. Burn is pretty good too. However, everyone seems to enjoy themselves. 

For pairing, and @Ken Gargett may want to take note of this, I selected a traditional home made zubrowka, which is a Polish vodka infused with bison grass. It's very light and aromatic. Our nanny masters in the USA have decreed it unsafe for human consumption. You can buy a commercial version which is artificially flavored, or, like me, you can find a guy who makes the real deal in his basement. I took one whiff of the bottle and it reminded me of my grandmother when she was still alive. She would make a case of this stuff around Thanksgiving and dammed if it wouldn't be gone before new years every time.

but I digress. The cigar is wonderful. Chocolate and coffee throughout with cream and a bit of spice coming into play. First third is milk chocolate and cream. Second is mocha and cream and the end is a semi sweet dark chocolate powerhouse. Despite the construction issue, burn needed no correction. Real honerun. I will do better next time with the photographs. However. My guests were so entertaining that I forgot I was doing a review. Can't speak more highly of an afternoon than that. The best friends and cigar lounges are time machines. You forget where thr hours even went. 

 

[karp]

Nice pairing - I’ll have to try this sometime. Maybe some sliwowica would work too.

[Ken Gargett]

6 hours ago, dominattorney said:

After a review hiatus I am back. With a vengeance it seems, as I've only taken one photograph and have also reverted to my old habits of not documenting the box code. 

I met two public defenders at my spot after work Friday and we shared stories, drinks and yes. Monte no 1s from my box. Sadly this box seems to have a construction issue. You know how sometimes you get a stick and it's box pressed a little too aggressively and the wrapper is barely clinging to keep the whole situation together? That's been the thing with these so far. One in 3 has a tough draw, but nothing serious. Burn is pretty good too. However, everyone seems to enjoy themselves. 

For pairing, and @Ken Gargett may want to take note of this, I selected a traditional home made zubrowka, which is a Polish vodka infused with bison grass. It's very light and aromatic. Our nanny masters in the USA have decreed it unsafe for human consumption. You can buy a commercial version which is artificially flavored, or, like me, you can find a guy who makes the real deal in his basement. I took one whiff of the bottle and it reminded me of my grandmother when she was still alive. She would make a case of this stuff around Thanksgiving and dammed if it wouldn't be gone before new years every time.

but I digress. The cigar is wonderful. Chocolate and coffee throughout with cream and a bit of spice coming into play. First third is milk chocolate and cream. Second is mocha and cream and the end is a semi sweet dark chocolate powerhouse. Despite the construction issue, burn needed no correction. Real honerun. I will do better next time with the photographs. However. My guests were so entertaining that I forgot I was doing a review. Can't speak more highly of an afternoon than that. The best friends and cigar lounges are time machines. You forget where thr hours even went. 

 

i know what zubrowka is. we used to very occasionally see a bottle in brizzy many years ago, but it has been a while. it was.... interesting.

not sure it would be my first choice for a monte 1 but happy to try anything. well, most things. i had an unfortunate experience in respect of a homemade vodka years ago, in vietnam. have sworn off homemade vodkas ever since. vietnamese homemade chocolate vodka. what could possibly have convinced me to try that? well, we thought it was a baileys cocktail and it was very late at night in a bar with a very drunk french rugby side. one of the owners was in the team so the doors were shut until dawn. i was supposed to work the next day. not my best effort.

and baileys liqueur cocktail sounds a little bit like homemade chocolate vodka at 2am.