Emilio Cigars: PJs & Puros...and Some Other News, Too!

We had a....unique...event at Burns in Chattanooga last Thursday evening. It was a "don your best evening wear and come smoke a cigar or two" type of thing...where evening wear is defined as how you dress for bed...within the bounds of public decency that is. We brought a new level of "casual" to the cigar shop and to the interview footage we shot.

The first interview I had was with Emilio Cigars owner, Gary Griffith. We talked a bit about his "mad scientist" role in the cigar industry, his approach to new blends, and some of the new products he has planned for this year. And there's a cool bit of info somewhere in here, too, about what Gary has planned for the people who represent his brand...if you're one of them (and I know a couple!) you should watch this video! :)

In the second video I sat down with Nate McIntyre, the new National Director of Sales for Emilio. We chatted about his method of "selling" cigars and how these wonderful bundles of rolled up, fermented leaves help bring us all together.

Thanks again to Gary and Nate for taking time to talk. And a big thanks to my faithful cameraman, Al, without whom these videos would just not happen.

SPEAKING OF THURSDAY

We were supposed to have the Chattanooga Tweetup 2012 tickets for sale on Burns' website starting the same day, but we had some issues with the online store portion of the website. The store manager is working with the webmaster to get this resolved and we should have tickets on sale within the next couple days.

MIDWEST SMOKE OUT

The Chattanooga Tweetup isn't the only big cigar event being planned for this year and if you are in the Chicagoland area in mid-April, I encourage you to check out this event that the CRA is sponsoring:

Midwest Smoke Out partners with Cigar Rights of America for exceptional evening

March 15, 2012—Hammond, Ind.--Midwest Smoke Out and Cigar Rights of America (CRA) are partnering for an evening of luxury, gourmet foods, live entertainment—and of course, cigars— Thursday, April 19 from 5-10 p.m., minutes from Chicago at The Venue at Horseshoe Casino, in Hammond, Ind.

Since Illinois legislation banned smoking in Chicago, Midwest Smoke Out (MSO) is the only exposition to give cigar aficionados an evening of cigars and indoor smoking. Every year, MSO provides a free one-year CRA membership or renewal with every ticket, meaning that in only a few hours, CRA gains over 1,000 members whose average income is more than $160,000. These new members are often opinion leaders in their communities.

“We at Midwest Smoke Out are privileged to partner with Cigar Rights of America,” said Andrea Pearman, Creative Commander of Diversified Marketing Strategies, Inc., which organizes the event. “At a time when so many cigar smokers have to gather—literally—out in the cold, we’re happy not only to welcome them inside but also provide them with the luxury experience of the year.”

With FDA regulation looming and states still legislating, MSO is a key event for CRA membership growth, though the evening isn’t all business. It’s pleasure, too, with ticketholders having the opportunity to meet Lou Rodriguez of the eponymous cigars, Tony Gomez of La Flor Dominicana, Cigar Master Alejandro Turrent, Victor Vitale of the Cigar Agency and Clay Roberts of A.J. Fernandez. Cigar god Carlito Fuentes is scheduled to greet all ticketholders.

MSO is for everyone who enjoys luxury, with attendees receiving deluxe giveaways, complimentary massages, experiencing the latest in gaming, being dazzled by live entertainment, and enjoying gourmet food, wine, beer and spirits.

For tickets (and your paid membership to CRA) contact event director Jo Sutton at jo@3dms.com or 1-888-226-0330. For more information, visit www.midwestsmokeout.com, like on Facebook, connect on LinkedIn, or follow on Twitter at @MidwestSmokeOut.

107 LINE ADDS A NEW MEMBER

This is not exactly "new" news since several other people did post this last week...and since we saw some pictures of these from the Atlanta Tweet-Up when Guillermo Leon brought a box or two to the affair, but in case you didn't hear...

March 14, 2012 (Miami, FL) – The 107 is getting a line extension, albeit in a limited edition. Miami Cigar & Company today announced the cigar that helped re-invent the oldest cigar factory in the Dominican Republic would be released in a salomon. The La Aurora 107 Salomon will be 7.25 x 52 which was the same size that was used for the Puro Vintage 2003.

Originally released 2 years ago on the 107th Anniversary of La Aurora the 107 consists of a Ecuadorian Sun Grown Wrapper with Dominican binder over filler consisting of Dominican and Nicaraguan tobacco.

The cigar will be available to limited accounts nationwide. According to Hector Paz, National Sales Manager for Miami Cigar & Company, "We would like to use this limited edition to thank those retailers who have supported the 107 line since the beginning.”

The cigars which come in boxes of 8 will have a MSRP of $12.00 and are expected to ship to retailers in Mid-June, 2012.

So these are the same size and shape as the Puro Vintage 2003, but are not "107 Puro Vintage"...because that's just silly...since the 107 is neither a Puro nor a Vintage release. I didn't get my hands on any of these at the ATL Tweetup and it's really hard to know how this blend will work in that size. I think it shines in the Lancero and Corona vitolas, but loses a bit of luster in the Robusto...and I haven't bothered trying anything bigger than that, to be honest.

Cigar Extra: J. Fuego Sangre de Toro Originals

Originals, 5" x 44 ring gauge / approx. $9.50/5 pack, Burns
In previous experiences with Jesus Fuego's Sangre de Toro blend, I had enjoyed its rich flavor, so when I heard the company would be producing an "Originals" size for it, I was excited. To review, Sangre de Toro is a Nicaraguan Puro featuring Criollo and Corojo tobaccos; Originals are the Fuego family's preferred vitola for evaluating new blends. They are sold in soft-packs of 5 small cigars for about $10 (depending on local taxes) and the original Originals release (Origen...this is getting confusing) was one of my favorite short smokes last winter. The Sun Grown Corojo wrapper is sort of ugly, if you of want the truth...with lots of mottling, large toothy spots and a wrap job that is anything but perfect. I got a mixture of manure and natural tobacco aromas from it, and more earthy manure aroma on the foot.

Although I undoubtedly love this size, I have found that a certain percentage of them tend to have a difficult draw. This one presented no such problems and I got a cold draw note of natural tobacco along with a subtle menthol mintiness. That minty aspect went away after lighting; the burning cigar gave off a rich earthiness with a bit of sweetness and a peppery burn on the nose.

The Nicaraguan earth and spice continued unabated throughout the smoke, but there was enough of a coffee note and a little sweetness that it never got dull. I think I prefer the Origen blend to this, but either one is a great--and inexpensive--way to spend 30 or 40 minutes.

Cigar Review: La Flor Dominicana Double Claro

No. 42 (Corona), 5.5" x 42 ring gauge / MSRP $6.76/stick
You might remember the press release from January, which is announced as "LFD Goes Green!" It is still a bit surprising to me that a company that has been at the forefront of the strength and body races for much of the last decade would come out with a milder cigar...and then to do so not by jumping in the "new breed Connecticut" bandwagon, but by releasing a Candela, also known as a Double Claro. Yes, there is a trend of "quality candelas," but it is not nearly as widespread as the "medium-bodied Conny" trend. What stood out to me the most is just how green the wrappers were on the picture attached to the press release...I called it "Incredible Hulk Green" and I stick by that. A couple weeks after that press release, Andrew Brennan from La Flor stopped by Burns on a sales visit and presented me with my first of these; "you going to smoke it now or review it?" he asked. I was torn...I wanted to try it, but wasn't sure if I could get more for a review before the middle of March. So he gave me another one and I did end up smoking one that night.

"This is the fullest bodied candela you'll ever have." Those are Andrew's exact words. I erroneously quoted I'm as saying "best ever" on Twitter...but he said that works, too. The Double Claro from LFD utilizes Dominican filler from the company's La Canela farm, a Nicaraguan binder, and an Ecuadorian wrapper. It is available in 3 sizes, all of which have a suggested retail price less than $7.50 per stick.

So...are these as green as they appeared in the press picture? Not really but they are easily the brightest green I have seen candela cigar. Of course, exact shade will vary crop to crop, box to box even Amazingly, the beautiful jade color photographed better than any candela I've ever tried to shoot, too...in that it actually looked green without having to do any Photoshop manipulation. Did I say beautiful? Yes...this is a beautiful wrapper...from the green coloration, to the small veins, to the hint of oil on my fingertips after touching it. Bringing it to my nose, I got a rich manure aroma, and just about the same scent on the foot of the stogie. The prelight draw was perfect and had a nice flavor mix of earth and tea, along with just a hint of grassiness that is so prevalent in candela wrappers.

The Double Claro lit quickly and easily and immediately produced a great deal of flavor: earth and tea on the palate, raw nuts and pepper spice on the nose...and, yes, just a little bit of that "I'm mowing the lawn" grassiness on the finish. It really did not take long for the grassiness to go away, though. From my previous sample, I can say that this is the candela that tastes least like a...well, a candela!...that I have ever had. What it does taste like is something unexpected...a light, crisp taste with a short finish and no lingering aftertaste. Sort of like Presidente is to beer, for that matter. This is richly earthy, but there is always this tea note, too, along with a delicate sweetness and even a bit of a citrusy note. It started out medium bodied and the previous sample told me not to expect it to go up much, if it all, from there.

By the time the second third of the LFD Double Claro was burned, I was ready to declare it, "Best Candela Ever." In fact, I did Tweet those exact words. I am not always a "candela" fan, but done well, they are delightful, and this one was top of the charts in my experience. Along with the flavors that had developed in the first third, I got a building among of chili pepper spice on the palate. The construction was pretty much flawless, with a very even burn line, strong ash and perfect draw.

In the end, the Double Claro did get some of that grassy candela flavor back, but the balance of the earth and spices did wonders to make it all a great experience. I can't say I'll be buying a box of these, but I definitely will be keeping a few on hand for a different kind of flavor experience. Not just a great candela, this was a great cigar period. It remained medium bodied throughout and had just enough nicotine strength to remind you that this was indeed a La Flor Dominicana product. Before smoking these, I would have said that no candela could be better than those made by Illusione, but this definitely edges those out of the top spot and is something every cigar enthusiast should try. The very reasonable price is just the icing on the cake.

Body: 5/10
Strength: 6/10
Complexity: 7/10

AFP Scale
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 4.5/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 9.5/10

Cigar Review: La Flor Dominicana LG Diez 2012 Oriental

Corona gorda, 4.875" x 40 ring gauge / $8.99, Maxamar's

In 1999 Litto Gomez came up with the idea to create a cigar comprised of only tobacco grown on his farm. Each year a new release comes out, with the ones since 2008 (I think) being a different blend every year. I always look forward to when these cigars come out as I'm anxious to give them a try. This year they came out with two new sizes the Galego (6.25 x 60) and Paisano (5.5 x 52). They also come in eight other sizes including the one I smoked for review. This cigar was the second one I smoked.

The wrapper on this cigar has a nice medium brown color to it with a hint of gold to it as well. The wrapper was pretty oily to the touch as I was able to feel the oil on my fingers after I had touched it. Also I could see a lot of tooth to the wrapper as well. When I gave the cigar a squeeze it was fairly firm albeit with one void underneath the bottom of the band. One thing of note about the band, it that it finally says the year on it. I'm not sure if it was there before, this is the first time I remember seeing it. Putting my nose to the wrapper I get cedar and leather, while I get barnyard from the foot. When I put my tongue on the cap to wet it a bit before cutting I got a slight red pepper tingle on the tip of my tongue. After clipping it and taking a cold draw on it I get the taste of milk chocolate with an ok draw.

Starting off I get a blast of red pepper spice on the tongue and retrohale. Taking a few more puffs on it I'm able to detect some leather, earth, wood and a slight creaminess on the finish. As I progressed further into the first third the spice did die down a bit but I would still classify this cigar at the bottom end of full in regards to strength and body. I also did start getting a slightly metallic taste very similar to what I've gotten in an Opus X. The draw was ok, and the burn was slightly wavy. The burn and the fact that the ash only held on for about a quarter of a inch was probably due to the gusting winds out when I was smoking this cigar.

As I moved into the second third the flavors really didn't change all that much, mainly leather, earth and spice. Surprisingly I was already starting to get a slight nicotine hit as I moved into the second third. I started also noticing that the cigar coated my mouth and throat with flavor. It wasn't unpleasant by any means. The draw was still a little tighter than I usually like, but not too bad. When I got to the void the cigar did run quite a bit and I did need to use my torch to get it even again.

The final third finished off strong. I really started to get a nicotine hit as I started this third. Now I wasn't having a problem staying in my chair, and wouldn't have had problems walking but it was definitely noticable. I did get some interesting flavors as well. The red pepper spice came back into the forefront. I was also getting a lot of creaminess from it as well. Not two things you think go together, but they went well here. I did get the leather and earth flavors as well.

Overall I would consider this an awesome cigar. I'm very much looking forward to smoking more of these and trying the other sizes as well. Now I know it doesn't sound like it from my description but this was a flavorful and well balanced cigar. I think Litto might have been correct in saying that this year's batch might be the best one yet. I will warn you though, if you're not into strong cigars I'd pass this one by, but the rest of you I suggest you pick a couple of these up.



Body: 9/10
Strength: 9/10
Complexity: 7/10

AFP Scale
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 1.5/2
Flavor: 4.5/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 9/10

Cigar Review: Illusione MJ12 Maduro

Toro, 6" x 54 ring gauge / $10.10, Burns
The first Illusione cigar I can remember smoking was the MJ12, a toro (toro grande?) with a name taken from the Roswell alien spacecraft crash/cover-up, complete with silver foil wrapper meant to invoke the appearance of the wreckage. When Dion Giolito began making Maduro versions of the Illusione lines, the first one I had was the hl (Lancero) because it was the first one I saw for sale (and lanceros tend to be one of my favorite sizes). When the MJ12 Maduro first made its appearance at my local shop, I happened to be sitting at the table when the box was unpacked...but that first box was pre-sold. And the next time it came in, they sold out before I could get any...but I finally got my hands on one...just one for this review, but I have smoked several Illusione Maduros in different vitolas, too. Like the regular line, this has Nicaraguan filler and binder. While some say the wrapper is Nicaraguan Maduro, too, I've seen others claim it is Mexican San Andres Maduro.

The Maduro comes wrapped not in silver foil, but in black. It is cool and unique looking, evoking mystery...maybe black helicopters. After getting rid of the foil, I could see the Maduro Illusione band, burgundy where the regular is white, but otherwise the same with black and gold foil. I like how it immediately differentiates the line...there can be no mistaking if this is Original or Maduro. The wrapper was fairly dark with some darker mottling and some medium-sized veins. It did not look terribly oily, but it did have an oily feel to it. Lifting the cigar to my nose, I detected an earthy aroma mixed with notes of wood; the foot had hints of cocoa powder and dark roast coffee. My Xikar Xi made its usual clean straight cut, leaving a good draw that had strong flavors of cocoa and coffee as well as more subdued notes of wood, natural tobacco, pepper spice and even a little cinnamon.

The first few puffs on the MJ12 Maduro revealed tons of earth and cocoa on the palate, along with a powerful spicy bite on the nose. There was enough sweetness mixed in to remind you that this is a Maduro wrapper, enough woodiness to remind you about the Criollo leaves used in the filler. It opened up fairly full bodied and with lots of complexity. In the course of the first third, the body ramped up to fully full bodied pretty quickly and featured lots of earthiness and woodiness, as well as sweeter cocoa notes and espresso bean flavor. The retrohale continued to be very spicy. I was surprised by how strong and full this cigar seemed right out of the gate and while I liked it, I couldn't help thinking I enjoyed the hl Maduro more.

The second third had much more of the influence of the woody, cedary Criollo tobacco, with just hints of the sweetness of the Maduro wrapper. Construction was typically superb; I experienced a great draw, very even burn line and long, strong ash that never flaked.

Someone recently opined that some people call every cigar "smooth," but I can attest that this simply is not true. For two third, the MJ12 Maduro had been anything but smooth...more of a harsh raspiness had been clawing at the back of my throat. In the final third, though, it did smooth out quite a bit. The dominant flavor was still one of cedar, but it did finally get balanced out some with more sweetness and a distinctive bitter coffee flavor. There was even a bit of cinnamon in there from time to time. In the end, I liked the Maduro expression of the MJ12, but I can't say I loved it. I prefer the original version to this one and for Illusion Maduros I prefer the hl Lancero. This was a full bodied and strong smoke, one that newbies should steer clear of until they are more experienced. Fans of Illusione cigars might just find someone they really like, though, depending on exactly what sets your flavor receptors alight.

Body: 9/10
Strength: 8/10
Complexity: 8/10

AFP Scale
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 3.5/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 8.5/10

I'm not going...

One of the questions I hear frequently from fellow bloggers and even some readers, especially in the months immediately preceding summer: “Are you going to the IPCPR show?” When I first got into writing about cigars almost four years ago it was a dream to go. When I actually felt comfortable about my place in the blogosphere and felt like maybe I should go, I ended up just not having the money or vacation time available. And this year...well, I'm skipping it again...but, at least, I have good reasons for doing so...

Money
Yes, “money changes everything.” Now that I’ve been employed with the same company long enough, I definitely have the available vacation time to do 3 or 4 days away in Orlando to attend the show. The problem is I still just don’t have the available cash. Let’s face it, while the economy shows some signs of life, it’s still fairly moribund. My company has given little or no raises in the past 3 years and my other sources of income have dipped significantly, too. And I have yet to meet a cigar blogger who got into it because it pays the bills.

Because of various expenses--IPCPR membership, plane flight, hotel, food--I would expect that the trip to the IPCPR show in Orlando would run $1,000 at the minimum. That wouldn’t be bad for a “vacation,” especially if I expected it to last more than 3 or 4 days, but very few cigar bloggers look at the show as a vacation...reality is, it’s work. Lots of running around, meeting people, interviewing, taking photos, etc. Sure, there is partying, especially during the evening hours after the show floor has closed, but the main business of the show is retail sales.

What it really means to most blogger/social media types--much more than the “news” aspect, in my opinion--is its potential as a networking event. It is a place where you can meet tons of people from the industry in one place at one time...perfect for establishing or growing relationships. I would not minimize the importance of this aspect of the show, especially for newer bloggers on the scene, but the past several years has reduced its importance to me. The fact is, because my home shop has been so good at attracting important people, I have been able to meet many “industry insiders” just by hanging out at Burns Tobacconist in Chattanooga. Even more on those times I have been able to travel to Atlanta (Buckhead Cigar), Knoxville, (Silo Cigars) or Nashville (UPtown’s Smoke Shop). Combine this with the power of Twitter in connecting people and I no longer really feel the need to travel to the IPCPR show just to meet all these folks.

The News
“Yes,” you say, “but what about the news? Don’t you want to report what everyone is doing?” The simple answer to that is...no...not really. Look, there are easily a dozen cigar blogs that will be traveling to the show and reporting from it. Some will report daily on what they are seeing. Some will upload about 250 videos (and if anyone watches them all, they should be given a prize). Some will try to report all the news about the show BEFORE the show starts. And the bottom line is they are all generally reporting the same news. What could I possibly add by posting another video interview with Pete Johnson or Matt Booth from the floor of the show? What extra would I be adding by posting my own photos of Gurkha’s new box designs or fifteen different new cigars by The Brothers Patel?

I’m not saying that any of the sites that are already going shouldn’t go. I’m not saying that any of this reporting is without merit. What I’m trying to say is this: I’m simply not interested in going to the show to do the same thing as everyone else is doing. I have an idea for a story. Unfortunately, this story will require a monetary investment that I simply cannot justify at this time (see #1 above).

I want to repeat and clarify this last paragraph: I am not trying to dissuade any fellow bloggers from going and reporting on the proceedings. I do not believe the show to be past it's "due date" as has been suggested in the past. I support the IPCPR organization and the trade show and wish retailers and manufacturers as much prosperity as they can handle. And I wish new media and old media types very well as they cover the event.

The Tweetup
The last--and biggest...and best--reason I won’t be tempted to spend money I don’t have to go to the IPCPR show this year is the show that I’m organizing right near home: Chattanooga Tweet-Up 2012.

For those who missed out and have no idea what I’m talking about, I’ll start with last year: last August we invited about a dozen company reps and brand owners to Burns in Chattanooga and had about 100 more people show up to have a mega-herf. We did many things right and a few things wrong and decided to go for “Round 2” where we could fix the mistakes we made last time and improve everything we did right the first time (hey, mistakes will be made...as long as we don’t make the same mistakes, I’ll be happy!).

On August 24 and 25, 2012 (a Friday and Saturday), we will have some of the biggest names in the cigar industry descend on Chattanooga. Pete Johnson (Tatuaje), Jonathan Drew (Drew Estate), Jon Huber and Mike Conder (Crowned Heads), Gary Griffith (Emilio Cigars), Clint Aaron (262 Cigars), Sean Williams (El Primer Mundo) and Eddie Ortega (Ortega Cigars) have all confirmed that they will be there...and we’re still working on a few other surprises.

We are timing this event to serve as the first major, multi-vendor cigar event to take place after the IPCPR show--about 2 weeks after, to be exact. Last year some manufacturers elected to debut some of their new releases to the public at our show and we are hoping for the same this time around.

I’ve been working with Matt and Wes (managers of Burns East and Downtown) to finalize some important details so we can get the tickets put on sale and I’m happy to report that this Thursday, March 15...you’ll be able to purchase yours. Here’s the scoop:

THE TWEETUP PACKAGE
We got a little complicated with packages last year, so we tried to simplify it a bit this year and include more for what is a steal of a price. The Tweetup Package will include:

A multipack of cigars (quantity to be determined) in a Humidipak bag
T-shirt (we’ll ask your size when you order tickets, available up to 4XL)
Liquor Tasting featuring some fine Tennessee Spirits
1 Raffle Ticket (additional raffle tickets available with purchases of at least 10 cigars)
Discount Card (good at either Burns location all weekend for 5% off all single cigars, up to 19; 20% off all box purchases or purchases of 20 cigars)
Saturday Dinner at CBC/Burns Downtown Location (food only; drinks not included)
For the FIRST 100 people, this package will be $40
Remaining Pre-Sale Tickets: $45
Day of the Event (if available): $50

BASEBALL GAME
We’ve reserved the right-field pavilion for Friday night’s Lookouts (Minor-League Baseball, affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers) game. The pavilion is shaded and has cooling fans and can seat well over the 30 to 40 that came to last year’s game. Last year’s luxury suite was nice, but crowded and the food was a bit of a disaster. So...

$20/ticket (limit of 150 tickets) will get you:
Admission plus unlimited hamburgers, hot dogs, chips, ice cream and sodas from the buffet. $1 Draft Beer through the 7th inning. A smoking section adjacent to the seating area...and we’re being told that you can either see the field or that there are TVs set up to watch the game from that area.

We are also working on a surprise guest and cigar sponsor for the baseball game. AND we are looking into group transportation to move large numbers of people to and from the field.

So that’s it...be prepared to get your online butts to www.BurnsTobacconist.com on Thursday, March 15, 2012, to buy your tickets...and we all look forward to seeing you in Chattanooga again this August!

Cigar Extra: Padron Family Reserve 45th

Toro, 6" x 52 ring gauge / approx. $26
We've looked at this cigar before and it was named the 2009 Cigar of the Year by some relatively small lifestyle magazine, but since the manager of Burns, Matt Allen, gave me this one for this past Christmas, I thought I'd take a short second look while pairing it with a libation. As with all Padron cigars the country of origin is unstated, but most reputable accounts say Nicaraguan for filler and binder. This is a Maduro wrapper, and while some Padron Maduros definitely hail from Mexico, I don't know about this one...although I will probably know within 3 puffs. The box-pressing makes this Family Reserve 45th look like a chocolate bar and it smelled that way, too. There was more earthiness and some black licorice on the foot. Tonight's libation was to be Prichard's Rum, made not in some tropical locale, but not too far from where Mr. Jack's famous whiskey is made right here in Tennessee.

The prelight draw was very good and had notes of earth and sweetened cocoa, along with just a little spice. After taking three puffs, my best guess is that this IS a Mexican Maduro wrapper leaf, although probably one of the most refined ones I've ever had. The cigar was earthy but sweet, displaying a bit of Mexican flavor, but virtually none of the bitterness that lesser leaves end up with. The Prichard's Rum was not what I had expected. The first sip was more whiskey-like, with an almost grainy note, and very little of the subtle sweetness I like in a good sipping rum. It was definitely different...I just couldn't decide if I liked the difference yet or not.

The first half of the Padron Family Reserve 45th continued to display lots of earth and cocoa powder with enough sweetness to keep the word "Maduro" in my mind. There was a little of the Mexican bitterness from time to time, but the blend was well balanced so it was not off putting in the slightest. The Prichard's Rum was better on subsequent sips than the first taste let on. It's almost a midway point between some bourbons and rum, with a bit of graininess along with subdued sweetness. This turned out to be a great way to end a hard day of physical labor as my wife and I scrubbed the front porch decking...great way to enjoy the newly cleaned porch, too!