Before I get into this, I gotta say that when it comes to cigar smoking, I’m not what one would call a “connoisseur.” When I talk to people about cigars, or give them my views on a particular stick, you will never hear me say things like: “the complexity of the arabica coffee bean notes that were prevalent near the foot were only less subdued to the flavors of cured oak undertones which married well with the aged oak nuances of coriander that presented themselves well on my native palette.”
That’s not to knock those suit wearers in the magazines that notice these extreme subtleties…it’s just not my way. I know what I like and I like what I smoke. Plain and simple.
Now that we got that out of the way, let us move on.
The Nub brand of cigars are something very special. Cigars International sums up the Nub idea perfectly.
“Rather than wait for a cigar to develop and evolve, which typically occurs an inch to two inches in, the idea behind Oliva’s Nub was to specifically blend it to hit its sweet spot right off the bat and remain at its peak right through to the end. Each size is short and stout in stature. That’s by design – not for novelty – as blends and sizes were worked and re-worked a thousand ways from Sunday in order for the Oliva family to capture the essence of each Nub cigar blend.”
Soooooo there’s this event. It’s MAY 18TH, and it’s a really big deal.
Such a big deal that it required it’s own dedicated Hogcast to encapsulate exaaaaaactly what we got brewing. Returning as host is site denizen Chad Dukes, and he is accompanied by a rogues gallery of scum and villainy.
Well, that may pushing it. They’re like the henchman that follow the Joker around. They may throw a punch or two at Batman, but we all know it won’t land. We know.
If you’d like to follow along: here is what the hub-bub is about…bub.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Let’s face it. Two things in this life are constant.
The first? Cheese is the best thing in this world. The second? I’m in no way qualified to review cheese. Now that we’re all on the same page (beerandpig.com), let’s review some delicious cheese.
Like most people that shop at Wholefoods, I like to eat the cheese samples. Usually in a drunken stooper after some high volume beers from the BAR they have located in the cheese department. Unlike most people, I actually PAY for the cheese I like so I can take some home with me. Admittedly, mine is not a sophisticated palate. The more zest, the better. Horseradish Cheese might be my favorite food on the planet. It’s really great to melt down so you can soak your contacts in it. I like to keep a nice chunk of horseradish cheddar in the front pocket of my dungarees for emergencies. It works just like viagra.
Within that context, it would make sense that last Saturday I was stumbling around the cheese department all boozed up, demanding their sharpest of cheeses be presented to me. They asked me to leave…
So I came back the next day and bought The Grafton Cheddar 4 Year Aged Cheddar Cheese. The word on the street was that it was twice as sharp as it’s 2 year aged counterpart. The cheese is described thusly on Grafton Village’s official website:
This outstanding cheddar has a pronounced, mature flavor, smooth finish, and a drier, crumbly texture that makes aged cheese lovers sing. 2006 World Cheese Award winner.
The scent of this cheddar is intoxicating. I want to ask the cow that the milk came from to make this cheese if I have permission to date it’s daughter. That doesn’t make any sense. The point is, EVERYTHING about this cheese is appealing.
Don’t let the promise of “crumbly” texture be off putting. It was very consistent. The flavor is intense, but not as overpowering as you might assume. If cheddar takes on it’s “sharper” characteristics when aged roughly 6-9 months, a cheddar aged for 4 years might seem daunting. If by “daunting” you mean “arousing?” Well then you’re spot on, jack!
The problem here is that I don’t have enough accolades to heap onto this cheese. There are not enough adjectives in the english language to allow me to properly laud this hunk of curds and whey. It should be stated thusly: If you like intense, flavorful cheese, by a wheel of this stuff big enough to propel a riverboat. If you hate flavor? Well, there is always this.
I give Grafton Village 4 Year Aged Cheddar Cheese 4.5 Beer and Pig Coozies out of 5. It’s a triumph.
Check out Grafton Village online HERE. Follow them on twitter HERE. Follow Beer & Pig on twitter HERE.
This is a very special edition of Pastry’s Corner!
No, I am not announcing that I will be filling in for Jimmy Fallon in 2014. That deal fell apart because apparently (you won’t believe this) some high level executives over at NBC never heard of “Pastry Dan.” Try stepping out of the dark-ages and use the Google machine!!! I’m big! I’m so hot right now!!
I’m fine though – Really. You cannot contain a shooting star.
For now, this DIAMOND-IN-THE-DAMN-ROUGH is relegated to sharing his talent and charms with you… here.
So I figured I would strain my back a little more and continue to carry this blog site through the next Season. In part, most of that decision revolved around a beer I found while I was on something that most experts refer to as a complete shame spiral bender towards the dark oblivion of death: Rouge VooDoo Donut Bacon Maple Ale. From their website :
“Rogue Ales has collided with Voodoo Doughnut to create Bacon Maple Ale! This unique artisan creation contains a baker’s dozen number of ingredients including bacon and maple syrup from one of Voodoo’s signature doughnuts.”
For those not in the know, Voodoo Doughnuts is one of the premier doughnut shops in the country. They are famous for innovative flavors and toppings, and they are also heralded as the proud originators of the maple bacon doughnut. Rogue has a slew of original beers as well. Suffice to say, with their powers combined – yeah: Captain Planet. Boom. (more…)
