Baker’s Bourbon
Aged seven years and bottled at 107 proof this bourbon is a creation of some distant relative of Jim Beam. Fortunately for this distant relative, grand nephew (new one on me too) Baker (cool name) Beam (structural name), he has made something that is better, much better really, than his grand uncle’s namesake whiskey. But let us not get too far ahead of ourselves.
Baker’s is honey colored with a strong, sweet bourbon scent to it. Belying the fact that it’s 107 proof the first couple gulps are very smooth and the only way you can tell that this is a high proofed bourbon is by the gentle tingling sensation washing through your esophagus.
The flavors are surprisingly mild but that isn’t to say that they aren’t good. I think nuanced may be a better phrase to use than “mild” in this situation. I don’t get the vanilla notes that are mentioned on their site but I do get this buttered bread type of flavor mixed with some honey or mild fruit flavors. They have also described this as being a “silky” drink and I think that makes sense.
Before I started drinking the Baker’s I lit up a 601 La Bomba; you know, the one with that two inch long pig tale at the end and the aggressive flavor profile. It’s a good match for this bourbon. Being a strong-ish cigar with some very admirable qualities it can stand up to the Baker’s without a problem. I do think it’s a good idea to smoke a stronger cigar with Baker’s and this is especially the case when you’re drinking Baker’s bigger, better brother: Booker’s (I’m guessing that’s named after the great-grand step nephew of Jim Beam – or something like that).
Perhaps the best thing about reviewing liquor, besides the actual process of drinking, is that I don’t have to go through the whole “this third, that third” rigamarole when describing it. You can fairly quickly figure out whether or not you like a particular drink and this is one of those whiskeys that I like.
This is a good drink for a number of reasons. First, it has some good flavors to it. It’s smooth enough for my liking but also has a high enough proof to give it a little edge. And it’s a good sipping bourbon, something I like with my cigars. But it’s strong so that precludes lesser cigars as a pairing, which isn’t really a bad thing because who really likes smoking lesser cigars?
Overall, Baker’s is not one of my all-time favorites but it’s definitely a worthwhile drink. However, at this price, somewhat short of $50 a bottle, it won’t be something I go to very often.
Hoyo de Monterrey Excalibur (Natural) No. 3 Cigar Review
I smoked this one a while ago so I’m just basically going off of my notes.
There’s a decent amount of oils on the wrapper but there’s also a minor stretch mark in one area. Other than that stretch mark it looks like it has perfect construction. Right before this I smoked a crappy Don Tomas and a second one (forget what it was at this point) that was just as bad. So there’s a chance that they can adversely affect this cigar. Drinking Maker’s Mark, Cherry Coke, and a water.
Cigar Stats
Toro
Length: 6 1/8″
Ring Gauge: 48
Wrapper: USA/Conn
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Dom Rep, Nic
Price: $6.00
Night Light!
Mild-medium bodied. Slight amount of spice. Perfect draw. Third time is the charm tonight!
Mellow cigar. Very creamy smoke. Slight nutty flavor. Honey and this mildly sweet coconut flavor as well. It may not have a lot of strength but it has a lot of flavor.
Slight problem with the burn. I’m over halfway through now and the burn hasn’t affected my enjoyment of this cigar.
Now, this won’t be a favorite of mine but it’s damn good. It belongs somewhere around the 90 point neighborhood.
Near the end it gets somewhat harsh with an ashy flavor. Knocks of a point or two.
89 points
Note: After looking at some other people’s review of this cigar I think those previous cigars I smoked must have had a bigger impact on this cigar than I thought.
Cigar Jack said this cigar is medium-full bodied with a lot of bold spice.
Her Humidor had a maduro version of this cigar in the Crusader size and she gave it great praise saying that it might be her favorite cigar of the year. She found it full bodied but it also had a poor burn.
Zen Cigar: “It is a medium-bodied cigar; I taste a slight creaminess with wood, leather and some tobacco on finish.” Zen gave it 86 points.
You decide for yourself, it’s worth a try.
