Flying Dog Brewery’s Pearl Necklace

IMG_0282Pearl Necklace is an American stout brewed with local Rappahannock River Oysters. Flying Dog originally started Pearl Necklace as a seasonal brew but launched it into the market year round in May of 2012. In the production of this beer Flying Dog has partnered with Oyster Recovery Partnership (ORP) and proceeds from this beer are donated to them to help restore oysters in the Chesapeake Bay. In addition to helping the ORP in their mission they also managed to make a great tasting stout.

The color of this beer was as dark as expected, close to that of cola or mud. It left a nice dingy colored head about 1.5 fingers think that lingered for a respectable amount of time. The smell of malt was clearly present along with that of coffee and a hint of sea air in the background.

The flavor was full and complex but not heavy. It started with a rich dark chocolate flavor that shifted to coffee and nut flavors with a hint of honey. Only at the end was there a small amount of brine flavor. The carbonation was what I would consider to be average, which kept the feeling of the beer light on the tongue giving a good balance from the full flavor. A good amount of lacing could be noticed on the glass while drinking as well.

As stouts go this is a well crafted beer. Not only is it pleasing to the nose, but also has a drinkability that won’t limit you to just one or two beers. In addition to it being a good beer it is actually doing something good in their community by helping the ORP. It would be hard to find a reason to not recommend this beer.

 

Brewer: Flying Dog Brewery

Website: flyingdogbrewery.com

ABV: 5.5%

Rating: 4.7 out of 5 pints.

Photo by @syndie_marie

Left Hand Brewing’s Good Juju

IMG_0294Good Juju is one of Left Hand’s seasonal brews. It’s based of off a standard pale ale but has organic ginger added to it. I’ve enjoyed most of the beers by Left hand and happen to really enjoy ginger so I decided to give it a try and I wasn’t disappointed.

The over all look of this beer was a clear but dark copper. There was an average amount of carbonation, which gave the beer about a finger high head that quickly subsided. Minimal lacing could be noted on the glass during drinking. On the nose it had a full scent of hops with a rich amount of ginger.

I took the first sip reluctantly not knowing what to expect and was pleasantly surprised by the flavor. It was full but not heavy, with sweetness from the malt and touch of bitterness. The ginger allowed for a crisp and clean finish and made this an easy beer to drink.

For a spiced beer this was very enjoyable. It was easy to drink multiples of this beer and they consistently tasted great. The aroma given off provides for a greater drinking experience and enhances the beers flavor. If you’re in the mood for a light but flavorful beer this is the direction you should head.

 

Company: Left Hand Brewing

Website: lefthandbrewing.com 

ABV: 4.5%

Rating: 4.3 out of 5 pints

MoyaRuiz’s La Jugada Nunchuck

IMG_0639The La Jugada Nunchuck cigar from MoyaRuiz is their limited edition run to celebrate Cigar Dojo’s Birthday Herf. Although it was not released until later this year it was highly anticipated. Made in the La Zona factory in Nicaragua, like their other two cigars, it is a cigar that is troublesome to compare to anything else.

I got these sticks over a month ago and they felt quite firm to the touch so I decided to give them a little time in my humidor before smoking them. Like I’ve mentioned before, I like my cigars at a slightly higher humidity level (I prefer a constant 74% RH) since I have a tendency to chew the ends of mine and like a softer feel to my tobacco. When I took these out I noticed the feel had remained the same but rather then let it sit any longer I decided to go ahead and light it up.

The feel was firm to the touch and did not give when pressure was applied which worried me at first. I was concerned that the cigar was over filled and would not only be hard to smoke but would also crack and break under the stress of smoking it. I played around with the cigar and was happy to see that, unlike other people have stated, I found no dead spots. The roll was consistent and full through the whole body.

The overall look of the cigar was superb, clearly time had been taking in the production. The Habano wrapper had the color of well-aged leather and had very minimal veining, which was nice given the size of this cigar. The smell from the body was light and had notes of cedar, fruit, well used leather, and tobacco, loads and loads of tobacco. The foot shared the same odor with a slightly heavier fig smell.

It lit easily with a moderate draw. This was surprising given how full this cigar is I expected a much harder pull. Immediately a nice amount of smoke is given off that fills the pallet and rests heavily on the tongue. The taste of black coffee, pepper and tobacco are noticed with a hint of nuttiness. This continued through almost the first third of the cigar. Nearing the midway point the taste begins to mellow, but only for a short time. Once I reached the middle of the stick a large amount of spice could be tasted and everything else takes a back seat, except for the tobacco did I mention the tobacco.

As the cigar heats up the stick becomes more pliable and is easily manipulated between the fingers. With the exception of the moderate midpoint change the flavor holds consistent to the end with only a slight increase in spiciness as what’s left begins to heat up.

La Jugada Nunchuck Comes in one size. A hefty 7×54 and are being released in a limited amounts of 1,000 boxes. Each box has five nunchucks tethered together or a total of ten cigars each. If your looking for a nice full bodied cigar to smoke that will last you around two hours this is your cigar.

Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano Oscuro

Binder: Nicaraguan

Filler: Nicaraguan

Brand: MoyaRuiz

Website: MoyaRuizcigars.com

Rating: 4.3 out of 5 pints