Drink and a smoke
January 8, 2009
H. Upmann 1844 Churchill cigars
By Maddie Hall
Photo by John McLellan.
H. Upmann 1844 Churchill cigar
2.0/5.0
Very little excites me more than the buttery slicing of the tip off a fat smoke with a sharp guillotine. But a surefire buzz-kill is a wrapper that crumbles with the very touch of my lips.
Admittedly, I should use my Christmas money to invest in a humidor and avoid drying out my whole cigar collection, but I’m saving for spring break, and besides that, smoking leaves protected only by a binder could be an adventure.
I brush the brittle tobacco flakes from my mouth and take a few delectable puffs. It’s nutty, it’s robust, it has a hint of real vanilla (not a cheap extract) and it’s an H. Upmann 1844 Churchill. This is the first cigar I’ve had the pleasure of reviewing this year and so far, I’m pleased.
My initial impressions are good: The tobacco tastes well-aged and reminds me of a really tasty home-baked bread enjoyed by a fireplace of burning maple wood. The smoke it emits, however, suggests a damp campfire — thick and stinging. I’m not used to such a strong tobacco, the draw is difficult and the nicotine is overwhelming, but a little patience pulls me back to a savory, soy-noggy, cinnamon-graced decadence. For another short spell, I’m devouring the H. Upmann like a generous helping of gingerbread.
About a third of the way down, the aroma turns harsh.
I certainly didn’t light what I thought would be a succulent cigar expecting a sour aftertaste reminiscent of a bowling alley carpet.
At this point, things are considerably less enjoyable. I haven’t ever seen a cigar with ash as tan as this is, and I don’t like it. An uneven burn combined with the spent end having taken on the appearance of a blooming cabbage head makes me wonder whether my technique is off. Suddenly, this tobacco product disgusts me almost as much as it seems to bother the non-smokers passing by my bench.
At 5.6X46 and moderately strong, this is a hardier cigar than I’m used to.
But everything about it is inconsistent and smoking it all the way down is more than I can stand. I will not brave the January cold again for a disappointing cigar like this.
Reach reporter Maddie Hall at arts@dailyuw.com.
Pick a wine that sparkles — Ballatore Rosso Red Spumante
By Matthew Jackson
Photo by Cliff Despeaux.
Ballatore Rosso Red Spumante
3.5/5.0
As 2008 ends, what better way to usher in the new year but with a glass of bubbly? Though the classic choice is champagne, on a beer budget champagne can taste quite similar to many other sparkling wines.
Hosting a New Year’s Eve soirée this year, my roommate — with whom I arranged the plans and menu — and I had intense difficulties selecting the wines for the evening. While champagne is the classic choice for the stroke of midnight, I had a variety of reasons for choosing alternatives — perhaps, most significantly, a desire to keep the stemware full without blowing my textbook budget.
Champagne can only be labeled as such if it is a sparkling wine from the Champagne region of France. Sparkling wine, in general, is characterized by a two-stage fermentation process in which the bottled wine continues fermenting and produces carbonation. It is, therefore, a good idea to drink these wines soon after bottling, since their shelf life isn’t as stable as flat wines. However, whether from Champagne or California, carbonated wines can be excellent no matter their place of origin.
This New Year’s, a certain guest on my invite list had a fondness for the romance of pink champagne, so what better wine to select than a sparkling rosé?
Of the two I selected, the Ballatore Rosso Red Spumante was by far the nicer — my guests, toasting at midnight, commented that the other, a Monasteriolo Cava Brut Rosé, tasted “salty.”
The Ballatore Rosso, on the other hand, was lush with fruity brightness. With a fun and flavorful bouquet of watermelon and strawberries — reminiscent of berry punch — this sparkling wine would be perfect for a summer barbeque. However, the Ballatore Rosso does not lend itself as well to celebratory toasts as some of the European wines, as it is bottled in California and shares the regional wines’ characteristic breezy, beachy crispness.
Sweet and light, this wine actually lacks the pleasant tingle of champagne and other sparkling wines. The Ballatore Rosso is best described as fizzy, with the sip first exploding into a foamy mouthful before the bubbles subside into flavor.
Although seasonally inappropriate, I do recommend this wine as an accompaniment for picnics, beach parties, warm summer barbeques and the light, crisp, fresh foods associated with such events. The Ballatore Rosso pairs much more cohesively with cocktail shrimp than it did the heavy 1950s-themed menu of my New Year’s Eve.
Until the weather gets warmer, though, this wine is shockingly inappropriate — it’s more like drinking juice spritzer than wine. A better choice would have a less fruity character, such as the German Schloss Biebrich Sekt, which paired perfectly with our menu of glazed ham, Swedish meatballs and scalloped potatoes.
So until the trees have their leaves and the outdoors are enjoyable without the benefit of extensive outerwear, I suggest other sparking wines to take the place of celebratory champagne. In either case, Trader Joe’s offers a wide selection of sparkling wines at excellent prices: Ballatore Rosso Red Spumante is $7.99 a bottle.
Reach reporter Matt Jackson at arts@dailyuw.com.
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