Bolivar Royal Corona – Melton Sparkling Red NV (d’gorged 2019) - Michter’s US*1 Straight Rye
We are into the home straight for the Robusto Rumble and here we have one of the big guns – the Bolivar Royal Corona.
Now, I may have to offer Whipcrack an apology. During a recent video review, he was banging on about some Boli being exceptional of late. I wasn’t paying attention. Well, be fair, how many of you do? I have a vague feeling it was the Boli RC. But it has long been a highly regarded, and I think too often neglected, robusto. It was the Cigar of Year for a popular cigar publication, way back in 2006, if I recall. And not often a Cuban gets over the line for that honour.
This was also a chance for redemption for Bolivar, after their very ordinary performance with the Hong Kong Regional Release. And redeem themselves, they did.
50 ring gauge, so large enough, without being the hideous monster we see so often these days.
This was incredibly aromatic, with leather and locker room sweat. The wrapper was a pale-ish colour and the cigar appeared well constructed. A fairly easy draw. The cigar was full-flavoured, with notes of earthy tones, dark chocolate and especially intense but velvety caramel. And more chocolate. Really lovely, this richness. Towards the end, some alluring creamy coffee notes. A long slow smoke and lots of complexity. This was a cracking cigar and one of the very best of the Robustos to date. 93+.
Two totally different options for the drinks.
First up, the Melton Sparkling Red NV (disgorged 2019). This drank beautifully. Indeed, I think it the best Spurgles (a local name for this style) I have seen from Charlie Melton. Lots of dark cherries, cassis notes. Like liquid plum pudding. There is some sweetness, perhaps a fraction more than it needs (it is integral to the style but usually, for the very best, so balanced with the acidity that it hardly appears sweet at all). It was an ideal match and I would suggest that if you had to go red with your cigar, you cannot do better than this style, or this one, if you want specifics.
The alternative was another superb match, the Michter’s US*1 Straight Rye. Luscious and intense, the power and complexity worked nicely and it was more than equipped to stand up to such a full flavoured cigar. Look for cinnamon and teak with orange rind, nectarines, spices and a little caramel. A supple texture, mid-length and again good complexity. A sensational match.
We have looked at Michter’s before, but here on the FoH History channel, we do repeat things on occasion (think of it as Kenfessions’ greatest hits).
Whiskey, in some form or other, has been part of American life since the time of the pilgrims and some distilleries have long and distinguished histories. Michter’s, in its current form, does not, but it has an interesting one – and it does have a connection to the long distant past.
Their story begins back in 1753, in Pennsylvania, with a distillery known as Shenk’s, which focused on sour mash (amazing to think that this was happening long before Cook set eyes on Australia). It was sold, in the mid-1800s, to the American-Dutch businessman, Abraham Bomberger. Many years later, prohibition proved too much and the doors closed. After prohibition, the distillery reopened, but it went through a succession of owners before it was purchased by Lou Forman in the 1950s. Lou decided that a change of name was the order of the day. The name he conjured was Michter’s, a combination of the names of his sons, “Mich”ael and Pe“ter”. In time, that name change was unable to save the business and, around 1990, it went belly-up.
Fast forward a few years and meet two entrepreneurs, Joseph Magliocco and his mentor, Richard Newman. The pair were keen to set up their own whiskey operation and decided they would chase down the name, Michter’s, and all that pertained to it. They were aware of its earlier fame and its subsequent demise. Turns out, all trademarks and the like had simply been left to expire. No one owned the name. They swooped.
To begin, of course, they had to source their material from various distillers, but have now opened not one, but two operations in Kentucky, the second quite recently. The team was able to locate and retain the old Pennsylvania pot stills and equipment. Their first products hit the market in 2004. Since then, they have quickly established an impressive reputation. The aim is to make small batch or single barrel products. ‘Small Batch’ has no legal specifications in the States, hence a product can be “stretched” to umpteen thousand cases and still claim to be ‘small batch’. Despite that, Michter’s have restricted themselves to a maximum of twenty barrels for any of their Small Batch products.
Michter’s is fast establishing a reputation as one of the emerging superstars, not just for bourbon, but for quality spirits of any kind.
KBG.
