Like all good things in life, cigars and scotch are best enjoyed with friends. So tonight myself and a friend made a trip over to Got Rocks, in Birmingham Michigan- Got Rocks is an upstairs cigar bar to the Big Rock Chophouse restaurant. The ambiance is second to none and the scotch selection is outstanding.
The place was quiet this evening, but neither my friend nor myself were complaining. We took a seat by a window (which overlooked the restaurant), and prepared to indulge in the fine libations.
Graycliff Red Label PGX
This was my friends cigar contribution to the evening. He secured a couple Graycliffs from a fellow cigar friend (I smoked the Red Label, he smoked a Graycliff Espresso). I can only speak for the Red Label, but I found it to be an outstanding smoke. The burn was a bit inconsistant, but for a mild smoke, it was high on flavor. The draw was decent, however it was not high on smoke. It was a cigar that definetly needed attention. The construction was wonderful. This was my first Graycliff and I was pleasantly surprised. I look forward to trying the more robust, full bodied Graycliff's. My friend had nothing but good things to say about the Espresso.
Cohiba Extra Vigoroso (Double Corona)
I would be lying if I said I wasnt slightly disappointed by this cigar, but the fault may not lie with Cohiba. This was a last minute purchase at the tobacco shop today, so it was not given proper time to rest in the humidor and come up to acceptable conditions of RH. The burn was very uneven and had to be tended to frequently. Additionally, I found the draw to be very tight, although it did open up and get going 1/3 of the way through the stick. The beautiful wrapper struggled to stay together throughout the smoke and there were a few instances of unbinding. I was, however, very pleased with the flavor and robustness of the smoke. There were enticing hints of citrus and woody notes that kept me interested. I will not, however, hold Cohiba responsible for the quality of the smoke. I went against my better judgement and smoked these almost straight from the tobacconist. In the future, I would give the EV proper time to condition itself for the smoke. All said, my friends EV smoked much better (great burn), but he experienced similar wrapper problems.
Oban 14 year old scotch
Wow. What an outstanding selection. As a beginner to the scotch world, I really could appreciate what Oban was trying to do. It was an enchanting scotch with simple flavors that drew me in. Very little burn and pleasantly light. I was drawn in by the fresh, floral notes of honey and captivated by the flowery finish. As a beginner, I can see this Oban being the gateway into scotch. My only qualm would be that it lacked the smoke I was expecting in a good scotch. Not the best pairing for a cigar, but pleasing nonetheless.
The place was quiet this evening, but neither my friend nor myself were complaining. We took a seat by a window (which overlooked the restaurant), and prepared to indulge in the fine libations.
Graycliff Red Label PGX
This was my friends cigar contribution to the evening. He secured a couple Graycliffs from a fellow cigar friend (I smoked the Red Label, he smoked a Graycliff Espresso). I can only speak for the Red Label, but I found it to be an outstanding smoke. The burn was a bit inconsistant, but for a mild smoke, it was high on flavor. The draw was decent, however it was not high on smoke. It was a cigar that definetly needed attention. The construction was wonderful. This was my first Graycliff and I was pleasantly surprised. I look forward to trying the more robust, full bodied Graycliff's. My friend had nothing but good things to say about the Espresso.
Cohiba Extra Vigoroso (Double Corona)
I would be lying if I said I wasnt slightly disappointed by this cigar, but the fault may not lie with Cohiba. This was a last minute purchase at the tobacco shop today, so it was not given proper time to rest in the humidor and come up to acceptable conditions of RH. The burn was very uneven and had to be tended to frequently. Additionally, I found the draw to be very tight, although it did open up and get going 1/3 of the way through the stick. The beautiful wrapper struggled to stay together throughout the smoke and there were a few instances of unbinding. I was, however, very pleased with the flavor and robustness of the smoke. There were enticing hints of citrus and woody notes that kept me interested. I will not, however, hold Cohiba responsible for the quality of the smoke. I went against my better judgement and smoked these almost straight from the tobacconist. In the future, I would give the EV proper time to condition itself for the smoke. All said, my friends EV smoked much better (great burn), but he experienced similar wrapper problems.
Oban 14 year old scotch
Wow. What an outstanding selection. As a beginner to the scotch world, I really could appreciate what Oban was trying to do. It was an enchanting scotch with simple flavors that drew me in. Very little burn and pleasantly light. I was drawn in by the fresh, floral notes of honey and captivated by the flowery finish. As a beginner, I can see this Oban being the gateway into scotch. My only qualm would be that it lacked the smoke I was expecting in a good scotch. Not the best pairing for a cigar, but pleasing nonetheless.