You might've noticed that the photo above is not pre-light, but is post-toast and a tug or two in. That's the second time I've jumped the gun on this Fratello Corona offering. I did so in THIS Boxing Review, too. That must, methinks, mean something, no?
Now lettuce talk pony. Over --
THE CIGAR
Corona 5 1/2 x 46
w. Nicaraguan Habano
b. Ecuadorian Sumatra
f. Nicaraguan and Peruvian
Sampling courtesy (thank ya, sir) Omar de Frias, brand owner.
& THE LIBATION
(as this is not a full review)
Coffee
Starbucks Pike Place
Pour-over brewing method
+ Packet of Stevia
Box the greys, gentlepersons! Creator, Destin, and Lani: all greys and all in the moolah (and all in that order). Your prohibitive favorite Exaggerator, however, who went off at 6-5 and finished late Sunday morning... around brunch.
Very fruity beginnings here in this Fratello Corona, a thick yet supple leather backing that. It takes a half-inch for the chocolate to break into than through the fruitiness. Fruits are red to purple and ripe. Chocolate is brownie fudging up. Spice rack braces the chocolate, cedar the fruit. Burn wavers a tick and a seam loosens there. Room note is thinner than prior offerings and is a fruit syrup earthiness. Earthiness is compost heap on the draw's under-belly and into the leggy finish. Pale grey ash cracks in a spot and espresso comes on -- actually, just its crema. Just as I'm about to re-touch, the lagging bit o' top-leaf starts catching... I'll hold off for now, gentlepersons.
"I was praying to God that the reins were lying to me. The horse that was keen to progress was not underneath me. I nursed him to the quarter pole and set him down, put him down for a mad drive and said, 'Show me your stuff,' and there was nothing there. By the time we got to the eighth pole he was stepping on his tongue, and I said, 'That's enough. I'm not going to be fifth, I'm not going to be seventh. Let's get him home and probably get him back to where he enjoys a mile and a quarter or not three weeks in a row.'" Kent Desormeaux, Exaggerator's jock.
With the official Kaplowitz Win, Place, and Show trophies now handed out and only two or three short days late -- it's time to move on to award the MVP bit of hardware to Creator WinStar Farms stable-mate, Gettysburg. I was wrong, gentlepersons. I failed to foretell Gettysburg's impact here. It was immense. He tired out the only near threat to Creator, in Destin, and did so as perfectly as any rabbit ever done did.
Congrats to all of Creator's fans and connections, I should say.
Having then said it, gentlepersons, and taking nothing away from anyone, the question now bandied about is if this Triple Crown season was at all a memorable one. Not only do I feel an answer to that question is both "No," and sadly easily surmised; but ya ain't seen nothin' yet, I doth fear. Wait till Nyquist's health woes continue. Wait till each and every flaw in Exaggerator is exposed. Oy vey. Meaningless Triple Crown? How's 'bout a year of tsuris to follow that?
For whatever of a reason, I ain't getting the salted butter lips of the few previous Fratello Corona offerings. I'm forced to break down and re-touch, as the ash begins to lilt some. Chocolate drops from brownie to a dark candy bar with a tick of wax. Mouth-feel is lighter than expected, and a bit spitty.
This all begs a walk on the sunny side of the street. I do believe, gentlepersons, that a showcase of good-looking two year olds is in order. Someone write that down and remind me to piece that bit of optimism together ASAP-style.
Fourteen lengths, gentlepersons. Frosted, last year's Belmont Stakes runner-up to the Triple Crown clinching American Pharoah, dominated a year later at the Met Mile. (I previewed the Met Mile and the Manhattan Hcp. in last week's review, HERE.) The really ain't a lot to cover re: a fourteen length romp.
Leather sweats all over the Fratello's profile here, and the sinful chocolate I expected is instead angelic and scarce. Fruit drives the sweet component here. There is a black pepper with a red pepper haunting on the retro-hale. On the draw and once dropping to the palate, the red pepper is sweetened by molasses. Burn misbehaves some and doth require a Djeep light re-touch, but it is windy here in my carport. Ash is nicely built in a white nigh sheathing with light grey marblings. Packing holds well, but a loose seem at the burn is a continued thing, as is a slight+ waver. Not as sharp of a burn as one might like from a Corona.
Here's something about Frosted and The Met Mile. He proved that he can run at the shorter mile distance, and do so just fine. Despite coming off the pace down the stretch, the four year-old colt finished up in a 1:32.73 manner. Spectacular? Verily.
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RUSSELL BAZE RETIRES
"That's it. I'm going to retire." Russell Baze, to his long-time friend and agent, Ray Harris. Mr. Baze had just guided Wahine Warrior to a place finish in the 10th race on Sunday's Golden Gate Fields closing day. It seems so matter-of-factly done, but how else to end some four decades of yer life? A candle running outta wick and wax.In 53,578 mounts, the 57 year-old Mr. Russell Baze:
won 12,842 times,
placed 9,600 times, &
showed 7,855 times.
"I was surprised but I was happy," said Mr. Harris.
I'm honestly only one of those two things Mr. Harris is both of, re: this Fratello Corona offering. It seems to be falling back. Actually, it almost goes out on me, and a look into my Dollar Store hand mirror as I toke, shows an uneven catch in the filler and a pulling away from the binder. [Big re-touch bordering into re-light.]
Profile is losing some height and we're nigh linear now. leather and fruit lead and partner, red pepper is there. Red spiced cedar is nearby with a thin chocolate bracing. behind that is a cruise control compost. As the caboose pulls closer to the locomotive. Cars are dropping off betwixt. Pleasant 'nuff offering, all told, just sans complexity. Mouth-feel is spittle and drool. Legs are pulling in and a slight charcoal is there. Room-note is a tick sharpened and smoke is of a blue-green hue. Pack is very soft at the band, and spongy beyond that. Draw remains an even medium+ tension throughout and stays cool till further into the band when it warm, still comfy 'nuff.
Construction L
Combustion L
Flavors/Body O
Strength O
Profile is losing some height and we're nigh linear now. leather and fruit lead and partner, red pepper is there. Red spiced cedar is nearby with a thin chocolate bracing. behind that is a cruise control compost. As the caboose pulls closer to the locomotive. Cars are dropping off betwixt. Pleasant 'nuff offering, all told, just sans complexity. Mouth-feel is spittle and drool. Legs are pulling in and a slight charcoal is there. Room-note is a tick sharpened and smoke is of a blue-green hue. Pack is very soft at the band, and spongy beyond that. Draw remains an even medium+ tension throughout and stays cool till further into the band when it warm, still comfy 'nuff.
K A P L O W I T Z SCALE
(K the least, Z the most)
Appearance WConstruction L
Combustion L
Flavors/Body O
Strength O
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| Mr. Russell Baze. Photo: Robert Bubek |
EDITOR'S NOTE
My sincere apologies over some odd formatting woes herein. They seem to fall outside of my control, gentlepersons.