Kenfessions

First, let me step in and absolve Rob from any blame for this being a ‘second’. It is from a bunch I got from a trip a few years back to Cuba. Now, I know that there is, deservedly, much skepticism as to whether or not “seconds” purchased in Havana are anything but dodgy fakes, possibly nothing more than banana leaves or newspaper. Over the years, we’ve purchased a few of these, but usually only as a bit of fun. On this occasion, I knew the source and I trust them implicitly. And they have been seriously good cigars as well.

Lovely smallish Robusto-sized smoke (petit robusto? Though it does seem a smidge bigger than that – is there a size between petit robusto and robusto? – no matter). Toasted, roasted and pleasingly richly flavoured, though always quite mild. Always nicely balanced. Never really heading above mid-weight. There is a smoothness in a good cigar like this and…

Nov 1

Nov 1 Cohiba Robusto - Bundaberg Ginger Beer

Not a fish to found anywhere on the Island. No one has caught so much as a hint of one. But we persevere. So goes the annual fishing trip to Fraser Island, off Queensland’s central coast – the world’s largest sand island.

Head down to the beach in front of the Lodge, just north of the Waddy Point rocks, on dusk. The southeaster is howling but it is to our backs, which means that the poor sods fishing south of Indian would be copping full brunt.

Cold. Bone-chilling cold. I very rarely wear waders and I am not doing so now. No idea why. Never really took to them. The old man often didn’t either, though perhaps he was seen in them more often in his…

Sep 20

Sep 20 Cohiba Robusto - Equipo Navazos ‘La Bota de Ron, Number 65’

Well, as they say in the classics, talk about a weekend to rip the Funk out of your Wagnall’s.

Sport does tend to get in the way of deadlines, but I had planned a good cigar and rum to watch the Broncs in their big semi-final against the Eels.

Elsewhere, the fifth Ashes test (the Ashes is the contest between Australia and England for cricket played every couple of years alternating between countries and usually over five five-day tests, and therefore represents world supremacy – it was so named as when we beat them for the first time back in the 1880’s, someone allegedly burnt the bails and put the ashes in a small urn, which is now the trophy); the Lions in their first AFL prelim final for 15 years; the Gunners v Watford (surely…?) and then the Skins against the Girls tomorrow morning. A good chance that it all might go terribly pear-shaped…

May 14

May 14 Cohiba Genios Maduro 5 2007/Chichibu Ichiro’s Malt Wine Wood Reserve; Chichibu Ichiro’s Malt MWR

Some members may recall that I put up a thread about the Chichibu whiskies from Japan a little while ago, as I knew the proverbial bugger all about them. Thanks to those who responded – it was hugely appreciated. I had picked up a few bottles through a local importer, partly because the tiny bit I could find about them was very positive, partly because stocks of Japanese whisky are in dire short supply and it is a bit of the case of grab whatever is going if you want any, but mainly because in Dave Broom’s excellent book, ‘The Way of Whisky’, a fascinating and informative personal journey around the islands of that country, visiting the distilleries and sampling the whiskies, he is obviously utterly wowed by distiller Ichiro Akuto and his whiskies…

Mar 21

Mar 21 Cohiba Siglo VI Gran Reserva/Causes & Cures Semi-Dry White Vermouth; Glenfarclas 1971

Onward with the two drinks/one cigar experiment. And hard to think of two more completely different drinks.

But first, the cigar. And what a cigar. If ever there was a ‘last request on death row’ cigar, this is it. Should I find myself thinking of giving a cigar 100 points, sadly an all-too-rare occurrence, I do try and think if it could be improved in any way, is there the tiniest flaw, any reason at all not to give 100? This time, no. All as near perfect as one could wish. I’ve read on various sites where some have described this as the greatest cigar they have ever tried. Fully understand, as it is breathtaking…

Mar 13

Mar 13 Cohiba Siglo IV (July 2011)/Foursquare ‘Premise’ Rum; Foursquare ‘Dominus’ Rum

The two drinks for every cigar idea hit a bit of a speedbump this last time. I’ve been at a place on the coast for a while – Queensland summer – and while I brought a number of cigars, I seem to have failed to bring enough different drinks. I do have some fabulous Margaret River Cabernets, but as Rob isn’t here insisting on red wine with cigars, I won’t insult either the cigar or the wine by matching them.

I searched the dregs of the old man’s liquor shelf – remembering that this was a man who didn’t drink so everything was largely leftovers from dinner parties or gifts from clients…

Feb 15

Feb 15 Cohiba Esplendido (May 2014)/Glenmorangie ‘Quinta Ruban’ 12-Year-Old Malt Whisky; mystery port.

Been thinking about this matching concept. I have a feeling that when one has a decent cigar and a decent drink, there is a subconscious tendency to think, all is well and that they work. Now, I am more than happy to smoke/drink whatever if I am enjoying them, but I wonder if, as far as combinations go, this is falling into the easy trap. So on occasion, I’m going to try a couple of different drinks to go with a cigar and see if one works better than the other. I think that, in order not to confuse the palate too much, it has to be one after the other rather than back and forth. We’ll see…

Jan 23

Jan 23 Zenith Cohiba/Woodford Reserve Bourbon

Always been a big fan of the Woodford Reserve Bourbon and never really understood why it does not get more love around the traps. No matter. It is probably my go-to bourbon, partly to do with the fact that it has been readily available here for some time.

I have mentioned in the past, for reasons I do not completely follow, I received a sample bottle of Batch 1, when it was first released (at the time, I was doing very little with spirits). And I will confess that though I’ve enjoyed bottles from a number of batches since then, that was something special – I have a theory that…

Sep 3

Sep 3 Cohiba Robusto/Glenfarclas 21-Year-Old Highland Malt – Brokenwood Anniversaries Part 3.

Welcome to the third and final episode of the Brokenwood adventures. To be honest, this started as a small comment on a forthcoming wine visit – to Brokenwood for their 50th. That got me remembering the 40th and some of the fun. Parts 1 and 2 were stories we heard at the Fortieth. This is about arriving for the event, the trip from the airport to the winery. One would think that would be a fairly innocuous experience, but no…

I swear to you, I am not making this up…

Aug 27

Aug 27 Behike-lite/Penfold’s Vintage Port 2015 – Brokenwood Anniversaries Part 2.

We left off the Brokenwood adventures with people telling stories out of school. Why stop now. No doubt, there’ll be plenty more after the next anniversary event.

But before we go further, one of the other things I remember very well about the 40th Brokenwood event was the glorious 1986 Graveyard. For me, one of the best reds ever made in Australia. Top ten amongst some serious company. It is glorious. And going on and on. It sits with three famous Lindemans’ wines – the pair from 1965 and the 1959. It is that good. I can’t wait to see it again. Been in touch with Iain Riggs, the winemaker, and one of Australia’s best. Riggsy tells me he might have a magnum put aside. Whacko!

Back to stories out of school…

Mar 12

Mar 12 Cohiba Medio Siglo/Laphroaig “The 1815 Legacy Edition”

The Kenfessions idea largely evolved from wanting to take a serious look at the matching of cigars and various drinks (and as a place Rob could quarantine my occasion rants about the world). Now, that is fine, but it has limitations. Namely, like the vast majority of us, I have a limited variation of cigars on hand to do these matches (I do have enough variants of drinks in all manner and form, though). So, unless we want a situation of a series of different drinks with a Mag 50, for example, something needed to be done.

Feb 16

Feb 16 Cohiba Piramide LE 2006/25-Year-Old Edmund Dantès Rum