Romeo y Julieta Petit Churchill (C&DRW)

[ayedfy]

Not quite in the spirit of the review weekend which specified “favourite” pairing, this is a first time experiment, and I wanted to do something different.

One of the most famous cigar enjoyers in recent decades is Arnold Schwarzenegger. A man who needs no introduction, he’s also quite clearly a fan of protein shakes. For this review, I hit the gym for an hour and a half, then came home to combine two of his gustatory predilections.

THE SMOKE: Romeo y Julieta Petit Churchill, box code RAP JUN 22.

THE DRINK: a protein shake recipe Arnie offered up to Men’s Health magazine in 2020.

• 250mL almond milk
• 60mL cherry juice (I didn’t have this so used about 5 whole frozen cherries)
• 1 banana
• 1 scoop of protein powder
• 1 raw & unpeeled egg
• Some alcohol (Arnie cites tequila or schnapps but I didn’t have either, so opted for a shot of a single malt whisky I’m not particularly attached to).

MyFitnessPal estimated this at 428 calories, with 28g of protein.

Cigar: My second from this box. I loved the first one and I love this too. Creamy mouthfeel, a big spoonful of warm honey. My notes from last time had some gentle kiwifruit acidity and I can get some of that this time, but it’s so mild and sweet that it’s taking me more towards a golden kiwifruit if anything. Subtle cedar woodiness. This is so delightful I’m going to be so mad at myself if the drink ruins it. But I must press on for science. 91/100.

Drink: Tastes better than I was expecting. The alcohol and egg makes it feel a bit like a whisky sour. It’s more enjoyable than this whisky was by itself so that’s a win. Not sure about the slight grittiness from the blended eggshell but it’s not off-putting. Banana and cherries both noticeable but not convinced they complement each other too well. Almond milk doesn’t really impart much flavour, just gives a creaminess alongside the protein and egg. Not sure I’d have this again - would rather separate my booze from my workout recovery nutrition. Hope the egg doesn’t give me salmonella. But it is actually quite a lovely drink. 80/100.

Pairing: first impressions are not positive. Drink kills much of the sweetness I was enjoying so much, and brings out this bitterness in the cigar - black pepper and dry oak. It’s not all bad though. The cigar begins to develop a deeper, fuller creaminess while sipping that wasn’t there previously. Imagine going from a light whipped cream to a crème fraîche. Over time, a bit of sweetness begins to come back, but nowhere near the heights of the beginning. Cigar is now about an 84/100.

This drink pairing may be a good idea if you’re aspiring to win seven Mr Olympia titles, and in terms of sensory enjoyment it does actually work a little better than I was expecting. But in future, it wouldn’t be my first choice.

[ayedfy]

 

[MagicalBikeRide]

The salmonella line made me chuckle. Great review. 

[MoeFOH]