This review begins back in the early 1970’s, so grab your favorite brew and light up a good stogie and try to follow along.

When I was a young boy, I remember walking to Toms Cigar store in Hamilton, Ohio with my dad. We would go once a week so dad could buy his lottery tickets. I would always run straight to the fishing section hoping there would be a long line at the lottery counter so I could spend more time looking at every lure and pole they carried. I would also page through the many outdoor magazines and check out all the camping gear. Dad always knew where to find me, and when he was done, we would walk home and talk about our next camping trip.

Skip ahead now about 30 years. While at work the other day I was just chatting with Shaggy, a longtime friend and co-worker, and the subject of cigars came up. Turns out Shaggy is a cigar smoker. I told him about this site and the next day he brought me in a couple of Flor Extra Fina stogies to review. As fate would have it, he told me that he gets these all the time at……you guessed it, Toms Cigar store. Man you talk about a blast from the past.

These Flor Extra Fina’s come pre-punched, so there is no cutter needed. (I know, I know, most cigar snobs NEVER buy cigars unless they are hand rolled somewhere in Central America and a cutter is required. But I’m not above smoking a freebie, whether it needs a cutter or not.)  It’s dimensions are 7 X 36 with a dark brown wrapper. Upon lighting, it gave a sweet aroma and my first impression was that this was going to be a sweet cigar that leaves a bad feel on the palate. But it quickly gave way to a nice peppery taste that left my nose tingling. It had a medium flavor and it burned even throughout. The only negative I could find was, the ashes didn’t hold very tight, but that is a very small issue hardly worth mentioning due to it’s otherwise quality characteristics. The thing I liked best is, it smelled sweet but tasted peppery. I don’t know if I’ve ever had a cigar that tasted that much different than it smelled. In total, it lasted about 40 minutes and was a very enjoyable cigar.

Another twist of fate with this story, Shaggy and I grew up a half a block away from each other and didn’t know it until we started working together about 6 years ago. Man you just never know who you’re going to meet next. We seemed to have so much in common, I’m surprised we’re not related. But we can’t be, I’m much better looking.

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One of the best things about winter being right around the corner is the number of winter lagers and ales that begin showing up on the store shelves this time of year. Mrs. Porch and I went grocery shopping tonight, and in my weekly walk through the beer aisle I spotted the winter ale of my favorite local micro-brewery, Christian Morlein.

Christian Morlein has a varied line of craft brews that include Double Dark Lager, Helles Lager, OTR Ale and a few others. My favorite is the Chrstkindl Ale Winter Warmer. It pours a dark amber, looks a little like a thin root beer. It didn’t have a very thick head and it dissapated fairly quickly which was a little disappointing. It had a nice malty aroma with a little bit of spice, perfect for a cold winter night. It’s taste is beyond my ability to describe, but I’ll try. It has a definite taste of malt that makes it a bold and hearty brew, a touch of chocolate with an almost perfect amount of hops to make this the most flavorful beer I have ever tasted. This one has a very wide range of food it could be coupled with. If you try it, I would suggest something hearty like beef stew, pot roast, turkey and dressing or baked pork chops with fried apples. Too bad it’s not brewed in the summer time because it would be a good cookout beer too. If you are not bothered by the cold and feel like braving the midwestern elements in mid- January, this beer would go well with cheeseburgers or bratwursts. (or both)  It really is too bad people outside of the Cincinnati marketing area don’t have access to this beer.

The day after Thanksgiving marks the day that I begin my annual search for the “Official beer” of the Porch household for Christmas. I couldn’t help myself this year to start a bit early. Although, I think I will stick to this tradition by buying more of this one on November 28th. Some of you may think this is just an excuse for me to drink more of this beer, but in the name of tradition, I will sacrifice and give the rest of the winter brews a fair chance. If you happen to find yourself in the greater Cincinnati area this holiday season, this is a must try.

P-O-R-C-H rating: H.

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Finally, something new from Budweiser. This has been out a couple of weeks now and I’ve been anxious to try it. Being a fan of the American Micro-Brewing industry, I had my doubts but I promised I would be as fair as possible.

First of all, it didn’t have that cheap twist off top that I fully expected, score 1. The color was a normal amber with a thick white head that didn’t last and left no lacing as I drank it. I like to sniff the beer immediately after the pour and when I did, I could smell some hops. The taste was smooth and refreshing with a light hop taste that doesn’t stay with you. It is WAY better than Bud and Bud Light but if I’m going to pay $7.00 for a six pack, it won’t be this. Overall not a bad beer, but way overpriced.

 P-O-R-C-H rating:  O

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Brother Dave came into town a few weeks ago and we had the great fortune to get together for a round of golf and a few beers. From time to time we will call each other late at night and smoke a long distance cigar together. (we live 3 time zones apart) It’s always good to get together with family and friends, but there was something special about this day. The sun was up early and the clouds were hiding somewhere else. We hit the course around 9:00am and by 10, we were on our second beer. (special thanks to our beer cart girl, Kendra)

I was put in charge of bringing the cigars and I chose a couple of Graycliff 1666’s. I chose this one because special times deserve  a special cigar. Wrapped in a handsome madura wrapper with very little veins  and no hard spots, I knew I couldn’t go wrong with this one. We lit and toasted each others health and began enjoying one of my personal favorites. Lots of puffy blue-white smoke with a medium flavor. It seemed to get better as we smoked it, and somewhere in the middle it formed a very slight peppery taste, but not noticeable unless you were looking for it. I think this is what kept the flavor alive.

We didn’t want to dump them but we finally put them down seven holes later but only because they were too short to hold onto. They had a good even burn all the way down and was a very enjoyable smoking experience. Even though I got beat on the course, Dave allotted me a handicap equal to the difference in our scores because of these cigars. So we tied, we had an equally good time. But next time I’ll beat him on the course and he can keep his handicap.

If I had a rating system, this one would be close to the best. So let’s do a generic rating. Scale of 1 - 10, I would give this one a 9.

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Ok, I said that I’d give this line of beers a chance so, here goes.

First of all lets disect the name shall we? “Michelob” - A name we trust, right? I can buy that. ”Ultra” - Suggests that this is something to hold onto while others are drinking beer and because your bottle is shaped the same as theirs, you fit in. But you’ll have to remember to keep the label facing you so nobody can see it. “Amber” - Well, it’s darker, so maybe if I pour it in a mug everyone will think I’m drinking a beer.

 Honestly though, this beer isn’t that bad. After I got past the name and the fact that it had a twist off top, it got better. (Note to Anhueser-Busch: If you want to compete with the micro-brewery’s, at least shed the cheap twist offs. Not a good start with beer afficianados.) The color was a dark amber, almost a burnt orange. I poured it a little hard and got a head of about 1 1/2 inches that left some lacing but was gone by the second drink. Nothing special about the aroma, maybe a little malty. But nothing else. It went down fairly smooth with a good mellow flavor. There was zero hop bitterness.

Drink this one cold. It would be a good summertime refresher beer but not for that special meal. Unless you are eating from the lite menu. With only 114 calories per 12 oz bottle, I have to admit it is probably the best diet beer I’ve had. (not that I drink diet beers very often.) My opinion is that if this is marketed right, AB could possibly have a hit with this one. Believe it or not, there is a market for beer drinkers that watch their figures. I know, I don’t understand it either, but they are out there, and with beers like this, we can spot them a mile away.

P-O-R-C-H rating: O+

                                                               *******Rating explained*******

I’m keeping the rating below the middle mark because of the “Ultra” image that in my opinion just doesn’t go with beer drinking. That doesn’t mean that it’s not good for everyone. This could quite well fit someones lifestyle to a T and be their favorite beer. Not mine. I gave it the “+” because of the appearance. It is a good looking beer.

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I sat down after working a 3-11 shift and turned on the Miami hockey game that I had DVR’ed. This was going to be the first televised game of the year and I couldn’t wait. I thought since it was such a special event, I should drink a special beer. This beer and a hockey game was not the best mix. I enjoyed both but  this is not a “sit down and watch the game with the guys” kind of beer. It’s more like a meal to be enjoyed and savored.

It poured a nice dark brown with a hint of red. It had a tan colored head that I thought would last longer than it did. This beer had all the makings of a good stiff malty brew. This is where appearance and reality took two different roads. When I smelled it, I swear I smelled walnuts. I thought that might just the power of suggestion (you know ‘Nut’ brown ale) but when I tasted it, the nutty-ness jumped out at me. Yet for all the nut flavor I was experiencing, I could still taste the hops and the caramel malts. Nice mix of ingredients that leaves a somewhat long aftertaste.

If you are going to drink this beer, you better have you manliest taste buds with you. With an ABV of 5% it is a good thick and flavorful brew. It would go well with a good winter time meal like a pot roast or venison stew.

P-O-R-C-H rating:  C+

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